How to Disinfect After Treating MRSA Patients

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a staph virus that has become resistant to some forms of antibiotics. As a result, the disease can result in a serious infection. Wounds can appear as spider bites before turning into gaping, pus-filled sores. Without proper prevention, MRSA can easily spread. Follow these steps to disinfect and prevent its spread.

Things You'll Need

• Hospital gloves
• Soap and water
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) registered disinfectants, such as Clorox
• Chlorine bleach and water if necessary

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Instructions

• 1

  After coming into contact with a patient, remove your gloves and throw them away into the hazard bin. Thoroughly wash your hands with warm soap and water, being sure to get in between your fingers while washing.

• 2

  Disinfect any surfaces you've come into contact with. For example, if you've placed any bandages on a countertop, it is imperative to clean the countertop with a disinfectant. Be sure to reapply gloves prior to cleaning to prevent coming into contact with MRSA.

• 3

  Use an EPA-registered product, such as a Clorox product, to disinfect any contaminated surfaces and surfaces that people will touch. The EPA has many other items listed for disinfectant uses against MRSA.

• 4

  When cleaning a surface, leave the disinfectant on the surface for the recommended time to allow time to effectively kill diseases (what is known as its contact time). Look on your disinfectant's label to see how long the disinfectant needs to remain on a surface.

• 5

  If you're unable to find an EPA product, chlorine bleach is acceptable to use to kill any forms of staph. However, you'll need to dilute the bleach with water before using the product.

• 6

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when using a bleach solution, mix 1/4 cup of regular bleach in a bucket filled with 1 gallon of water. Use gloves because bleach can be irritating to your skin. You can use hospital cloths to disinfect any contaminated surfaces.

• 7

  After you have cleaned all surfaces, discard any cleaning materials in a hazard bin. Thoroughly wash your hands with warm soap and water before continuing with any routine.