Cleaning of Miscellaneous areas in hospitals

Cleaning of Water coolers / drinking water facilities

1. Water coolers must be kept clean and covered at all times. They must be emptied completely at least once a month and the tank cleaned. The water should ideally be filtered through a purifier. There should be drainage for the spill over.
2. The area surrounding must be kept dry.
3. The electric wire and plugs must be checked monthly to ensure that they are in good condition.

Desert coolers and air conditioners

1. Desert coolers should be emptied every week to prevent mosquito breeding.
2. Drainage should be provided for the spill over of water.
3. The electric wire and plugs must be checked monthly to ensure that they are in good condition.
4. Air conditioners should be cleaned every month. The electric wire and plugs must be checked monthly to ensure that they are in good condition.

Generator / engineering rooms

1. The generator / engineering room must be swept dry on a daily basis. Oil spills are common here and should be cleaned by sprinkling dry mud on the spill and then scraping the mud and disposing it by burial.
2. Cleaning with water if done should be after ensuring that the electricity has been switched off and that no water splashes on to the electrical and motor parts.

Ambulance / patient transport

1. The ambulance or patient transport vehicles must be cleaned daily and after each patient evacuation. It must be cleaned if it has been used to carry a dead body / a case of infectious disease.
2. Park the ambulance away from the public area and switch off the motor / AC.Open the doors and windows.
3. Remove all curtains and equipment and keep in a secure area. Curtains are washed once in a month. Equipment to be dusted and surface cleaned with a wet cloth ensuring that no water enters the equipment and damage them during the cleaning process.
4. Inside dusting followed by clean damp mopping should be practiced. In case of body fluid spills,wash the vehicle with soap and water and allow to dry.
5. Freshly prepared 0.5% chlorine/ 70% isopropyl alcohol solution can be used to disinfect the inside of the ambulance especially if an infected case had been carried.
6. Special care must be taken that the electronic and other medical equipment are not damaged during the cleaning process.
7. Allow it to dry, keeping the doors and windows open.
8. Replace all equipment and curtains.

Cleaning of lifts

1. Lifts are maintained by the Maintenance Department but operated by the Housekeeping staff.
2. Clean the lifts by sweeping and wet mopping every evening. The lifts can be washed and cleaned every week / month depending on the usage and dirt accumulated. Cleaning is done by wet mopping and then being allowed to dry.The walls of the lift must be cleaned with a wet cloth and allowed to dry.
3. Cleaning in case of transfer of infected patient or body fluids spills :
1. The lift should be shut for use by the public / staff whenever an infected patient is transported. It should be washed with soap and water and after drying then mopped / swiped with freshly prepared 0.5% chlorine.
2. In case of body fluid spills , a newspaper or bloating paper should be placed over the spill to absorb the same. Freshly prepared 5% hypochlorite solution is then sprinkled over this. This should then be scooped up and the area swept clean. The material scooped up will then be disposed of as infectious waste.

Cleaning of water tanks

1. Water tanks should be cleaned once every quarter.
2. `The Tanks must be emptied completely. The inside of the tank should be scrubbed with detergent / soap and water with a brush and then repeatedly rinsed / flushed with water to ensure that the detergent / soap has been washed away. Special care must be taken of cleaning of the corners and joints to ensure that the soap / dirty water do not remain. The tank is allowed to dry before filling and reusing the tank.
3. If the tank was found to be very dirty with a lot of algae and sediment then the tank is should be disinfected by using chlorine. After allowing an exposure time of 1 hour the tank should be emptied and flushed with normal water to remove the residual chlorine.

Source: Swachhta Abhiyaan Guidelines for Public Health Facilities