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5 Essentials When Offering Healthcare Cleaning Services

Written by Michelle Audas | June 26, 2020

Last week we put out a guide for janitorial companies tackling cleaning in the food service industry, and the nuances of re-opening in that particular sector. This week we’ve gathered what we consider the essential must-know-facts from one of the single most demanding industries on janitorial companies.

Guild to Offering Healthcare Cleaning Services

We’ve done our best to collect and organize information here to mitigate the legwork involved just to begin wrapping our heads around the requirements that will be asked of you as cleaning company owners striving to add healthcare cleaning services to your business.

As we’ve mentioned before, no two industries will be requiring the same formula for creating the safest environment for members of the public, so we are e dedicating a blog to key sectors we know our customers serve regularly with hopes of equipping janitorial company owners with the most relevant information possible to help them with the difficult task of being bonafide heroes as the world re-opens.

Here are 5 essential facets to cleaning healthcare facilities:

Getting Started Offering Healthcare Cleaning Services:

Every cleaning company owner knows that being prepared is paramount to executing your job above and beyond the call of duty.

  • Wear disposable gloves to clean and disinfect.

  • Clean surfaces using soap and water, then use disinfectant.

  • Cleaning with soap and water reduces the number of germs, dirt, and impurities on the surface. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces.

  • Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

    • More frequent cleaning and disinfection may be required based on level of use.

    • Surfaces and objects in public places, such as shopping carts and point-of-sale keypads should be cleaned and disinfected before each use.

  • High-touch surfaces include:

    • Tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.

Disinfecting and Cleaning are Not Synonymous When Offering Healthcare Cleaning Services

Once you’ve successfully cleaned an area, you still need to disinfect it. Just because you’ve cleaned something, doesn’t mean your job is done.

  • Recommend use of EPA-registered household disinfectant.

  • Follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product.

    Many products recommend:

    • Keeping surface wet for some time (see product label).

    • Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.

Always closely follow the directions on a label to ensure safe and effective use.

  • Wear skin protection and consider eye protection for potential splash hazards

  • Ensure adequate ventilation

  • Use no more than the amount recommended on the label

  • Use water at room temperature for dilution (unless stated otherwise on the label)

  • Avoid mixing chemical products

  • Label diluted cleaning solutions

  • Store and use chemicals out of the reach of children and pets

EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) 6 steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use

Soft  and Porous Surfaces Can be a Real Pain Point for Cleaners Offering Healthcare Cleaning Services

Surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes can hold a lot of dirt and bacteria. Tese areas will be needing extra attention now more than ever.

  • Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.

  • Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
    OR

  • Disinfect with an EPA/CDC registered and certified disinfectant. These disinfectants

The EPA, again

again, has a list of registered sanitizers labeled for use against the novel coronavirus. Note: There may be additional disinfectants that meet the criteria, and EPA will update the list as needed.

In Healthcare - Electronics Get Handled… A LOT.

Electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines are high contact points and require regular disinfecting.

Follow the recommended use directions closely. Do not reuse the wipes to wipe down multiple surfaces. Throw used wipes in the trash.

  • Consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics.

  • Follow the manufacturer’s instruction for cleaning and disinfecting.

    • If no guidance, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Dry the surface thoroughly.

A Risk for Healthcare Cleaning Services - Be Prepared for Potential Infections

You may be faced with cleaning and disinfecting a building or facility after someone has tested positive for COVID.

  • Close off areas used by the person who is sick.

    • Companies do not necessarily need to close operations if they can close off affected areas.

  • Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.

  • Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.

  • Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.

  • Vacuum the space if needed. Use vacuum equipped with high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filter, if available.

    • Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.

    • Consider temporarily turning off room fans and the central HVAC system that services the room or space, so that particles that escape from vacuuming will not circulate throughout the facility.

  • Once area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.

    • Workers without close contact with the person who is sick can return to work immediately after disinfection.

  • If more than 7 days since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.

    • Continue routing cleaning and disinfection. This includes everyday practices that businesses and communities normally use to maintain a healthy environment.

And Remember…

Regular cleaning staff can clean and disinfect community spaces.

Ensure they are trained on appropriate use of cleaning and disinfection chemicals.

Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash.

Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a person who is sick.

Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used.

Everyday Preventive Measures for Healthcare Cleaning

Person-to-person spread of the virus is suspected to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced by infected persons (coughing or sneezing). Even though much is still unknown about how the virus spreads, employees occupying these spaces must take these everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs

We hope you’ve found this to be a useful guide to offering healthcare cleaning services

Swept is dedicated to highlighting stories that keep everyone in the janitorial industry as up to date on world events and in-the-know as possible. Having started as a commercial cleaning company ourselves, our hearts go well beyond the janitorial software we offer.