mj@5150design.net | Complete Care Maintenance

20 Sep 2022

Business Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

LESS OBVIOUS CLEANING TASKS THAT MITIGATE GERMS

There are obvious benefits of having your business professionally cleaned. The overall aesthetic, employee satisfaction, and productivity to name a few. However, one of the most important benefits of professional cleaning is the mitigation of germs. Commercial cleaning crews recognize that in this day and age, the removal of germs and pathogens is one of their primary tasks.

These individuals know that germs are hiding everywhere. It is not just high-touch surfaces and restrooms that need to be cleaned and disinfected. Your entire facility is harboring germs and illness-causing pathogens.

This is why professional cleaners take all cleaning tasks seriously. They realize that every cleaning task contributes to the mitigation of germs and pathogens and creates a healthier environment for their client.

Here are some seemingly mundane cleaning tasks that commercial cleaning crews perform in an effort to remove and reduce germs and pathogens within your facility:

DUSTING

Dusting may not seem an important aspect of germ mitigation, but it is. Dust contains bacteria and germs and removing it from hard surfaces is an important step in the cleaning and disinfecting process. Professional cleaning crews practice a top-down approach to dusting – starting with high surfaces and working their way toward the floor. This ensures that they are not causing dust to accumulate on already dusted surfaces.

SURFACE CLEANING

This may seem obvious as a germ mitigation practice. Surface cleaning is also an important step in the disinfecting process. Professional cleaners recognize that this is only the second step in the disinfecting process and they are focused on doing it the right way.

Professionals always wipe in one direction to avoid redistribution of dirt and germs. They use different wipes for different areas of your facility to avoid cross-contamination and they apply CDC and OSHA-compliant disinfectants and procedures after cleaning a surface.

VACUUMING

Most people do not think about the germs and bacteria that are hiding in their carpets. The fact of the matter is that your carpets are home to a plethora of nasty organisms. In fact, microbiology research published in 2001 found an average indoor carpet to be about 4,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat, with about 200,000 bacteria per square inch.

Regular vacuuming with a commercial grade vacuum along with regular deep cleaning can help keep these nasties in check and help keep your facility germ-free.

TRASH REMOVAL

If the number of bacteria in your carpets surprises you, you will be shocked to learn how many germs are living in your trash receptacles.

Consider for a moment the types of things that end up in the trash. Leftover foods, drinks, used tissues, chewing gum – the list goes on and on. All of these things are a virtual playground for illness-causing bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E-Coli.

Professional cleaning crews will not only remove the trash but clean and disinfect the receptacle to inhibit the growth of bacteria. They will also line the can with a trash bag to help keep it clean between cleanings.

While you can perform these tasks in-house, you can not be sure that they are being done to professional standards. Hiring a professional, commercial cleaning service ensures that these areas and others are cleaned and disinfected properly.

If you would like help with the cleaning and disinfecting of your facility, call on Complete Care Maintenance for a free, no-obligation quote.

10 Sep 2022

New, Warehouse Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

WAREHOUSE CLEANING IS DIFFERENT – HERE’S WHY

Warehouse cleaning is different. Keeping an office or retail establishment clean is a challenging task. Keeping a distribution center or warehouse clean takes the challenge to a whole different level.

Because these spaces are extremely large and typically have high ceilings, they have a tendency to collect a lot of dust and much of it builds up on high surfaces. High-surface dust eventually gets redistributed throughout the facility by fans, movement of goods, and HVAC systems.

Large expanses of hard flooring found in these workplaces require regular upkeep and specialized equipment. In addition, warehouses and distribution centers often include machinery and heavy equipment that constantly redistribute dust and debris.

On top of these complications are the typical cleaning challenges associated with office spaces, break rooms, restrooms, and other common areas throughout the facility.

WHY WAREHOUSE CLEANING MATTERS

As is true of any workplace and clean and sanitary environment promotes worker health and productivity. In a warehouse or distribution center cleanliness also reduces workplace accidents and injuries.

