No one wants the flu, but each year we know many of us contract it. In fact, research shows up to 20% of us will be infected each year! This shows that even though we all have been told how to help prevent the spread of the influenza virus, we still need to be reminded.
When it comes to healthcare facilities, having a professional cleaning service that specializes in healthcare cleaning can become a necessity. During flu season the high volume of contagious patients can turn even the cleanest healthcare facility into a petri dish of invisible germs and bacteria. Doctors and nurses do their best to prevent the spread of infection by doing what they can, such as washing their hands and sterilizing or disposing of medical equipment properly, but it’s not enough. It is still necessary that the facility is properly sanitized on a regular basis, and bringing in a company who provides healthcare cleaning on a professional level is extremely beneficial. Your goal is to keep both your patients and your employees healthy… this should also be the goal of your janitorial service.
How Do You Get The Flu?
On average more than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to complications brought on by the influenza virus. When the virus is going around in a community, healthcare-associated infections, or HAI’s, can occur in any healthcare facility. During the flu season, the increase of contagious patients going to Pediatricians, urgent care, doctor’s offices, and even emergency rooms for treatment increases, as so does the chance for the spread of the flu.
So, how is the virus spread? The reason the flu and other virus’ are so much more prevalent during the winter months is that we are spending more time indoors rather than the cold outdoors. Close quarters make the perfect environment for the transmission of the flu.
When someone coughs or sneezes and does not cover their mouth, these airborne pathogens can travel approximately 6 feet. Once they are in the air, they have to land somewhere, and that landing surface is now contaminated.
The biggest culprit when it comes to the transmission of flu however is hands. When a hand touches that contaminated surface, or when a cough or sneeze is covered by a hand, that hand becomes contaminated. From there, that bacteria covered hand spreads germs to their own mouth (or eyes), or those of another, putting them at risk for getting the flu. We can’t insure every human being we come in contact with knows to cough into their elbow, not their hand. But, we can be sure to pay attention to washing our hands after touching surfaces, before eating, keeping our hands away from our eyes, nose, mouth, coughs and sneezes. This is also where having a professional cleaning company come becomes such a benefit for you, your employees, and your patients.
What A Professional Healthcare Cleaning Company Does
You can’t eliminate the flu, but you can take every precaution possible to help reduce the risk to your patients and employees. Since the best defense is a good offense, having professionals on your side can only help. They know what practices are necessary to provide the proactive strategies you need.
There are several techniques used by professional cleaning companies to reduce the risk of the spread of the influenza virus and make your facility not only look clean, but also be cleaned so that the invisible germs and bacteria are no longer thriving. The use of a color-coded system ensures cross-contamination doesn’t occur as only certain color towels are used for specific tasks. This insures that the rag that was used on a toilet isn’t used on a doorknob and the rag used on the exam table isn’t going to be anywhere near your desk.
Another technique used by professional cleaning companies when performing healthcare cleaning is team cleaning. This is when the employees brought in by the company are given only certain tasks to complete. They will appoint someone to restrooms, another to vacuuming, and yet another to the “hot spots.” This also prevents cross contamination as the person doing the “hot spots”- the frequently touched places like door knobs – is not then cleaning the inside of the microwave in the break room. A professional cleaning company will also be educated in what these “hot spots” are and how to handle them.
Professional cleaning companies will also help reduce the risk of HAI’s by making sure they do such things as changing mop heads as often as needed, keeping their equipment well maintained, regularly cleaning HEPA filters on vacuum cleaners. They will utilize the proper chemicals and store those chemicals in a way that they can be effective when used for their intended purpose. All of these acts will help you keep your facility healthy and clean.
At AAA Building Maintenance we have all the skills, tools and equipment needed to keep your healthcare facility clean and safe all year long, including the months of high influenza outbreak. Our effective and responsive healthcare cleaning service team has genuine concern for our clients, meeting or beating any expectations you have for healthcare cleaning in Denver. Our employees are trained for, and take pride in cleaning and maintaining your facility to the high standards required. We always use the latest in EPA registered disinfectants and the latest in cleaning technologies to insure your facility is clean and germ free. Contact us today to schedule your FREE building audit and quote, or call 303-716-2802.
