All Australian medical and healthcare facilities are required to have stringent cleaning processes in place that reflect a high level of cleanliness and follow Australia’s regulated medical cleaning requirements.
Adhering to recommended hospital cleaning guidelines is integral for all Perth healthcare facilities to ensure risk mitigation of healthcare-associated infections and reduced hospital-acquired Infections, as well as compliance with The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) and The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards.
To help provide hospital management with easily accessible information on these guidelines, we have provided an overview of some of the information available in the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare below as published by ACSQHC. Please note that this is a general guide designed to provide a ‘first-glance’ understanding of the hospital cleaning guidelines; it does not replace comprehensive training or the need for professional cleaning expertise when appropriate.
In practice, day-to-day clinical cleaning within hospitals (such as wiping down patient beds and equipment between uses) is typically handled by nurses or qualified in-house cleaning teams. In addition to this, hospitals often engage specialist contractors like AllClean for non-clinical or large-scale cleaning jobs.
Cleaning Schedule by Hospital Room Type
The NHMRC recommends different cleaning schedules depending on the risk category of the type of hospital room being cleaned. Those rooms identified as “very high risk” require the most frequent cleaning, often twice daily cleaning of all furniture, while “low risk” areas require less often cleaning, with some furniture pieces cleaned only once a week.
According to the NHMRC, “health service organisations should use their local risk management framework to determine individual and collective infection risks…”.
An overview of these risk categories for various example rooms is available below. All examples are inclusive of any adjoining area, for example, bathrooms, corridors, storerooms, meeting rooms, offices, pan rooms and staff lounges.
Very High / Extreme Risk
Hospital rooms recognised as very high or extreme risk have a minimum once-a-day requirement for cleaning of most items, with some items being cleaned as often as a minimum of three times a day. Examples of very high-risk hospital rooms are:
- Operating theatres
- Day procedure areas
- Medical imaging procedural areas
- Intensive care units
- Clinical areas with patients in isolation or with patients who are immunosuppressed
- Emergency departments
- Level 2 and 3 nurseries
- Labour and delivery wards
High Risk
Hospital rooms recognised as high-risk have similar cleaning requirements to very high-risk rooms, though differ in some areas from twice-daily cleaning to once-a-day cleaning. Examples of high-risk hospital rooms are:
- General wards
- Level 1 nurseries
- Pharmacy clean areas
- Mortuaries, mortuary fridges and body holding rooms
- Outpatient clinics and treatment rooms
- Sterile stock storage (outside of central sterilising services departments and sterile supply areas)
- Emergency ambulances and other rescue vehicles
Medium Risk
Hospital rooms recognised as medium risk still require a minimum of daily cleaning for most items but are less strict in some areas. Examples of medium-risk hospital rooms are:
- Day activity areas
- Rehabilitation areas, including hydrotherapy
- Outpatient clinics, including consulting rooms, ambulatory care
- Residential accommodation
- Offices in patient/clinical areas
- Medical imaging
- Pathology and other laboratories
- General pharmacy
- Kitchenette/pantry/other food preparation or storage areas
- Main foyer
- Cleaners room
- Non-emergency patient transport vehicles
- All ambulance operational support vehicles
Low Risk
Daily cleaning of some items, such as non-slip floors, is still recommended for the lowest-risk hospital rooms. Examples of low-risk hospital rooms are:
- Office/administration areas
Cleaning Schedule Guidelines for Popular Items
The NHMRC provides a detailed list of recommended cleaning frequencies by hospital items. Here, we have provided a short overview of some of the most common items on their provided list. We recommend marking your current procedures against the list below, as well as viewing the full list on the NHMRC website.
Cleaning Frequency of Common Items (Hospital Cleaning Checklist)
| Element | Very High Risk | High Risk | Medium Risk | Low Risk | Method |
| Bedside table | Clean twice daily | Clean daily | Clean daily | Clean weekly | Detergent |
| Bidet | Clean three times daily | Clean three times daily | Clean daily | Clean daily | Detergent and disinfectant |
| Carpet (soft floor) | Clean twice daily | Clean daily | Clean daily | Clean weekly | Vacuum with high high-efficiency particulate air filter |
| Ceiling | Spot clean daily & wash yearly | Spot clean daily & wash yearly | Spot clean weekly & wash yearly | Spot clean monthly & wash every 3 years | Detergent/Damp dust |
| Door knob/handle, general | Clean twice daily | Clean daily | Clean daily | Clean weekly | Detergent |
| Floor, non-slip | Damp mop twice daily | Damp mop twice daily | Damp mop daily | Damp mop daily | Detergent Detergent + disinfectant for MRO |
| Light switch | Clean daily | Clean daily | Clean weekly | Clean weekly | Detergent |
MRO = Multidrug-resistant organisms (situations requiring additional disinfection).
