Hugs® and Kisses® Approved Cleaning Materials

DESCRIPTION

This Technical Bulletin provides important information about which cleaning materials have been approved/not approved by Securitas Healthcare for use on Hugs Infant Protection and Kisses Mother-Infant Matching Tags.

Clients are advised to review the list of approved and non-approved cleaning materials carefully since manufacturers often provide a range of similar sounding product variants with different active ingredients. This may result in one variant of cleaning material being approved while another variant from the same manufacturer possibly not being approved. For example, Clorox Commercial Solutions® Germicidal Wipes are approved for use on Hugs and Kisses Tags whereas Clorox Healthcare™ H2O2 Cleaner disinfect wipes are not approved.

CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS

Hugs and Kisses Tags are not sterilized at the factory. They must be cleaned before first use and before inserting into tag charging station after patient use. In general, customers should consult with their Infection Control representative for cleaners available to the hospital that have been approved for use on plastics and are on the Approved Cleaning Materials list in this Technical Bulletin. Customers must follow all applicable label instructions for these products. Many of these products specify a two-step process with specific surface contact times and/or instructions for rinsing away residue remaining on the tag.

Note: It is very important to rinse and thoroughly dry all tags after cleaning. If residue remains on the tag, the water evaporates away, leaving the chemicals to increase in concentration. A normally benign, mild alkaline solution then becomes a strong (and damaging) alkaline solution. This could cause serious degradation to a tag’s plastic casing. Refer to the MSDS for cleaning specifications and dry times. If required, a disposable soft-bristle brush may be used to remove surface dirt from the tag’s surface and to gently clean inside the tag prongs.

For minimal surface degradation and cracking over time, use the following guidelines:

• Do not use pathogenic cleaners specified for tuberculosis (TB).

• Do not soak the tag.

• Do not use an autoclave to clean the tag or serious damage may result.