The 1999 Lindberg award. 3% hydrogen peroxide for the gram-positive disinfection of fabrics.

Because of growing concern about the spread of antibiotic-resistant gram-positive bacteria in burn and trauma units, an inexpensive, safe, effective means of spot-disinfecting fabrics (such as privacy curtains) that remain in clinic or patient rooms as various patients use the rooms was sought. From comparisons of cost and safety data, 3% hydrogen peroxide was chosen to be tested for its efficacy in the control of these bacteria. Systematic laboratory testing used 30 antibiotic-resistant and sensitive staphylococci and enterococci and 4 common hospital fabrics: cotton (clothing), terry cloth (towels), cotton-polyester blend (scrub suits), and polyester (curtains). Without disinfection, bacteria survived for many hours to several days. After a single spraying with 3% hydrogen peroxide, all bacteria on all fabrics were dead within 5 to 120 minutes. On-site testing targeted privacy curtains in patients' rooms. Curtain edges that tended to be grabbed when moving the curtain showed a mixture of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (median, 22 bacteria/24 cm2). After these areas were sprayed with 3% hydrogen peroxide, no bacteria were found. It was concluded that spraying with 3% hydrogen peroxide is a safe, inexpensive, effective means of spot-disinfecting fabrics in patients' rooms; this simple procedure may limit the spread of potentially pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria.