Latest Operating Room Cleaning Procedure
The operating room is equipped with numerous machines and instruments for surgeries, thus strict requirements for cleanliness and sanitation are always required to ensure safety. Cleaning the operating room requires specific and professional procedures. Let’s explore the latest operating room cleaning procedure and principles for carrying out this task with INTECH GROUP!
Principles of Operating Room Cleaning
Clean surfaces three times a day: before each workday, after each surgery, and at the end of each workday using properly diluted disinfectant solutions.
Use personal protective equipment during cleaning.
Prepare tools and chemicals at the correct concentrations.
Clean surfaces following the principle of cleaning from clean to dirty, from top to bottom, and in a zigzag pattern.
Bloodstain Treatment Procedure: Use a paper towel to blot the bloodstain (wearing gloves), then apply a recommended concentration of disinfectant solution. Cover the area with a towel soaked in the disinfectant solution at the recommended concentration for at least 10 minutes before continuing with the cleaning process according to the protocol.
Use separate cleaning tools for the operating room.
Avoid using brooms in the operating room.
Limit access to the operating room area, and avoid taking operating room uniforms or equipment out of the area.
Staff entering the operating room must adhere to operating room regulations.
Latest Operating Room Cleaning Procedure
Preparing for a Day’s Work
Step 1: Prepare personal protective equipment: gloves, closed-toe shoes or boots, masks, hats, protective clothing, waterproof aprons. Tools: disposable red cloths, carts, red chemical containers, clean water, cleaning and disinfecting chemicals, color-coded mop handles.
Step 2: Clean hand and wear personal protective equipment as required.
Step 3: Prepare surface cleaning solution and environmental disinfectant solution at a concentration of 1% or as directed by the manufacturer.
Step 4: Clean equipment surfaces: Use a clean, dry cloth soaked with 70% alcohol (note flammability) or another environmental disinfectant solution to wipe surfaces in the operating room when dirt or dust is visible on the walls, surgical lights or lamps, equipment surfaces, or furniture within the room
Step 5: Place “Wet Floor” signs at entryways.
Step 6: Clean the operating room floor surface using a clean, red-colored mop soaked in a 1% active chlorine solution. Replace the mop every 10 square meters.
Step 7: Organize cleaning tools and dispose of waste properly. Remove gloves and dispose of them in medical waste containers, then wash hands.
Between Surgical Procedures
Step 1: Clean hand and wear personal protective equipment as required.
Step 2: Prepare cleaning supplies: garbage collection bag, cloth items, water bucket, red floor mop, red cloth, absorbent paper towels, cleaning chemicals, disinfectants…
Step 3: Prepare surface cleaning solution and environmental disinfectant solution at a concentration of 1% active chlorine or as directed by the manufacturer.
Step 4: Place a “Wet Floor” sign at the entrance and exit.
Step 5: Collect floating waste on the operating room floor using a damp mop and place it in a bag or medical waste container. Collect all soiled cloth items into a designated cloth bag, keeping contaminated cloth separate from non-contaminated items.
Step 6: Clean and disinfect the inside and outside of suction canisters using disinfectant solution or replace them with new ones. Replace gloves if continuing the task.
Step 7: Address blood and fluid spills by blotting them with absorbent paper towels, then apply a 1% active chlorine disinfectant solution. Allow the disinfectant-soaked towels to remain on the spill for at least 10 minutes before continuing with the cleaning process.
Step 8: Clean the surfaces of machinery and equipment using red-colored cleaning cloths. Spray or apply disinfectant chemicals onto the cloth. Wipe the surfaces following the principle of cleaning from top to bottom and from clean to dirty. Remember to change the cloth and apply disinfectant solution after each cleaning operation for each piece of equipment.
First Round: Clean the undersides of surgical lights, operating lights, and surrounding surfaces of the surgical table equipment.
Second Round: Replace cleaning cloths and clean the surgical table and equipment within the operating room.
Step 9: Push cleaned machinery and equipment to the sides to create space in the middle for cleaning the operating room floor.
Step 10: Clean the walls and floor of the operating room using a red-colored mop or mop cloth. Clean the area around the surgical table within a radius of about 1.3 meters (wider if blood and fluids splatter farther), including the walls. Clean in a zigzag pattern, with each subsequent mop line overlapping the previous one. Clean from the inside out. Change the mop for every 10 square meters of floor area, following these steps:
First Round: Clean with soapy water.
Second Round: Clean again with disinfectant solution.
Step 11: Rearrange the surgical table, machinery, and tools in an orderly manner within the room.
Step 12: Line the waste disposal bin with a new plastic bag.
Step 13: Remove gloves and dispose of them in the waste bin. Wash and dry hands.
End-of-Day Cleaning
Clean hand, wearing personal protective equipment.
Prepare cleaning supplies: red-colored cleaning cloths, red-colored mop, absorbent paper towels, red-colored bucket, cleaning chemicals… Prepare surface cleaning solution: 1% Chlorine B (Presept 1%) or other solutions as per manufacturer’s instructions.
Place a “Wet Floor” sign at the entrance.
Collect scattered waste on the operating room floor using a damp mop into waste bags or bins. Gather and sort all dirty fabrics into designated fabric bags.
Pour disinfectant solution inside and outside suction bottles using 1% active chlorine disinfectant solution or replace with new suction bottles.
Remove gloves and wear new gloves if continuing the task.
Handle blood stains, spillage by using absorbent paper towels, then pour 1% Chlorine B disinfectant solution onto the dried area, cover with disinfectant-soaked cloth according to the concentration and keep for at least 10 minutes before continuing the cleaning process.
Clean the surfaces of machinery and equipment using red-colored cleaning cloths:
Spray or apply 1% concentration disinfectant chemical onto the cleaning cloth.
Wipe the surfaces following the principle of cleaning from top to bottom and from inside to outside: clean ceiling lights or surgical lights, high surfaces of machinery and equipment, followed by cleaning the surgical table and equipment within the operating room.
Change the cleaning cloth and apply disinfectant solution after each cleaning operation for each piece of equipment.
Push cleaned machinery and equipment to one side (except for the surgical table) to create space in the middle for floor cleaning.
Clean the walls up to a height of 2 meters, and the operating room floor: Use a red-colored mop or mop cloth, clean from the corners to the floor. Clean in a zigzag pattern, with each subsequent mop line overlapping the previous one. Clean from inside to outside. Change mop for every 10 square meters of floor area.
First Round: Clean with soapy water.
Second Round: Clean again with disinfectant solution.
Arrange the surgical table, machinery, and tools in an orderly manner within the room.
Line the waste disposal bin with a new plastic bag.
Remove gloves and dispose of them in the waste bin, wash and dry hands.
This summarizes the latest principles and procedures for cleaning operating rooms. Besides proper cleaning, constructing operating rooms also requires professional design and construction to optimize and synchronize processes, offering cost-effective solutions for hospitals and medical facilities.
INTECH GROUP is confident in providing consulting and construction services for hospital clean rooms, ensuring the best service quality for clients. Contact us for detailed advice on design and construction options for operating rooms.
