Disinfection & Cleaning

Using best management practices for disinfecting will help ensure that you are cleaning appropriately to kill the bugs-the microbes-you need to kill. A side benefit is that you use only the amount of disinfectant necessary to do the job. Ultimately, best management practices protect patients, employees and the environment.

Disinfection Best Management Practices Using best management practices for disinfecting will help ensure that you are cleaning appropriately to kill the bugs—the microbes—you need to kill. Ultimately, best management practices protect patients, employees and the environment.

Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed this tool for environmental, health and safety facility managers to estimate the benefits of adopting green cleaning practices.

Hospitals and clinic guidelines. This reference list can assist health care facilities with reducing the number of cleaners and disinfectants being used, reducing cleaning times, minimizing patient and staff exposures to toxic chemicals, and reducing procurement costs.

Improving Cleaning Processes. Olmsted Medical Center located in Rochester, Minnesota, participated in the MnTAP intern program during the summer of 2007. The project focused on reducing the number and toxicity of housekeeping chemicals used and improving the efficiency of procedures

Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project One third of the cleaning chemicals used today have ingredients that can harm you. The Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network has put together fact sheets and resources to assist with safer and environmentally preferable janitorial products and practices.

Levels of Disinfection The Center for Disease Control has guidelines for levels of disinfection according to organism type. Guideline for Handwashing and Hospital Environmental Control.