In the News
Clean floors promote good health
We walk, crawl, or even lie across them every day. They are an important part of the beauty and function of our lives, but making sure floors and carpets are properly cleaned and maintained, even on a daily basis, is often overlooked.
While most of us are concerned about food safety and cross contamination on countertops, sinks, handles and fixtures, avoiding what’s under our feet can create the right environment for bacteria, pathogens and dust--triggering illness, allergies and contamination.
Robert Mancini, co-host of Kitchen Crimes on House and Garden Television and Food Network (he’s also a food inspector in Winnipeg) says while floors are typically not in contact with food, our feet, hands, dishcloths (and sometimes foods) are. This can mean a quick transfer of bacteria from host (meaning, humans, pets, food or objects) to other parts of the home.
“Counters, cutting boards and dishcloths can carry millions of bacteria like e-coli.” he says. “If you wipe something off the floor using your dishcloth, or you drop food, utensils or your toothbrush, and then bring it back to the sink, counter or cutting board, or worse, your plate or mouth, you’re transferring bacteria.”
Even walking around the house with outside shoes can bring in unexpected guests.
“You’re tracking in soiled debris from outside, which can carry natural bacteria,” he says. “For example, when your dog goes outside, they can carry in eggs from round worms, which can stick to their paws and fur. They’ll then bring this into the house and onto your floors.”
Cat litter and dust can also cause problems, especially if your feline is free to walk across floors, tables, counters and cutting boards.
“The parasitic traces from litter boxes can create zoonotic diseases such as toxoplasmic gondii,” he says. “This can bring on toxoplasmosis—a respiratory disease in humans.”
Endotoxins, which lurk in household dust, are believed to be linked to asthma and asthma-related symptoms. A recent study of over 800 households by researchers at the University of Iowa, concluded that bedrooms, furniture and kitchen floors can be a popular meeting place for these chemicals. In fact, the highest concentration of endotoxins appear to exist on kitchen floors, family room and bedroom carpets and sofas.
While many household pathogens and bacteria can cause problems for those with weakened immune systems, (children, seniors or those with chronic illness), Mancini adds that most people can fight them off with minimal effort. He does offer some advice in prevention, especially in the kitchen.
His most important point; once you’ve dropped food on the floor, think twice about putting it in your mouth.
“Forget about the five-second rule,” he says. “If you drop any food on the floor, chuck it in the garbage. If you drop any utensils, meat juices, egg or even vegetables, clean it up properly with a disinfectant and a separate cloth other than the one you use for dishes.”
Microscopic bacteria can’t be detected without swabbing or ultra violet equipment. Therefore, eyeballing bathroom, mudroom, kitchen or living room floors and carpets and assuming they’re clean, is a big mistake.
Jay Creek, general manager of Wesclean is using improper cleaning materials such as brooms, low-suction vaccums, mops and sponges can set a family up for problems.
“When you use a cloth that smells bad, that’s bacteria dying on the cloth,” says Creek, ”When you use the same broom or mop, the germs just keep transferring. People need to properly clean all floors with a combination of materials and procedures that should be practiced every day or at least, every week.”
Creek says the materials should include microfibre floor tools and cloths and cleaners that have hydrogen peroxide, which eliminates the bacteria.
“Those expensive cloths you get in stores are a lot more affordable now,” he says. “The cloth will remove 99.9 per cent of all the bacteria off the floor--the stuff you can and can’t see. Hydrogen peroxide will then create residual “kill”, meaning, that .01 per cent of what the cloth didn’t pick up.”
Using a Swiffer-style tool, microfibre cloths (instead of the disposables) is recommended. Alternative liquids for cleaning floors is fine, but Creek suggests the goal should be to eliminate bacteria and pathogens, not mask them.
“There’s a difference between sanitizing and disinfecting a surface,” he says. “If you wipe with just water, vinegar or a eco-friendly cleanser, you may get rid of some of the bacteria. But if there is one out of 10,000 cells left on the floor, all it needs is a food source, soil and warmth to grow again.”
Creek says the procedures required for cleaning are simple, but require diligence.
“You’ve got to clean floors frequently--at least once a week, minimum,” he says. “More importantly, if you’re using your microfibre cleaning cloth, the last place you use it is in your bathroom. Then throw it into the wash and replace it with another one.”
Carpeting can also be a haven for dirt, dust, bacteria and toxins if not cleaned and vacuumed regularly. Scott Berry, co-owner of Berry Flooring, says while Berber is famous for its fashionable looks, it can also hide grime.
“For busy families, I’ve been recommending carpets such as cut pile and short shag,” he says. “Beater-bar vacuums are a great way to get down deep. But with Berber, what you need is straight and strong suction, and that can come with a high quality H-Vac system.”
Berry states that the technology for carpeting is becoming more innovative. Some manufacturers have created carpeting that has a continuous filament allowing for less dust, pilling and fuzzing. New water barrier underlays also allow for moisture to be trapped at the bottom of the carpet layer instead of seeping into the sub floor, where mold and mildew can grow.
Choosing the right kind of flooring can also be a challenge. He recommends hard surfaces such as vinyl, porcelain tile, and cork to keep the dust to a minimum.
“Vinyl flooring is siliconed around the perimeter of a room, making it totally waterproof and impervious to germs,” he says. “It also has a wear layer that protects the finish. Cork is also a good choice because it’s naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial.”
Tiles are often a preferred treatment in bathrooms, which can hold a majority of nasty viruses and bacteria. Berry says instead of using traditional grout, which is porous, a special epoxy grout will help eliminate absorption.
“More people are spending the money on grouts that have the antimicrobial treatment specified by health care facilities. It’s got a strength greater than porcelain. It’s as close to bulletproof as you can get.”
For more information on carpet and floor cleaning procedures and tools, contact Wesclean at 243-0677, or visit www.wesclean.com. For advice on healthy flooring choices, renovation and maintenance, contact Berry Flooring at 259.3995 or check out www.berryflooring.com.
Keeping flooring surfaces clean:
- Use a microfibre cloth for the entire cleaning job, then chuck it in the laundry. Invest in week’s worth (or more) of these cloths to keep on hand.
- Use a clean broom or vacuum to pick up loose pieces of dirt, hair or food off the floor, then wipe or wash with a Swiffer-style cleaner or by hand. Don’t forget the corners, nooks and crannies. Use an old toothbrush for the fine details.
- Make certain your cleaner sanitizes and disinfects to ensure proper control of bacteria.
- Replace your kitchen dishcloths/tea towels once a day, and use sponges with antimicrobial particles. Never use them to wipe faces, floors or toilets/bathroom fixtures/counters.
- Wash broom heads regularly and only use microfibre mops.
- Get in the habit of using soap and warm water for 20 seconds after cooking, cleaning, eating and going to the bathroom. That prevents the spread of viruses and it’s quick and easy. Keep clean, dry towels on hand to replace wet ones.
- Rinse floors post wash. Keep feet off the area until it’s dry so bacteria from other areas are not transferred. If this happens, rewash the area.
- Prevent wearing outdoor shoes in the kitchen and bathroom. Wash down your mudroom or porch floor as often as possible.
- Keep a lid on where your pets have access, especially the table, countertops, kitchen and bathroom. Clean the litter box regularly and disinfect the area around it. Wash hands after handling litter or vacuum bag/filter/container. Pregnant women should not be changing litter.
- Wash baby’s hands with and soap and warm water after crawling and before they eat or play with toys or pets.
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