[Cleaning and disinfection: tips for the practice]

Cleaning (removal of visible dirt) and disinfection (reduction of the number of micro-organisms to an acceptable level) are necessary to limit 'carry over' of infections agents between patients and people as much as possible. Loose dirt should be removed prior to the use of a detergent. Apart from cases of contamination of an otherwise clean surface or in case of a highly infectious agent, thorough cleaning should always precede disinfection. Several active ingredients are approved for disinfection of animal accommodation. From the point of view of safety and effectiveness, individual chemicals should never be mixed or added to detergents. Queries about the use of chemical agents can be addressed to the College voor de Toelating van Bestrijdingsmiddelen or the manufacturer of the product.