5 Tips on Using ATP Monitors
Stephen Ashkin
Father of Green Cleaning | Influencer | Thought Leader | Green Cleaning and Sustainability Expert
The Safety-First Credit from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System recommends using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) meters to measure cleaning performance.
As many cleaning professionals know, ATP is an energy molecule found in all plants, animals, and microbial cells. All organic matter, living or not living, contains ATP. This includes bacteria, mold, and microorganisms. ?
"What is most important for us to know is that the detection of ATP on a surface indicates the presence of biological matter," says Steve Ashkin, the professional cleaning industry's leading advocate for Green Cleaning and Sustainability. ?
"In the cleaning world, this is a 'red light' that potentially health-risking pathogens are on a surface." ?
While ATP monitors are one of the most reliable indicators we have to measure cleaning performance, "to take advantage of this technology, we need to ensure our [surface] sampling skills are up to par." ?
To do this, Ashkin suggests the following: ?
1.??????Soil distribution on a surface can vary. If there are concerns about the health of a surface, conduct several tests in the same general location.
2.??????Assessing a surface area of at least four inches by four inches is recommended.
3.??????After swabbing a surface, place the swab in the luminometer that comes with the system, gently shake it from side to side for a few seconds, and close the lid within one minute.
4.??????The ATP monitor will report the amount of contamination on a surface. A high reading, indicating a large amount of ATP, means the surface must be recleaned; a low rating indicates the surface has been adequately cleaned or does not need further cleaning.
领英推荐
5.??????Proper training is mandatory and often works best when several cleaning workers are taught simultaneously. In a group setting, they may raise questions that others are also wondering about.
"Additionally, an effective ATP monitoring program requires first identifying areas in a facility that need to be regularly evaluated," adds Ashkin. "Bring in a [jansan] distributor to help with this. Their 'fresh eyes' will uncover test areas that everyday facility users may overlook."
About The Ashkin Group and Stephen Ashkin
The Ashkin Group, LLC, is an internationally recognized consulting firm working to Green the professional cleaning industry. Their expertise is utilized by governments, policy makers, advocates, building owners, property management companies, labor unions, trade and professional associations, manufacturers, service providers, and janitorial product distributors worldwide.
Stephen P. Ashkin, founder of The Ashkin Group, is known as the Father of Green Cleaning. An author and a frequent public speaker, Steve’s commitment to Green Cleaning is more than a business: it is a passion, a calling, a mission in life—to transform the professional cleaning industry.
?
Contact Information
Stephen Ashkin
Email: [email protected]
Enjoying life every day
2 年ATP Monitoring is a great tool to work with. The only problem is that there is no standard norm (as far as I know) to show if and when a surface is really clean. In hospitals the number they use is higher than the numbers they use within the Food Processing Industry.
Affordable Housing Advocate | Nonprofit Leader | COO Eye Housing Solutions | Sales & Training Strategist | Empowering Communities Through Housing & Education | National Sales Trainer @ SIGVARIS GROUP
2 年This is a wonderful article! Thanks for sharing ??
Onsite Medical Representative, Conus/Oconus, HEMS/EMS Standard/Safety/Training
2 年ATP monitors are a great tool. But know this, ATP operators can play the numbers. Knows how to get a lower or high count. When used correctly, I like it as a learning tool. For example, testing 10 toilets'. one was very high and two were very low. Why is this? The two low cfus because, those teachers really take pride in their rooms and clean extra. The one with a very high cfu, was a toilets' children learning to use a bathroom. So we have learned, that younger class bathroom needs extra cleaning.
Owner at Safe, Clean and Disinfected
2 年A well-trained staff, given adequate time, equipped with the best tools, products and procedures will likely deliver a clean, sanitized, or disinfected room. But, to be certain, you need to be able to demonstrate through measurement that the cleaning regimen is producing the desired results. By providing feedback in less than 2 minutes, ATP meters enable cleaning professionals to verify how clean surfaces are in respect to organic matter, and to carry out continuous improvement programs to enhance overall performance. Through the use of ATP correctly you move from saying, "I believe it is clean," to "I have taken measurements that help prove that it is clean."