Kai-Leidoscope Survey Reveals How Subscribers Measure Cleaning Effectiveness

The April 2009 issue of Kai-Leidoscope, the monthly newsletter of Kaivac, Inc. (developers of the No-Touch Cleaning® system), asked its readers to complete a survey regarding how they measure cleaning effectiveness.

The question evolved because Kaivac, along with such organizations as the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), have been working to scientifically evaluate cleaning effectiveness and the importance of more effective cleaning through scientific research.

However, the results of the study indicate that most cleaning professionals still do not use scientific measurement systems to determine cleaning effectiveness:

• Nearly thirty percent of the respondents reported that they measure the effectiveness of their cleaning programs “by my own overall view of the facility based on its appearance, smell, etc.”
• About a quarter of the respondents said that they judge cleaning effectiveness based on feedback from their clients (building owners, managers or occupants).
• Sixteen percent of respondents indicated that they do in fact use scientific measurement tools and data, the most common of which are ATP rapid monitoring systems or similar devices. *
• Fourteen percent of respondents said that they use analysis provided by a jansan distributor.
• About the same number, approximately 14 percent, responded that they seek the judgment of “cleaning staff or supervisors” when it comes to cleaning effectiveness.

“We all know that you can’t manage what you can’t measure,” says Matt Morrison, Communications Manager for Kaivac. “I would have liked [to have seen] more people using science to determine cleaning effectiveness, but it must be remembered that ATP technology and similar systems are still relatively new to the industry.”

The Kai-Leidoscope newsletter distributes news and articles of interest to the facility management and jansan industry on a monthly basis. For more information on subscribing, click here.

*ATP, which stands for adenosine triphosphate, is an energy molecule found in all animal, plant, bacterial, yeast, and mold cells. Its presence on a surface can be a warning that disease-causing microbial spores and other diseases may be present.