Wet Wipes Spread Hospital Superbugs, Clinical Study Warns

Clinical detergent wet wipes used to clean surfaces in hospital wards are actually spreading bacteria, a study has warned.

Researchers at Cardiff University found the wet wipes, which are widely used in hospitals, spread superbugs around instead of killing them.

The first study of its kind, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, revealed that the wipes’ ability to remove bacteria in a 10-second wipe was inconsistent.

It tested seven different wet wipes used in UK hospitals on infections MRSA, Acinetobacter and C. difficile. In fact, the wipes do more harm than good, the research said, spreading bacteria from one surface to another in “every instance”.

The study warned wet wipes could also spread infection if used in the home, particularly if one wipe was used to clean different surfaces near toilets and sinks.

The study’s author, Professor Jean-Yves Maillard, from Cardiff University’s school of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science, said: “This is the first report on the effectiveness of the most-used detergent wipes in hospitals and what we’ve found is that in all too many cases they are not up to the job, with results showing huge variability.

“Our tests show that although the detergent wipes succeed in removing superbugs, they immediately transfer them when the wipe is used on a different surface.

“Hospital staff must be educated to ensure these products are used properly and will not cause an unnecessary risk to staff and patients – a single wipe should not be used on multiple surfaces.”

In 2012, there were 1,646 deaths as a result of C. difficile and 292 MRSA-related deaths in England and Wales.