By Jim Flieler, VP of Sales for Charlotte Products Ltd

Precision cleaning is the future of the way we will be cleaning spaces. It is a term used to denote a shift from cleaning for appearance, toward cleaning for health. The idea behind precision cleaning is to target the areas you are cleaning with the proper tools and products, remove germs efficiently, and then validate your work. The outcomes of precision cleaning are efficiency and health-based cleaning. It’s a win-win for your bottom line and the health of your buildings.

What constitutes precision cleaning?

Precision cleaning is the practice of cleaning and disinfecting without overusing products, with effective training programs and with the proper tools to measure and validate your efforts. Measurement and validation becomes a key component of a precision cleaning system because this is the way you can monitor your cleaning performance, optimize your ROI and resources and prove to your building occupants that their space is safe and healthy. We like to say that precision cleaning provides a clear understanding and demonstration of what, where, why and how to clean. 

Why precision cleaning Now?

There have been many trends in the cleaning industry that have arisen since March of 2020, when the public health crisis began, including:

  • The rising importance of our industry to promote clean, safe and healthy spaces.
  • The necessity of our industry to prioritize innovative solutions
  • The need to balance lower budgets with increased disinfecting frequencies
  • Adaption and critical importance of cleaning processes.

The fact is, we were long overdue to address these issues, and improve cleaning and disinfecting protocols across the industry. 

Delivery Methods and Precision Cleaning

Precision cleaning relies on the careful and thoughtful use of all products, and especially disinfectants. Unfortunately, we’ve seen an increase in overuse of disinfectants, which could have lasting impact on human health and the environment. Precision cleaning is meant to avoid those dangers. Since COVID-19 became a public health crisis, there has been a demand for increased frequency of cleaning and disinfection, with many facilities feeling they have to “show” the public how much they are cleaning. This has led to technologies such as foggers, misters, electrostatic sprayers and even drones flooding the market. While these delivery methods can be effective at applying vast quantities of product, they can also lead to issues such as overuse and misuse of disinfectants. It is very important when disinfecting especially to follow the exact label on each product to ensure the proper results. The Five Critical Security Elements of Disinfecting are a key component of precision cleaning. 

Validation Tools and Precision Cleaning

Now more than ever, cleaning and disinfecting must be accompanied by validation and measurement. In the past, we’ve had to rely on validation and measurement tools that have had mixed results. Most cleaners to this day rely on a simple “visual” check to validate that cleaning has been accomplished. Other methods of validation with limited results include UV lights, ATP meters, and PPM tests. There has been an uptick in the use of these tools since COVID-19, and there is a clear need for more reliable forms of measurement and validation tools. OptiSolve Pathfinder is a surface imaging technology that can take images of any surface to detect whether biomatter is present, elevating the measurement data that cleaning workers are now able to collect. It can be incorporated into a validation system that will easily sync with facilities management SOP and reporting to provide site assessment validation that is highly precise. This system can elevate any facility maintenance program to the level of precision cleaning. 

Facility ROI

Precision cleaning elevates an entire facility, and when a next-level validation tool is incorporated along with standard operating procedures, there are innumerable benefits. Some of these include:

  • Morale boost for employees through data-based recognition of effort
  • Improved cleaning procedures and product selection
  • Improved training for any experience level of user
  • Reduced risk of a shut down due to cross contamination
  • Meeting infection control standards
  • Identification of areas within your facility that need attention
  • Analysis for corrective actions to improve your infection control program

By prioritizing validated and measured results within your facility, you can adapt a precision cleaning program, take control of cleanliness and reduce the risk of an outbreak in your facility. Talk to an expert at Charlotte Products to learn more about how to start your journey toward precision cleaning today.