CloroxPro is proud to announce the winners of its first-ever Champions of Clean contest. Minnie Watson, an Environmental Services (EVS) Tech at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL, embodies CloroxPro’s motto ‘Where clean means everything’ and was selected for her passion for going above and beyond to help keep the hospital’s patient rooms disinfected and healthy.

The Champions of Clean contest, which ran from January 8 to February 20, 2019, encouraged facility managers and healthcare professionals to nominate someone who puts it all on the line to keep their facility clean and healthy during cold, flu and norovirus season and throughout the year. When asked why he nominated Watson, EVS Director Gabe Ceperich said, “Not only do we receive requests from patients for Minnie to clean their room, but she is a stickler for cleaning procedures. Her attention to detail goes a long way and her work is crucial in helping to prevent healthcare-associated infections.”

Ceperich is not the first person to nominate Watson for a reward for her hard work. Watson has won Employee of the Month twice, both within her department of 200 employees and within the entire hospital of more than 6,500 employees.

Watson has been at Memorial Medical Center for more than 10 years, putting patient safety first at every step along the way. She works hand-in-hand with the hospital’s Infection Prevention department, updating the best products and protocols to combat pathogens.

“I’ve been in EVS for more than 30 years, and Minnie’s genuine care for patients and providing a clean environment is conducive to Memorial’s wonderful culture, successful turnover rates, and overall infection prevention,” says Ceperich.

“Minnie’s rapport with Memorial Medical Center patients and consistent dedication to cleaning protocols does not go unnoticed and we are thrilled she was selected to win our Champions of Clean contest,” said Brad Ferris, Brand Engagement Lead – Marketing, CloroxPro. “Our contest aims to honor the unsung heroes who work behind the scenes to maintain clean environments, and we say thank you for everything they do to help keep us healthy throughout the illness seasons and beyond.”

More About Watson and Memorial Medical Center

Memorial Medical Center contains 2,754,322 million cleanable square footage and 500 licensed beds, with about 200 EVS and Housekeeping employees to maintain the facility. Watson says that Clorox Healthcare^® products, especially Clorox Healthcare^® Fuzion^® Cleaner Disinfectant, help her do her job, noting the benefit of its short kill time. The hospital can see as many as 10,000 people in a week, so Watson and her department make sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect all rooms, especially during turnover when the spread of pathogens and hospital-associated infections could threaten new patients. As Ceperich notes, “We’re the first line of defense.”

As one of the two winners of the Champions of Clean contest, Watson received a $7,075 cash prize in lieu of an all-expenses-paid vacation. When speaking about the recognition, she noted, “I’m just surprised I won because there are so many hardworking healthcare professionals out there … I love my patients and want to make sure they have a nice clean environment so they can heal better.”

The second winner of the Champions of Clean contest in the commercial facility category is Greg Masse, a custodian at Louis Toffolon Elementary School in Plainville, CT who devotes his role to helping keep students and staff healthy. Founder of “The Tidy Tiger Awards,” Masse also instills these cleaning values in students, and rewards tidiness in a fun and engaging way.

About the CloroxPro Champions of Clean Contest

The Champions of Clean contest celebrates commercial cleaning professionals who are on the front lines of cold, flu and norovirus season, and put it all on the line each year to maintain clean and healthy environments. Cleaning professionals play a critical role in enabling clean and healthy shared spaces, like schools, hospitals and offices and everywhere in between. In places like these where clean means everything, their work means everything. In recognition of their efforts, two winners – one from a healthcare facility and one from a commercial facility – have the option to receive a three-night vacation for two to New York City, Orlando, Las Vegas or Nashville, or a cash prize in lieu of the vacation. The person who nominated each winner will also win a home technologies prize package. For contest details, see the Official Rules.