What about the floor?

AORN Journal,  Oct, 2005  by Nathan L. Belkin,  Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson

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In her answer to the question about using microfiber mops facility-wide ("Clinical Issues," vol 81, June 2005), the author says nothing about the condition of the floor after it had been mopped. Specifically, has the floor been effectively disinfected?

Cotton mops are hydrophilic, or absorbent, whereas microfiber mops are hydrophobic, or not absorbent. As a result, microfiber mops require less water for rinsing and do not require the use of a conventional mop-wringer and heavy cleaning bucket. These are economic benefits that are ergonomically advantageous as well.

The question is, how effectively do microfiber mops disinfect the floor? Microfiber mop heads can be damaged by industrial washers and dryers; thus, care must be taken in laundering them. More importantly, the mops themselves cannot be disinfected with chlorine bleach since it can degrade the fibers and shorten the useful life of the mop head.

This raises questions not only about how the mops are disinfected but also about the effectiveness of the disinfectant that is used to disinfect the floor. Has its efficacy been clinically demonstrated?

Last but not least, the microfiber mop is hand squeezed to remove excess water, and, of course, this is done after it has been used to mop the contaminated floor. Does the health care worker wear gloves while doing this and then wash his or her hands before going on to another room with a new mop head? It seems to me that from the perspective of infection control, there is little evidence-based information to show the effectiveness of this new technology, and there is still a need for traditional all-cotton mop heads.

NATHAN L. BELKIN

PHD

CLEARWATER, FLA

Author's response. Thank you for your comments. As noted in the column, research on the use of microfiber mop systems in health care settings is limited. One source cited in the column found the positively charged microfibers attracted and tightly held negatively charged dust and dirt particles. The microfiber also was found to penetrate the microscopic pores of most flooring materials, unlike loop mop systems. (1) Additional trials have supported the effectiveness of the microfiber system over traditional wet loop systems. (2-4)

Microfiber mop heads may be damaged by industrial processing standards and chlorine bleach, so facilities choosing to employ these systems use a standard commercial washer and dryer with controlled heat settings and standard laundry detergent. (1) With the exception of chlorine bleach, microfiber mop heads are compatible with hospital-grade disinfectant solutions. (1,4)

Currently, there are limited evidence-based findings to determine the appropriateness of using microfiber mops in perioperative settings. Consequently, AORN has not taken an official position on the efficacy of the product. The decision to implement microfiber cleaning systems should be based on objective criteria and follow AORN's "Recommended practices for product selection in perioperative practice settings." (5)

SHARON GIARRIZZO-WILSON

RN, MS, CNOR

PERIOPERATIVE NURSING SPECIALIST

CENTER FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Notes

(1.) "Using microfiber mops in hospitals," Environmental Protection Agency (November 2002) http://www.epa.gov/region09 /cross_pr/p2/projects/hospital/mops .pdf (accessed 29 Aug 2005).

(2.) D Polonsky, "Should you microfiber?" Healthcare Purchasing News (May 2004) 40-43. Also available at http://www.hpnonline .com/inside/May04/h0405CE%20 Test%20for%20web.pdf (accessed 29 Aug 2005).

(3.) D Lehman, "Microfibers, macro benefits. Health care facilities discover microfiber mops and cloths," Health Facilities Management 17 (January 2004) 42-44.

(4.) J Desa et al, "Case study: Are microfiber mops beneficial for hospitals?" Sustainable Hospitals Project (Feb 5, 2003) http://www .sustainablehospitals.org/PDF/Micro fiberMopCS.pdf (accessed 20 Aug 2005).

(5.) "Recommended practices for product selection in perioperative practice settings," in Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines (Denver: AORN, Inc, 2005) 433-436.

Editor's note: Please submit all correspondence to AORN Journal, Letters to the Editor, 2170 S Parker Rd, Suite 300, Denver; CO 80231-5711.

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