Keeping your medical office clean and sanitary becomes much easier with extra help. However, medical office cleaning requirements are stricter than the usual checklists for standard office spaces. So, partnering with a person or team who prioritizes health, safety and compliance is important. For instance, the job specifics include protocols to prevent the spread of infections. Researching what it takes for someone to complete the work at the highest level can help you figure out who is best for the job.
Checklist of Medical Office Cleaning Requirements
Medical office cleaning covers various healthcare environments. For example, it could be a doctorโs office or a shared space other professionals use in the medical and associated sectors. Nurse practitioners, dentists, optometrists and osteopaths are other typical users. It could even be an office in a veterinary practice. Regardless of who uses the space, high-level medical office cleaning must safeguard the health and well-being of patients and staff. However, not everyone is up for the job, so here are key requirements to bear in mind:
Permits and Certification for Medical Office Cleaning
Companies or individuals must have a valid business license. However, the combination of licenses and permits varies between states. So, only hire someone who is aware of the specific medical office cleaning requirements from federal and state agencies.
Commercial cleaning services can also obtain additional certifications to show knowledge and expertise in specific areas of specialist medical cleaning. For example, the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association (IJCSA) offers different medical cleaning certification courses to comply with strict industry standards. These include Bloodborne Pathogens Certification to ensure the cleaner complies with the correct training if they come into contact with blood. Chemical hazards certification also shows an understanding of medical office cleaning procedures and regulations, see below.
Disposing of Hazardous Materials
Cleaning a medical office requires expert knowledge of handling and disposing of hazardous materials. I.e., you cannot bag and bin it as normal. For example, the FDA issues regulatory advice on sharps disposal containers in healthcare facilities. There are also different containers for different medical waste, so knowledge about this is important. Once you are satisfied that the cleaning firm is aware of all these rules and regulations, ask if they follow the recommended guidelines in a medical setting, see below.
Adhering to Official Guidelines for Medical Office Cleaning
Even if a cleaning business does not need a specific medical office cleaning permit it should at least be aware of the guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include best practices and procedures in healthcare environments and hospital cleaning to reduce risks of contamination and infection.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also offers advice on cleaning to industry standards in a medical environment. Reputable commercial office cleaning services will always follow guidelines and procedures to ensure medical office space is cleaned in a safe and appropriate way.
Correct Use of EPA-Approved Disinfecting Products
To ensure medical office cleaning is carried out safely and legally, the outside firm or individual must know about cleaning supplies and the different types of cleaners and disinfectants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the sanitizing products that kill bacteria and disinfectants that destroy viruses. The various EPA-registered products are always provided with label directions to ensure they are used and disposed of correctly and safely.
DetailXPerts combines hospital-grade EPA-registered disinfectants with steam cleaning technology for ultimate results. Killing viruses with steam is safe and effective, making it ideal for medical offices, lab cleaning and healthcare facilities. It is also suitable for restaurant cleaning and other public gathering spaces that benefit from a more rigorous deep clean to protect the health of people meeting and socializing under one roof.
Cleaning Supplies and Equipment
Medical office cleaning requires the use of specialized commercial cleaning equipment and commercial cleaning supplies to achieve sanitized results. It is also important to check that the cleaning team use the equipment appropriately. Misuse of tools or lack of awareness when it comes to cleaning techniques can spread germs and contaminants in a medical office space.
Equally important, the team should always follow the strict cleaning procedures. This includes working in a methodical, systematic manner to make sure there are no issues with cross-contamination from cloths, mops and other tools. Following a cleaning strategy also ensures that no area in a medical office will be overlooked.
Sanitization Experience
Permits and certifications will give you peace of mind when hiring a team. However, you must investigate their experience in advance. For example, some janitorial services will only offer light cleaning duties. Also, they might not have the relevant experience to carry out effective sanitization programs.
An experienced crew will know how to disinfect high-touch surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, exam tables, chairs, keyboards) multiple times daily. Medical office cleaning requirements also emphasize preventing cross-contamination between rooms and areas. Cleaners must follow a top-to-bottom cleaning approach, ensuring that dirt and germs arenโt spread from high-touch surfaces to other parts of the facility.
Ideally, you are looking for a commercial cleaning company with a great reputation for providing excellent sanitization services. For example, DetailXPerts has spent 20+ years perfecting steam cleaning methods using professional-grade equipment. And our trained teams have experience across different industries:
Other Factors
Another requirement is respecting patient privacy while providing the highest levels of hygiene and cleanliness in a medical office. So, cleaners must ensure they donโt move or disturb confidential paperwork or patient files. Maintaining cleaning logs to track completed jobs and ensure consistency is also important.
Finally, trained teams will store cleaning supplies securely away from patient areas. This helps prevent accidents or exposure to chemicals. Theyโll also ensure proper labeling and safety data sheets (SDS) are available for all cleaning agents. DetailXPerts is a mobile cleaning company, so we bring everything we need to clean your office in our fully equipped vans.
Conclusion
To sum up, medical office cleaning requirements go beyond regular cleaning tasks. And not everyone can do it. So, if you are going to hire an outside firm or an office cleaner, check that they meet the local requirements for licenses and permits. Ask if they have any additional certifications in this field, too. Equally important, ensure they know federal law requires disinfectants to be registered with the EPA and they must use them according to the label directions.
Other points to prioritize are the use of recommended equipment and correct cleaning strategies and techniques. Trained teams will follow best practices when sanitizing and disinfecting your medical office.
If you want a sanitized clean, contact DetailXPerts to discuss your cleaning schedule and customized contracts. Our experience and expertise bring out the best in every cleaning project we take on. Moreover, we use steam technology and environmentally friendly products to eliminate dirt, bacteria and viruses. We ensure you get superior results safely and with due regard for environmental protection.
To partner with professionals who understand medical office cleaning requirements, download our guide on Everything You Need to Know Before Hiring a Janitorial Service.
