Universal Precautions for Cleaning Up Saliva

Saliva is among the least likely of bodily fluids to transmit infectious diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, universal precautions do not apply to the handling of saliva. However, infection control is still a good idea. The HIV virus has been found in the saliva of some infected individuals, although no person on record has ever contracted the HIV virus through saliva contamination. Using universal precautions is especially recommended in dental practices where blood is likely to be found in saliva.

Glove Up

• Protective barriers such as a mask and gown are not necessary unless you work in a dental practice. Wearing gloves when handling saliva is generally a good idea, however. Gloves should be discarded immediately after handling saliva and before contact with another patient. You should also wash your hands thoroughly after coming in contact with saliva.

Clean Up

• Before disinfecting, clean up the saliva. Use a paper towel to wipe saliva off the surface. Clean the surface with hot, soapy water. If saliva is on a carpet, press a paper towel into the carpet to soak up the moisture or use a moisture-removing substance such as cat litter.

Disinfect

• Create a diluted bleach solution by mixing household bleach with water in a 1 to 10 ratio. Wet the surface with the solution and allow it to remain for 10 minutes. Wipe the solution away with a dry paper towel. Store-bought disinfectants are safe to use when cleaning up saliva as well because universal precautions do not apply outside of dental practices.

Dispose of Trash

• Dispose of gloves, paper towels and other waste from the cleanup. For other bodily fluids, place the trash in a plastic bag, tie it and discard it. It is not necessary to do this with saliva cleanup unless you are in a dental setting, in which case you should follow your facility's policy for saliva cleanup.