In addition, regular cleaning can reduce the amount of dust accumulation in the facility which can extend the useful life of machinery and heavy equipment, not to mention protect the products being processed.

Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule can help mitigate dust and debris, improve worker productivity, and allow machinery and equipment to operate more efficiently.

AREAS TO ADDRESS DURING WAREHOUSE CLEANING

High Surfaces

High surfaces are common in a warehouse environment and can be extremely challenging to clean. The dust has a tendency to accumulate in these areas and is constantly being filtered down onto lower surfaces.

Cleaning these areas typically requires the use of lifts or ladders and high-filtration vacuums and other specialized cleaning equipment. Because cleaning personnel must work at extreme heights, high-surface cleaning can be dangerous. It is always best to rely on professionals for this type of cleaning.

Warehouse Floors

Warehouse and distribution centers typically have large expanses of hard-surface flooring. Large floors like this can not be cleaned efficiently with a mop and broom.

Maintaining floors of this size requires specialized equipment like mechanical scrubbers and sweeper machines. These machines should only be operated by trained individuals.

In addition, different types of flooring require different types of maintenance. It is always best to consult a professional when deciding what types of cleaning solutions and equipment to use as well as the frequency of cleaning.

Waste Management

Distribution centers and warehouses produce can a lot of waste. They also need to manage a huge amount of recyclable materials. Packing materials, cardboard, paper, and plastic all need to be sorted and placed in the appropriate bins.

Many of these facilities operate for extended hours which not only increases the amount of waste and recyclable materials but also makes it more difficult to manage. This makes waste removal and the processing of recyclable materials an ongoing task.

General Cleaning

In addition to all of these specialized cleaning requirements, warehouse facility managers still have to deal with the general cleaning associated with any business operation. There are restrooms, break rooms, and office spaces that need to be cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis.

These areas need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly during working hours to ensure the health and safety of staff and visitors.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF WAREHOUSE CLEANING?

If you would like to learn more about the challenges of warehouse and distribution center cleaning take a look at this article. Or contact Complete Care Maintenance for a free on-site consultation.

30 Aug 2022

Healthcare Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

TIPS FOR HIRING THE BEST MEDICAL FACILITY CLEANING PROVIDER

Not every commercial cleaning company is qualified to manage the cleaning requirements of a medical facility. Medical facilities must meet stringent standards of cleanliness and sanitation. Cleaning companies that engage in medical facility cleaning require specialized training in infection control, blood-borne pathogens, sharps handling, and management of biological waste.

In addition, medical facility cleaning providers should be familiar with government regulations particular to the medical community including HIPPA and OSHA. They should have a solid understanding of Hospital Acquired Infections, dwell times, and the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting.

When vetting prospective providers for your healthcare facility it is important to ask the right questions, request proper documentation, and review all references. Here are some tips for weeding out the less than qualified providers and hiring the best medical facility cleaning company.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Can the prospective cleaning service provide evidence that they engage their employees in ongoing training specific to the demanding nature of the healthcare industry? Training should include cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing protocols, HIPPA and OSHA regulations, blood-borne pathogen protocols, sharps and biological waste protocols, cross-contamination avoidance, and professional communication.

Prospective providers should be able to show a dedication to ongoing employee training specific to the healthcare industry. Evidence of such training might include training program outlines, schedules, or certifications,

HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE WITH REFERENCES

Before contracting with any medical facility cleaning provider you should make certain that they have experience providing services within the healthcare industry. While the average business may be able to accommodate some on-the-job training, the stakes are just too high in the field of healthcare – even small mistakes can lead to huge consequences.

A reputable provider should be able to show experience with healthcare cleaning services and provide references upon request. Experience is something that can not be taught and solid references from other healthcare providers speak volumes about a provider’s healthcare cleaning experience.

