carpet cleaning a living room

DEEP CLEANING IN THE TIME OF COVID

Care Home Cleaning During The Pandemic

August 2020

THE CARE HOME

Enhanced cleaning has always been an important requirement in a care home, simply because of the vulnerability of its residents. During a pandemic, the need for a deep clean becomes even more essential - and together with social distancing measures will help to keep the residents safe.

Deep cleaning is designed to compliment the daily cleaning routine in a care home and will include thorough cleaning of all surfaces; this includes floors, soft furnishings and any reusable equipment. A deep clean may be focussed (a resident’s room) or it may cover the entirety of the communal area (the living room) or those areas used by staff only (the kitchen).

The deep clean can only be performed by staff trained in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and those with up-to-date knowledge of Public Health England (PHE) and national guidelines.

happy elderly couple sitting on a bench outside a care home

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Avoid Cross Contamination: Always work from the cleanest area towards the dirtiest, from top to bottom in an ‘S’ shaped pattern.

Always Wear PPE: apron, eye protection, fluid resistant mask and disposable gloves.

Use Colour Coded Cloths, Mops, Buckets and Aprons: to be disposed of after use in each room.

  • Red: Used for Bathrooms. Including showers, toilets, basins and floors.
  • Green: Used for Kitchens. Including Satellite Kitchens (a simple work area containing a fridge, kettle and other basic items that residents may use to make themselves tea/coffee or a snack) and food storage areas.
  • Yellow: Used for Bedrooms when the resident is in isolation – eg. Due to an infection.
  • Blue: Used for General Areas. Lounges, corridors, bedrooms and offices.

Detergents and Disinfectants:

  • Use a dual-purpose cleaning/disinfectant solution, diluted at 1000 parts per million available chlorine.
  • Or use detergent with warm water, changing regularly after each cleaning section is completed. Then follow with a chlorine-based disinfectant solution, again at 1000 parts per million (eg. 50ml Milton in 1 litre of water).
  • Chlorine may damage soft-furnishings and furniture. Treat with warm water and detergent only.

Standard Cleaning Machines:

  • The vacuum cleaner should be fitted with a HEPA filter – this helps to trap pollutants and may assist with allergy relief.
  • A steam cleaner or carpet shampoo machine is required for deep cleaning soft furnishings.

Handling Waste: Make sure that all waste is double-bagged and tied, then placed in the clinical waste stream. If there is no clinical waste stream – use domestic refuse bags, clearly labelled with the time/date and store in a secure unit for 72 hours - before discarding as household waste.

DEEP CLEANING OF A RESIDENT’S ROOM

Before Entering the Room:

  • Remove all necessary cleaning equipment and waste bags. The cleaning trolley should not enter the room.
  • Put on all PPE.

lonely resident in a care home

Deep Cleaning the Room:

  • Open the windows to prevent build up of fumes and to facilitate drying.
  • Remove all used tissues, food waste, old flowers etc. Place in the correct double-tied refuse bags.
  • Clean and disinfect all equipment eg. Walking frames, commodes and blood pressure monitors – then remove from the room while cleaning is taking place.
  • Remove all laundry: including bed linen/towels and place in red water soluble (alginate) bags. Put directly in the laundry hamper, to be transferred to the laundry room as soon as possible.
  • If possible, launder curtains and cushions. If not possible, then steam clean.
  • Remove lampshades and clean/disinfect. If they cannot be cleaned, they must be disposed of.
  • Clean and disinfect curtain rails, picture rails, ledges, light switches, door knobs, skirting boards, windows and furniture.
  • Clean and disinfect the bed frame, rails, bumpers and both sides of the mattress. Check for staining, inside and outside the mattress cover. If staining found, then the mattress and cover must be replaced.
  • Remove the radiator cover, clean/disinfect both the cover and the radiator.
  • Vacuum the carpet, then steam clean/carpet shampoo.
  • Clean and disinfect all surfaces in the en-suite. Working from the cleanest to the dirtiest area.
  • Restock the room with consumables.
  • Make the bed with fresh linen.
  • If curtains have been removed/laundered, then re-hang.
  • Remove PPE and dispose of in double bagged/tied waste bags.
  • Sign and date the cleaning document.

cleaner all suited up cleaning a door

If you think your care home would benefit from a comprehensive deep clean then please don't hesitate to contact us on 01926 614 781.

Here are some of the reasons why you should hire us to give your home a good clean:

  • Our company has years of experience in the domestic cleaning business
  • Utilising the latest cleaning equipment and products
  • Attention to detail with regards to our cleaning services
  • Professional and friendly staff
  • Trustworthy and dedicated team of cleaners
  • Cleaners who are experienced and well-trained
  • Offering a full service that is value for money
  • We have many happy customers who use our services time after time
  • Fully insured company

You can book our cleaning service today by giving us a call on 01926 614 781 or by filling in our contact form.

We offer additional services such as oven cleaning and carpet cleaning, so feel free to take a look at a full list of our services.