How to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Healthcare Settings | ServiceMaster Clean (2024)

How to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Healthcare Settings | ServiceMaster Clean (1)
Healthcare Cleaning

Germs and viruses can’t be avoided, but healthcare facilities must be especially vigilant in controlling them – and if the proper steps aren't taken to avoid it, cross-contamination in hospitals and other healthcare settings can put staff and patients at increased risk.

The spread of bacteria and other pathogens is particularly concerning for people with compromised immune systems, so it’s critical to have cleaning protocols that properly mitigate the threat of cross-contamination. The experts at ServiceMaster Clean designed our patient-centered cleaning program with cross-contamination prevention in mind. Use these three tips from our environmental cleaning specialists to help prevent cross-contamination in your healthcare facility:

1. Use the Right Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies

In order to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading, your staff need to know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. They also so need to have the right cleaning supplies to do the job properly:

  • Microfiber cloths. Microfiber does a far better job of picking up dirt, debris, and germs than traditional cleaning materials. A combination of clean water, a commercial detergent, and a microfiber cloth is ideal for basic surface cleaning.

  • Hospital-grade disinfectant. Once a surface or an item has been cleaned, it can then be disinfected. Healthcare facilities must use hospital-grade disinfectants to prevent cross-contamination.

  • Alcohol-gel hand sanitizer. Keeping alcohol-based hand sanitizer widely available throughout your healthcare facility can help stop the spread of germs from hand-to-surface, hand-to-hand, and hand-to-mouth contact.

Beyond using the right supplies, keeping soiled and clean materials separate and following proper laundry procedures are also critical for reducing the risk of cross-contamination in healthcare environments.

2. Schedule Routine Environmental Cleaning

Regular cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting help control viruses and bacteria before they have a chance to spread from one surface or room to another. Items and surfaces that are touched frequently are more prone to contamination and, therefore, require more frequent and thorough cleaning. All staff should be trained on basic cleaning protocols for healthcare settings, especially high-touch areas, to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.

High-touch surfaces in healthcare settings include:

  • Door handles
  • Bed rails
  • Bedside tables
  • Bathroom faucets
  • Toilet seats and flush handles
  • Telephones
  • Elevator buttons
  • Hand sanitizer dispensers

3. Encourage Proper Hand Hygiene Among Your Staff

Proper hand hygiene is the simplest, but perhaps the most important, component of preventing cross-contamination in healthcare facilities. Proper hand hygiene consists of just a few easy steps:

  • Wet hands with water.
  • Apply soap, lather, and scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
  • Pay attention to all surfaces of the hands, including fingernails.
  • Rinse thoroughly and dry hands using a clean cloth, air dryer, or disposable towel.

Put a stop to the spread of germs and viruses by ensuring that your staff are washing their hands in the correct manner and at the correct times. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand hygiene in healthcare facilities should be performed in the following situations:

  • Before eating.
  • Before and after contact with a patient's skin.
  • Before moving to a clean body site after contact with a contaminated body site.
  • After using the washroom.
  • After removing gloves.
  • After contact with any inanimate object near a patient.
  • After contact with bodily fluids or broken skin.
  • After dressing a wound.

While your staff play a crucial role in the day-to-day prevention of cross-contamination, it’s also recommended that healthcare facilities partner with an experienced environmental cleaning provider with documented janitorial procedures designed to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Call the experts at ServiceMaster Clean to learn more about our customized healthcare cleaning programs and the procedures we use to help prevent cross-contamination.

How to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Healthcare Settings | ServiceMaster Clean (2024)

FAQs

How to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Healthcare Settings | ServiceMaster Clean? ›

Proper use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, masks, gowns), aseptic technique, hand hygiene, and environmental infection control measures are primary methods to protect the patient from transmission of microorganisms from another patient and from the health care worker.

How can we prevent cross contamination in healthcare? ›

Proper use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, masks, gowns), aseptic technique, hand hygiene, and environmental infection control measures are primary methods to protect the patient from transmission of microorganisms from another patient and from the health care worker.

What is the best way to avoid cross contamination answer? ›

Keep it clean:

Wash hands and surfaces often. Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and counter tops. To prevent this: Wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers; or handling pets.

