The guidelines relates to cleaning the physical environment in healthcare, necessary to prevent and control infections.
- understand the principles of cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces.
- infection transmission risk assessment to guide level of cleaning
- cleaning practices for different types of care areas, including specialised cleaning for antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms
- frequency of cleaning
- cleaning strategies for spills of blood and body substances
- cleaning practices for non-critical equipment and furnishings
- handling of laundry and bedding
It is highly recommended that infection prevention and control, occupational health and safety, and environmental services work together using the correct disinfectants, equipments and assurance of safety.
Routine cleaning is necessary to maintain a high standard of cleanliness.
Selecting the correct disinfectant will assure its effectiveness of getting rid of specific micro-organism, bacteria, viruses, etc.