Learning how to properly clean your long-term care facilities is beneficial for the staff, the residents, visitors, and potential residents. Here is a list to help you maximize your cleaning efforts.
Make a Plan
- Make a checklist for the staff.
- Always work from clean to dirty areas of the facility.
Before you can begin cleaning, having a proper plan is crucial. A cleaning checklist is helpful for the staff so the right areas are cleaned and disinfected as frequently as they need to be. If you have a useful and resourceful list, the staff will follow. It is also crucial to work from the cleaner to the dirtier areas because vice versa spreads germs and bacteria from the dirty areas to the clean. For instance, your staff should clean living quarters prior to cleaning restrooms and kitchens.
Understanding the Smell
- 9/10 people would not choose a long-term care facility if it had a foul smell.
- Most people believe a bad smell means uncleanliness.
According to a recent study, 360 out of 400 people surveyed answered that smell played a large determining factor on their long-term care decision. Odors originate from countertops, hard surfaces, floors, carpet, upholstered furniture, clothing, trashcans, and drains. Learning how to properly clean and disinfect these areas can massively help in reducing the smell. Air fresheners and deodorizers help mask odors, but in the end, a good cleaning is required to eliminate the smell.
Reading the Labels
- Learn how the product is going to be most effective.
Cleaning products come with directions for a reason. Simply spraying and wiping is not going to disinfect; it’s a waste of both time and money. The product may need to sit on the surface for an amount of time or require an onerous scrubbing. The bottle will have instructions to guide you – use them.
Preventing Infection
- Learn the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
- According to the CDC, ⅔ of norovirus outbreaks occur in long-term care facilities.
- Use the right product for the right areas.
Cleaning and disinfecting are both vital steps that work hand in hand when preventing infection. Cleaning removes soil and bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Influenza from surfaces. Cleaning staff should then use a disinfectant to kill remaining germs. Cleaning and disinfecting work together to kill bacteria and germs and remove soil from surfaces. Learning which product works for which task is crucial for preventing infections. Facility+ by Midlab [link] is multi-purpose and will accomplish both goals.
Facility+ is a powerful, hydrogen peroxide-based cleaning solution. It is EPA approved and designed to clean and disinfect. Gone are the days of buying a dozen different cleaning products for your long-term care facility – Facility+ is the ONE solution you need to clean and disinfect many surfaces.
