WASHROOM & BATHROOMS


WASHROOM HYGIENE MADE SIMPLE


Rebecca Waters, Category Manager at Initial Medical, discusses what you can do to help support a better standard of hygiene and infection control in your residence.


Washrooms, including resident bathrooms and those set aside for visitors and staff tend to be areas of


high footfall. As such, these spaces are oſten


where illnesses can spread, so it’s paramount that you help ensure they remain pathogen-free and well equipped to suit every eventuality.


HAND HYGIENE


Investing in hand hygiene products and promoting an exceptional standard of handwashing is an effective, affordable way to help prevent the spread of illness. In fact, it’s thought that if everyone washed their hands correctly, up to one million deaths each year could be prevented and respiratory illnesses such as the common cold would affect 16-21% fewer people.


Effective soap solutions are vital. Care homes should offer soap that is not only effective against a wide array of pathogens, but that is also kind to skin. Hand hygiene can be supplemented further with hand sanitising stations in communal areas – though it is worth mentioning that some viruses, such as norovirus, cannot be killed by alcohol gels, so hand washing with soap and water remains a necessity.


You can also implement specially designed towel dispensers for added peace of mind. Hand hygiene solutions that have touch- free operation are especially recommended, as they help to prevent cross contamination.


SUPERIOR SURFACE DISINFECTION


Not all cleaning products are equally effective, so it’s important to consider the ones you currently use and see if there are improvements to be made. Ideally, products should be able to destroy at least 99.9999% of pathogens and be versatile enough to use across a range of surfaces and spaces without damaging them.


You can also look for innovative solutions that provide extra perks, such as products that continue to protect surfaces for hours aſter treatment – thus preventing pathogens from recolonising between cleans.


AIR DISINFECTION


Due to the unique architecture of care homes, ventilation isn’t always possible, especially in the cooler months where windows are more likely to be kept shut. As such, washrooms and other communal areas can massively benefit from the introduction of an air disinfection or purification device.


The coronavirus pandemic has really thrust the importance of these systems into the limelight, especially as they are highly


- 28 -


effective against viruses and bacteria that can be spread through the air (such as influenza, coronavirus and the common cold). When selecting a device for your setting it’s important to weigh up a few key aspects – additional cost, any potential by-products and the efficiency and method by which it destroys pathogens. For example, what seems like a cheap air purifier may soon become expensive if it needs regular filter changes or requires a lot of power to operate.


SANITARY BINS AND OTHER ESSENTIALS


Whether it’s discreetly disposing of menstrual items or ensuring that products such as incontinence pads are properly disposed of, washrooms should be equipped with additional facilities to help preserve the dignity of users.


Sanitary bins should be placed in appropriate cubicles, especially those with modesty flaps that can be pedal-operated to ensure that any potentially offensive items remain out of sight and properly contained. You may also consider introducing male incontinence product bins into washrooms so that anyone with these issues has a hygienic, convenient solution.


SUPPORTING BETTER HYGIENE


Ultimately, supporting better hygiene in your care home washrooms is easy with the right products and cleaning solutions. Initial Medical supplies a range of surface and hand cleaning products, washroom solutions and air purification devices to ensure that your residence washrooms remain a safe space for all.


www.initial.co.uk/medical www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44