EMPLOYEE SCREENING

Healthcare facilities are often home to vulnerable populations, sensitive patient information, medical records, and prescription medications. It is an environment ripe for criminal activity and it is vital that whomever you engage to provide cleaning services within your facility rigorously screen their employees.

Commercial cleaning providers that take employee screening seriously will be able to communicate the specifics of their candidate hiring, screening, and onboarding processes.

ON-SITE SUPERVISION

Due to the sensitive nature of the healthcare environment and the specialized training required to work within that environment, it is important that your cleaning services provider employs dedicated supervisory staff for all cleaning personnel. You should be provided with all supervisor names and contact information to ensure clear lines of communication should any issues arise.

CLEAR CHAIN OF COMMAND AND COMMUNICATIONS HIERARCHY

Any well-organized company has a clear chain of command and a well-defined communications hierarchy. Your medical facility cleaning provider should provide you with both. This helps you to resolve issues with lower-level staff and assures that your provider has a solid organizational structure with satisfactory oversight at every level.

LOOKING FOR PROSPECTIVE MEDICAL FACILITY CLEANING COMPANIES?

Complete Care Maintenance has extensive experience providing cleaning services within the medical community and would be honored to bid on your project. Call or contact us today to speak with a customer service representative.

20 Aug 2022

New, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

MANAGING MULTI-TENANT OFFICE BUILDING CLEANING

Managing a multi-tenant office complex comes with a lot of responsibilities. First and foremost among those responsibilities is ensuring that your tenants are happy. As a property manager, you understand the value of retaining tenants. Tenant retention is much less expensive than tenant acquisition and existing tenants come with fewer surprises.

One key to tenant satisfaction is a clean and inviting property and satisfied tenants are less likely to move on to another facility. There are many approaches to multi-tenant office building cleaning. Some property management firms choose to leave the responsibility for the cleaning of individual office spaces to the tenants themselves, while others offer professional cleaning services that include individual offices. Regardless of your approach, having a plan for managing the cleaning of your facility is key to your success.

Here are a few tips for maintaining a clean and inviting multi-tenant complex that will help will help with tenant retention and make acquiring new tenants easier should the need arise:

HIRE A COMMERCIAL CLEANING COMPANY

Managing the cleaning requirements of a multi-tenant facility in-house is an enormous responsibility. It is not a one-person job which means you will need to hire a cleaning staff and someone to train and manage that staff. You will then be responsible for payroll, benefits, uniforms, and equipment costs – not to mention the costs associated with recruitment and hiring the staff in the first place.

Outsourcing your facility’s cleaning requirements to a qualified commercial cleaning company relieves you of most, if not all of these responsibilities. In addition, a qualified commercial cleaning company will have trained staff, processes, and protocols already in place so that they can hit the ground running without the inevitable pitfalls of on-the-job training.

A professional cleaning provider will bring many additional benefits to the table. They will provide their own cleaning chemicals and equipment, they are bonded and insured, they manage and pay their staff, they provide well-trained cleaning personnel, and they are obligated and motivated to perform well.

DECIDE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT

You will need to decide if your tenants will be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of their individual office spaces or if you will provide cleaning services for the entire property. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Providing professional cleaning services as a perk for your tenants is an appealing amenity that many will appreciate. In addition, having one company manage all of the cleaning responsibilities throughout your office complex ensures consistency and quality. It also means that you can set the standards of cleanliness for your facility rather than leaving it up to individual tenants.

On the other hand, this perk comes at a cost. You will pay more for commercial cleaning services and will likely accommodate the added cost through higher rental rates. This may make tenant acquisition more challenging. It may be worth it to speak with your commercial cleaning provider about discounted rates for your tenants and leave the decision up to them.

Either way, making every effort to utilize the same provider for your entire office complex will make everyone’s life easier and ensure quality services, consistent standards, and more effective communications among you, your tenants, and your provider.

