Effect of sun-drying and chemical disinfection on contaminated cleaning cloth.

In domestic environment, cross-contamination by contaminated cleaning cloth represents an infection hazard. Could disinfectant use, detergent wash and rinse, and proper sun-drying be a panacea for cross-contamination? This is the fact-finding goal of this work. A sterilized towel (66.5 cm) was used to mop the eating tables of Nnamdi Azikiwe University cafeteria for 3 days, then aseptically collected and cut into six equal size, each for: estimation of total bacterial count; determination of the effects of detergent, sun-drying strength Ringer's solution was used as neutralizing medium. Seven organisms, Escherichia Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus. Bacillus, Klebsiella, and pseudomonas species were isolated from the mop. The total bacterial count was 2.9 x 10(12) cfu/cm2. However, detergent washing cum sun-drying proved effective in reducing, to acceptable standards, the bacterial numbers and types. Disinfectant use gave a second best result. The present hygienic practices in student's cafeteria and other similar places in Nigeria and elsewhere (where mop is not properly washed and sufficiently sun-dried before re-use) may not be quite healthy after all.