Dirtiest Places in a Hospital
Hospital cleanliness is a necessity. There are obvious hot spots for germs and bacteria in each one: Medical waste bins, trash cans, and floors. But there are other areas that may not be obvious to the untrained eye. Neglecting these areas can negatively impact a patient’s perception of your facility, but it can also be downright unsafe. The last thing you want is a worker or patient catching or spreading a virus that could have otherwise been prevented. Here are some of the areas to be aware of:
Elevator Buttons:
Countless people use them every day, and with each button press comes a chance to spread or transport germs and bacteria. While your employees may be diligent about washing their own hands, your patients may not be. People you treat are already more likely to be ill, and an elevator is just one more area that could become petri dish for germs. A 2014 study by Open Medicine found bacteria on 61-percent of elevator buttons.
Patient Room Curtains:
These curtains give patients their much-needed privacy, but that sense of security comes at a cost. The dividers are in a prime location to be germ and bacteria catchers. In a hospital, these can be touched nearly as much as elevator buttons. Researchers say sometimes they’re not cleaned or changed as often as they should be. In an American Journal for Infection Control study, researchers found more than 87% of clean curtains became infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) after just 14 days of use.
Bedrails:
Cleaning a patient’s bed linens should be common sense, but what about the bedrails? The safety devices are constantly touched and grabbed by patients and staff alike. Yale researchers say this is one area in particular that is more likely to contain a patient’s bacteria, even after they leave, and therefor transfer to another patient.
Computer Keyboards and Tablets:
In this day and age, many people are aware of the bacteria that is on your smartphone. For the very same reason the same number of germs can be found on computer keyboards and tablet. When it comes to portable devices like tablets, as the word implies, they’re constantly in circulation and moving from location to location and from person to person. It doesn’t take long for germs to spread when they’re hitching rides on a tablet train.
Solutions
There’s always more that can be done to keep your facility cleaner and safer for patients and staff. It may seem daunting, but Health Point Cleaning Solutions is here to help. We specialize in medical office cleaning, healthcare facility cleaning and medical terminal cleaning. We adhere to the highest standards and regulations to keep your medical facility healthy, safe and clean for your patients and staff.
Contact us today so we can get to work and you can get peace of mind.