The A to Z of ICU cleaning

ICUs are the highest-risk areas of a hospital, where patients already suffering from life-threatening infections, or susceptible to the same, are admitted. Immaculate housekeeping here is non-negotiable and critical. Edward Dsouza, President, ServiceMASTER India shares his company’s SOP for ICU cleaning.

General rules

All EVS staff working in critical or non-critical areas must be vaccinated with the Hepatitis B vaccine for their safety, and to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Follow the benchmark of manpower deployment for disinfecting ICU: One EVS staff member can cover at least an 8-10 bedded ICU.

PPE should be worn at all times while sanitising the ICU. It includes a head cap, disposable gown, disposable gloves, shoe cover.

Equipment and chemicals

Pre-soaked colour-coded microfibre dusters for specific area sanitisation. We recommend green colour pre-soaked dusters for ICU sanitisation.

We follow a one-bed-one-duster policy to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

Pre-soaked microfibre sleeves for wet mopping. We follow at least 3-4 bed area coverage for wet mopping.

Scientifically proven disinfectant which helps in reducing the rate of infection and prevents cross contamination in ICUs.

The scientific cleaning process

• Start sanitising the area in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Cover all the high touch points of the ICU cubicles.
• Use one green colour pre-soaked duster or more for each cubicle. The number of dusters could vary, based on the size of the room, number of beds and the volume of high touch surfaces. Note: Capacity of 15 dusters after laying dusters in two fold in colour-coded bucket. Each duster requires 50ml solution for soaking.
• Perform bed sanitisation with green colour microfibre duster. Start disinfecting from clean areas to dirty areas. (Bed headboard, bed railings, footrest, bed remote, bed base and bed wheels)
• Disinfect other areas surrounding the cubicles.
• Perform wet mopping with pre-soaked microfibre sleeves soaked in a charging bucket. Three-four cubicles can be covered per microfibre sleeve.
• Capacity of 20 mop pads can be placed in charging buckets.
• Each of the guides at the bottom of the bucket shows the fluid levels in one quart increments. One quart is enough solution to saturate five mop pads and four quarts is enough solution to saturate 20 mop pads. i.e. 100 ml solution = one microfibre sleeve.

The scientific cleaning process

• Start sanitising the area in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Cover all the high touch points of the ICU cubicles.
• Use one green colour pre-soaked duster or more for each cubicle. The number of dusters could vary, based on the size of the room, number of beds and the volume of high touch surfaces. Note: Capacity of 15 dusters after laying dusters in two fold in colour-coded bucket. Each duster requires 50ml solution for soaking.
• Perform bed sanitisation with green colour microfibre duster. Start disinfecting from clean areas to dirty areas. (Bed headboard, bed railings, footrest, bed remote, bed base and bed wheels)
• Disinfect other areas surrounding the cubicles.
• Perform wet mopping with pre-soaked microfibre sleeves soaked in a charging bucket. Three-four cubicles can be covered per microfibre sleeve.
• Capacity of 20 mop pads can be placed in charging buckets.
• Each of the guides at the bottom of the bucket shows the fluid levels in one quart increments. One quart is enough solution to saturate five mop pads and four quarts is enough solution to saturate 20 mop pads. i.e. 100 ml solution = one microfibre sleeve.

Records to be maintained

Daily cleaning ICU checklist, washroom checklist, deep cleaning, curtain changing, floor care checklist, maintenance checklist, nurse manager preference checklist.