High-Touch Surface Disinfection - 3 Steps to Success

November 17, 2018

Keeping our students and staff healthy can be tough when they are in school. Schools and universities are hot spots for germs, and germs spread quickly when people are in close contact with each other.

Keeping our students and staff healthy can be tough when they are in school. Schools and universities are hot spots for germs, and germs spread quickly when people are in close contact with each other.

“Most infectious diseases are transmitted by direct contact, either by touching an infected person or by touching surfaces contaminated with pathogens,” says Charles Gerba, environmental microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. "The crowded classrooms, cafeterias and gyms in schools can be a breeding ground for a variety of diseases including colds, influenza, norovirus and staph infections such as MSRA.”

Here’s what you need to know about the high-touch areas, and the steps you should take as a facility manager to protect your students.

Identify High-Touch Surfaces

First, identify the high-touch surfaces found in your facilities. Typically, those surfaces include:

• Drinking Fountain Push Bars
• Door Handles
• Bathroom Doors and Fixtures
• Tables and Desks
• Computer Keyboards
• Computer Mouse
• Shared Toys, Art Supplies, Sporting Equipment

Develop A High-Frequency Disinfection Plan

Develop a plan based on the traffic in your facility, and the workload your staff can accommodate. If possible, disinfect high-touch surfaces immediately after high-volume use; for example, between lunch periods, disinfect cafeteria doors and push handles.

Use A Disinfectant with Fast Contact Times

Using a disinfectant on these high-touch surfaces is the best line of defense. However, choosing the right disinfectant makes all the difference. Traditional disinfectants with 10-minute contact times work great on floors, but may evaporate too quickly from high-touch surfaces. Using a disinfectant with fast contact times, like Hillyard’s Q.T. 3, is more practical in schools and universities.

Q.T. 3 is a concentrated, hard surface cleaner and disinfectant. It is effective against Norovirus, with a kill claim of five minutes. And, it provides efficacy against a wide array of pathogens including 23 bacterial claims such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli (E. coli),” says Hillyard’s Senior Research Chemist Steve Maugh. (See Q.T. 3 literature for complete claims listing)

Until now, faster kill claims have only been available with RTU products, which are costly for schools to use. “With a dilution rate of 1 oz. per gallon, Q.T. 3 is cost effective and environmentally-preferred when compared to RTU disinfection products,” says Hillyard Product Manager Randy Cusick. “It’s easy to see why Q.T. 3 is the top choice for facility managers wanting to implement a high-touch surface disinfection control plan.”

Talk to your Hillyard representative about using Q.T. 3 as your first line of disinfection defense for the fast-approaching cold and flu season.