The waiting room can be a hotbed of disease-causing pathogens. Every surface that gets touched by a sick patient becomes a vessel for contamination and the spread of diseases. With people constantly coming in and out, how do you ensure that your waiting room stays as clean as possible?
Tips for a Clean Waiting Room
While waiting rooms may not require the same rigid disinfection procedures as an operating room or an ICU ward, waiting rooms should still be treated like the medical rooms that they are.
These rooms require a high level of hygiene as they accommodate both those who are most likely to transmit harmful pathogens and those who are most susceptible to them.
Here are some easy and helpful tips to keep your waiting room clean:
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Keep the waiting room organized.
Clutter is a friend to bacteria. When every item is in its proper place, it makes it easier to clean and disinfect. As an added bonus, an organized waiting rooms is also more inviting to patients.
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Keep garbage bins nearby.
Garbage bins, properly labeled and accessible to your patients, are your best defense against clutter. The clear sight of a garbage bin is enough of a psychological reminder to encourage your patients not to litter.
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Do not use items that are difficult to clean and disinfect.
Equip your waiting rooms with items that are easy to disinfect. For instance, plush stuffed toys, throw pillows and fur carpets are difficult to disinfect and are a favorite spot for mites that can cause allergies. Instead, go for items that are easy to disinfect – plastics, leatherette, microfiber, etc.
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Choose your cleaning solutions with care.
Disinfectant is the best ammunition to combat germs. However, because you are dealing with patients that are more sensitive to certain chemicals than the general population, you may have to pick your cleaning chemicals more carefully.
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Have multiple cleaning schedules throughout the day.
People come in and out of your waiting room throughout the day, and a single cleaning schedule at the end of the shift would not be enough to be on top of your space’s hygiene needs. Ideally, you have to clean your space before and after shifts, plus one quick decluttering and mop-up in between. Deep-cleaning your space once per week would also keep you on top of things.
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Equip your waiting room with the right cleaning tools and accessories.
Like any medical facility, your waiting room’s cleanliness needs cannot simply or completely be addressed with the use of generic tools. You’ll need tools that are designed for more intense cleaning and for combatting tougher germs. This is why microfiber mops and towels, with their effective bacteria capturing qualities, are your best choices for keeping your waiting room clean.
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Encourage hand hygiene.
Hands are some of the biggest culprits in the spread of infectious diseases. Implement a system that promotes hand hygiene. This includes providing hand sanitizers in key areas of your space, especially areas where different hands frequent (door knobs, remote controls, coffee tables, etc.). It would also be helpful to provide free face masks and disinfectant wipes to further prevent the spread of germs.
Unitex has the High-Quality Microfiber Products to Keep Your Waiting Room Clean
Interested in more tips and tools in keeping your waiting rooms clean? Contact Unitex today at 914-840-3200 to learn more! We offer a variety of high-quality environmental service products including floor mats, wet and dust mops, and microfiber mops.