School Infection Control Handbook - 2010

Chapter 4: Selection of Products, Dispensing Equipment, and Application Systems

Reusable Cotton Cloths

Disposable Cotton or Paper Towels Useful in blood spill kits for cleaning up bloodborne pathogen spills where handling of contaminated materials should be minimized

Presaturated Wipes for Surfaces Useful for incidents in which disinfectants are required but unavailable, such as on a school bus (if cleaned with detergent first) or on a field trip Often mistaken for hand wipes and used inappropriately Often found unsecured in classrooms and accessible to students Check to see that the wipes are adequately saturated

Conventional Mop and Bucket

Microfiber Mop Pads and Bucket

Reusable Microfiber Cloths

Criteria

Other Advantages and Disadvantages

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Guidelines for Use

Launder daily

Launder daily

Launder daily or rinse and hang to dry

Launder daily

None

* Check state regulations. In Massachusetts, more than 1 inch of a hazardous product remaining in a container designates it as hazardous waste and must be disposed of in accordance with the hazardous waste regulations 30.106, “(2) Definition of Empty. (a) A container or an inner liner removed from a lined container that has held any hazardous material or hazardous waste, except a waste that is a compressed gas or that is listed or otherwise described in 310 CMR 30.136, is empty if: 1. all wastes have been removed that can be removed using the practices commonly employed to remove materials from that type of container, e.g., pouring, pumping, and aspirating; and 2. no more than 2.5 centimeters (one inch) of residue remain on the bottom of the container or inner liner.”

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