Month: November 2023

In a healthcare facility, some surfaces are touched dozens of times a day by patients, visitors and staff. Bedrails, door handles, light switches and counters all carry that traffic. That is why high touch areas need more attention than any other part of the building.

Here is how to identify high touch areas in your facility, how often to clean them, and what a reliable program looks like.

Why High Touch Areas Matter in Healthcare

After all, germs can move from hands to surfaces and back again. In healthcare settings, where some patients may be more vulnerable to infection, that risk deserves extra care.

According to the CDC’s environmental cleaning procedures, high touch surfaces need more frequent and rigorous cleaning than low touch surfaces. The CDC also notes that high touch surfaces often differ by room and ward, so they should be identified for each patient care area with clinical staff.

Common High Touch Areas to Prioritize

Among the examples the CDC lists are:

  • Bedrails and bedside tables
  • IV poles and patient monitoring equipment, such as keyboards and control panels
  • Sink handles and counters where medications and supplies are prepared
  • Edges of privacy curtains
  • Wheelchair handles and other transport equipment
  • Call bells, doorknobs and light switches

In addition, waiting rooms, reception desks, elevator buttons and restroom fixtures see heavy use in most medical offices and clinics.

How Often to Clean High Touch Areas

In practice, there is no single schedule for every facility. Instead, frequency should follow risk and use. For example, the CDC guidance describes cleaning high touch surfaces and floors at least once daily in general inpatient wards, and more often in areas such as intensive care units and outpatient consultation rooms.

For this reason, your infection prevention team should help set the right frequency for each area. Then your cleaning program should follow it every day, including during busy periods.

Building a Reliable Program for High Touch Areas

In short, a strong program turns guidance into daily habits.

  1. Map the high touch areas. List them by room and area, together with clinical staff.
  2. Set frequencies. Match how often each area is cleaned to its risk and use.
  3. Use a consistent method. The CDC recommends working from cleaner to dirtier areas, so crews do not spread contamination.
  4. Train the team. Crews should know the products, the order of work and the rules for each area.
  5. Inspect and document. Regular checks confirm the work is done, while documented corrections show gaps get closed.

For more on why structure matters, see our article on why healthcare cleaning requires a system.

How WOW! Supports Healthcare Facilities

WOW! Facility Services provides cleaning programs for healthcare facilities that align with your workflows, care standards and infection control priorities. Every program starts with a facility assessment of your spaces, traffic and high touch areas. Then we turn the findings into a customized scope of work.

Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who decides which surfaces count as high touch areas?
The CDC recommends identifying them for each patient care area together with clinical staff, because high touch surfaces often differ from room to room.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

Talk to Us About Your Facility

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.

You cannot see the air in your building, but your team feels it. For example, stuffy rooms, odors and dust can make it harder to focus. In fact, research suggests a real link between air quality and productivity.

So here is what one well known study found, and what facility managers can do about it.

What the Research Shows

In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers from Harvard tested 24 office workers in a controlled office environment. On average, cognitive function scores were 61 percent higher on green building days than on conventional building days, and 101 percent higher on days with enhanced ventilation.

Granted, the study was small and controlled. Even so, it points to a clear idea: better ventilation and fewer indoor pollutants can support better thinking.

Why Air Quality and Productivity Are Linked

Generally, several factors can affect how people feel and focus indoors:

  • Ventilation. Without enough fresh air, carbon dioxide and pollutants build up.
  • Volatile organic compounds. These can come from building materials, furnishings and some products.
  • Dust and allergens. Dust, pollen and debris can irritate eyes and airways.

Practical Steps to Improve Air Quality and Productivity

Fortunately, many improvements involve building systems, while others come down to cleaning.

  1. Maintain HVAC systems. Change filters on schedule and keep ventilation working as designed.
  2. Stop dirt at the door. Entrance matting catches dust and debris before it spreads.
  3. Capture dust. Microfiber and well maintained vacuums trap dust instead of moving it.
  4. Choose certified products. Green certified products, used at the right dilution, help reduce harsh odors.
  5. Fix moisture quickly. Prompt cleanup of leaks helps prevent mold.

For more on sources of indoor pollution, read our guide to indoor air quality.

Cleaning, Air Quality and Productivity

Of course, cleaning cannot fix a ventilation problem on its own. Still, a consistent cleaning program supports a healthier indoor environment. Equally important, cleaning crews can flag issues such as odors, leaks or dusty vents to the team that maintains the building.

How WOW! Supports Healthier Indoor Air

WOW! Facility Services uses products certified under Green Seal GS-37 and trains staff on proper dilution. Every program starts with a facility assessment, and then we build a customized scope of work around your building. Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does indoor air quality really affect productivity?
Research suggests it can. In one Harvard study, cognitive scores were higher in conditions with better ventilation and lower pollutant levels.

Which cleaning habits support indoor air quality?
Entrance matting, microfiber tools, well maintained vacuums, certified green products and quick cleanup of leaks all help.

Can plants or air purifiers replace ventilation?
No. They may help in some cases, but they do not replace a properly working ventilation system.

How often should HVAC filters be changed?
Follow the equipment manufacturer’s guidance and your maintenance team’s schedule, since it depends on the system and conditions.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

Support a Healthier, More Productive Building

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.