Expert Q&A

CONTACTLESS CLEANING Q+A: Examining the tech that takes the guesswork out of sanitation

Interview has been edited for clarity and length.

The future, as they say, is now, and with each passing day our world is looking a little more like that of The Jetsons. As recently as a decade ago, the prospect of self-cleaning anything was a mere dream, but that is changing as companies like NanoTouch introduce hands-off cleaning technologies that are making workplaces and buildings safer and healthier. Company co-founder Mark Sisson explains this is just the beginning of a bold new frontier in facility cleaning.

What is a self-cleaning surface?

For the purposes of facilities and hightraffic touchpoints, the term is used to describe a surface that eliminates contaminants autonomously, without any manual labour or chemicals. If you compare a self-cleaning surface to traditional cleaning and disinfection, there are a couple of main differences. Disinfectants are a ‘one-time kill.’ This means the very next touch, sneeze, or toilet flush recontaminates the surface and it

will remain contaminated until the next manual cleaning. Also, because most disinfectants only kill microbes and leave their bodies and other residue, you have to clean the surface before the next disinfection. A self-cleaning surface, on the other hand, works continuously and provides cleaner touchpoints between routine manual cleanings. A separate cleaning is not necessary with a self-cleaning surface since the powerful oxidation reaction completely breaks down any contaminants and residue.

How does a self-cleaning surface work?

It depends on the product. Some utilize mineral nanocrystals that act as a catalyst, charged by any visible light (sunlight, incandescent, fluorescent, or LED). These nanocrystals, at the microscopic level, create a continuous oxidation reaction stronger than bleach. This oxidation reaction breaks down any organic contaminants into base components, such as carbon dioxide and water, without contributing to antimicrobial resistance.

What are the advantages of having selfcleaning surfaces?

The biggest and most obvious advantage is a cleaner, healthier facility. That’s not to say self-cleaning surfaces are a replacement for routine cleanings. Instead, they serve as a cleaning multiplier, creating cleaner touchpoints between routine cleanings, and they do this with no additional manpower or chemicals.

Are there any disadvantages?

There aren’t any real disadvantages but durability can be an issue, depending on the product. Touchpoint surfaces should be replaced quarterly, which is a very respectable life span compared to the labour involved in traditional cleaning.

Are self-cleaning surfaces best suited for certain types of applications?

Surfaces that are touched by lots of different people, typically in public facilities like schools, doctors’ offices, hotels, banks, airports, and office buildings, would benefit from the technology. Examples of these touchpoints include door handles, restroom door push plates, elevator buttons, and reception counter mats.

How do self-cleaning surfaces provide added value to facilities and property owners?

Facilities that employ self-cleaning surfaces provide a sense of safety and security. The largest private school in Virginia serves as example. The education institution uses self-cleaning surfaces because [they are] asking parents to write big tuition checks in a competitive environment. When parents see self-cleaning surfaces, they feel better about where they are sending their children to school. The visible nature of the products creates a positive first impression and a feeling of safety and security. And this improved occupant experience translates into real business value for the property owner and businesses that occupy the space. Another example is a large family medicine practice with ten facilities. Their patient experience manager loves these products because their patients feel better about the cleanliness of their office, and this translates into a positive perception of their healthcare in general. This improved occupant experience then translates into additional value for the property and the owner.

How do self-cleaning surfaces add value for facility managers and commercial cleaners?

It depends on who delivers the innovation to the property owner. Facility managers typically have a bigger picture, a strategic view. Visible self-cleaning surfaces in a facility helps with ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) initiatives for the built environment. The commercial cleaning industry, on the other hand, has been plagued with cost cutting and margin erosion. Since they are in a unique position to install and maintain self-cleaning surfaces as part of a value-added service, this is a valuable new revenue stream and typically delivers higher profit margins than their traditional, commodity services.

What’s next for NanoTouch and selfcleaning surfaces?

From an innovation standpoint, we’ve got some consumer products on the drawing board, like a self-cleaning pet mat where you would place your pet’s food and water bowls. But the biggest thing we’re working on is a very large equity offering that will provide funding to educate the market and build awareness. When you create a completely new category of products, it takes a lot of sales and marketing to build awareness and understanding. The great thing about our products is that they go viral — no pun intended. Once a person sees a selfcleaning surface in one facility, they want to bring that idea back to other facilities they frequent, like their doctor’s office, school, or where they work. This presents an opportunity for the facility manager or commercial cleaner who deploys self-cleaning surfaces since each installation creates more demand and referrals. We actually joke about how our products constantly create more germaphobes. /

What’s your outbreak protocol?

Communicable diseases cause a significant burden on society 1 and the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 has brought a harsh reality for both healthcare and non-healthcare facilities alike. This respiratory disease, caused by a coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is a reminder of the importance of infection prevention efforts and the need for continued vigilance. 2

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous incidents of infection outbreaks at different types of non-healthcare facilities, such as large warehouses, food plants, meat manufacturing plants, grocery stores, etc. 3

As public facilities and business open in a phased manner after the unprecedented lockdown and closure due to COVID-19, it is imperative that cleaning, disinfection and infection prevention and control measures are undertaken and adhered to in order to prevent additional outbreaks. 2

Educate.