SET AND POST A CLEANING SCHEDULE

Whether you decide to manage the cleaning for the entire complex or allow tenants to manage their cleaning requirements, you will want to set a schedule with your cleaning provider. This is particularly important if your cleaning provider will be managing your entire complex. It is also a vital step for large Muti-tenant complexes as these may require multiple days to thoroughly clean.

For most office environments after-hours cleaning is most appropriate. This allows cleaning crews to work without distractions and does not interfere with day-to-day office operations. Large complexes and office buildings may require a cleaning service to work every evening to accommodate the number of tenants being serviced.

A commercial cleaning service with experience in multi-tenant office complexes will be very helpful in setting up a cleaning schedule, will make every effort to accommodate the needs of individual tenants, and will even establish individual points of contact for every tenant in your building. This ensures that every tenant gets what they require from your commercial cleaning provider without you having to manage every individual request.

CONSIDER ENLISTING A DAY PORTER FOR COMMON AREAS

Many commercial cleaning providers offer day porter services that can be of great benefit to large office complexes. Unlike the cleaning crews that work after hours, day porters work to maintain your facility throughout the workday. They provide essential cleaning and maintenance services during business hours and can become an integral part of your staff.

In addition, day porters can often manage day-to-day tasks that would typically interrupt your workflow. Signing for and receiving packages, facilitating third-party contract workers, or replacing a burned-out lightbulb are just a few of the tasks a day porter can help with.

Day porters also provide a visible cleaning presence throughout the workday. This helps reassure customers and tenants that you take their health and safety seriously and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure a clean and sanitary environment.

LOOKING FOR A QUALIFIED COMMERCIAL CLEANER?

Complete Care Maintenance provides professional multi-tenant office building cleaning services in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. With over five decades of industry experience, we can manage office and facility cleaning at scale. Let us help you build stronger relationships with your tenants through professional cleaning services.

10 Aug 2022

Healthcare Cleaning, New mj@5150design.net 0 comment

6 BENEFITS OF HIRING A MEDICAL FACILITY CLEANING SERVICE

Like any office environment, medical offices need to be kept clean and sanitary. Unlike the typical office environment, medical offices are regularly visited by individuals who are already sick. This coupled with the fact that medical facilities are held to a higher standard of cleanliness means that these facilities need a more regular and thorough cleaning.

This is just one of the many reasons that medical offices outsource their cleaning to a medical facility cleaning service. There are many other reasons as well. Some you may not have considered.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Every place of business wants to make a great first impression and a clean and sanitary office environment goes a long way toward achieving that goal. Professional cleaning companies understand the value of a great first impression too and they key in on those areas that need the most attention.

Entryways, windows, and doors are all areas that fall into the ‘first impression’ category. Reception areas, waiting rooms, and restrooms are also on the list. These are the areas that patients are sure to visit and ensuring that they are clean and sanitary is key to making a great first impression.

INFECTION CONTROL

If there is one thing that is always top of mind in a medical environment, it is infection control. Ensuring that the spread of germs and bacteria is mitigated throughout your facility is vital to the health and safety of both patients and staff.

Professional medical facility cleaning crews are trained in infection control protocols. They understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, the importance of dwell times, how to avoid cross-contamination, and where and how germs are spread in an office environment.

PATIENT AND STAFF SAFETY

In addition to infection control protocols, a professional cleaning staff promotes a safer medical office environment in other ways too. Reducing clutter, cleaning up spills, and alerting management to unsafe conditions are all part of creating a safe environment.

It should be noted that professional cleaning crews are also well-versed in OSHA compliance, HIPPA regulations, sharps handling, biological waste removal, and blood Bourne pathogen protocols. This kind of knowledge and experience is not something you receive from a typical cleaning service.

IMPROVED AIR QUALITY

Indoor air can be up to five times more contaminated than outdoor air. The effects of poor indoor air quality are particularly dangerous for individuals with respiratory illness, the young, the elderly, and those with ailments that are already taxing their immune systems. These individuals likely make up the vast majority of your patient population.

