Rapid Post-Flood Hygiene Verification with the 3M™ Clean-Trace™ ATP Hygiene Monitoring System

Flood damage is a devastating and traumatic event for both businesses and homeowners. As well as the structural damage caused, the potential risks of infection from contaminated water such as sewerage highlights the need to clean and disinfect proprieties quickly and effectively after flooding. Flood water will contain a high level of organic contaminants which should be removed by a cleaning process. As well as potential pathogens, such infectious viruses and sewerage pathogens eg salmonella, shigella and E.coli, the water will contain high levels of organic compounds derived from soil and sewerage. These organic residues are rich in ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate) a molecule derived from living cells and associated residues. Clean-Trace ATP System, the instant surface test from 3M, can give cleaning validation results in a matter of seconds rather than days. Based on the detection of Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), a chemical found in all living cells, the Clean-Trace swabs indicate if a surface has been cleaned sufficiently or if additional cleaning is required. The instant results from the Clean-Trace system give the following benefits:

• Immediate results for same-day remedial cleaning if necessary
• Rapid results are available within a minute of taking a sample
• Immediate confirmation cleaning has been successful
• Enables quick retesting where further cleaning is required
• Fewer days of work stoppage for businesses
• Homeowners able to return to their home more quickly
• Further follow up tests following drying eg mould growth

A Practical Guide to using the Clean-Trace System

What surfaces? All non or semi-porous surfaces should be cleaned and tested: wood, plywood, concrete, metal, etc. All porous surfaces (i.e. drywall & carpet) should be discarded and replaced. How many swabs? For floors, random locations along each wall of each room and one location in the centre of each room should be tested with a Clean-Trace swab. For wall studs, one wall stud from each eight-foot section of wall should be chosen at random and tested. Interpretation of Result Levels and Cleaning Action Required

RLU Level	Action Required
Less than 250 RLU	Excellent Cleaning Proceed to next step of remodelling/restoration
250-500 RLU	Acceptable Cleaning Proceed to next step of remodelling/restoration
More than 500 RLU	Failed Cleaning Re-clean the surfaces and retest

  Note: The above pass/fail limits are suggested guidelines only. It is advisable to set specific levels for your individual site. Gem Scientific Ltd is an official distributor for 3M's Clean-Trace market leading ATP system. We can provide you with this technology as an outright purchase or our Diamond Service* agreement allows you to start using this system for as little as the cost of one box of swabs per month. ^{*Minimum contract 12 months/1 box of swabs per month}