Gaining a better understanding of toilet cleaner chemistry and what to look for in toilet cleaning chemicals will help you meet your compliance requirements and reduce the risk of devastating outbreaks in your facility.
The risks of cross-contamination
Cross-contamination is an ever-present threat in aged care facilities, with residents often unable to pre-empt or control toileting emergencies.
This leaves IPC professionals with the challenge of ensuring thorough cleaning procedures are in place for unforeseen incidents, as well as their routine cleaning.
Recommendations by the Department of Health and Aging state that a thorough clean of the bathroom and toilet area needs to take place in the case of a diarrhoea incident, for example. Stopping the chain of infection is critical to maintaining a safe and healthy facility, and toilet areas need to be a key area of focus for hygiene professionals.
Understanding the chemistry of toilet cleaners
Bathrooms, washrooms and toilets are a hotspot for cross-contamination, so getting your cleaning regime nailed down should be a key focus for any infection control professionals.
Whilst it’s tempting to think that all toilet cleaning chemicals are the same, not all products are created equal, and this typically comes down to the type of active ingredients in each formula.
The balance of ingredients such as alkalines with hydrochloric or sulfamic acids indicates the type of cleaning action that can be expected from your cleaner. For example, sulfamic acid is efficient at descaling ceramic and metal surfaces. Highly alkaline cleaners such as H39 toilet cleaner are ideal for efficiently cleaning wet urine by neutralising its natural acids.
On the other hand, dry urine requires an acid-based approach to effectively neutralise and remove it. Acids are one of the fastest and most effective ingredients on stubborn stains, quickly dissolving mineral buildup and scale on toilets.
Other ingredients such as biocides – chemicals made from helpful microorganisms – can offer a good solution, although the results can vary and are not always predictable.
In short, understanding the role of these different substances will help you get the best cleaning result, reduce cross-contamination risks, effectively kill bacteria, and help you remove stubborn stains.
Correct procedure for cleaning urine and organic fluids
For dirty surfaces and localised decontamination such as blood or urine spills, the area must always be cleaned first and then disinfected. It is advantageous to use the disinfectant as the cleaner for the first step. Then perform the disinfectant step on the clean surface.
For visually clean surfaces, the surface can be disinfected in one step. When disinfecting visually clean surfaces always wipe with a cloth as this breaks through any micro oils on the surface and ensures reliable disinfection.
6 of the best products for cleaning toilets and bathrooms
Identifying a readily available, high-quality toilet cleaning product that fits your hygiene budget takes time and energy.
That’s why we’ve provided a round-up of some of the best toilet cleaning supplies on the market. Some are more acidic, some more alkali, and all provide good results in different applications.
1. Northfork Hospital Grade toilet bowl cleaner
This traditional gooseneck toilet cleaner disinfects and cleans one go with a mild sulphamic acid formula that helps keep toilet bowls & urinals free of build-up. It is effective against a broad spectrum of germs including salmonella and E. coli and is biodegradable and phosphate-free.
Best feature: Has a thickened formula for excellent vertical hold.
2. Sansol Heavy Duty Bathroom Cleaner
This acidic based hospital grade disinfectant has strong biocidal properties. It can be used in several applications in both industrial and commercial cleaning facilities. Sansol effectively removes body fats and oils, hard water carbonate deposits, rust and urine/faeces stains, soap scum, algae and mildew, making it a good all-around bathroom cleaner.
Best feature: Its acidic properties ensure disinfection of damp drain-related bacteria and viruses.
3. Cleera Hospital Grade Bathroom Cleaner 15L
This versatile phosphate-free cleaner kills germs, removes mould, and eliminates mildew and soap scum, as well as inhibiting bacteria growth. It is ideal for cleaning and sanitising showers, bathrooms, porcelain and other hard surfaces.
Best feature: Features a germicidal gel bleach making it ideal for use in hospital applications.
4. ACCENT enCap H39 Bathroom Cleaner 3 x 5L
This mildly alkaline bathroom and toilet cleaner is designed for use in bathrooms in all types of institutional settings. Formulated to provide maximum removal of soap scum and typical soiling from tile, porcelain and glass surfaces, it is available in 5L bottles.
Best feature: An all-in-one product that provides powerful stain and soil removal.
5. ACCENT enCap H36 Enzyme Bathroom Cleaner 3 x 5L
A superb enzyme-based bathroom cleaner, H36 is ideal for removing all soap scum and stubborn stains, breaking down odour bacteria at the same time. Its synergised blend of bacteria combined with an odour counteractant accelerates the degradation of organic matter. This speeds up the cleaning process and helps you better manage the risk of outbreaks. Suitable for all bathroom cleaning.
Best feature: Quickly breaks down organic matter through enzyme action.
6. ACCENT enCap H33 Bathroom Cleaner 3 x 5L
This pleasantly perfumed, viscous, acid-based liquid cleaner and sanitiser is perfect for washroom cleaning in aged care and institutional situations. It effectively cleans, descales, destains, sanitises and deodorises porcelain and stainless steel toilet bowls and urinals, without causing corrosion. Its powerful cleaning and destaining action, together with its thick viscosity make this bathroom and toilet cleaning product a favourite for deep cleaning and maintenance.
Best feature: Powerfully cleans for stainless steel toilets and urinals without corrosion.
