Why medical cleaning services are a critical need
Cleaning is a task that should not be neglected, it will always be an important element in people’s lives, especially when it comes to hospitals, where the level of demand is much higher to safeguard the lives of patients who live there daily. The personnel in charge of cleaning must be highly trained and know the protocols to efficiently perform the required tasks.
Having a disinfected and clean environment can drastically reduce the levels of potentially dangerous microorganisms by up to 99%.
It is estimated that the risks of direct transmission of an infection by surfaces are quite low, however, they can contribute to secondary cross-contamination, which is generated by the contact of the instruments with these contaminated surfaces or the contact of the hands of the professionals with them. For these reasons, disinfection of the instruments and of the hands of the professionals when performing any type of procedure is essential.
It has been proven that many of the viruses and bacteria generate a high resistance, so they can survive on the surfaces of health centers, either in beds or equipment. There are a number of factors that favor the contamination of hospital spaces and we will tell you about them below:
- The hands of workers in contact with surfaces.
- Lack of use of basic techniques by professionals.
- Maintenance of wet surfaces.
- Maintenance of dusty surfaces.
- Precarious conditions of coatings.
- Maintenance of organic matter.
Hospital hygiene
In the different spaces within the health centers, not all present the same level of risk when it comes to transmitting infections due to the absence of cleanliness, for this reason a classification is carried out:
Critical area
In these areas the risk of infection is high, in these spaces high-risk procedures are usually carried out or immunocompromised patients are housed.
Semi-critical area
Patients in this area have infectious diseases of low transmissibility and non-infectious diseases.
Non-critical area
Patients are not usually found in these sections and also no procedures are performed.
The cleaning services carried out in hospitals have a mission and this consists of maintaining order, preserving facilities and equipment, avoiding the propagation and dissemination of microorganisms. With these objectives in mind, cleaning procedures are classified in two, depending on the level of thoroughness.
Routine or concurrent
These are performed daily, with the objective of organizing, disinfecting, collecting waste and replenishing daily consumables.
Terminal
Carried out when a patient is discharged and requires a more exhaustive level of cleaning, the walls, ceiling, real estate and other elements of the space must be disinfected.
The aim of the cleaning days is to remove stains, dust and any possible residue. These procedures help to reduce the microbial load on all surfaces in healthcare facilities. High-quality cleaning products can emulsify and break down grease, as well as remove dirt and dissolve proteins. When performing a cleaning procedure, two products are indispensable: soap and detergent.
Soaps are household products for washing and cleaning. They are composed of fatty acids and alkaline salts. This is the result of a natural reaction of the saponification of an alkali and fats of animal or vegetable origin.
On the other hand, disinfectants are products intended for cleaning fabrics and surfaces. The surfactant produces a modification in the properties of water, this decreases the surface tension and causes an easier penetration in the surfaces.
As disinfecting products, the main one used is isopropyl alcohol as well as ethyl alcohol, which can be applied to surfaces or articles by friction. The best thing about these products is their immediate action and easy application, on the other hand, care must be taken because of how volatile and flammable they can be.
Equipment for maintaining hospital hygiene
When looking for an efficient cleaning protocol, it is necessary to have specialized equipment. The washing and extracting machines allow washing of areas with different sizes, thanks to the easy replacement of their brooms. With these machines, floors can be cleaned and scrubbed, solutions applied in a dispenser can be suctioned and do not disturb the passage of people. The machines that have automatic injection washers allow impregnating the floor with the necessary products to remove the dirt, thanks to its disk the space is completely disinfected. To suction the water, water vacuum cleaners are required. Liquid and dust vacuum cleaners have two completely different functions, which must always be taken into account. Before being used for liquids, the dust filter must first be removed and in the opposite case, it must be completely dried before using the dust filter.
As you can notice, carrying out the cleaning protocols are not an easy task to assume, so in our company Hollywood Building Services we are committed to provide you with the best service, we have the best tools to carry out our procedures efficiently and with a highly trained staff that knows the regulations to follow for each of the different spaces. With quality products that are not toxic to health, allowing us to dispose of the areas as soon as possible. If you want to hire a quality service that cares about the health and welfare of people, do not hesitate to contact us, we will offer plans fully tailored to your needs. Keep your health space safe.
