Researchers in Wales found that the use of wipes in hospitals may actually be spreading deadly bacteria How cleaning with wipes may actually SPREAD deadly bacteria, including MRSA Antibacterial wet wipes are ubiquitous - not only are they easy to carry around in your pocket or handbag, they are used to wipe children's hands, clean kitchen counters and, most importantly, sterilise equipment and surfaces in hospitals. Recently, however, researchers in Wales found that the use of wipes in hospitals may actually be spreading deadly bacteria, including MRSA. In a laboratory study, researchers at Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science tested seven commonly used wipes and found their ability to remove MRSA, Clostridium difficile and Acinetobacter after a ten-second swipe was patchy. In fact, they found that the wipes even moved bacteria to other surfaces. I was surprised and concerned by these results: as far as I know, this has not been shown in a hospital setting, so we cannot say for sure it is being mirrored in real life. Nevertheless, it is still worrying because hospital-grade wet wipes are supposed to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Different wipes contain different chemicals that kill microbes, including bacteria and viruses, in a variety of ways. Typically, alcohol is the main chemical in wet wipes and it kills bacteria by denaturing (or breaking down) the structure of the proteins in the bugs' cells. Wipes can also contain bleach, which promotes oxidation in the cells, leading to their death. Wipes that contain old-fashioned soap work, too, because soap is antibacterial, helping to destroy fats in the cell walls of bacteria and viruses, causing them to break down. In fact, soap may be low-tech, but it can destroy even the most deadly viruses; ebola is quickly destroyed this way, for example. Given that rates of MRSA in UK hospitals have fallen over the past year, I am not sure that the Cardiff study actually reflects the way healthcare workers use wipes in hospitals. If they are following guidance, they should not use the same wipe on more than one surface. The researchers used each wipe ten times, which is probably unrealistic (although it is possible that some nurses or cleaners overuse wipes if the ward is running low on them). Wipes should be used for no more than five swipes before they are discarded and certainly you need at least one for each square metre of surface area. If the wipe is too dry, possibly because it has been badly stored or overused, then it should be discarded because the active ingredient has evaporated or been used up On a small area such as a shelf or someone's meal tray, a single wipe should be used and then discarded, not used on another surface. The type of wipe also matters: wipes should contain at least 40 per cent alcohol to be effective at killing microbes, for example; some may contain less than is needed. And if the wipe is too dry, possibly because it has been badly stored or overused, then it should be discarded because the active ingredient has evaporated or been used up. I have heard that hospital patients are being cleaned with wet wipes. While this may be quicker and easier, it is always better to wash skin, including hands, with hot soap and water and rinse well. Unlike soap and water, a wipe leaves a residue on the skin and not all the microbes are cleaned away. Wipes containing alcohol may also irritate the skin. Wet wipes do have a very important place in improving hospital hygiene, as long as they are used correctly and, of course, disposed of carefully. Source