It is not just patients that are adversely impacted by poor indoor air quality. You and your staff are as well, even if you do not notice it. Better indoor air quality has been associated with increased productivity, clarity of thought, and reduced absenteeism.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

When you outsource your medical facility cleaning to a professional cleaning service they have both motive and obligation to assure quality cleaning services. After all, if they do a poor job, you will find someone else. On the other hand, if they perform above and beyond your expectations, they will have earned a satisfied customer.

Well-organized and experienced medical facility cleaning companies understand the need for quality assurance. They train their staff, employ quality control policies and procedures, and provide supervisory oversight.

CONSISTENCY

Experienced commercial cleaning providers have developed cleaning protocols and training programs to help ensure both quality control and consistency. When a cleaning crew visits your office, they already have a cleaning plan in place. They already know how they are going to clean your facility most efficiently and effectively.

Every time that they enter your facility, they follow the same protocols and same procedures. This ensures that everything gets cleaned properly and that no area of your facility is overlooked. It also ensures a consistent clean that you can count on.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR MEDICAL FACILITY CLEANING?

Complete Care Maintenance has been providing medical facility cleaning services in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for more than two decades. We can provide you with all the benefits listed above and more! Call or contact us today to learn more.

31 Jul 2022

Corporate Cleaning, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

DOES THE HYBRID WORK MODEL MEAN LESS OFFICE CLEANING?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work. Lockdowns forced companies to adopt work-from-home policies and remote work became the norm. Stand-up morning meetings were replaced by Zoom calls and morning commutes were nothing more than a short walk from the bedroom to the home office.

Now, even with restrictions lifted, many companies and employees have found that remote work is more appealing. For employees, working remotely has improved work-life balance, provides a more flexible work environment, and reduces their overall working hours by eliminating commutes to and from the office.

Many companies have embraced remote work as well, finding that it reduces expenses, improves employee morale, and increases productivity. A recent survey conducted by ConnectSolution found that 77% of those who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity with 30% doing producing work in less time and 24% producing more work in the same amount of time.

This is why remote work models have persisted long after the lockdowns caused by the pandemic. For many companies, a fully remote work model is not feasible. These companies often adopt a hybrid work model that allows employees to work from home part of the week and spend the remainder of the work week in the office.

DOES THIS MEAN LESS OFFICE CLEANING?

This model has worked well and more and more organizations are promoting a hybrid work model. This leads us to the question of office cleaning. With less foot traffic in the office, does the office still require the same amount of cleaning?

The answer to that question is a resounding YES!

While it seems counterintuitive, less activity in the office does not necessarily mean less dirt. In fact, in vacant spaces dust and dirt tend to settle on surfaces due to the lack of activity. It is not that there is more dust in empty spaces, but the lack of activity means the dust is never disturbed.

While there may not be more dust accumulating in your empty office, there is as much dust. Believe it or not, dust is always being produced in the environment. Tiny microscopic organisms, pollen, book and paper fibers, loosened carpet fibers, tiny particles, and pollution suspended in the air outside -all of this stuff works its way into your office. All day, all night.

Because of the lack of activity, the dust is allowed to settle on desks, chairs, office equipment, and other surfaces throughout the office space. This makes for a very dusty office for those returning to work after three days of working from home.

If your office embraces a hybrid work model, you will want to have your office professionally cleaned while your staff is working from home. Otherwise, all of that increased productivity gained from the hybrid work model might get erased due to decreased productivity on in-office work days.

Of course, on the days that your staff is working in the office, they are bringing in dirt and debris from the outside world, and the potential for the spread of germs and bacteria increases with the amount of staff present in the office.

Bear in mind, that these workers are also using the restrooms, office equipment, break rooms, and office kitchen. All potential hot spots for the spread of germs.

THE BOTTOM LINE?

