Now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that your care home or healthcare facility has an effective health and hygiene standard is crucial. Indeed, it is one of the key ways that you can provide a good service and maximise safety for both elderly residents and staff alike. Even beyond this, organising your care home’s cleaning structure can have additional benefits such as cost savings and mood improvement.
Before using any cleaning products it is essential you consult your own business guidelines and product instructions before use.
Here’s Renray Healthcare's handy Care Home Cleaning Guide in a Post-Covid Healthcare World.
The Basics
Before you focus on coronavirus or disease prevention with deep cleaning techniques, it’s important to look at basic hygiene practices. These measures are what you would call general housekeeping and, therefore, it’s essential that your care home facility is doing ALL of the following:
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Clearing disregarded rubbish, as well as emptying and changing bins and recycling
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Vacuuming, brushing, or mopping services
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Sanitising flat surfaces (especially shared surfaces and frequently touched items)
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Polish surface and wipe glass
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Spot clean necessary surfaces such as cooking areas
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Clean toilets and disinfect urinals
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Refill soap dispensaries and restock toilet roll
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Use air fresheners wherever and whenever needed
Care Home Cleaning in the long-term
An easy way to keep your hygiene practices consistent, high-quality, and well-organised is to remember when long-term cleaning activities are required. Items that your healthcare facility should guarantee it’s doing weekly include:
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Cleaning outside glass surfaces, as well as indoor windows and entryways
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Disinfect refrigerators, microwaves and ovens
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Sanitise consoles and phones, as well as bin lids and their insides
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Polish hard floor surfaces
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Repair any splinters, chips or other issues with cupboards, cabinets, or entryways
In addition to this, monthly care home cleaning practices should include:
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Sanitising hard-to-reach spots and rarely-used items
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Vacuuming, dusting or polishing furniture and blinds, and wash curtains
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Dusting and wiping window frames
Upholstery Cleaning
Upholstery cleaning needs particular care and attention. Regular maintenance and care of your care home furniture upholstery is essential to maintain the longevity, appearance and overall cleanliness of the product.
it is important to not use any overly abrasive or staining cleaners unless tested for suitability. Normally most stains can be removed with tepid water and a microfibre cloth if attended to promptly (within around 15 minutes).
For a more detailed upholstery cleaning guide check out this video by Panaz.
Essential Equipment
These are just some of the necessary items for care home and healthcare facilities that are vital to safe cleaning practices. Always consult your own business guidelines and product instructions before use. To maintain hygiene standards, you should be well-stocked with:
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Room-by-room surface sanitisers (kitchen, spray, bathroom spray etc).
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Hand soap and alcohol gel
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Floor cleaner
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Concentrated detergent
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Oven cleaner
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Heavy-duty cleaner
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Dishwasher detergent and rinse aid
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Furniture polish
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Disinfectant wipes
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Toilet cleaner
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Air freshener
Covid-19 & Deep Cleaning
Not only has COVID-19 reminded much of the public about the importance of effective cleaning, but it has also caused us all to raise our hygiene and safety standards. Additional practices that you should incorporate due to COVID-19 are:
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Frequent Handwashing and increased sanitiser stations
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Mask-wearing when necessary
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Fitting screen protectors if required
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Reducing high-contact surfaces, or disinfecting them more regularly than usual
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Increased bathroom cleaning
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PPE for cleaning staff
Lastly, you can find full government information on Deep Cleaning Guidance for Care Homes Here.
How the right furniture can help
Even with the most rigorous cleaning practices, your healthcare facility can benefit from the right Care Home Furniture. Not only does Renray supply high-quality, bespoke furniture that’s easy to clean, we can also provide Antimicrobial Seating. Antimicrobial surfaces may be essential for maintaining hygiene in the world living with Covid-19, and it can provide several benefits for the Healthcare Sector.
You can find more information from Our Brochures Here, or feel free to Contact Us for any help or advice.
