Aged care facilities are high risk when it comes to their residents. Primarily, this is because an infection on the premises can become quickly widespread, which can threaten the lives and lifestyles of those living there. So, those operating aged care businesses must understand the duty of care they have in keeping their space clean; so guests, residents and staff can maintain good health as much as possible.
While countless products on the market can eliminate germs and bacteria from surfaces, disposable and launderable microfibre have proven to be some of the most effective when cleaning and sanitising aged care. The following blog seeks to explore this further.
Launderable and Disposable Microfibre Reduce the Risk of Cross-Contamination
Cross-Contamination, though usually associated with food and cooking, is common during cleaning. This is because some cleaning tools cannot trap microbes in their fibres. They can pick up harmful pathogens, but may later spread them onto other surfaces. In serious circumstances, this allows these pathogens to mix with other harmful microbes, which can cause widespread infectious outbreaks.
The HYGEN Microfibre solutions by Rubbermaid Commercial Products have been made specifically to trap and hold pathogens in their material. This can prevent germs from simply spreading unto other surfaces. Plus, it means that staff can use the same cleaning cloth for longer without it becoming highly contaminated.
At Rubbermaid Commercial Products, we are also passionate about reducing single-use waste in landfills as part of our sustainability pledge. So, we recommend using launderable microfibre on all surfaces, except those that may be high-risk, such as on floors where human waste needs to be cleaned. Doing so can not only guarantee the health and safety of aged care residents but can help aged care facilities do their part in cutting down waste and environmental damage. 
Launderable and Disposable Microfibre Can Reduce Aged Care Labour Costs
Whether an aged care facility is using an in-house cleaning team or a contract cleaning company, this requires paid labour. Large-scale aged care facilities, which require constant cleaning, could need multiple employees to clean, especially if the wrong tools are in use, as they can lengthen the time it takes to complete cleaning jobs.
With the correct training, however, the HYGEN disposable and launderable microfibre range can be used by any staff member. Rather than hiring cleaning staff to be present in the aged care facility at all times, this may allow aged care staff to clean as they go to keep surfaces, floors and walls clean. A designated cleaning team can then be utilised at the end of each working day for an hour or two to clean any more complex areas, such as air vents, outdoors or hard-to-reach places.
Launderable and Disposable Microfibre Are More Sustainable For Aged Care Facilities
As mentioned above, it is now critical that businesses, including aged care facilities, are doing their part for the environment. For this reason, the Rubbermaid Commercial Products team has worked to improve the sustainability of both launderable and disposable microfibre options. This is how:
Though the sustainability of microfibre does not directly connect to the health and safety of aged care residents, many linkages can be made. For example, a decrease in cleaning chemicals can reduce the harmful spores in the air. This can increase air quality for aged care residents, which can boost the quality of life.
As well, with more and more people focused on sustainability, this may lead families to choose one aged care facility over another. So, those acting in good faith toward the environment may see an increase in residents, and, therefore, greater revenue.
Launderable and Disposable Microfibre Can Improve The Health Of Aged Care Residents
Most importantly, these microfibre solutions are made to help keep premises clean and bacteria-free. In fact, they have been proven to remove over 99.7% of pathogens from a surface when used correctly. Though no facility will ever be completely pathogen-free, this substantial removal rate means that aged care residents are much less likely to contract harmful, and potentially deadly, viruses from unclean surfaces. In turn, this will promote better health in the facility, particularly for those experiencing illnesses or compromised immunity.
The Rubbermaid Commercial team does always recommend that good social distancing and mask-wearing is still practised, as microfibre cannot stop person-to-person transmission of viruses.
Rubbermaid Commercial Products is here to help
If you are an aged care operator or a worker looking to improve the cleanliness and sanitisation of your premises, we’re here to help. We’d be happy to show you the depth of our microfibre range as well as how the HYGEN products can boost your cleanliness and sanitisation in both the short and long term. Contact our team today to find out more and to request your free samples.