Unfortunately, while a hybrid work model has been shown to reduce many business expenses in the typical office environment, the cost of cleaning is not one of them. Your office space will still require regular cleaning and disinfecting.

NEED HELP KEEPING YOUR OFFICE CLEAN?

Complete Care Maintenance has been a trusted provider of office cleaning services for more than two decades. We can help ensure that your office space is always clean and presentable. Call or contact us today for a free quote.

20 Jul 2022

Commercial Cleaning, New mj@5150design.net 0 comment

HOW PROFESSIONAL CLEANERS CLEAN COMMERCIAL RESTROOMS

Large commercial restrooms can be challenging spaces to clean. These facilities often include multiple stalls, urinals, and sinks. They typically have large expanses of hard flooring, multiple mirrors, dispensers, and sanitary bins. Not to mention, in large commercial buildings there is typically more than one restroom. There is the men’s restroom, the women’s restroom, and often a family restroom as well. Some large commercial buildings even have restrooms on multiple floors. This is why most large commercial facilities rely on professionals to clean and maintain their restrooms.

SO, HOW DO COMMERCIAL CLEANERS TACKLE THIS DIFFICULT TASK?

Highly qualified commercial cleaning companies understand the values of clean restrooms. They understand that a clean restroom makes a good impression on staff and visitors, reduces the spread of germs, and makes for a much more hygienic workplace. The value of a clean restroom can not be overstated.

It is for this reason that commercial cleaning companies have very strict protocols and procedures in place when it comes to cleaning restrooms.

THEY COME PREPARED

Commercial cleaners come prepared when cleaning commercial restrooms. They are equipped with all the requisite cleaning and disinfecting solutions, micro-fiber cleaning cloths and mops, paper towels, toilet brushes, pumice stones, etc. They also bring any items necessary to restock the facility restrooms. These might include toilet paper rolls, soap dispenser refills, sanitary products, urinal cakes, and air fresheners.

PROVEN CLEANING PROTOCOLS

For the experienced commercial cleaning crew, restroom cleaning is a methodical, well-practiced task. They have been trained to manage the cleaning in such a way as to reduce cross-contamination, eliminate waste, and clean in an efficient and productive manner.

TOP-DOWN CLEANING

A typical restroom cleaning protocol will involve an ordered process that starts with dusting and cleaning above the floor surfaces such as doors, bathroom walls, stall walls, mirrors, dispensers, and hand dryers. This top-to-bottom approach helps ensure that lower areas of the room are not inadvertently dirtied later in the process.

DISPENSER REFILLS

As dispensers are being cleaned they are also refilled with the appropriate products. This ensures that the cleaning crew does not contaminate the dispensers after they have been cleaned.

PRE-CLEANING TOILETS AND URINALS

Toilets and urinals are pre-cleaned by removing any debris in and around the fixtures, placing urinal strainers in a disinfecting bath, and replacing urinal cakes.

CLEANING AND DISINFECTING HIGH-TOUCH SURFACES

In order to disinfect any surface, it must first be cleaned. All high-touch surfaces should be cleaned to prepare them for the disinfecting process. High-touch surfaces include light switches, door handles, faucets, sinks, countertops, urinals, and toilets, Once cleaned a disinfectant is applied to these surfaces and allowed to dwell.

Once the appropriate dwell time has elapsed these surfaces will be wiped down to remove the residual disinfecting solution. Mirrors and metal fixtures can then be polished with an appropriate cleaning agent.

Each type of surface should have a designated cleaning cloth. You don’t want to wipe down sinks and countertops with the same cloth used to wipe down a toilet.

Once the cleaning and disinfecting process is complete, urinal and toilet strainers and cakes can be replaced.

SWEEP AND MOP THE FLOORS

At this point, the cleaning process has worked its way down to the floor. The floors should be swept to remove any dust or debris and then thoroughly mopped with a micro-fiber mop and appropriate cleaning solution.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMMERCIAL RESTROOM CLEANING?

