30 Years of Cleaning & Sanitising with Steam

In hospital and care home establishments the knowledge that cleaning can be combined with a proven infection control programme is a vitally important factor to be taken into account when considering a cleaning machine purchase and never more important than in these difficult times of Covid 19.

To demonstrate the efficacy of the products from the Duplex range most used in the healthcare sector we commissioned independent tests by the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory, Birmingham which proved exceptional kill rates of bacteria found in the hospital environment.

The test protocol covered the following organisms: Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 10788), a gram positive bacterium that survives well in the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 6749) A gram negative bacterium that may be representative of faecal contamination and Bacillus subtilis (NCTC 10073), a sporing organism that will not be killed by the recommended cleaning methods so physical removal can be assessed. This spore may be representative of contamination with Clostridium difficile. As can be seen from the Log 10 reductions shown in the charts below our equipment demonstrated exceptional kill rates, especially when compared to traditional mopping methods used as a benchmark. Quite simply results achieved by cleaning mechanically are superior to mopping alone and by cleaning mechanically with steam, significantly so. 

The Duplex range of cleaning equipment includes the Duplex Steam models with their unique ability to clean and sanitise all types of floor surfaces including carpets, Altro, vinyl, ceramic tiles, profiled rubber and wood with the power of steam. On carpets steam is excellent for refreshing and revitalising fibres and removing stains and odours. This is particularly important in the care environment where incontinence can be an issue and by killing the bacteria in the carpet fibres, odours are thereby removed leaving rooms smelling fresh and clean for the benefit of residents, staff and visitors. An additional benefit of having such a thorough clean is that carpet life is prolonged meaning less financial outlay on replacing floor-coverings. 

On hard floors, particularly profiled and safety flooring, the Duplex leaves surfaces dry in seconds and is approved by well-known manufacturer of slip-resistant safety flooring, Altro. This is particularly important to safe-guard elderly care-home residents who may be liable to slips, trips and falls. 

The secret to the Duplex machine’s remarkable performance is its’ contra-rotating cylindrical brushes which disperse the steam over the length of the brushes giving an even temperature spread allowing the high temperature of the steam to kill bacteria over the full contact area of the brushes. This design produces an exceptionally thorough clean on all floor types and effectively lifts dirt, water and grime from the floor surface. To assist with the prevention of cross-contamination colour coded brushes are available.

The off-set design of the brushes allows cleaning right up to the edges, along skirtings, around furniture and fixtures and into corners. Quite simply, Duplex allows you to clean the most difficult to access areas with ease and when steam is combined with brush agitation it delivers clean and sanitised results using minimal water. A useful side effect of this is that very small amounts of effluent is produced and therefore returned to the eco-system via waste-water drains and contains no harmful chemicals.

Duplex has a model to suit every size of floor so whether a small resident’s bedroom or a large lounge or dining hall Duplex has a cost effective solution. The range starts with the exceptionally compact Duplex 280 (which is also available in a battery version) through to the mid-range Duplex 340 and Duplex 420 models suitable for the small to medium size facility right up to the Duplex 620 which has a cleaning width of 55cm.

Stains and odours can also pose a problem on upholstery and although chairs specifically designed for the care home environment are generally covered with impervious –backed fabric, top surfaces can become soiled. This can be effectively removed using the Duplex range of vacumated multi-surface steam cleaners and their specialist upholstery cleaning tools. By combining these tools with the power of super-heated steam stains are removed and odour-causing bacteria is eliminated. This is also equally applicable to the pressure-relief mattresses commonly found in care homes. Like the Duplex range of steam floor cleaners, this also has the added benefit of prolonging the life of expensive specialist furniture. 

Steam is also highly effective at cleaning and sanitising a wide variety of hard surfaces. Tiles, sinks, toilets, grouting, walls and kitchen surfaces can be tackled with the cleaning and sanitising power of steam and without the need for expensive and potentially harmful chemicals. A range of specialist tools are available including a particularly useful little accessory which when placed over a sink plughole, blasts a high-pressure jet of steam through the trap removing any build-up of grease, fat, grime and bacteria. Models from the range especially aimed at the care sector include water-filter vacuums for unbeatable filtration and in conjunction with a heap filter, are able to filter microns equal or less than 0.3 microns.   Integrated trollies mean that the machines can be moved around the home quickly and easily with no heavy lifting involved.     

Adding an optional extendable steam mop increases the versatility even further meaning high-level cleaning of walls and flat-mopping of smooth floors can be achieved. 
 
By using the combination of a Duplex floor steam cleaner and a Duplex multi-surface steam cleaner virtually every routine cleaning task likely to be encountered in the care home environment can be successfully completed. 

Free, on-site, no obligation demonstrations on a nationwide basis are available so that potential clients can see for themselves in their own environments the exceptional results Duplex machines can achieve. Each machine is installed upon purchase and a certificated training session provided so that operators can learn how to use the equipment safely and effectively.

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