How to Clean Lead Aprons & Prevent Hospital Acquired Infections
Most lead apron cleaning guides or policies will recommend wipes and sprays, but if you’re not cleaning your garments with both regular wipe-downs and quarterly deep cleaning and sanitization, you could be putting your staff and patients at risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Regular garment cleaning maintains the integrity of personal protective equipment, such as lead aprons, and reducing contamination risks.
We’ve even experienced these risks ourselves.
The NIH reports that biofilm formation is associated with 65% of microbial infections and 80% of chronic illnesses.
While routine cleaning of X-ray garments with wipes and sprays can help slow the buildup of bacteria and biofilm, it highlights why lead aprons need professional deep cleaning, not just wipes and sprays to effectively prevent it.
That’s why our cleaning guide covers both.
We’ll explain how to wipe down your lead aprons on a regular basis to help keep biofilm at bay as well as how to arrange quarterly deep cleanings to eradicate biofilm and bacteria buildup entirely.
Regular Cleanings (Perform After Each Use)
Follow these steps to properly wipe down aprons after use to help slow down bacteria and biofilm buildup.
Use Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes or Ecolab Quaternary Based Wipes. These products will help reduce bacteria and biofilm buildup and will not damage the garment material. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Clean the entire garment surface, even areas that may look clean, as harmful micro-bacteria may not be apparent.
Hang or lay the garment flat to dry without creases in an undisturbed environment.
Repeat these steps after each use for essential maintenance of your X-ray garments.
Recommended Daily Cleaning Products
Some common chemicals in wipes and sprays, like alcohol and bleach, can degrade or oxidize the core material of lead aprons over time. This compromises the integrity and efficacy of the garment and makes wearers more susceptible to germs and infections.
Commonly used wipes and sprays also have specific requirements for effective use, such as being used on a “pre-cleaned” or “non-porous” surface.
Additionally, those cleaning agents can spread biofilm on aprons and ultimately assist in its growth since they’re not properly eradicating and removing the biofilms, creating a false sense of safety.
Below are our recommended products that are safe to use daily for cleaning X-ray garments between deep cleanings. Both use a disposable microfiber cloth that will follow the CDC recommendation of using friction to clean the surface before disinfection.
Deep Cleaning & Sanitization (Schedule Quarterly)
Governing bodies, such as AORN, recommend quarterly cleaning and sanitization of high-touch objects.
Clinicians frequently handle lead aprons during surgeries, X-rays, or while treating patients, making them a high-touch object. Therefore, we recommend deep cleaning these protective garments quarterly.
You may consider deep cleaning garments in-house. However, properly deep cleaning and sanitizing garments requires specialized tools, equipment, and knowledge.
If you do not have what you need to deep clean in-house, you can hire a third-party company, like RCS.
How Deep Cleaning & Sanitization Works
We've spent over a decade developing a proven best-practice process to keep our customers safe, including a proprietary two-step cleaning and sanitization process that yields best practice outcomes as defined by the CDC.
Below is a high-level overview of our deep cleaning and sanitization process. (*We recommend that you ensure the third-party company you choose follows best practices and clearly defined guidelines as recommended by the governing bodies.)
Step 1: Prep the Garments
Garment prep is initiated by removing debris from the Velcro and examining the status of Velcro, hanging straps, buckles, trim, etc. to identify areas needing extra attention.
Step 2: Cleaning
We apply an EPA-registered product using friction to physically remove dirt, microorganisms, and bioburden.
According to the CDC, friction must be used during deep cleaning before sanitization. This step of the process is critical for eradicating biofilms.
Step 3: Sanitization
We kill 99.9% of any remaining microorganisms through the proper administration of a garment-safe, sanitizing agent. This step is only effective once the garment has been deep cleaned.
Step 4: ATP Test for Quality Control
We use ATP testing to verify a clean and safe outcome for the processed garments.
Studies Show Lead Aprons Require Both Regular and Deep Cleaning & Sanitization
Dr. M. Jaber conducted clinical studies revealing that X-ray aprons can harbor various microorganisms. In his research, Dr. Jaber cultured 25 lead aprons and found:
● 84% were colonized with Tinea species (Ringworm)
● 84% were colonized with Staphylococcus aureus
● 12% were colonized with MRSA
When only wipes and sprays are used, biofilm and other contaminants can be spread around the surface of your X-ray garment.
Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes and Ecolab Quaternary Based Wipes are great options for daily maintenance, but these common disinfectants only remove the top layer of colonized bacteria.
That's why it's necessary to also deep clean and sanitize your lead garments to remove all biofilm and contaminants.
When debris is not thoroughly removed, it can increase bacteria and biofilm buildup, raising the risk of infections for patients and staff.
"When facilities only use wipes on a surface and don't completely remove the debris, they are in essence creating an 'all you can eat buffet' for the surviving bacteria to thrive upon," explained Dr. Kathleen Jones, who holds a doctorate in emerging infectious diseases.
A deep cleaning process using friction is needed to eliminate biofilm and bacteria buildup from the lead aprons.
Benefits of Deep Cleaning
Improves Garment Lifespan
Lead garments endure various contaminants, leading to unpleasant odors and stains. Over time, some wipes or sprays can corrode the apron's material. The deep cleaning process, however, can significantly improve the lifespan of your X-ray garments, saving you money in the long run.
RCS customers typically see a two-to-four-year additional lifespan for their garments. Savings rapidly accumulate to thousands of dollars, quickly offsetting the cost of the deep cleaning services. RCS also offers a simple disposal solution when it is time to retire your garments.
Increases Staff Satisfaction
Quarterly X-ray garment deep cleaning alleviates staff concerns about garment cleanliness, fostering greater satisfaction among team members who no longer have to compete for the cleanest garment at work.
Deep Cleaning Ensures Compliance
Ensuring compliance with cleaning protocols is difficult in a busy environment. An AORN study on garment cleaning regularity surveyed 173 healthcare workers, predominantly registered nurses in surgical settings, and discovered that:
● 78% reported wearing soiled protective gear
● 30.1% noted thyroid shield odors
● 48% admitted to never spot-cleaning
● 21.4% of aprons or shields never underwent standard department cleaning
Partnering with professional deep cleaning services helps meet regulatory and accreditation standards while reducing the burden on your staff. RCS will help you develop protocols, employ lead apron tagging for efficient inventory management, and maintain comprehensive records of garment inspection, facilitating compliance with audit requirements and accreditation standards.
Schedule Your Next Deep Cleaning
When you schedule a lead apron deep cleaning and sanitization service with RCS, you can be confident knowing that we not only meet the standards, we also set the standards as the world's first solution. We’ve been leaders in the industry for the past ten years.
Our comprehensive solution includes X-ray garment cleaning and sanitization, complimentary repairs, inventory management, and annual integrity checks. We are dedicated to doing what is right for patient and staff safety.
