Maintenance cleaning and disinfecting in a healthcare center Don’t give germs a chance

At this German hospital, as in hospitals around the world for that matter, health services are frequented by resident patients and outpatients alike. Here, the top priority is to reliably prevent any germs from spreading. That is why cleaning the common areas follows a strict hygiene schedule based on the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute and the Hygiene Regulations of the State of Saxony.At the healthcare center of the Rudolf Virchow Clinic in Glauchau, just fifteen minutes away from Zwickau in what used to be East Germany, a team from Dussmann Service is working together with swimming coaches, sports coaches and therapists to ensure that hygiene always gets top marks. The clinic became a Dussmann Service client in the early 90’s. As it expanded over the years to become the regional medical center it is today, so did the contract cleaning company’s cleaning mission. A few years ago, the Zwickau district council decided to create a healthcare center complete with sports facilities on the clinic grounds. “Above and beyond its scope as an in/outpatient and rehabilitation facility, the center also makes its sports and fitness facilities available to the public, including schools and associations. They also offer individual training,” explains Thomas Träger, Managing Director, Facility Management at Dussmann Service. It’s a clever concept that maximizes synergies to ensure that the diverse facilities are fully utilized while contributing to a healthy bottom line. As facility usage increases, however, so does the time and effort necessary to keep the place clean. This was reason enough for the clinic’s management to contract maintenance cleaning tasks for floorings and sanitary facilities out to a dependable service provider. “All the training and sports equipment, the swimming pools and the sauna is cleaned and disinfected by clinic personnel. What we contribute is the professional know-how necessary to ensure efficient and cost-effective cleaning and disinfection. We also take care of cleaning tasks for large spaces,” the manager adds. A collaborative relationship with on-site staff is keyThe medical center features a main therapy wing that includes a gymnasium with a 40 × 20 meter handball court and an indoor freeclimbing wall, which connects to a 250 m² fitness area and a 50 m² yoga room. In addition, there is an inpatient and outpatient physiotherapy department, complete with indoor pool and sauna, which is also open to the general public. The pool, always kept at a comfy 30 °C, sports four 25-meter lanes and a bottom that can be lowered, so it is able to accommodate swimming competitions. A whirlpool with a water temperature of 37 °C and massage nozzles rounds off the array of wet zone therapy offerings. Except for the summer holidays, the health center is open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM. All the cleaning therefore has to be done between Monday and Friday after 10 PM and early Monday mornings before the facilities open again after the weekend. This is a tight schedule and it requires a well laid out cleaning plan to meet the stringent hygiene requirements. Both hospital cleaning staff and Dussmann Service personnel follow to the letter the guidelines established by the hospital administration based on recommendations by the Robert Koch Institute and the Saxony Hygiene Ordinance. Thomas Träger emphasizes the point: “Since the facilities are used by resident patients as well as outpatients and physiotherapy customers, we simply cannot afford the risk of pathogenic germs being transmitted from one to the other. Our mission is to make sure germs don’t stand a chance.” The swimming trainers and coaches regularly check the water quality and make sure the sauna and whirlpool are kept clean and disinfected. At set intervals, a robot cleaner takes care of the tiles at the bottom of the pool while the Dussmann team cleans and disinfects the poolside flooring. As a measure to prevent scale build-up, daily cleaning passes alternate between acidic and alkaline chemicals. ‘TM WS 300 acidic scale remover’ is harmless to materials and the environment; a passivation step with phosphates is not necessary. ‘Petra,’ developed by the Dr. Schnell chemical company is known for quickly and reliably removing greasy residue. After each cleaning pass, the tiles are disinfected with ‘Desifor-forte AF’ (also from Dr. Schnell). This aldehyde-free product is suitable for all waterproof surfaces as well as floors. It is bactericidal (including MRSA) and destroys many other pathogenic bacteria as well as, to a limited extent, some viruses. The disinfectant also disables noroviruses, rotaviruses and polyomarviruses. Follow-up treatment is not required. The same procedure is applied to cleaning tiled areas, the areas around the sauna and all sanitary rooms and fittings, as well as the locker rooms – albeit manually. The fitness room, the yoga room, as well as the physical therapy room all feature wooden parquet flooring that is mopped manually with ‘Parketto-clean’ by Kiehl. This neutral pH cleaner is soap and wax-free, and easy on the skin and all other surfaces. It does not require special handling precautions and distinguishes itself through high dirt absorption. The product can be used on sealed, oiled and waxed floors as well as on untreated wood flooring. It also works perfectly with prefabricated parquet and laminate flooring. Standing water must be prevented, however, and the floor should be given a second pass to remove any stubborn dirt and grime. The Virchow Clinic’s parquet floors are thoroughly cleaned and re-finished on an annual basis – between Christmas and the New Year. Athletic floorings: follow the manufacturer’s directions.The physiotherapy hall and gymnasium features a 1000m² elastic floor that is submitted to substantial mechanical stress on a daily basis. “The gym is reserved for school athletics in the mornings, and then various clubs have access to the facilities from 3 to 10 PM. Plus, we have rock climbers coming in twice a week,” states Thomas Träger. By the end of the day, after the last of the athletes have left the building, the floor inevitably shows scuff marks. But they’re gone by the next morning before the first gym class starts: it takes just one pass by a Dussmann Service employee with a cleaning machine and a good general cleaner (both by Kärcher) to make the floor look pristine again. Cleaning is more than just about making a good impression, however. The way Thomas Träger sees it, “professional cleaning and care must follow manufacturer recommendations, if only to uphold the warranty and have a leg to stand on in case of a claim.” In light of past experience, the investment in a powerful ride-on cleaner has more than paid for itself so far. The machine has proved extremely effective for an indoor area as large as this. Compared to manual cleaning, automated cleaning with a machine is of course much less time consuming. The net benefit, however, not only shines through in terms of cost savings, but also in the degree to which it eases the workload on the cleaning staff. Reinhard Wylegalla | markus.targiel@holzmann-medien.de

Maintenance cleaning and disinfecting in a healthcare center Don’t give germs a chance

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