Surface disinfection plays a key role in medical office cleaning services. That’s because, according to the WHO, indirect contact is the most frequent cause of pathogen transmission within healthcare facilities. One person touches a surface, leaving pathogenic microorganisms behind. Later, another person touches that surface, acquiring the pathogen.
Even the strongest the infection control protocols won’t shield your facility from indirect contact transmission of pathogens. That makes surface disinfection your best line of defense against this type of pathogen transmission.
Keys to Effective Surface Disinfection
At JAN-PRO®, surface disinfection is a core focus of our medical office cleaning services. Those services are delivered using our MedMetrix® process, which has been designed specifically for medical spaces.
This process ensures exceptional surface disinfection by focusing on the five points below. If you operate a healthcare facility, similar guidelines should play a central role in your approach to surface disinfection and medical office cleaning.
- Regulatory Compliance. Your medical office cleaning plan should be in line with all CDC, AORN, Joint Commission, and OSHA standards. Cleaners need to be familiar with these standards. If you have cleaners on-staff, make sure regulatory compliance is part of their training. If you’re hiring cleaners, make sure they demonstrate deep knowledge of all applicable regulations.
- Training for Medical Cleaners. Extensive training is a must for high-quality medical office cleaning. That’s why JAN-PRO Signature Clean® certification includes rigorous training in the best materials, equipment, systems, and strategies for disinfecting medical spaces. It also includes specific protocols for different areas and pieces of equipment in your facility, plus training in blood-borne pathogen control and exposure control. Make sure your cleaners have received similar training before they clean your facility.
- Medical-Grade Disinfectants. Truly medical-grade disinfectants need to meet exacting standards for sterilization. Effective disinfection agents will sterilize on contact, eliminate upwards of 99.99% of microorganisms, and be effective against even the most resilient pathogens in your facility, such as MRSA and C-difficile.
- Disinfection Materials & Equipment. Effective surface sterilization relies not only on the disinfectant used but also on the materials and equipment used in medical office cleaning and disinfection. Microfiber materials will trap far higher rates of bacteria, and color-coded materials will reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Disinfection systems, like EnviroShield® from JAN-PRO, that use an electrostatic charge to wrap disinfectant around treated surfaces, will ensure that disinfectants reach even the toughest-to-clean areas.
- Measured Cleaning Practices. Studies have found that checklist-based cleaning systems lead to more thorough and more effective disinfection practices. These systems can be further bolstered by regular inspections of cleaners’ results. Inspections hold cleaners accountable and ensure corrective action is taken if shortcomings are ever identified.
Looking to improve surface disinfection in your medical facility? Call 866-355-1064 today to request a FREE medical office cleaning consultation from your local JAN-PRO®.