The Importance of Commercial Cleaning in Healthcare

The events of the past year have shown how every business must take cleanliness very seriously. Considering the spread of viruses and bacteria, hiring a cleaning company to perform both routine and deep cleanings is so important.

The healthcare industry has always prioritized cleanliness and sanitary standards, considering their goal is to provide the very best care to patients. 

Below is an in-depth explanation of why commercial cleaning is so vital to the healthcare sector, along with helpful advice on hiring the best cleaning service providers in your area.

Avoid Germs

When a patient comes to a medical facility, hospital, urgent care center, or similar location, they are likely suffering from some health issue. That means such facilities are likely to have germs in abundance, which can be a health risk to other patients, doctors, and members of staff.

Nurses deal with bodily fluids each day, doctors perform up-close examinations on patients, and staff interact with the patients to ensure their personal details, insurance information, and other relevant data are correct.

Surface cleaning can suffice in areas such as doctor’s offices, where patients are coming in for routine visits. Any place where very sick patients are arriving, such as an emergency room, hospital, or urgent care facility, must take even more steps to ensure appropriate sanitation.

Hiring professionals to perform this work is essential, as medical facilities cannot spare staff the time to clean. Given that diseases can spread through bodily fluids, appropriate cleaning by professionals to avoid germs is essential.

Create Positive Impressions

Imagine yourself in the position of a patient. They are set to visit a doctor’s office, or they are going to an urgent care center in need of immediate attention. They may not have visited those places in the past, which means they will be paying acute attention to their surroundings.

A patient is not going to feel comfortable in a medical setting that is dirty. If they notice a messy environment, or clear signs that professionals are not performing routine cleaning, they are likely to get up and walk away. Even if they stay for their appointment, they may leave your facility a poor online review and choose to find a new doctor.

Even though medical facilities may presume their only obligation is to provide the best possible care, creating a positive image is vital as well. Patients who have strong health insurance can choose their providers, which means they can easily take their business to another facility.

The manager of a health center, doctor’s office, or hospital must put a priority on ensuring any areas that patients see are entirely spotless. Not only does such a step keep the patients and staff safe, but it creates the appropriate impression of your facility.

Easily Hire and Retain Staff

There is a shortage of healthcare workers in many parts of the United States, with the trend unlikely to slow down in the coming years. As a generation of citizens gets older and lives longer, the need for fully-staffed doctor’s offices, hospitals, care facilities, and other medical centers is vital. 

Any company that is in the healthcare business must ensure they are treating staff in the correct manner. That means offering competitive salaries, benefits, and other perks, but also ensuring that workers are able to do their jobs in a safe and comfortable environment.

Even if your business offers high salaries, doctors, nurses, and medical assistants who have to work in a dirty environment each day are unlikely to commit for the long term. They may be looking for a new job constantly, as they are unhappy at the state of the healthcare facility where they presently work.

Keeping a clean environment makes it easier to retain existing staff and hire new employees.

Avoid Workplace Injuries

Medical facilities are areas where injuries can often happen. If a patient arrives at the emergency room with chest pain or another serious health condition, they may not be in the best state of mind or body.

While occasional falls or slips can happen because patients are unwell, a health facility should never experience a slip and fall incident that is the result of a messy surface. There are occasions where patients slip and fall because cleaning professionals do not promptly clean up bodily fluids.

This kind of scenario is not only very dangerous for the health of your patients and staff, but can lead to a compliance issue. Your healthcare facility may be the subject of a lawsuit, which can come with significant financial consequences.

Use Appropriate Cleaning Products

There are very specific cleaning protocols that medical facilities must adhere to in the United States. Such requirements are put in place by significant national organizations such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Considering healthcare facilities are dealing with bodily fluids like saliva, urine, blood, and other liquids, there must be a specific policy for how to clean up these fluids. Rather than trying to cut corners and use the cheapest cleaning materials, healthcare facilities must leave this work to the professionals.

Cleaners that also work at other healthcare centers will have firsthand knowledge about all OSHA and CDC standards. They can ensure that your doctor’s office, hospital, or imaging center is adhering to all the relevant compliance and safety standards, as laid out by your local, state, or national government.

When you hire commercial cleaners, they use commercial-grade cleaning tools and supplies. Everything from vacuum cleaners to floor polishers to bathroom cleaning liquids are as strong as necessary. Using such supplies ensures that when a professional cleans at your center, the area remains in the appropriate sanitary state for the rest of the day. 

How to Hire the Best Cleaning Company

Any healthcare facility that hopes to hire professional healthcare cleaners from the local area must do their research beforehand. Start by connecting with other healthcare facilities or doctor’s office managers in your network, as they may have experience hiring cleaners for their locations.

Another helpful way to find the best cleaners is through the internet. You can search for the name of various cleaning companies to assess online reviews from residential and commercial customers. Only a cleaning service that has a lot of five-star reviews is worth hiring.