Hygienic, productivity and quality in microfibre system

By Ali Khondukar, Executive Housekeeper of hotel services at Macquarie University Hospital, North Ryde, Sydney NSW Australia

Everybody knows about microfibre products and most of us are probably using them. The question is, how many are achieving good results in hygienic issue, good results in productivity, good results in quality and lowering of cleaning cost with microfibre systems? The answer is that you cannot achieve all of these key points using microfibre products alone.

A staff training program based on the microfibre product, a proper functional job description for staff and quality check program are all required to bring about impressive results. Microfibre is 10 to 12 times thinner than human hair and its absorbing power is 12 to 14 times greater than typical cotton fibres. As most of us know, what may look clean does not necessarily mean that the surface is hygienically clean.

According to test results, using microfibre materials to clean a surface reduces the number of bacteria by 99 percent. In comparison, cotton fibre material reduces the number of bacteria by only 33 percent. For this reason, microfibre products help to control infection, boost worker productivity, and lower the cost of cleaning.

How we can ensure microfibre cleans hygienically? For the best way to clean surfaces hygienically and prevent cross contamination you need adopt a system such as:

• Use a clean set of cloths for each room or area.

• Use disposal gloves and change these for each room or area.

• Wash hands before using a new pair of gloves.

• Follow the colour codes policy.

Microfibre absorb 10 to 12 time more than a typical cotton fibre cloth so cleaning with microfibre will remove 99.9 percent of dirt or dust particles. The surface will dry quickly as the microfibre absorbs at least 95 percent of residue from surfaces. A swab testing program can be adopted to ensure that the system is working. Choose a test area weekly and swab on regular basis. That will give you peace of mind, knowing the cleaning is done hygienically.

There are a lot of microfibre products on market but the best is anti-bacterial silver mix with microfibre – the same used at Macquarie University Hospital (Sydney). The benefits of anti-bacterial silver in microfibre are to prevent the growth of bacteria within the cloth. This stops the spread of bacteria between surfaces during cleaning.

Productivity with microfibre: There are many techniques a company can adopt with  a microfibre system to boost productivity, and reduce OH&S issues.

A new cleaning system using 100 percent microfibre was implemented at Macquarie University Hospital (MUH) in 2010. This system was not copied or replicated from any other organisation. The system implemented at MUH was based on my own 24 years of experience in housekeeping and we are now probably the first hospital in Australia that does not use a mop bucket for cleaning purposes.

Using an aqua mop instead of a mop bucket is a great system to achieve impressive cleaning results. At least one hour per staff member can be saved in each shift by not using a mop bucket. It also reduces chemical and water usage. An evaluation of the system found that switching to lightweight microfibre flat mops (an aqua mop system) increased productivity by 18 precent. Cleaning times were reduced because the lighter weight microfibre flat mop was faster and more effective than a cotton string mop.

Quality in microfibre: Training is the most important factor in implementing a successful microfibre system. Without a training program, job schedule and setup, the system will fail. Training must be designed based on the environmental requirements and by following the guidelines of relevant policies and procedures. Staff training programs must be reviewed on a regular basis and staff members must be retrained if required. Training programs will prevent staff from injury, lost productivity and poor job quality.

Staff performance must be monitored by a team leader to check and monitor staff performance and their work quality. If they there any issue regarding quality, the team leader must address it with the staff member. By finding the problem, they can then take appropriate action to resolve it. The relationship between staff and a team leader and manager is very important; staff members must feel comfort talking to the team leader or manager and it is a manager’s responsibility to create a happy and healthy environment in the work place.

Overall benefits of using microfibre:

• Reduce chemical usage up to 95%

• Reduce water usage up to 95%

• Reduce cleaning time (depend how system is designed)

• Decrease slip and falls (less liquids on floors)

• Decrease injuries related to mop use

• Environmentally-friendly (less chemicals)

To switch to a new cleaning system is not without its challenges, especially relating to cost. We all struggle with budget, and when an organisation starts cutting costs, the first target is always hotel services. The housekeeping industry is far behind in comparison to other industries. We still use tons of chemicals, mops and buckets and appropriate training is lacking. However, this means there’s room for improvement. The first housekeeping training collage has opened in Brisbane, which is ground breaking news. I hope every state will follow their footsteps. Now is the time is for change in the housekeeping industry, we can bring about change together. Australia deserves better systems and better quality from the housekeeping industry.

*Ali Khondukar is the Executive Housekeeper of hotel services at Macquarie University Hospital, North Ryde, Sydney NSW Australia

This article is reproduced in 2012 in the InClean magazine. INCLEAN magazine, www.incleanmag.com.au