Tips on Tackling the Special Cleaning Needs of Long-Term Care Facilities
Hamilton, OH - Cleaning senior and long-term care (LTC) facilities can be more involved and require more detailed attention than cleaning other types of locations. The concept of “cleaning for health” takes on a far more important meaning in these settings.
Kaivac, developer of the No-Touch® and OmniFlex™ Crossover Cleaning Systems, offers the following hygienic cleaning suggestions for cleaning professionals responsible for LTC facilities:
• Designate which surfaces need to be cleaned with a germicidal disinfectant (areas at high risk for contamination), a sanitizer (moderate risk), or an all-purpose cleaner (low-risk zones such as offices).
• Staff should avoid eating in clinical areas or nurse stations; food waste provides nourishment for microorganisms and can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
• Phones should be cleaned with a sanitizer several times per day
• Restrooms should be cleaned using sanitizers or disinfectants when there is an elevated health concern.
• Food service areas also need to be cleaned with sanitizers, and a disinfectant should be used when health concerns are elevated.
Along with traditional high-touch areas (such as light switches and doorknobs), a big concern in LTC facilities is fomites. Fomites are touchable areas in LTC facilities that can spread disease, including:
• Railings
• Bedside tables
• Remote controls
• Carts
• Push buttons
• Trash receptacles
• Seating, tables, and any objects visitors may contact
• Walls
• Privacy and window curtains
In addition, workers should never reuse rags or mops, says Matt Morrison, Communications Manager for Kaivac. Instead, they should be changed after cleaning each room. Cleaning workers should also wear gloves at all times.
“Of special concern is floor cleaning,” says Morrison. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] reports floors in health care - type settings can become contaminated due to settling airborne bacteria, contact with shoes and wheels, and especially from soiled mops and buckets. Alternative floor cleaning methods that do not use mops and buckets should be selected.”
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About Kaivac, Inc.
Headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, Kaivac, Inc. delivers complete science-based cleaning systems designed to produce healthy results and outcomes while raising the value of cleaning operations and the professionalism of the worker. The originator of No-Touch Cleaning®, and the OmniFlex™ Crossover Cleaning System, Kaivac offers an integrated portfolio of environmentally friendly cleaning products designed to remove the maximum amount of soil and potentially harmful biopollutants in the most cost-effective manner possible. For more information, visit www.kaivac.com.
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Company contact information:
Tom Morrison, vice president of marketing
Kaivac, Inc.
401 South Third Street
Hamilton, OH 45011
Phone: 513-868-4227
Email: info@kaivac.com
Contact: Robert Kravitz
Phone: 773-525-3021
E-mail: rkravitz@rcn.com Â