Disinfection Process Guidelines
For cleaning, the NHMRC most commonly recommends detergent, disinfectant, disinfectant for MRO (Multidrug-resistant organisms) and damp dusting. With these items, your cleaning can effectively kill most bacteria, providing a safe hospital space for visitors and guests.
We have compiled the below checklist for you to review and ensure that the procedures in your hospital are in line with current best practices. Note this list is non-exhaustive of all elements and that some elements may require a combination of methods and/or more intensive cleaning methods depending on the risk of their room.
Cleaning Methods of Common Items (Hospital Cleaning Checklist)
| Method | Elements |
| Detergent | Bath, Bed, Bed rails, Bedside table, Bidet, Blood pressure cuff, Ceiling, Chair, Cleaning equipment, Door knob/handle, Clipboard, Drip/intravenous stands, Fan, patients, Floor non-slip, Fridge (drug), Hoist, bathroom, Light switch, Mattress, Medical gas equipment, Microwave, Oxygen equipment, Shower, Sink (hand washing), Toilet, Washbowl, patient |
| Disinfectant | Bidet, Toilet |
| Disinfectant for MRO | Bed, Bed Rails, Chair, Computer & keyboard, Drip/intravenous stands, Floor non-slip, Mattress, Medical gas equipment, Over bed tray table (overway table), Shower, Toilet seat raised, Patient washbowl |
| Damp dusting | Ceiling |
| Vacuum | Carpet (soft floor) |
Selecting a Cleaning Method for Hospital Items (Flowchart)
The NHMRC guidelines include a detailed flowchart to help determine the appropriate cleaning method for an item based on its risk level and degree of soiling.
Source: Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), 2019)
Staff Training & Safety Guidelines
The NHMRC stresses the importance of infection control professionals partaking in ongoing professional development to gain the necessary expertise to fulfil their role. The cleaning guidelines outlined by NHMRC are extensive. Outlining everything from how various cleaning products work to combat specific types of bacteria and diseases, to the various risks associated with disease spread in hospital areas.
Knowledge in these areas is crucial to all hospital cleaners who are looking to mitigate risks to patients and visitors, as well as ensure their own health and safety.
As an AS/NZS4801:2001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System accredited company and hospital cleaning provider, we take the training of our staff very seriously to ensure a high level of education across all relevant hospital areas.
Training for hospital cleaning personnel often includes information on:
- Proper cleaning methods and product selection – Ensuring the correct cleaning agents and techniques are used for different surfaces and situations, taking into account all relevant environmental factors.
- Risks of infection transmission in different settings – Understanding how the risk of infection spread varies between, for example, a general practice clinic, a dental surgery, and a hospital ICU.
- Modes of disease transmission – Knowing how different types of infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.) spread, and what that means for cleaning protocols in each case.
- Minimum cleaning frequencies and methods – Being familiar with standard guidelines for how often and in what manner various areas and items must be cleaned (as outlined in hospital cleaning schedules and checklists).
- Hospital-grade disinfectants and their use – Identifying which disinfectants are effective against which pathogens, including understanding when to use specialized hard-surface disinfectants or sporicidal agents.
- Evaluating cleanliness – Learning methods to assess environmental cleanliness in healthcare facilities (e.g. ATP swab testing, visual inspection techniques, auditing checklists) to ensure cleaning quality is maintained and can be verified.
How to Adhere to Hospital Cleaning Guidelines
Poor diligence or attention to hospital cleaning can have detrimental consequences. Following, and staying informed on, best practices for hospital cleaning in Western Australia ensures the health and longevity of visitors, staff and patients.
In this article, we have provided a brief insight into some of the guidelines published by The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) but the real guidelines are far more extensive, in a 346-page document. Then, even their comprehensive guidelines, cannot capture the full scope of detail required to ensure the prevention of risk and disease in hospital settings.
The best way to ensure adherence to hospital cleaning guidelines is to engage a professional, trusted medical cleaning service to support your efforts. Along with ensuring adequate training for all internal staff, especially in-house cleaners and nurses.
50+ Years of Clinical and Hospital Cleaning Expertise
Our team has over 50 years of clinical and hospital cleaning expertise. We work with major Perth hospitals, including the Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital, to deliver specialist, non-clinical work for medical environments.
Although hospitals typically have their own in-house specialist team for day-to-day cleaning, we are often engaged to assist on specialistic work or once-off cleaning. Some of the ways we help hospitals include:
- Pre-handover theatre and facility cleans
- Builders’ cleans during construction or refurbishment
- Hard floor stripping and sealing
- Car park and exterior area cleaning
We’re also trusted by a wide range of healthcare providers across WA, including GP clinics, consulting rooms, skin clinics and nurse posts.
With a strong sense of duty to provide the highest level of care and attention to all of our cleaning work, you can feel confident engaging our team for help with your hospital and medical cleaning. Speak with our team today for an obligation-free quote.
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