Hospital Housekeeping Protocols

Housekeeping plays an important role in a hospital. Cleaning walls, floors, linens and and equipment protects patients, staff, visitors, and the community from viruses and microorganisms that can be harmful. According to JK Science, effective housekeeping prevents disease, germ, and infection spread, reducing medical costs and the amount of sickness among patients due to these factors. Communities are protected through good housekeeping practices.

Schedule

• Some areas of the hospital are only cleaned when they are noticeably dirty, such as door handles, ceilings, windows, walls, and doors. They are cleaned with a cloth soaked in detergent and water. If these areas are heavily soiled, disinfectant should be used. Disinfectant is used for daily cleaning areas, such as chairs, tables, beds, handrails, lights, lamps, counters. Routine medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, are cleaned daily with detergent and water. They should also be cleaned immediately if they appear dirty. Floors, sinks, toilets and bathrooms, and patient rooms are cleaned every day with a disinfectant solution. Sinks should be rinsed with water after cleaning. Also, if any bodily fluid is on any of these surfaces, it should be cleaned immediately. Examination rooms, operating rooms and procedure rooms are cleaned after every procedure or exam. Labs are cleaned at the end of every shift with a disinfectant solution. Carpets should be vacuumed once per week and curtains can be changed when they appear soiled. Linens and waste are removed daily, but they can be changed more frequently when needed. Trash cans should be cleaned once per week, at least. with a disinfectant. A chlorine mixture must be used to clean up any type of blood or bodily fluid.

Dress

• Any time you are cleaning patient rooms or contaminated areas, washing laundry or instruments, collecting and disposing of trash, or using any type of cleaner, you must wear utility gloves and protective shoes. Wear a mask, rubber apron, and goggles if there are spills or you are expecting anything to splash. Mount Sinai Hospital states that gloves should be changed before and after cleaning the bathroom.

Floors

• Sweeping and dry mopping are not allowed in hospitals and clinics. These actions move contaminants from the floor to the air and onto other clean surfaces. When cleaning the floors, the housekeeping department starts with the cleanest floors and then moves to the dirtiest. This allows the housekeeping worker to save time by not changing his mop bucket so often. One bucket techniques require the housekeeping worker to clean his bucket much more often. Housekeeping may use a two-bucket or three-bucket method. In the two-bucket method, one bucket is cleaning solution and the second is water where the mop is rinsed and wrung out before being resubmerged into the cleaning bucket. With three buckets, the mop is rinsed twice before it is placed back into the cleaning solution. A wet vacuum will be used in surgical suites where the floor is flooded with cleaning solution and then vacuumed up. Only dry vacuum clean carpets.

Dusting

• Dry dusting is not used in hospitals because it redistributes microorganisims onto clean surfaces. Always use a cloth that has been wet in a cleaning solution to dust. The double-bucket system can be used with dusting also. All surfaces must be cleaned, and John Hopkins University suggests starting in one place and moving around the room to cover all surfaces. As you are cleaning the walls and ceiling, be sure to check for moisture or leaks.