Recontamination of Healthcare Surfaces by Repeated Wiping with Biocide-Loaded Wipes: “One Wipe, One Surface, One Direction, Dispose” as Best Practice in the Clinical Environment

bacteria also increased when metal healthcare surfaces possessed a higher microscale roughness (<1 μm), as determined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The high propensity for healthcare surfaces to be re-contaminated following initial wiping suggests that a "One wipe, One surface, One direction, Dispose" policy should be implemented and rigorously enforced.