Complete Care Maintenance has been cleaning large commercial restrooms for over twenty years. Call on us today to get a free quote.

10 Jul 2022

Healthcare Cleaning, New mj@5150design.net 0 comment

THE DIRTIEST THING IN YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK

Trips to the doctor’s office are a part of life and generally, they are intended to keep us well and in good health. But is your doctor’s office really clean? Aside from all of the coughing and sneezing that goes on in the typical waiting room, there are germs lurking in places you might not have considered.

If you are a physician operating out of a private office or outpatient facility, you likely take cleanliness very seriously. After all, your clientele is coming to you because they are sick. That means that they are inevitably bringing germs and bacteria into your office environment. Even the patient with a broken arm is likely bringing some germs and bacteria into your office.

Having your office professionally cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis can go a long way toward keeping you, your staff, and your patients safe but maintaining a clean doctor’s office requires continued vigilance and maintenance.

Once the cleaning crew finishes their work and a new day begins, patients and staff are busy – if inadvertently – spreading germs and bacteria throughout your office. This is inevitable and it is your responsibility to mitigate the spread of germs during office hours.

One of the keys to stopping the spread of germs is the cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces. In today’s blog post we are going to reveal some of the germiest surfaces in your office. Some of them may surprise you.

Recent research conducted by InsuranceQuotes.com ranked four of the ‘germiest’ surfaces in a typical doctor’s office setting. These are just some of the areas that should be regularly cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

DOOR HANDLES

Not surprisingly, door handles made the list of the geekiest surfaces in a doctor’s office. Door handles, whether on the main entrance, the restroom, or other internal spaces are one of the most touched surfaces in any facility. The fact that many of the people touching door handles in a medical setting are already sick makes doctor office door handles a bit more ominous.

What may be surprising to many is that door handles were ranked as the fourth ‘germiest’ surfaces in the typical doctor’s office setting. Despite this relatively low ranking on the list, door handles should be cleaned and disinfected regularly throughout the day.

WAITING ROOM CHAIR ARMREST

The armrests of chairs in a doctor’s office are the third most germ-ridden surfaces, harboring more bacteria than the typical toilet seat. Again, the typical patient population has a high percentage of people who are already ill. They have a much greater potential for spreading germs and bacteria than a healthy individual. Regardless, every individual that uses an armrest will leave something behind.

Cleaning and sanitizing waiting room chair armrests after every use can go a long way toward stopping the spread of germs in your medical office.

THE DOCTOR’S KEYBOARD

Coming in at number two on the list is the doctor’s keyboard. This is a bit surprising when you consider that in general, doctors are more hygienically conscious than the average individual. Still, the doctor’s keyboard is often used by other staff besides the doctor, and keyboards are often neglected during routine cleaning.

It is important to not overlook the keyboard when cleaning and disinfecting your office. Doctors should also consider keeping hand sanitizers at the desk so that hands can be sanitized prior to and after using the computer keyboard.

AND THE NUMBER ONE ‘GERMIEST’ SURFACE IN YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE IS …

Believe it or not, the surface that was found to harbor the most germs in this particular study was the clipboard pen. When we think about it, this makes perfect sense. Virtually every patient that enters the office touches the clipboard pen when signing in. According to the study the average clipboard pen has over 46,000 times more germs than an average toilet seat!

Clipboard pens should be wiped down thoroughly with disinfecting wipes after every use to help avoid the spread of germs. Providing hand sanitizers at the reception desk is also a good idea.

BONUS TIP FOR THE TIE-WEARING PHYSICIAN

Earlier studies have shown that a doctor’s tie ranks among the most germ-ridden surfaces in the doctor’s office. You might want to make additional trips to the dry cleaners.

WANT MORE TIPS FOR MAINTAINING A GERM-FREE MEDICAL FACILITY?

Call or contact Complete Care Maintenance for a free consultation. We can help you to identify areas for improvement in your current cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

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