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5 Steps to Clean Your Healthcare Facility Effectively

Laura Canela • Jul 23, 2020

 

Even with social distancing and other precautions to prevent the spread of germs, the stakes are high in public places, especially with healthcare cleaning. The risks are particularly high in medical offices, urgent care centers, and dental offices where germs and bacteria abound. Proper cleaning will also prevent your janitorial staff from their exposure to bacteria and illnesses. 

 

a group of nurses are cleaning a hospital room .

Things to Consider When Cleaning a Medical Facility

 

The healthcare cleaning guidelines for the methods of medical office cleaning, dental office cleaning, and urgent care cleaning can be found on the website for the Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA). OSHA also provides the recommended medical facility cleaning standards, and other tips.

 

Patients bring germs into medical and dental offices with them, which means that medical facilities can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria and illness. Such a high-risk environment means that to clean and disinfect for healthcare entails more than a general end-of-day wipe-down. 

Cross-contamination of germs between areas should be of particular concern. Efficiency is also a high priority because many tasks must be completed in a timely manner. 

After a thorough healthcare cleaning, your medical facility needs to have more than a clean appearance and fresh smell. Your role as professional cleaning services is to ensure that the facilities you clean are also germ-free. 

It’s crucial to allow your janitorial services team adequate time to do the best job of medical disinfection and sanitation. It’s also important to ensure that your professional cleaning team members have a medical facility checklist that includes all the proper tools and cleaning supplies and that they’re well trained on how to clean medical facilities. 

Medical Disinfection and Sanitation

Healthcare, hospital cleaning, and cleaning of dental offices require specific methods for disinfecting and sanitizing surfaces. 

Healthcare cleaning companies should require all of their employees to wear disposable gloves when cleaning. Using soap or detergent and water, they should clean surfaces before disinfecting them. Scrubbing with soap will reduce germs and bacteria and disinfecting surfaces will kill germs. 

They need to pay special attention to high-traffic areas and surfaces that people touch frequently such as:

  • Doors
  • Door frames
  • Countertops
  • Tables 
  • Light switches
  • Cabinet handles
  • Desks
  • Phones
  • Keyboards

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the proper disinfectants for use in medical facilities. Always follow the instructions on the labels. Also, be sure to have workers wear protective gloves and ensure there is good ventilation when using disinfectants. Never mix chemical products! 

 

Cleaners may also use alcohol solutions that have at least 70% alcohol or diluted household bleach solutions. 

Medical Types of facility

Professional cleaners should be familiar with the particular nuances of various types of medical offices. 

For example, dental offices are typically cleaner at all times because of the nature of their work. 

Medical offices have many ill people arriving all day, so cleaners need additional time for thorough cleaning. Cleaners also need to dispose of special bags that contain items that have come into contact with blood and bodily fluids. These areas require special training. In pediatrician’s offices pay attention to common touchpoints four feet and lower that children put their mouths on. 

An oncologist office requires thorough cleaning because many of their patients have weakened immune systems. 

Why You Should Hire Professionals for Medical Cleaning 

Cleaning professionals provide valuable support for medical professionals. Due to the need to protect vulnerable patients, cleaning workers need intensive, ongoing training. They need to know standard operating procedures and be trained on how to document their tasks. 

Cleaning Procedures for Medical & Healthcare Facilities 

These four tips will help you train your cleaners properly:

  1. Use hospital-grade disinfectant that’s approved by the EPA to clean all areas of the bed headboard, frame, side rails, and mattress.
  2. Clean the TV remote, nurse call button, call cord and other highly touched areas like drawer pulls, tabletops, inside drawers, phones, door handles, light switches, drapery pulls, and phones with the same disinfectant. 
  3. In the bathroom, clean the sink, countertop, support bars, and shower fixtures. Clean the toilet last. 
  4. Refrain from touching the outside of gloves when removing them. Wash hands with antimicrobial soap and then put on a new set of gloves. 

Medical Cleaning in Times of COVID-19

Use a ULV machine (electrostatic disinfection) as appropriate to achieve a 360° touchless disinfection. There is less chance of kicking up dust and sending germs into the air. 

Regular cleaning and sanitizing are crucial for the health and safety of patients and medical staff. Leave your medical cleaning needs to DLL Cleaning Services where they have the proper tools and techniques to do a safe, thorough cleaning according to CDC guidelines. 

  • 1. How to Clean a Medical Office Effectively?

    Employ a disinfectant of hospital-grade quality to thoroughly sanitize all bathroom surfaces. Mop the floors diligently, ensuring a pristine cleanliness. Dispose of the trash and replace liners promptly. Adhering to rigorous bathroom cleaning and sanitation practices within a medical office is imperative to curbing the transmission of germs, and having a hygienic setting for both patients and medical personnel.

  • 2. What are the 3 Levels of Cleaning within the Healthcare Facility?

    In healthcare facilities, cleaning is stratified into three levels to address different aspects of hygiene:

    ● The first level, daily cleaning, involves routine tasks like sweeping and mopping to maintain basic cleanliness.

    ● Terminal cleaning, the second level, occurs when a patient is discharged, requiring a more thorough cleaning of surfaces and equipment. 

    ● The third level, infection control cleaning, focuses on specialized procedures to prevent the spread of infections, employing disinfectants and targeted cleaning in high-risk areas.


  • 3. What Do Hospitals Use to Clean and Sanitize?

    Bleach and hydrogen peroxide target microorganisms on surfaces. Antiseptics, especially alcohol-based hand sanitizers, are used on living tissues to reduce infection risk. Detergents assist in general cleaning to remove dirt, and sterilants eliminate all forms of microbial life. Each of these agents plays a crucial role in the overall cleanliness and safety of healthcare settings.

  • 4. What Should be Disinfected in the Healthcare Facility?

    High-touch surfaces, including doorknobs and handrails, are a primary focus. Medical equipment, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, necessitates regular disinfection. Patient rooms and common areas, for instance, waiting rooms and hallways, also require attention to ensure a comprehensive and effective approach to environmental cleanliness.

  • 5. How Do You Disinfect a Hospital Room?

    The room must be prepared by removing unnecessary items for proper ventilation. Surfaces are then cleaned thoroughly using appropriate cleaning agents. Following this, a disinfectant is applied according to the manufacturer's instructions, with careful attention paid to high-touch areas. Proper disposal of waste and adherence to hospital protocols complete the process.



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