Cleaning a business in the best of circumstances is challenging. When a home is professionally cleaned, there is a limited number of people who use the areas to be cleaned. Additionally, those who live in the home usually do a certain amount of cleaning, such as wiping counters, emptying wastebaskets, and cleaning sinks. However, when cleaning a business, there is usually a large number of people using the areas to be cleaned. And, these people have no reason to stop and clean if there is something out of place or needs wiping. A business doesn’t belong to them, so they have no sense of pride in keeping it clean. Most workers feel if they aren’t getting paid to do a job, then they aren’t doing it. Cleaning a medical office is even more difficult than a day-to-day business as not only are their many people using the facility, they are people who usually carry germs and certainly are not in a position to clean up, even after themselves. While it is true doctor’s assistants will tidy up an examination room and place medical instruments in a sanitizer, the majority of cleaning is left to the professional cleaning service hired to come in each evening and clean and sanitize. And, since COVID has come on the scene, the level of sanitation has considerably increased.
Looking first at the basic cleaning performed each night, the obvious tasks such as vacuuming, emptying trash, straightening the waiting room, and picking up debris left in the break room come first. Once these tasks are completed the thorough cleaning and sanitizing takes place. All surface areas, be they in the reception area, the bathrooms, or the examining rooms, must be sanitized using approved sanitizing sprays and clean cloths. Corners must be done as well as germs love to gather there. Cupboard fronts need to be wiped down. Examining tables must be wiped with a sanitizing solution around and behind. Any objects such as tissue boxes, instrument holders, or magazines must be removed, and the surfaces they are on cleaned and sanitized.
Bathrooms in a medical office must be given special care. In particular, the toilet and the area around the toilet must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Inside the toilet bowl and around and under the toilet seat are especially prone to germs, as is the floor at the base of a toilet. Urinals in men’s bathrooms need plenty of attention daily, as do the floor areas around the urinal. Sinks and all supporting objects such as soap dispensers and towel dispensers must be wiped with sanitizing cloths. And, last but not least, the door handles of each stall and toilet paper dispensers and waste containers need a thorough wipe down.
And speaking of wiping down door handles, cleaning them is important in all areas of a medical office, as well as wiping down light switches and areas of doors where they are pushed to open or close. If the medical office has children as part of its practice, all books and toys provided for entertainment must be wiped carefully. Sometimes there is a toybox, and this should be emptied and contents wiped clean. Spray the toybox with a disinfectant spray before returning toys.
Once all surface cleaning and disinfecting are done, it is time to do the floors. Rugs will already have been vacuumed. Due to COVOD, rugs are often sprayed with a disinfectant. All washable floors need to be carefully cleaned and sanitized using cleaners designed for the materials the floor is made of. Floors should be done last, on the way out, to allow plenty of time for trying. As a room is finished, spray it with a disinfectant to eliminate any germs still floating around.
It can easily be seen that for someone to be qualified to clean medical offices, they will need specialized training. When looking for a professional cleaning company such as Cassie’s Meticulous Touch in Ocala, Florida, you want to be sure to ask what type of training does the company’s cleaning team has? Cassie’s cleaning teams are thoroughly trained, and you will be impressed when you ask for details.
