In a long-term care facility, soft surfaces abound, resulting in upholstered furniture, throw pillows and rugs that are considered “unwashable.”
But given how much bacteria can live on those surfaces, P&G Professional says it hopes its new product will help prevent mold and mildew, remove odors and sanitize products.
The Febreze® Professional Concentrated Sanitizing Fabric Refresher is said to kill 99.9% of bacteria. When used as directed, it’s effective against 16 types of bacteria such as MRSA and VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus). It also uses the scent of Febreze to eliminate smells.
Sanitizing fabric cleaner offers an option for nursing homes that need to kill germs while also reducing odor.
“Other Febreze Professional products eliminate odors with proprietary technology that locks onto odor molecules and traps them for good to eliminate smells, but do not include the sanitizing formula,” P&G Professional Communications Manager Renee Buchanan told McKnight’s.
P&G Professional products used in post-acute care include its Spic and Span Disinfecting All-Purpose and Glass Cleaner and Comet Disinfecting Bathroom All-Purpose Cleaner.
“Helping to create a clean, safe and comfortable environment for residents and caregivers in nursing facilities is a top priority for us,” Buchanan said.
That includes making sure products don’t leave a chemical or antiseptic smell behind that can irritate residents’ sensitive systems, she said.
While residents often dislike harsh chemical or perfumed smells, providers also want to create a “clean” scent that reflects a well-run facility.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has said in its State Operations Manual that “creating a home setting includes the elimination of institutional odors, and practices to the extent possible.”
The new product leaves only “fresh, familiar scent” behind so nursing facility managers “can ensure their hard-to-wash soft surfaces are clean and sanitized, while creating a like-home environment for residents,” Buchanan said.
From the August 2019 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
