Top 5 Must-Clean High-Touch Surfaces in Medical Clinics (and How Often)

Maintaining a safe and clean medical office isn’t just about looks; it’s about safeguarding patients, staff, and visitors from infection. If you want to find out about medical office cleaning in Jacksonville, you might wonder: Which surfaces matter most in regard to infection prevention? As you can imagine, some surfaces receive far more contact than others and become hotspots for bacteria and viruses.

In this post, we'll discuss the top five medical clinic touch surfaces that need the most attention, how often to clean them, and how professional medical cleaning services can help. We will also briefly discuss how commercial cleaning services in Jacksonville and nearby areas, like commercial cleaning services in Surf City can help maintain compliance with health standards.

What Is Medical Office Cleaning ?

Medical office cleaning is the defined process of sanitization and cleaning in a medical or healthcare-related setting. Medical office cleaning in Jacksonville can refer to cleaning in doctor offices, dentist offices, therapy centers, urgent care, etc. It is sometimes confused or used interchangeably with a janitorial service or cleaning. However, medical office cleaning has a focus on sanitary cleaning protocols and disinfection to comply with health safety standards.

The purpose is not simply to have a neat, tidy appearance, but to ensure that pathogens—the microscopic agents that can cause illness—are eradicated. Some examples of medical office cleaning would include cleaning of high-touch, high-risk areas, along with the use of hospital support disinfecting products, based on protocols for cleaning by CDC and/or OSHA.

Why is medical office cleaning important?

A clean medical office correlates directly with trust, and trust correlates with health. Here’s the breakdown.

• Patient Safety: Germs left on doorknobs, keyboards, examination tables, and other places can easily spread to sick or immunocompromised patients. 

• Professional Image: Patients are putting their health and safety in your hands. A clean office helps patients feel relaxed, reassuring confidence in your image as their Care Providers. 

• Compliance: Medical facilities must meet strict cleaning and safety standards, and professional cleaning keeps you compliant. 

• Employee Health: Fewer germs in the environment means fewer sick days for medical staff. A sanitary work environment leads to healthier employees. 

Simply stated, good cleaning protects people and reputation.

Top 5 High-Touch Surfaces in Medical Clinics

Not all surfaces pose the same level of risk. The following surfaces should be prioritized as part of any medical clinic cleaning routine:

1. Door Handles and Entry Points

All patients, staff, and visitors will touch doors at some point. Whether it is the front entrance, exit, or restroom handles, any entry point will be a high risk for transmission of germs.

Best Practice: Often wipe and disinfect door handles multiple times throughout the day, especially when patient volume is high.

2. Reception Counters and Check-In Kiosks

Reception desks will ALWAYS be an area for patients to have their first interaction with a medical office, and patients will often place paperwork, ID cards, or even personal belongings on the reception counter. Many medical offices now use shared check-in tablets and pens as well.

Best Practice: Whenever possible, you should clean and disinfect reception counters after every patient interaction. You should also, most importantly, clean and disinfect shared devices and pens regularly or at least have a backup device available to switch out the contaminated device.

3. Chairs and Armrests in the Waiting Room

Patients likely won't realize that armrests and chair backs collect germs very quickly. With so many patients cycling in and out, these should also be part of high-risk surfaces. 

Best practice: Disinfect the furniture in the waiting room every day, along with spot-cleaning throughout the day. 

4. Exam Room Surfaces (Beds, Tables, Equipment)

Exam tables, stethoscopes, and medical tools come in contact with patients and require more than a simple wipe down. Any shared item needs to be disinfected thoroughly between patients. 

Best practice: Use EPA-approved disinfectants between patients to prevent cross-contamination. 

5. Bathroom Fixtures (Faucets, Flush Handles, Light Switches)

Bathroom areas in medical clinics are shared areas for patients and staff, which are often one of the dirtiest areas and the most important to clean. Fixtures such as faucets and toilet handles can be covered in microbes and spread very quickly. 

Best practice: Clean and disinfect multiple times per day, not just once when closing the clinic and washing your hands before you leave.

Common Misunderstandings About Medical Office Cleaning

It's tempting to think that "a clean clinic is a safe clinic," but not all cleaning is created equal! Let's clear up a few misunderstandings:

Myth 1: Regular janitorial cleaning can do the job.

Truth: Medical clinics need specific cleaning protocols and hospital-grade disinfectants.

Myth 2: Once-a-day cleaning is enough.

Truth: High-touch surfaces need to be cleaned several times per day, dramatically reducing any risk.

Myth 3: If it looks clean, it is clean.

Truth: Many germs are not visible to the eye, which is why disinfecting is important.

Medical Office Cleaning Best Practices If reliable hygiene is important to the clinics, the following steps will provide a good guideline:

• Establish a daily cleaning schedule for high-touch surfaces.

• Use EPA-approved disinfectants that are hospital-grade.

• Train staff properly on cleaning methods to avoid cross-contamination.

• Be mindful of areas that you touch on a daily basis (waiting areas, lobbies, etc.) and include clinical spaces too (exam rooms, restrooms).

• Outside of cleaning the facility daily, medical clinics should utilize professional commercial cleaning services in Jacksonville or the surrounding areas to provide thorough cleaning and disinfecting on a regular basis in addition to decontamination efforts.

• Don’t forget about cleaning carpets and air vents periodically!

FAQs About Medical Office Cleaning

1. How often should a medical office be cleaned?

A cleaning should be performed daily; however, high-touch surfaces must be cleaned two to three times a day. Most clinics will have a contract with a professional, deep cleaning services weekly or monthly.

2. How is medical office cleaning different than office cleaning? 

Medical office cleaning must follow stricter disinfecting practices, use specialized products, and meet higher cleanliness standards set by health agencies and regulations that regular office cleaning does not need to meet.

3. Can in-house staff perform cleaning? 

In-house cleaning staff can perform some light cleaning daily, but are not trained or familiarized with using hospital-grade disinfectants and proper processes as guided by the OSHA/CDC guidelines.

4. Are green cleaning products safe to use for medical offices?

Yes, many clinics are now using eco-friendly disinfecting products that are effective yet non-toxic. The real question is whether the product is safe for medical-grade level cleaning, which can be determined by whether or not the product meets the image/markings of a safety approval by a respected health agency.

5. What happens if a medical clinic does not clean based on the required standards?

A medical clinic may be liable to incur health code violations, incur patient dissatisfaction, and cause unnecessary, redundant errors of care, leading to infections that patients can easily avoid. 

6. Can regular office janitors clean medical clinics?

Depends, not always. Cleaning in a medical clinic is predominantly dictated by the health authority and standards of the products, procedures, and trained personnel. This does not represent any hazard to a usual office janitorial team that lacks the specialized training, products, or methods to properly assist/join a cleaning program to a standard. If a medical office is cleaning, they should be using a service with medical or commercial cleaning experience in Jacksonville, FL.

Conclusion:

Cleaning in a medical environment is crucial. From door handles to exam tables, high-touch surfaces comprise an enormous aspect of keeping clinics safe. Working with a company that excels in medical office cleaning services in Jacksonville can help keep patients and staff safe every day.

If you are a healthcare provider in the region, you can feel comfortable contracting with a trusted, commercial cleaning company in Jacksonville or nearby commercial cleaning services in Surf City to ensure that you follow the highest hygiene standards. A clean clinic represents that, believe it or not, it saves lives.