Facility Cleaning: The Problem With Outdated Techniques and Equipment

If you’re a commercial cleaning expert, you know the risks of using outdated cleaning techniques. Cleaning changed during the pandemic, and outdated techniques and equipment are costly, dangerous, and require tremendous human toil for limited results.

Not only are the chemicals used nowadays for facility cleaning hugely toxic, but they also are not always effective. Or reach all areas where bacteria live.

For example, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, even strong chemical disinfectants such as bleach are not effective against bacterial biofilms. This is especially worrisome for foodservice facilities where the presence of biofilms puts human health at risk.

"Scientific studies have found that biofilms can be up to 1,000 times more resistant to biocide inactivation than are suspended microbes," said Chuanwu Xi, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Michigan. "It is extremely difficult to get rid of biofilms and kill them.”

Protecting workers and more

Not surprisingly, exposure to cleaning chemicals is the largest contributing risk factor for occupational illness and injury. That’s why OSHA requires a safety data sheet (SDS) that identifies the hazards of a chemical and the appropriate warning information associated with those hazards.

But it’s more than that—chemicals eat away at the very surfaces they’re intended to clean, like stainless steel, tile, and grout. In other words, chemicals destroy the very investment you are working to maintain.

Heat and water to the rescue

A Texas A&M study recently found that heat is very effective at disinfecting surfaces against coronavirus.

That’s no surprise to us. Advap’s commercial-grade MondoVap® steam vapor system combines TANCS® nanotechnology with superhot dry steam vapor to disinfect surfaces thousands of times better than chemical disinfectants must meet to qualify as EPA registered.

In fact, in the Michigan study mentioned above, and food factories should applaud this, researchers found that TANCS®-equipped steam vapor systems achieve a greater bacterial biofilm kill rate in 3 seconds than a 20-minute exposure to bleach. 

“The efficacy of the steam vapor system is important because even strong chemical disinfectants such as bleach when allowed 20 minutes of dwell time did not achieve the same degree of kill that the TANCS®-equipped unit accomplished in 3 seconds," said Dr. Xi.

In another study, the University of Washington employed the MondoVap® to clean restrooms over a period of six weeks. In each case, the restrooms were markedly cleaner after steam vapor was applied as compared with traditional cleaning methods such as the one depicted in the image below.

Click here to watch a video that explains the science behind TANCS®.  

Faster

With all the scrubbing and washing going on in the rush to reopen, it’s no surprise that the use of electrostatic sprayers is popular.  

But these foggers are loaded with toxic chemicals that require a surface first be cleaned before application. Then you must leave the chemical visibly wet for the recommended contact time, up to 10 minutes or more, which isn’t possible with vertical surfaces. And finally you must rinse off the residue so that it doesn’t breed more bacteria. These three steps take a very long time.

In contrast, the MondoVap® cleans and disinfects at once while leaving no residue behind. In 7 seconds or less, and without degrading or discoloring the surface of what is being cleaned, the MondoVap® will destroy a very broad range of bacteria and viruses like MRSA, C. diff, norovirus, C. parvo, and coronavirus 229E, the EPA recommended surrogate for testing the efficacy of products used to combat COVID-19. That’s a level of performance electrostatic sprayers will never achieve.

Safer

No SDS is required with the MondoVap®.

Get rid of odors & bad smells

Can’t get the smell out of surfaces?

Don’t just cover up odors with chemicals. Use the MondoVap® to clean countertops, tables, floors, walls, and just about everything else. It will remove the dirt, bacteria, and layers of chemical residues that are damaging to your employees and your facility.

What does the EPA say about the MondoVap®?

Great question.

While federal law dictates that only pesticides are approved for EPA registration, the EPA oversees the regulation of devices so that they do not make “false or misleading” claims. An Establishment Number is assigned only to those that meet the EPA’s toughest requirements.

In Advap’s case, a large collection of peer-reviewed studies validate that steam vapor systems equipped with TANCS® disinfect faster and better than most chemical disinfectants.

As a result of these studies, the number EPA Est. No. 82121-WA-01 is assigned to Advap and is proudly displayed on each steam vapor system we offer for sale. The number tells you in a glance that your device qualifies as a disinfection device for the EPA.

Don’t be fooled by knockoffs and lookalikes with improper claims of disinfection. Only Advap has TANCS®.