People choose to go to urgent care because they either don’t have a primary care physician or they can’t get them in soon enough. This creates an environment where a lot of sick people need to be seen in one place at a fast pace. This can become a breeding ground for multiple germs so it’s important to clean the facility often to prevent the spread of sicknesses to patients and staff.
To start, it’s important to do an honest evaluation of your urgent care. Take a hard look at the last time you did a deep clean, the last time you hired professional cleaners, and what the daily cleaning routine consists of. It’s critically important to keep an urgent care center clean to prevent the spread of illness. It is usually a tight space loaded with sick people.
Rather than going day to day cleaning the bare minimum, it’s time to consider implementing best practices so you can keep your urgent care clean every day.
Focus on High-Traffic Areas
Every building has areas that have more traffic than others. These areas are considered high-traffic areas because multiple people go through and touch things in this area more often than others. Giving these areas more attention when cleaning will help minimize the spread of germs to everyone who walks through them. Make it a task to disinfect these areas throughout the day and if there’s ever a mess, always clean it up right away. Countertops, door handles, computers and keyboards are all high-touch targets to pay attention to.
Reduce the Possibility of Airborne Threats
Most people who enter urgent care facilities are sick, so it’s important to reduce the chance of spreading infections to others, especially if they’re airborne. Some ways to reduce airborne threats are to offer facemasks to every person that walks through the door, change the HEPA filter regularly, and dispose of waste properly.
Learn How to Prioritize
There’s usually a high volume of people coming into urgent care each day, especially during the winter months. Making sure you prioritize times in the day for certain staff members to clean will help you minimize the risk of infection throughout the center. Prioritizing certain rooms is important as well. Making sure you clean a high-traffic area like the bathroom frequently is key to reducing germs in the facility
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Using microfiber materials is best when cleaning areas that may have been exposed to bacteria and pathogens. Microfiber is likely to catch more bacteria and pathogens than other towel-type materials. It’s important to always clean the materials after using them once, this will help you avoid spreading the germs to other surfaces. Another way to avoid cross-contamination is eliminating reading materials and children’s games in the waiting rooms. Some people will use these as a distraction while waiting to be called back but they often get cleaned at the end of the day – not after each use. With many people using their smartphones, it’s unlikely your facility will receive backlash from taking these items away.
Using Proper Handwashing Strategies
Many people overlook handwashing as a cleaning strategy, but this is the starting point to avoiding the spread of germs. Urgent care facilities should try and avoid replacing handwashing with hand sanitizer and instead encourage their patients along with the staff to wash their hands and use sanitizer. While this takes more time, it’s more effective when trying to stop the spread of bacteria from patient to patient.
Hire a Professional Cleaning Company
To ensure your facility is cleaned and disinfected regularly, it’s important to hire a professional cleaning company. CleanCraft has a team of medical-grade cleaners that will ensure your facility is safe for patients and staff. Outsourcing a professional cleaning company can save your company money in the long run.
CleanCraft works with medical facilities throughout New York State to ensure their facilities are clean and safe for all. Schedule a cleaning service with us today! Give us a call at (585) 351-2627.
