How to sanitize bathroom, kitchen sinks that may contain harmful bacteria

Both hospital and residential sinks are breeding grounds for pathogens capable of causing illness, including pneumonia, wound infections, and Legionnaires’ disease, a severe type of pneumonia that comes from Legionella bacteria, according to researchers at Flinders University in South Australia. Their findings were published this summer in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

“This research shows that sinks may play a significant and underappreciated role in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs),” said Harriet Whiley, PhD, associate professor of environmental health in Flinders’ College of Science and Engineering, in a news release. reveals about his team’s research.

In addition, residential sinks showed not only a greater number of Legionella bacteria compared to hospital sinks, but also a more diverse bacterial community, Whiley said.

The goo that builds up on sink drains, bowl rims, and faucet bases is far from harmless grime. It is a thin layer of bacteria called a biofilm that can pose a risk to public health. Hand-washing sinks are a recognized source of ARI, globally affecting 7% of high-income patients and 15% of low- and middle-income hospital patients, according to the World Health Organization. In this study, the researchers sought to explore the bacterial diversity of the sink biofilm in homes and hospitals.

The team analyzed 40 samples of biofilm that were “opportunistically” collected from the taps and drains of nine hospital sinks in New South Wales and eleven residential sinks in South Australia. The researchers collected residential samples from bathroom sinks and hospital samples from patients’ private bathrooms, shared hallway sinks, and a staff room sink.

In addition to Legionellathey discovered more than a dozen potentially pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcuswhich causes staph infections and Vibriothe culprit behind cholera (Vibrio cholerae) and rare flesh-eating infections (Vibrio vulnificus). Some of the bacteria identified are not usually found in water. Residential sinks had significantly higher relative abundances of seven types of potentially pathogenic or corrosive bacteria.

“This poses a risk to patients receiving home health care, which has emerged as an alternative to extended hospital stays to reduce the burden on the health care system,” lead researcher and PhD candidate Claire Hayward said in the statement. of the press.

Hospitals have infection control practices that include routine cleaning of sinks. Patients receiving residential care need to be educated on how to properly disinfect sinks at home, Hayward said.

Harboring dangerous microbes in sink biofilms could increase the rise of antimicrobial resistance, she added.

Sean Justice—Getty Images

How to clean, sanitize and disinfect household sinks

Assuming you wash your hands before every meal and after every bathroom break—not to mention preparing food and brushing your teeth—the kitchen and bathroom sinks in your home take a beating, bacterially speaking. Thoroughly washing such hard surfaces in your home is a three-step process that should always occur in the following order, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

1. Cleaning
   • Physically removes most dirt, germs and impurities
   • Use soap or detergents with water to wash, wash and rinse
   • It should be performed regularly
2. cleaning
   • Reduces germ counts to levels considered safe
   • Use weaker bleach solutions or sanitizing sprays
   • Sanitize objects and surfaces that come into contact with the mouth (such as toys, infant feeding accessories, counters and other surfaces that touch food)
3. Disinfection
   • It kills any remaining germs, further reducing the risk of disease spreading
   • Use an EPA-registered disinfectant or a stronger bleach solution
   • Disinfect surfaces when someone is sick or if someone is at higher risk of getting sick because of a weakened immune system

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