Healthcare facilities and its cleaning requirements

 
Healthcare facilities operating in Melbourne are expected to meet strict criteria when it comes to cleaningrequirements. The criteria are usually set by Victoria’s Department of Health and are aimed at ensuring that all healthcare service providers follow the latest and best practices in hygiene and cleanliness. In brief, the guideline addresses two areas – the elements which have to be cleaned thoroughly, and the areasin an establishment that need the highest priority cleaning. The rules apply to all healthcare facilities, be it a childcare health center, hospital for senior citizens, or any other facility. 
Elements To Be Cleaned 
An ‘element’ simply refers to any surface that is to be cleaned. There are four elements detailed in Victoria’s healthcare cleaning guidelines – buildings, fixtures, equipment, and environment. 
Building
Landings, entrances, balconies, etc. are required to be free from dust, cobwebs, rubbish, and bird excreta. Windows should also be free from dust and spot marks, whether it be the surface of the glass or the frames that hold it. Both the internal and external doors must be free from marks, dust, cobwebs. Air vents should be unblocked and free from dirt, soil, and dust particles. The floor should be free from polish and spots. Carpets should be vacuumed to remove accumulated dust. Plus, proper signage has to be placed on floors which are being cleaned and which are wet from cleaning. If you run a children healthcare center, then these instructions have to be followed. So, make sure you hire a reputed service that offers child care cleaning in Melbourne which meets these cleaning criteria. Any of these child care cleaning services that fails to clean the building as per the guidelines are best to be avoided. 
Fixture
All electrical fixtures should be free from grease, dust, and dirt. Range hoods, whether exterior or interior, should also be thoroughly cleaned. Special attention must be given to ensure that the drinking fountains do not have any mineral build-up and are free from stains. Plus, any insect killing devices installed in the premises should be clear of any dead insects and bugs. The curtains and drapes should also be regularly cleaned from all accumulated dirt and dust. Objects like shelves, cupboards, bench tops, wardrobes etc. also need a thorough cleaning. The plastic and porcelain surfaces in the toilets and bathrooms should not contain any body fats, smudges, or soap build-ups. In the same way, the shower curtains must also be free from such things. Plus, there must be no unpleasant odor emanating from the bathroom fixtures. Things like fire extinguishers and alarms must be free from cobwebs and dirt. 
Equipment 
Every healthcare establishment should give extra attention to ensuring that all equipment used is also fully clean and hygienic. This is especially important in healthcare centers dedicated to senior citizens since they are more likely to be affected by diseases. Any aged care cleaning services hired by your healthcare center should ensure that all patient equipment is devoid of any body fluids or grease. The equipment must also not smell foul. The service offering aged care cleaning in Melbourne should also check the battery operated appliances and make sure that they are stored in a place that is not dirty. The chemicals used for cleaning must also comply with the established rules of storage and dilution. 
Environment 
The general environment of the place must give a sense of cleanliness and hygiene. The floors must be de-cluttered of unnecessary items. Only objects that need to be on the floor should be present. All fire exit doors should be unhindered and clean. The entire place must have a nice odor. Anyone entering the location should smell fresh air instead of any foulness. In addition, all deodorizers in the rooms should be cleaned. 
Cleaning Area Priorities 
The guideline classifies the healthcare facilities into four categories, from A to D. Category A is ranked at the top and requires the most thorough cleaning while Category D is ranked at the bottom and requires the least cleaning among the four groups. 
Category A
Critical areas that come under this category include the intensive care unit, level 2 and 3 nurseries, operating theatres, central sterilizing department, and any special need areas. Since the patients who will be at these locations will be highly susceptible to infections, absolute care must be taken by the medical centre cleaning services to clean each and every important element in this area as thoroughly as possible. Other places that are connected to these areas like storerooms, corridors, staff lounges etc. also have to be cleaned with the same level of importance. But if these locations are not connected in any way to the above-mentioned critical areas, then a detailed cleaning might not be required. 
Category B  
Places like the pharmacy and sterile stock storage are of high priority within this category. Similarly, level 1 nursery, delivery and birthing suites, oncology units are also of importance. When you hire a service that provides medical centre cleaning in Melbourne to handle the cleaning requirements of the healthcare facility, they must have a fixed cleaning schedule to keep these areas clean. In addition, they should also be able to do spot cleaning of these places as and when required. And just as with Category A region, any rooms or corridors which are connected to the critical areas of category B rooms should also be cleaned fully. 
Category C
This is considered a moderate risk category. Though thorough cleaning is required, the intensity of cleaning mandated is less than the previous two categories. Areas covered under this category include day activity area, general pharmacy, laboratories, mortuary, public areas, cafeteria, rehabilitation area, outpatient clinic, and so on. Important medical spots like the pathology department and medical imaging center are also included in this category. 
Category D
The final category comprises of administrative areas, record storage, plant rooms, external surrounds, engineering workshops, and so on. Minimal cleaning is required in these regions. However, this does not mean that one leaves these places only barely cleaned. When a visitor or patient walks into these areas, they should feel confident in the hygiene maintained by the healthcare facility.