STONE IN THE BATHROOM
With increased public awareness regarding
health issues and concerns about transmission
of diseases; the role of maintenance managers has consequently risen to a greater level of
responsibility in controlling pathogenic micro-organisms and reducing the risk of exposure
to infectious diseases.
Hotel guestrooms are occupied by several
patrons each week. Public restrooms in these and
other facilities are used by hundreds of people daily. Bacteria flourishes easily in these
damp,
moist environments. In fact, almost any kind can double their numbers in just 15 minutes
and
in the course of a normal 8 hour day, some bacteria can multiply to more than 15 million
and
survive in a range of temperatures from freezing to almost boiling.
Restrooms are prime sources of contamination
simply because of their function. Because
bodily fluids can transmit disease, toilets and urinals are obvious contamination points.
Cross contamination points, such as flush valves, water faucets and push plates, are also
bacterial
breeding grounds. The average person uses a restroom or bathroom seven times a day. In a
study of hotel bathrooms, the areas with the highest infectious microbe counts were sinks,
bathtubs and floors; toilet seats actually had lower numbers of germs. These areas must be
disinfected daily.
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENT
To effectively control pathogenic
micro-organisms in stone, it is critical to understand that
stone is structurally
different from the common
materials associated with the restroom environment.
These structural differences are...porcelain,
glazed ceramics, metal and plastics are
impervious; conversely, stone contains a micro-pore
capillary or fracture structures that
are interconnected, beginning at the surface and extending throughout the stone. Stone
has an internal physical structure that is not totally solid.
WATER ACTIVITY
Bacteria and mold can
only grow in an environment that has a particular level of moisture.
A measure (or index) of a substance's moisture content is called its "water activity". Water
activity values range from 1.0 (the highest) to 0.0 (none). A glass of water has a
value of
1.0-100% available water.
Due to stones ability to absorb moisture into these micro-capillary/fracture structures,
the water activity values can produce an ideal breeding ground, below the surface, for
odor and disease causing organisms
UNIQUE MAINTENANCE CHALLENGE
With the introduction of stone surfaces into the restroom
environment unique maintenance challenges arrived. There are
major differences between cleaning for appearance and
cleaning for health. What may appear to be clean may not be pathogen-free.
Traditional disinfectant cleaners are surface-active agents designed to remove microbes
from the surfaces of impervious material. They are not formulated for penetration action.
For this reason, these disinfectants have a limited affect on stone. Also, most of these
disinfectants contain harsh alkalis, acids and other ingredients that are detrimental to the
aesthetics and durability of the stone.
Stone care products have been formulated to effectively solve
these specific cleaning
problems and reducing the risk of exposure to infectious disease.
PREVENITIVE MEASURES
A successful restroom stone maintenance program requires
three vital factors:
Treating the stone with
a penetrating sealer...
These penetrating
sealers are unlike
conventional floor sealers, they are not topical
coatings.They penetrate below the surfaces into the micro-pore structure, lining them
and interrupting the natural migration of moisture
into the stone, thus eliminating or
greatly reducing the "water active" values needed
to support the growth of odor and
disease causing bacteria, preventing the development of
biological staining, and the
damaging affects of water, the dissolving and leaching
of the softer minerals in the stone,
causing pits, spalling and
popping. By making the stone actively water, soil and stain
repellent, the
penetrating sealer actually permits the practice of preventive cleaning
and maintenance. This practice can help also prevent costly restorative cleaning,
repairs and replacements.
The use
of cleaning and disinfecting agents formulated for stone care...
There are two basic classes of conventional restroom, bathroom cleaners and
disinfectants, both are formulated with surfaces
active detergents to clean the
surfaces of impervious materials. The
"all-purpose" cleaners generally have a high
alkaline pH range of 8 to 10. Within this
"all-purpose" class is a group referred to as
"neutral" all-purpose cleaners, they can have a
pH range of 6 (being slightly acidic),
to 8. These cleaners are to harsh to be used on a daily
bases to clean polished stone
without detrimental effects. The other class of cleaners
are acid based. This class of
cleaners likewise will affect the aesthetics and durability
of the stone.
Stone
care products...have been formulated to effectively solve specific cleaning
problems related to the porous and mineral characteristics
of stone. They have been
designed for penetration action. The use of a true neutral pH 7 non-reactive
cleaner can be used as a all-purpose cleaner on a daily
bases without harming the
stone. For disinfecting stone and other materials a non-reactive neutral pH 7
balanced disinfectant cleaner can be used everyday to disinfect and clean all the
surfaces without doing any harm to the stone. Daily use of
this type of product will
prevent the growth of bacteria and mold on the stone.
Use a permeable
topical stone polish...
This
added preventative measure will provide a durable protective coating giving
maximum protection to vanities and counters, minimizing
etching caused by perfume,
cosmetics, personal hygiene products, alcoholic beverages, sodas and
juices. This is
also recommended for showers to minimize hard water deposit
build-up.
(Not intended for floors)
When stone is
specified for a restroom or a bathroom, it is important for maintenance
managers to develop and implement a consistent
stone maintenance program.
This will ensure a safe and healthy environment for your employees and your patrons;
also, preserves the stones aesthetics and durability.
PRODUCTS
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SERVICE
STONECARE TECHNIQUES provides one of the finest
most comprehensible stone
maintenance product lines available...Stone Care International Products...They are
USDA approved, environmentally safe and biodegradable. The USDA status
ensures
that their products are safe
to be used where food will be present without concern of
cross-contamination. Their stone disinfectant MARBADAN is an EPA registered
approved subsurface disinfectant for stone.
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