In the Covid19 era, cleaning services, and waste management are key

This post gives guidance on how you can safely clean rooms in non-health accommodation or households where people have been placed in isolation after contracting COVID-19, or quarantined due to possible exposure to infected persons. This does not include hotel quarantine accommodations.

Cleaning tips and guidelines

1. If the patient is in isolation or quarantine, cleaners should not enter the room to clean it.
2. Cleaners should wait at most 60 minutes before entering a room to clean. This will allow any drops to settle.
3. When possible, windows, curtains, and doors to balconies must be opened during cleaning.
4. You should clean any frequently used items in your accommodation or home, including remote controls, air conditioner controls, light switches, and drawer/cupboard handle handles.
5. You should vacuum soft furnishings like lounges, chairs, and bed-heads. Steam cleaning is recommended for more thorough cleaning.
6. If they are not recyclable, all consumables should be thrown away, including tissue boxes and toilet rolls that have been opened.
7. Before you use the room again, let it air dry.

Use Linen

Linen should be handled with care by cleaners. They should also wear personal protective equipment (PPE), as outlined below. Linen doesn’t require special laundering, but it should be washed at maximum temperature.

Cleaning products

You can use either of these two methods to clean hard surfaces:

• A cleaning and disinfection process in just two steps
• First, the cleaning services provider should clean the area with a detergent. Next, use a disinfectant that is listed by Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). This should include specific claims against COVID-19 and a 1:1,000PPM sodium Hypochlorite solution.
• Use a product that disinfects and cleans simultaneously. If used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, any hospital-grade TGA-listed disinfectant is acceptable.
• It is important to make disinfectant solutions fresh every day and that gloves are worn when handling or preparing them.

All cleaning services, including cloths and mop heads, should be washed in hot water. After cleaning, dry completely. The buckets must be empty and cleaned with a new cleaning or disinfectant solution. After drying, they should be returned to their original state.

Personal protection for cleaning staff

• The cleaners should wear face masks, eye protection (goggles), and Single-use gloves.
• To prevent contamination of clothing, use a disposable plastic apron.
• Wear PPE Kit. PPE’s purpose is to minimize direct contact with surfaces, protect eyes and nose from dust and splashing during cleaning, as well as any chemicals used in cleaning.

Tips to safely and effectively use PPE

• Use soap and water to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• After you enter the guest room, do not adjust your eye protection or face mask. Also, avoid touching your face.
• The mask should either be on or off completely, and should not hang from your neck. Make sure your mask covers your mouth and nose.
• Disposable PPE must be disposed of immediately after being used in a single-use bag. The bag should be tied securely and put in the general trash.
• Take care when removing PE as PPE can be contaminated from the outside.
• Take off your gloves and make sure the gloves are not in direct contact with anything.
• Wash your hands and sanitize them.
• Next, take off your apron.
• Wash your hands and sanitize them.
• Your hands should be washed and sanitized. Take off your mask and dispose of it in the general trash.
• Wash your hands and sanitize them.

Waste handling

It is important to dispose of these wastes with care.

• Place personal waste such as used tissues, packaging, and masks in a secure bag in the same area where the person is being held in isolation or quarantine.
• Avoid touching the inside of the bag when you are disposing of waste. To prevent waste from overflowing, make sure that the bag isn’t full. If the contents are still wet, you can use two bags.
• A cleaning services can combine this waste with any other general waste (non-recyclable or green bins) to get your regular waste pickup.
• It is important to keep your house’s waste bins clean and disinfected. A bin liner is recommended for any plastic or pedal bins. Bin liners prevent the bin from becoming dirty and make it easier to clean and sanitize the bin.

• • After handling any waste, it is crucial to wash your hands thoroughly and properly dispose of any personal protective gear.