Hospitals are no different than any other building; there
are germs and bacteria everywhere.
Hospitals and medical facilities may be more prone to germs that promote
illness, simply because sick people are coming there to get help. You cannot eliminate every germ, but by
keeping things clean and sanitized, it can make a big difference, and cut down
on the spread. There are five important
things that should be cleaned and sanitized, that many people don’t even think
of.
Phones Can Be A Haven For Germs
Yes, it’s gross, but that little device that you cannot
live without, would probably make you sick if you saw it under a
microscope. Think of how many times a
day you place that phone in your hand.
It’s a safe bet that you pick up your phone more often than you wash
your hands. Whatever is on your hand at
the moment you touch that phone, is now on your phone, and it's not going away
until it is sanitized. It's hard to
believe, but many phones harbor more bacteria than a toilet seat, think about
that as you place next to your ear to talk.
Those small wipes designed to clean the screens of phones may seem
great, but it's important to actually sanitize the phone as well. Obviously you don’t want to soak your phone
with liquid, so try using an antibacterial wipe for a quick solution. Another great sanitizer is a blend of 40/60
alcohol/water. You can dip a cotton ball
in the solution, wring it out and wipe down the phone. If your phone has cracks and crevices, try
using cotton swab dabbed in the solution.
Wipe it down and let air dry.
Door Handles Are Germ Handlers
When people exit the restroom, in most cases, they have
clean hands; at least you hope they do.
However, going in the restroom is an entirely different story. Hands pick up germs and bacteria, there is no
escaping that. When you touch something,
that bacteria on your hands is then transferred, and begin to multiply. Think of that hospital room door and how many
people touch that handle in a day. You
have essentially just touched and picked up a huge amount of germs and
bacteria, just by opening the door.
Everyone thinks of cleaning the toilet seat, however, don’t forget those
door handles; they can actually have more bacteria and germs than the toilet
itself. A quick solution to clean those
handles would be to use a disinfecting wipe.
Just be sure to wipe down all areas of the handle, and get both sides of
the door as well. If you prefer, use an
antibacterial cleaning solution and a paper towel to clean the door
handle. Bleach may not always be the
best choice, after all it does bleach.
Vinegar makes a great sanitizer; just follow recommendations to use a
solution that sanitizes.
Everyone Handles The Remote Control
Whether it is a television remote, or a controller for a
stereo, game system, or even a fan, you can bet it gets touched and handled by
a lot of hands. It's easy to tell if
there is something on the TV remote that is sticky or wet, however, it's what
you don’t see that may cause illness.
Make it a routine to keep those remotes clean. An antibacterial wipe works well, they are
not so wet that they will damage the remote, but the solution they were soaked
in should kill off the majority of bacteria.
Another suggestion with the remote is using a cotton swab dipped in
alcohol that allows you to get in and around the buttons.
Related: The
Evolution of the Nursing Uniform
Light Switches and Controls
The lights are flipped on and off constantly in a
twenty-four hour period, and whatever is on the hands of the person flipping
that switch, is now on the switch itself, and the potentially the plate
surrounding it. Wiping down the switch
and switch plate when cleaning is very quick, and may stop the spread of
harmful bacteria. Seriously, as busy
people, it's safe to assume we don’t often clean and sanitize light switches,
even though they are handled by multiple fingers during the day.
Straps & Lanyards
When you pick up your handbag, tote bag, or briefcase,
it's like you are wiping your hands on the straps or handles. You’ve probably heard to never place your
handbag on the floor of a public restroom, and that is certainly good
advice. The straps, however, are
touched and handled by you on and off all day; just think how dirty they can
get. Follow manufacturer guidelines on
what is safe to use in order to ensure your straps and handles that are being
held by your hands, are clean and sanitized.
Also, don't forget the lanyards that hold name badges, you may find
soaking them in a vinegar/water solution and letting them air dry will work
great, and even brighten them up.
Related: List of nursing organizations
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