Details Make The Difference For Successful Disinfection

By Christina Adkison

Disinfectant manufacturers work hard to test and document the effectiveness of disinfectant solutions. End users invest time and money to determine the bioburden and local isolates of their facility. This testing and documentation is vital to the proper selection of disinfectants.

It is essential in the Life Sciences and pharmaceutical, biologics, medical device and animal health industries to keep tight control of the microorganisms within a given facility. Often, tools (mops, wipes) or protocols are overlooked, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the disinfection process.

Manufacturers of the disinfectant solution have done extensive validation work to prove that their solution will kill a range of microbiologic contamination per the EPA requirements for standardize testing conditions for disinfectant registration. The lab setting does not always simulate variables that exist in real world facilities.

Quality departments spend time performing environmental monitoring to document the bioburden and identify local isolates in a facility. Samples are taken, incubated, and identified. A systematic approach determines the best disinfectant solution needed to keep the identified organisms under control in the facility. Once the proper disinfectant is chosen, it is up to the operator or cleaning company to use the approved products appropriately for successful disinfection.

Learn about the small variables that impact disinfection of surfaces, including the selection of proper tools, the proper protocols for applying disinfectant solutions, and how these processes are interpreted and implemented.\