Cleaning-disinfecting procedures and hygiene monitoring systems

Trials were conducted at each step in the cleaning-disinfecting-depopulation process in order to compare the different procedures implemented. A range of hygiene monitoring systems (ATP bioluminescence, surface microbial analysis, air particle size distribution, etc.) were combined with records of labour hours and water and product consumption to evaluate the technical efficacy and the costs of each process. It was shown that cleaning-disinfection efficacy can be optimized by: applying a detergent after power-spraying, emptying and cleaning of indoor slurry pits, applying a double disinfection process by hot-fogging or foam spraying, and heat-drying the rooms straight after disinfection. Furthermore, using an automatic soaking system, applying the detergent before washing, or applying foam-delivered disinfectants all proved to be economically advantageous solutions.An agar plate identifying total bacterial flora is the most reliable indicator for monitoring cleaning-disinfecting operations. A minimum of 10 samples is required in order to give a good overview of residual contamination in the stall.