It’s one thing to clean your room – you dust the surfaces, tidy the bed, and organize your dresser, but you don’t fret about disinfecting every square millimetre. It’s quite another to clean a medical facility. If protocols aren’t followed, then the health of patients and employees will be put at risk. The building must not only look clean but be fully sanitized and disinfected. Any bacteria left behind can cause infections in the immunocompromised as well as in those who aren’t. To keep your medical facility safe from germs, follow these guidelines that will protect visitors and staff:
Use the appropriate products. To prevent a hospital-acquired infection (HAI), make sure to use cleaning products that can eliminate bacteria. Areas with body fluids need precise attention to remove these contaminants, including examination rooms and operation tables. A disinfectant is the only product with the power to kill bacteria and sterilize a surface. But cleaning chemicals can cause lung damage, which is especially concerning for patients who suffer from respiratory illnesses. For this reason, select green cleaning products. They have the power to disinfect your facility without compromising the well-being of your patients.
Make a checklist. Cleaning a hospital is more than mopping floors – it involves frequent and diligent sterilization of equipment, bedding, and surfaces. Write down high-contact areas that require regular cleaning. Staying on top of this checklist is critical. Beyond protecting the health of everyone inside the hospital, a clean medical facility also sets the right impression. Visitors will not feel comfortable in a hospital that’s dirty and disheveled – they’ll feel downright unsafe. Bathrooms are another hotspot for germs, so make sure they’re cleaned often. There are also the kitchen and cafeteria to consider. Write down spots that aren’t immediately obvious, like the inside of the microwave and the top of the dishwasher. By creating a comprehensive checklist, you will ensure that no spots go uncleaned.
Maintain ventilation systems. How powerful are your air conditioner filters? In a medical facility, the risk of airborne illnesses is higher due to the number of sick people inside a contained space. Many hospitals manage this risk by using HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters with the capacity to remove contaminants from the air. Check the requirements on your HVAC system to see if you can have a HEPA filtered installed.
Be proactive, not reactive. When it comes to healthcare, you know that preventative care is more effective than reactive care. It’s easier to change your lifestyle to prevent illnesses than to try and fix them after they’ve developed – the same principle applies to cleaning. Staying on top of areas with high traffic, like waiting rooms and restrooms, will make the hospital a safer place. You need a cleaning team that understands which areas are at risk and how to disinfect them properly – this standard will protect everyone that walks in the door.
Keeping a medical facility clean is no small task. It requires diligence and attention to detail that medical staff can’t spare when they’re dealing with patients. Why not outsource your cleaning needs? If you’re searching for cleaning companies in Kelowna, look no further than Certified Green Cleaning. You can trust that your hospital will be in the hands of qualified and experienced cleaning technicians. We’ll work hard to keep your staff and your patients safe.