When and How to Clean a Medical Facility

Healthcare facilities need to be taken good care of and undergo the right type of cleaning and disinfecting each day. This will help make sure that all patients are safe and will not spread germs, viruses, and bacteria. There are some recommendations from the CDC that can make sure your medical facility is safe and sanitized the whole time.

Cleaning the Facility

To start, you need to do a thorough cleaning of the facility. Choose a commercial cleaner that contains soap or a detergent. This will help to decrease how many germs are allowed to live on the surface and can remove most of the harmful germs from the surfaces. Doing this a few times during the day by trained staff will keep the area safe between patients.

Cleaning down the surface is just the start though. While it can do a lot for making the facility safer, you also want to do some sanitation. This is a deeper clean and will help to get some of those tough germs that regular cleaning will not be able to do. Follow your cleaning regimen with sanitizing to make sure that you can kill off as many germs as possible.

And finally, you can do disinfecting. This is an important option to use to make sure that you reduce the risk of spreading any diseases around the medical facility. If you do sanitize or disinfect around the facility, you need to clean off the surface first. This will remove any dirt and other impurities. Then the surface will be ready for the other steps to be as efficient as possible.

When to Clean Surfaces?

Now that we know a bit more about the different terms you can use, it is time to look at when you need to clean surfaces. You will want to clean some of the high-touch surfaces on a routine basis. This can be things like counters, shopping cards, stair rails, elevator buttons, desks, and door handles. Have a schedule to get these done. Other surfaces that may not be touched as often should be cleaned when you can visibly see they are dirty.

How to Safely Clean Different Surfaces

For the most part, a routine cleaning schedule will do a lot to help kill off the germs and can prevent the spread. Always make sure you wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds when you are done cleaning to be on the safe side. Some of the tips you can use to make sure that the surfaces in the medical facility are cleaned well include:

Hard Surfaces

--Clean these with the appropriate cleaning product that is safe for that area. You can also use soap and warm water.

For Soft Surfaces

--Clean off the surface with a product that has either a detergent or soap in them.

--If possible, launder the items. You can look on the label to see the instructions for getting this done. Use the warmest water possible and ensure they are dried off completely.

--Vacuum the surfaces around the facility, such as the rugs and carpets, making sure to dispose of the dirt safely.

For Laundry Items:

--Place in the washer and use the warmest water setting. Take the time to completely dry the items when done washing.

--It is safe to take the dirty laundry from someone who is sick and wash it with other items without worry.

--Make sure to clean the laundry baskets and clothes hampers to make sure those areas are clean and sanitized.

For Electronics

--Consider getting a wipeable cover to put on the electronics. This can make it easier to clean off after use from someone who may be sick.

--Check the instructions and recommendations from the manufacturer to figure out the proper way to clean off the electronics.

When to Disinfect

Once the cleaning is done, you will want to take some to disinfect the area to make sure that you kill off all of the germs that may have been left behind. This is especially important if you have a high-traffic area or it is somewhere that someone has been sick. If there is a disease outbreak around your office, then you may need to go through some specific procedures to disinfect the area to help limit the spread of the disease at your medical facility.

There are some great safety guidelines you can follow to make sure that everyone is safe when using chemical disinfectants including:

--Open windows and doors and use fans or your HVAC settings to help increase how much air circulates through the area.

--Wear the right equipment to keep protected. This can include goggles and gloves.

--After the disinfectant is placed on the surface it is supposed to clean, leave it there for long enough to kill the germs. The amount of time this is can depend on the product you use. Look at the product label or you can look at the Safety Data Sheet.

--Store the chemical properly so that it will not harm anyone else.

--If you do need to dilute the solution, make sure that you work with room temperature water.

--Label all of your solutions if you need to put them in a different bottle or container.

--Make sure to store and use chemicals so they are never around children, animals, or anyone else who may get hurt with them.

--No not wipe or bathe pets in any of these products.

--When you are done disinfecting the area with the products, you need to take the time to wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds to be safe.

When you need the professionals to help you handle cleaning your medical facility, then trust our team at Bee Line’s janitorial services. We have the right crew to help get it done, with the best in disinfecting and cleaning for any commercial property. Don’t leave the health of your patients to chance. Trust a team who has the experience to get it done.