When you go to the doctor or the hospital, you not only expect the facility to be clean, you demand it. And not just cleaned for appearance, but also for health. If the office isn’t clean, patients might question the quality of the care they’ll receive there; and look for a different doctor. If it simply appears clean, germs from infected patients may spread to healthy ones, making them sick as well.
Not to mention, working in an unsanitary environment also puts the health of the staff at risk.
Because doctor’s offices are held to a higher standard of cleanliness than other businesses, how they are cleaned must meet higher standards, too. Cleaners need to be more thorough to kill germs and bacteria that can spread from patient to patient.
Before You Begin
Before you begin, put on gloves and a mask to protect yourself. Make sure you are using a hospital-grade disinfectant that’s approved by the EPA. Also, to prevent cross-contamination (moving germs and bacteria from one surface to the next), use disposable cleaning cloths or fold them as you go, so you are always using a clean part of the cloth.
Empty the Trash First
Start by emptying the trash cans as they can be breeding grounds for bacteria. They should be emptied frequently during the day and sterilized at night. Anyone who cleans a medical facility needs to be trained in the disposal of used syringes, or “sharps,” that have come into contact with blood.
Focus on High-Touch and High-Traffic Areas
Everyone who enters a doctor’s office will spend time in the waiting area and an exam room, so they will potentially have the highest levels of dirt and germs. Wipe down the doorknobs, light switches, chair armrests, countertops, and other high-touch areas.
The bathroom should also be disinfected thoroughly, as it’s another place where infectious diseases can spread. High-touch areas here include the toilet, the sink, the faucet handles, the paper towel dispenser, and the trash can. Make sure the cleaning solution is left on surfaces for the recommended length of time so it’s as effective as possible.
Don’t Forget the Air Ducts
By cleaning the air ducts regularly, you reduce the chance of germs and bacteria being circulated by the office’s heating and cooling systems.
How Doctor’s Office Cleaning Can Vary Based on Specialties
A doctor’s office that specializes in a certain type of patient may have different cleaning requirements.
For instance, in a pediatrician’s office, sick children often run their hands on the walls, so they will need to be disinfected. But since children are shorter, you’ll need to focus on the bottom half of the walls. Also, any toys in the waiting area need to be thoroughly cleaned daily.
In an oncologist’s office, cancer patients generally have weaker immune systems so it’s more important to make sure everything is disinfected with even more care.
Hospital Cleaning Procedures and Methods
Hospitals house people with compromised health, some of whom are infected with very contagious multi-drug resistant organisms. It is imperative that hospital cleaning procedures and methods are foolproof in order to maintain a sterile environment to prevent the spread of infectious diseases between patients and from patients to hospital employees.
How Enviro-Master Can Help Keep Your Medical Facility Clean
Doctor’s office cleaning will take longer and be more costly if it’s not done correctly. That’s why it’s important to entrust this job to professional cleaners who have been trained in the proper medical cleaning procedures.
Enviro-Master Services is experienced in cleaning a wide range of medical facilities, including hospitals, surgical centers, urgent care centers, doctors’ offices, and dental offices. Our trained technicians use our special electrostatic spraying service. The electrostatic sprayer adds a positive charge to a hospital-grade disinfectant, allowing it to better adhere to surfaces. It is then sprayed on all surfaces that need to be disinfected, including the hard-to-reach ones.
Contact Enviro-Master Today
Our cost-effective doctor’s office cleaning program provides consistent results for the medical facilities we service. The employees at those facilities can do their jobs knowing their surroundings are as clean as possible. And they don’t have to take time away from their main priority, caring for their patients, to worry about doing the cleaning themselves.
Every medical facility comes with a unique set of cleaning requirements, so we customize our job to each client’s need. To find out how Enviro-Master can help keep your medical facility as clean as possible, contact us today.