COVID-19 has also highlighted the importance of infection control and prevention education for facility managers, custodians and professional cleaners to ensure facilities/businesses are cleaned and disinfected properly to help prevent the spread of illness causing germs and protect human health. 4,5

Everything from hand hygiene to wearing masks to personal protective equipment, to choosing the correct product for each cleaning job, to knowing the proper process to implement, and execute environmental disinfection, all play a vital role in helping prevent the spread of communicable infections. 4

Be “healthcare clean”. “Healthcare clean”, an approach to cleaning that aims to reduce or eliminate microbial contamination of all hard surfaces and non-critical equipment within the healthcare environment, may also be applied to non-healthcare settings, such as schools, offices, retail, hospitality, warehouses, fitness facilities, grocery stores, shopping centres, etc. 6

Similar to practices implemented during normal flu seasons, it is important to ensure routine cleaning is being done when trying to stop the spread of mass communicable infections such as COVID-19. 7

Surveys show that nearly all employees (86%) agree that disinfecting hard surfaces is one of the best ways to prevent germ transmission, and employers should make available and provide hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes at employee workstations. 8

Plan to prevent.

Toronto Public Health has issued a COVID-19 factsheet for non-healthcare workplaces that recommends frequent cleaning and disinfecting of common areas and high-touch surfaces such as door handles, counters, cabinet doors, elevator buttons, light switches, faucets, toilet handles, hand rails, touch screen surfaces and keypads. Common areas should have soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectant. 9

In addition, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, has issued comprehensive guidelines for various sectors of industry to help protect workers, customers and the general public from COVID-19: 4,10

• Adherence to infection prevention and control (IPAC) protocols; • Hand hygiene, including the use of alcohol-based hand rub and hand washing; • Assessment of the risk of infection transmission and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment, including correct selection, safe application, removal and disposal; • Disinfect all frequently touched surfaces daily including desks, cubbies, cafeteria tables, restroom stalls/stall doors, door handles, keyboards/mice, pencil sharpeners and sink fixtures; • Disinfect after routine cleaning is complete; • Remove any visible soil from the surface with a detergent-based cleaner before applying a disinfectant; • Disinfect surfaces from “clean” areas, such as classrooms, to “dirty” areas, such as restrooms, to minimize crosscontamination; • When disinfecting, ensure surfaces remain visibly wet for the contact time specified on the product label.

CloroxPro™ can help.

The rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 has triggered Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Emerging Pathogen Policy*. This policy permits manufacturers of disinfectants to make efficacy claims for its disinfectants against the emerging viral pathogen if: • The disinfectant has a Broad Spectrum Virucidal efficacy claim, meaning that it has a claim against anyone of the following four viruses approved by Health Canada: Poliovirus type 1, Chat strain (ATCC VR-1562) or Human adenovirus type 5 (ATCC VR-5) or Bovine parvovirus (ATCC VR-767) or Canine parvovirus (ATCC VR-2017) • Or, carry a specific claim against a specific coronavirus, such as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV or human coronavirus strain 229E • Or, carry a specific claim against non-enveloped viruses of the picornaviridae, caliciviridae, astroviridae, reoviridae, or papillomaviridae families The following CloroxPro™ products are on Health Canada’s list of hard-surface disinfectants with evidence against COVID-19: • Clorox Total T360® Disinfectant Cleaner, DIN 02460769 • Clorox® Germicidal Bleach, DIN 02459108 • Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, DIN 02492636 • Clorox® Clean-Up® Disinfecting Bleach Cleaner, DIN 02494019 • Clorox Healthcare® Germicidal Disinfecting Cleaner, DIN 02469278 • Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Wipes, DIN 02465671 • Clorox Healthcare® Fuzion™ Cleaner Disinfectant, DIN 02459744 • Clorox Healthcare® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant,

DIN 02403528 • Clorox Healthcare® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant

Wipes, DIN 02406225 • Clorox Healthcare® VersaSure™ Alcohol-Free Cleaner

Disinfectant Wipes, DIN 02473151

* https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19/list.html References: 1. Diener A & Dugas J. Inequality-related economic burden of communicable diseases in Canada. Can Commun Dis Rep Suppl 2016;42:S1-S7. 2. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee. Best practices for prevention, surveillance and infection control management of novel respiratory infections in all health care settings. 1 st revision. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2020. 3. These are the Calgary-area workplaces hit hardest by COVID-19 outbreaks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/covid-list-workplace-outbreaksahs-calgary-asfd-1.5564639. Accessed May 11, 2020. 4. Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace. May 8, 2020. https://www.ontario.ca/page/resources-prevent-covid-19-workplace. Accessed May 10, 2020. 5. COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure – Disinfection of Touchpoints. https://www.ccohs.ca/images/products/pandemiccovid19/pdf/std-op-proc-disinfection.pdf. Accessed May 10, 2020. 6. Gauthier J. “Hospital clean” versus “construction clean” – is there a difference? Can J Infect Control 2004;19(3):150-2. 7. Cold and Flu Season. https://www.wsps.ca/Information-Resources/Topics/Cold-and-Flu-Season.aspx. Accessed May 10, 2020. 8. Clorox Professional Products Company Survey. May 2015. 9. Toronto Public Health Covid-19 Fact Sheet. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/8d59-Fact-Sheet_NovelCoronavirus.pdf. Accessed May 10, 2020. 10. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee. Best practices for environmental cleaning for prevention and control of infections in all health care settings. 3 rd ed. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2018.