How do you prevent cross contamination when cleaning? ›

Always clean top to bottom, back to front, left to right, and floors last. This procedure helps eliminate dirt, germs, and pathogens from being spread to previously cleaned areas. Make sure you are keeping brushes for kitchen and bath separate to minimize spreading mold, mildew, e-Coli, and other pathogens.

What are 3 practices are used to help reduce cross contamination? ›

Some ways to help prevent cross contamination include: use separate utensils or thoroughly wash and sanitise utensils between handling raw and ready-to-eat foods. keep food covered and off the floor during storage. avoid any unnecessary touching of food.

Which three practices can prevent cross contamination? ›

Here is how you can keep your food safe from cross-contamination:
  • Separate foods into different containers. ...
  • Position your foods so they do not drip. ...
  • Practice good hygiene in the kitchen. ...
  • Wash your hands after you handle raw meat.
  • Keep separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables if possible.
Sep 15, 2023

Which 6 measures will prevent cross contamination? ›

The below tips will help you prevent cross-contamination and prevent food-born illnesses among your guests:
  • Check The Delivery Temperature. ...
  • Keep Toxic Chemicals Away From Food. ...
  • Floor Level Storage Is A No-go. ...
  • A Well Looked After Storage Space Goes A Long Way. ...
  • Use The FIFO System. ...
  • Stick It With A Label.

What are 4 safety steps to avoid cross contamination? ›

You can help keep your family safe from food poisoning at home by following these four simple steps: clean, separate, cook and, chill.

How can you best prevent cross contamination in Quizlet? ›

Cross-contamination can be prevented in the operation by: -using separate equipment when preparing each type of food. -cleaning and sanitizing all work surfaces, equipment, and utensils after each task. -preparing raw meat, fish, and poultry and ready-to-eat food at different times (when using the same prep table).

How do you prevent cross contamination according to Servsafe? ›

Here are some ways to prevent cross-contamination: Use separate equipment for each type of food. Clean and sanitize all work surfaces, equipment, and utensils after each task. Prep raw meat, fish, and poultry; and ready-to-eat food at different times.

How can you prevent cross contamination at work? ›

Ways to prevent cross-contamination in the workplace

Procedures may include washing items in hot, soapy water, using a sanitizing agent, rinsing items after washing, and following certain protocols when cleaning surfaces.

What is an example of cross contamination in cleaning? ›

Offering up an example of how cross-contamination can happen, Cleaning Maintenance & Management describes a scenario in which a cleaner wipes a toilet that had previously been exposed to norovirus and then goes on to use that exact same cloth or tool to tend to a facility's sinks, thereby spreading the virus.

Can cross contamination always be avoided? ›

Proper food safety practices can significantly reduce your risk of cross contamination. Thoroughly wash your hands and surfaces, properly store foods, and stay up to date with food recalls.

How can cross contamination be prevented in healthcare? ›

8 Ways to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Healthcare Settings
  1. Educate Staff on Infection Control. ...
  2. Provide Personal Protective Equipment. ...
  3. Optimize Air Quality. ...
  4. Use the Right Cleaning Supplies and Protocols. ...
  5. Create an Infection Control Policy. ...
  6. Regularly Clean and Disinfect Surfaces. ...
  7. Reduce Patient/Visitor Contamination.
Jul 12, 2023

Which is the best way to avoid cross contamination? ›

To avoid cross contamination, remember to (1) wash your hands regularly, (2) separate cooked foods from raw materials, (3) clean food contact surfaces, and (4) use different utensils when preparing food.

What activity would best prevent cross contamination? ›

The easiest way to prevent cross contamination is by properly washing hands before cooking and in between tasks and by keeping raw foods and ready to eat foods separated. Use separate equipment for each type of food.

How can you reduce the risk of cross contamination? ›

always wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw food, including vegetables and fruit. keep unwashed raw fruit and vegetables separate from ready-to-eat food during storage and preparation. where possible use a separate chopping board, knives and utensils for raw and cooked food.

How can you prevent cross infection in the hospital? ›

Infection prevention and control
  1. hand hygiene.
  2. the use of personal protective equipment.
  3. the safe use and disposal of sharps.
  4. reprocessing of reusable medical equipment and instruments.
  5. routine environmental cleaning.
  6. respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
  7. aseptic non-touch technique.
  8. effective waste management.
Nov 15, 2022

What is the most effective way of preventing cross infection? ›

Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections, especially those that cause diarrhoea or vomiting and respiratory infections.

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