Infection prevention
Cleaning best practice to minimise infection
An effective cleaning routine is essential to keep staff and care home residents safe and healthy. Here, Mike Hardman from care home support service outfit Alliance Online outlines cleaning best practice to help minimise the spread of viruses and infections
In care homes, a regular cleaning routine is vital, not only to keep everything looking nice and tidy but also to keep residents and staff safe. While Covid-19 has taught us all the importance of following strict cleaning guidelines in care homes, these cleaning practices should continue to be adhered to once the pandemic is over. Everyday viruses such as colds and
the flu have the potential to be quite dangerous in the care home setting, so it is important that you keep up a regular cleaning routine to help stop them spreading among residents and staff. Without a regular cleaning routine, dirt
and bacteria can quickly build up, which can lead to the spread of infections. If anyone in your care home becomes ill, they can spread the virus through droplets in sneezes and coughs, as well as coughing and sneezing into their hands and touching surfaces. These germs and bacteria can then live
on surfaces for a long time, which means they can easily spread to other residents
and members of staff if they come into contact with them and then touch their mouth, nose, or eyes. Cleaning surfaces daily can help
prevent the growth of bacteria and can kill germs. This means care home owners and staff need to maintain high standards of cleanliness to help minimise the spread of contagious illnesses and infections.
What is the guidance? The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state all surfaces within a workplace, including furniture, fittings, floors, walls, and ceilings, should be kept sufficiently clean. It is important that cleaning is only
conducted by those with the relevant training in the use of equipment, products and PPE. Cleaners must also be familiar with the current government guidance, including the latest government Covid-19 advice on cleaning environments outside of the home. Before starting cleaning, all care home
managers and cleaning staff should read The Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the national specifications for cleanliness to ensure that all cleaning measures comply with the national guidance.
Create a cleaning schedule Conducting a deep clean every day is not practicable, so you will need to put a schedule in place to ensure that you are giving each area the right amount of attention. Some areas that get used often will
need cleaning regularly, while other areas that tend not to be used every day will only need to be cleaned occasionally. This will ensure that you are using staff and resources effectively. To make sure nothing is missed, it might be best to create a checklist. This also ensures any new staff are made immediately aware of each process.
Daily cleaning l All rubbish bins should be emptied. l All bathroom areas should be cleaned — including hand dryers and counter tops — and soap dispensers should be refilled. l All clinical areas, corridors, and reception areas should be cleaned.
l All kitchen and food preparation areas should be cleaned.
l All touch points and other surfaces that are regularly touched should be disinfected. This includes, but is not limited to: l Light switches l TV remotes l Phones l Handrails l Overbed tables l Door frames and handles l Windowsills l Chairs
October 2021 •
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