Keeping a clean medical facility is not only important for aesthetics and to prevent the spread of disease, it can also be an OSHA violation to not do so. We understand how critical all three components are, and are trained to do such work. Not all janitorial service companies have the qualifications to clean medical facilities, so it is important to know who you are working with in order to maintain and clean and healthy medical facility.
Medical facilities have varying needs for janitorial service. Some may require the medical staff to perform routine cleaning of patient care areas after every patient and/or at the end of the business day. Basic cleaning may be performed by janitorial staff while hazardous materials are handled by medical assistant staff.
In order to ensure all areas are free from cross-contamination and reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses, standards must be put in place and a clear plan outlining exactly who handles which tasks and at what frequency.-
“Although hand hygiene is important to minimize the impact of this transfer, cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces as appropriate is fundamental in reducing their potential contribution to the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.”
Principals of Cleaning and Disinfecting Environmental Surfaces
Healthcare Cleaning Checklist
Layout a plan that includes office space, conference rooms, lunch rooms separately from exam rooms, laboratory, procedure rooms and bathrooms.
Non-Medical Use Space
These areas can be cleaned according to standard commercial cleaning standards. This can include office spaces, lobbies, waiting rooms, entryways, conference rooms, lunch rooms and commercial bathroom spaces not used for medical reasons.
- All floors should be swept, and then vacuumed or mopped according to flooring material.
- All non-hazardous trash should be removed.
- Refill/Replace any needed supplies such as paper products, soaps and sanitizers.
- All flat surfaces, including doorknobs, door jams, table/desk tops, chair arms, countertops, shelves, windowsills and office equipment should be dusted or wiped with an approved cleanser.
- All glass surfaces should be wiped clean.
- All sinks, toilets, dispensers should be cleaned with appropriate cleaners and methods.
- When appropriate or as needed, blinds, air duct screens, and corners should be dusted for cobwebs and dust removal. Furniture, carpet and rugs should be professionally shampooed.
End of day/ Beginning of Day Exam Rooms and Lab Areas
These steps may be a responsibility of your healthcare cleaning team, or is handled by staff. Be sure to clarify what is done and what needs to be done in order to ensure proper sanitation.
- Clean all surface areas in the exam room with approved virus killing cleaning solutions. This includes exam tables and any equipment used in patient care.
- Specific protocol must be maintained for disinfecting and cleaning of reusable medical equipment.
- Proper disposal of hazardous materials and disposable medical supplies, including monitoring the volume of receptacles.
- Clean all horizontal surfaces that may be grabbed or touched, such as handrails, door or cabinet pulls, door jams, light switches/covers and medical equipment.
- Clean all sink and counter areas, including cupboards.
- All floors should be swept, and then vacuumed or mopped according to flooring material.
- All non-hazardous trash should be removed.
- Refill/Replace any needed supplies such as paper products, soaps and sanitizers.
- All flat surfaces, including doorknobs, door jams, table/desk tops, chair arms, countertops, shelves, windowsills and office equipment should be dusted or wiped with an approved cleanser.
- All glass surfaces should be wiped clean.
- When appropriate or as needed, blinds, air duct screens, and corners should be dusted for cobwebs and dust removal. Furniture, carpet and rugs should be professionally shampooed.
Ongoing Exam Rooms and Lab Areas
Healthcare cleaning services help with the overall cleaning of your office, however, they need assistance from staff to maintain a healthy, clean environment during the day. Managing the sterile environment while janitorial staff isn’t present is the only way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
- Clean work areas after every patient encounter including wiping surfaces, changing exam table paper, removing and sanitizing instruments.
- Any patient seen with a communicable disease triggers a specific cleaning protocol, and closing of the exam room, if applicable.
- Be sure to use gloves and incorporate frequent hand washing to reduce the spread of disease.
- Look over floors and surfaces as spot clean with an appropriate cleaner as needed.
Denver based AAA Building Maintenance uses highly trained personnel, specially formulated cleaning chemicals and cutting edge tools to help your patients stay healthy by keeping the germs that cause hospital-acquired infections at bay. Our services include medical office building cleaning, ambulatory surgery center cleaning, environmental services cleaning, outpatient clinic cleaning and operating room cleaning. Whether temporary deep cleaning for special projects such as remodeling on a medical facility to ongoing healthcare cleaning services or maintenance support, we are here to help you obtain and maintain a level of cleanliness you and your patients desire and deserve. Call us today to schedule your free healthcare cleaning audit and quote for your specific needs at 303-716-2802.
