The Difference Between Medical Grade Cleaning vs Regular Commercial Cleaning
Safeguarding your medical building from germs and bacteria requires medical building cleaning services. Part of navigating COVID-19 requires proactive combat against viruses and other sickness-inducing microbes. As patients, doctors, nurses, and visitors inhabit your facility, keep their minds at ease by implementing professional medical cleaning services. Regular commercial cleaning may suffice for retail locations or office buildings, but medical buildings need specialized equipment and supplies for a proper and thorough clean.
Commercial cleaning eliminates dirt, grease, debris, and accumulated clutter, making a building more presentable. Medical grade cleaning, on the other hand, requires a janitorial team to disinfect surfaces that contain dangerous pathogens which cause viruses and serious illness. The methodologies and regulations in medical grade cleaning are stricter than in regular commercial cleaning.
Vital Best Practices for Medical Grade Cleaning
To reduce the spread of germs, medical cleaning services are levels above regular commercial cleaning. People go to the doctor’s office or clinics to get treated for illness, For that reason, it’s a requirement for cleaning companies to follow these best practices to minimize the likelihood of people getting sick within medical facilities:
Be Conscious of Contaminants
There is a high level of contaminants in medical settings. Being mindful of the degree of disinfectant and identifying which cleaner is most appropriate for the area is key to a proper clean. Cleaners must also bear in mind the CDC levels of disinfection: high-level, intermediate-level, and low-level. Since medical facility cleaning services require staff to disinfect areas contaminated with biofluids, high-level disinfection is required.
Prioritize Employee Health
Employee health is just as important as the patients’ or other building occupants’. Following the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) guidelines protect employees working in high-risk, contaminated environments. Since medical building cleaning service members also come in contact with hazardous and infectious materials, following OSHA regulations ensures employees maintain their good health, while keeping others from spreading germs and getting sick.
Prioritize Proper Use of Industry-Trusted Cleaning Equipment
Cleaning chemicals help sanitize the environment and remove germs and bacteria. But if certain chemicals are used improperly, or mixed, results can be deadly. Prioritizing thorough employee training is critical so no one is inadvertently put in harm’s way. That’s also why it’s important to ensure employees are trained regularly and are up-to-date on their industry certifications.
Prevent the Spread of Contaminants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) marks hospital-grade cleaners with their seal of approval, helping cleaning staff quickly identify what to use. Cleaning medical center surfaces can quickly lead to contamination, so the CDC recommends using EPA-labeled cleaners to prevent cross-contamination.
Create a Checklist for Touchpoints
Another important step is maintaining a checklist for high touch-point areas within the facility. Microbes and biological residue fester on many spots within a building, and they’re passed on from person to person if touchpoints are neglected during medical office cleaning. Using EPA-approved hospital-grade disinfectants, the following items must be sterilized without fail:
- Nurse call device and cord
- Top, front, and sides of bed, including the headboard, mattress, frame, footboards, and side rails
- Tabletops, inner drawers, sinks, handles, faucets, light switches, handles, and other areas within each room
- TV remote
This list isn’t comprehensive, but it covers the basics. In addition to these items, the following must be sterilized as well: walls, ceilings, bathrooms, and any reusable patient equipment. This ensures germs and microbes aren’t being passed around the building.
Necessary Cleaning Certifications
Staying in alignment with healthcare and hospital cleaning regulations requires a knowledgeable and considerate cleaning company to cover all bases. Proper disinfection, from the waiting room to the operating room, is vital to the health and safety of everyone who enters your facility. Enlist the expertise of professional cleaning companies who follow the best practices and procedures established by:
- Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA)
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- The Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC)
- The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
The Importance of Outsourcing Medical Office Cleaning Services
The team at Pro Squared prides itself on performing a cleaning job that creates a spotless and safe environment. We eliminate germs and bacteria from virtually every surface and keep your patients and employees at ease with clean and sanitized surroundings. We are a privately owned and operated establishment, and we implement ongoing staff education to keep them up-to-date on cleaning processes and the safest, most effective procedures. There’s also a guaranteed level of cost savings on PTO, worker’s comp, and HR when you outsource your cleaning services through us.
In addition to our attentive team, our professional services are completed using industry leading equipment and quality, germ-killing supplies. This means your facility will remain inspection-ready with our comprehensive cleaning packages. We understand all buildings vary in size and condition, so our staff performs cleaning jobs according to your location’s unique needs. Our cleaning packages are customizable and reliable. If you’re a medical professional seeking cleaning services in Atlanta for your healthcare facility, Pro Squared Janitorial Services has solutions that exceed your expectations.
