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Published on: February 24, 2026
Improved cleaning of patient rooms using a new targeting method
Philip C Carling1, Janet L Briggs, Jeanette Perkins
1Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Carney Hospital, Boston, MA 02124, USA. pcarling@cchcs.org
Summary
A new fluorescent marker method improved hospital room cleaning. Educational interventions significantly boosted the cleaning of high-touch surfaces, enhancing patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare-associated infection prevention
- Environmental hygiene in hospitals
- Infection control strategies
Background:
- Inadequate cleaning of high-touch surfaces in hospitals contributes to pathogen transmission.
- Standardized methods are needed to objectively assess and improve hospital room disinfection.
- Current cleaning verification methods may lack accuracy or efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel method for assessing the cleanliness of high-touch surfaces in hospital environments.
- To determine the impact of educational interventions on improving surface cleaning compliance.
- To assess the sustainability of cleaning improvements following interventions.
Main Methods:
- Development of an invisible fluorescent marker technique to target standardized high-touch surfaces.
- Systematic evaluation of 1404 surface objects across 157 hospital rooms in three different healthcare facilities.
- Implementation of targeted educational interventions to address identified cleaning deficiencies.
- Post-intervention monitoring to assess sustained improvements in cleaning practices.
Main Results:
- Initial assessment revealed that only 47% of targeted high-touch surfaces were adequately cleaned.
- Educational interventions led to a sustained and significant improvement in the cleaning of all assessed objects.
- A greater than two-fold improvement was observed in the cleaning of surfaces that were previously cleaned less than 85% of the time (P<0.001).
Conclusions:
- The invisible fluorescent marker method provides an effective tool for monitoring and improving hospital surface cleanliness.
- Educational interventions are crucial for enhancing cleaning compliance and reducing healthcare-associated infection risks.
- Sustained improvements in environmental hygiene are achievable through targeted interventions and objective monitoring.
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