? Updated the article “Patient room cleaning procedures” last November 25, 2022.At TKT Clean cleaning comppany
You may be too familiar with office cleaning or building cleaning. However, hospital hygiene is another matter. Especially cleaning patient rooms. Where everyone is in unstable health. They always need a comfortable, clean space to gradually recover themselves. How to prevent the disease by always keeping neat, fresh, and clean without affecting the patients who are resting? TKTClean will guide you through several ways through this article
1. Why should the patient’s room be cleaned?
Regular cleaning and disinfection are essential to reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This is important not only in the common space of the hospital but also in each patient’s ward. Most of the time rest, activities, and meals take place here. Patients will feel secure and comfortable if the room is always taken care of and cleaned.
Image: Staff cleaning patient room
In healthcare settings such as hospitals or facilities with inpatient wards, regular disinfection of patient rooms is the best way to maintain a clean, hygienic environment. Reduce the risk of cross-contamination between patient care areas while improving patient satisfaction scores.
Keeping patient areas clean is an important part of supporting the health of those in your facility. The risk of infection in susceptible patients can be reduced when their rooms are cleaned and disinfected regularly.
In this article and video, we’ll look at 8 steps to thoroughly clean an occupied patient room in a healthcare facility.
2. Some rules when cleaning patient rooms
When staff is performing hospital cleaning services, the cleaning area is the patient’s room. There are some important rules that they must follow in order to achieve a thorough and effective cleaning. To get the most out of your cleaning process, your staff should clean:
From cleaner surface to dirtier surface
All surfaces are dirty, but some surfaces may be more visibly soiled than others. If your employees clean from a dirty surface to a cleaner surface. They will move dirt from high-risk areas to low-risk areas. Turning places that should have remained relatively clean into potential places of disease.
Image: Staff cleaning the floor of the hospital room
By cleaning from cleaner surface to dirtier surface. Your employees can reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Germs and bacteria from dirty surfaces will not be able to transfer to clean surfaces.
From high to low (top to bottom)
When your hygienist cleans from top to bottom. Or from the highest point of the object to the lowest point. They will eliminate the possibility of dirt falling and contaminating the cleaned area.
For example, if the floor of the patient room is cleaned first, the floor may have to be cleaned again if dust from the window sill falls on the floor during cleaning. To avoid rework, floors should always be cleaned last.
In one direction (patterned cleaning)
If cleaning and disinfecting of the patient’s room are done in an organized manner, the possibility of any surface or object being missed or overlooked. Or is there a better way to avoid missing areas to clean? That is using the hospital cleaning checklist
Image: Checklist of hospital hygiene in the ward
Cleaning in one direction will help your cleaners make sure they don’t miss any areas. The cleaner can clean from left to right or clockwise, starting near the door and ending on the other side of the room. Cleaning can also be done from back to front, from the furthest wall to the entrance to the room.
Prioritize high-touch surfaces
Cleaning commonly touched surfaces in the patient room is an important part of creating a hygienic environment for your patients.
Frequently touched surfaces in the patient room should be cleaned at least once per day to remove and kill disease-causing germs, bacteria, and pathogens. These surfaces include sinks, doorknobs, switches, and hospital beds.
Image: Disinfect doorknobs
Low-touch surfaces, such as walls, baseboards, and corners, should be cleaned weekly.
3. Steps in the process of cleaning the patient’s room
3.1 Prepare
It is important to prepare for any cleaning or maintenance procedure by gathering the appropriate tools, commercial cleaning supplies, sanitary cleaning equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Material:
Fabric (Microfiber/Wipe)
Warning signs
Replacement trash bags
Cleaning stuff:
Multi-purpose surface cleaner
Sanitize chemical
Glass cleaner water
Device:
Vacuum cleaner or dust mop
Microfiber mop, damp mop
PPE:
Gloves
Glasses
Mask
3.2 Preliminary assessment
A preliminary, visual assessment of the site should be completed prior to cleaning.
During the site assessment, the hygienist should check the patient’s current condition. Ensure that you and your staff can safely complete routine cleaning without affecting the patient.
For example, if a patient has an illness that requires airborne precautions, such as requesting special PPE. Your hygienist may not be able to finish cleaning the entire patient area as usual.
Image: Staff cleaning the floor of the hospital room
Next, your cleaning team should look for any traces of blood or bodily fluids on the floor that may need special cleaning.
Final. Your staff should check for any obstacles. Problem. Or whether damaged furniture and surfaces could jeopardize safe cleaning procedures.
3.3 Clean up trash and throw away sharp objects
Once the area has been inspected, the trash cans will be emptied
If the sharps container is full. You should replace the sharps container with a new, clean one.
Check to see if there is any large debris on the floor that can also be thrown in the trash.
3.4 Put disinfectant in the trash
After the trash has been completely emptied. Disinfectant chemicals should be applied to the inside and outside of the trash can. And let the trash can sit and dry before replacing the trash can liners.
Disinfectants need to stay on surfaces for a specific amount of time. To ensure that all germs and bacteria on the surface are killed.
Your cleaner should apply the disinfectant in the third step. In order for the disinfectant to achieve the necessary time to take effect.
Image: Spray disinfectant
3.5. Clean and disinfect all commonly touched surfaces
Frequently touched surfaces can spread illness and infection from person to person. Some of the highest-risk areas should be prioritized during cleaning and disinfection. Consists of:
Door knob
Balcony
Phone
Bed rails
Furniture
Any Equipment or Machine
Hand sink
Sink faucet
Toilet seat
3.6. Clean all visible stains on walls, windows and glass
Visually inspect walls, windows and glass for visible stains. Clean windows and glass with glass cleaner. For large glass areas, use a rubber broom.
If stains are visible on the walls, your cleaner should clean and disinfect these surfaces with a microfiber cloth.
3.7. Vacuum/clean the floor, on request
Dust the entire floor surface. Be careful not to lift the dust mop off the floor surface. And limit shaking to reduce the possibility of airborne dust particles. Although dusting is a popular way to remove dirt from floors. But you can also use a commercial vacuum cleaner to clean patient room floors.
Image: Dusting the floor of the hospital room
In fact. Many healthcare facilities require vacuuming to prevent re-dispersal of dust and bacteria. For patients with respiratory sensitivities. A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will be able to pick up dust and dirt particles without re-dispersing them into the air.
Some vacuum cleaners are also designed to make less noise. Or make no noise. Making them perfect for use in occupied patient rooms.
3.8. Mop the wet floor
After your floor has been vacuumed or dusted. Your cleaner should mop the floor with a microfiber flat mop. And neutral floor cleaning chemicals. Microfiber mops will reduce the amount of liquid used on the floor and reduce the time it takes for the floor to dry.
Be sure to place the wet floor sign once the wet floor cleaning has begun. To warn anyone entering the room that the floor may be slippery.
The mop head should be changed between each patient room to avoid cross-contamination.
3.9. Visually inspect the area to make sure there is no soil load left
Just like at first, your staff should visually assess the cleaned and disinfected area.
During this inspection, it is important for your crew to check to make sure no visible area or soil is missed.
Your cleaning team should also ensure that the area is dry before removing wet floor signs.
Image: Checking after cleaning the room
4. Conclusion
Cleaning and disinfecting wards creates and maintains a safe, hygienic environment for your patients. Proper sanitation can reduce the spread of disease in your facility. Using best cleaning practices can also reduce the risk of cross-contamination on surfaces.
A clean and hygienic ward will also contribute to increased patient satisfaction. By cleaning and disinfecting patient rooms following best practices. Your hygienist can create the most comfortable environment for the people in your hospital.
If you are in HCMC, Contact TKTClean today, so we can review your current cleaning procedures. To help you create the best cleaning program to maintain quality disease prevention. We are always ready to help you
Image: Hospital cleaning service
Source: TKT Clean
