When is the last time you washed your cubicle curtains?
Posted by stacy on Fri, Sep 02, 2011
Environmental cleanliness is the key to curbing the spread of cross-contamination. Even with meticulous hand washing by your healthcare staff, they can quickly become contaminated if the environmental surfaces are not clean and disinfected. This includes the cubicle (or privacy) curtains.
To create a clean and safe environment where patients can get well and go home, you may be overlooking a dirty little problem. Doctors, nurses, patients, housekeepers and everybody else grabs the cubicle curtain to open or close it. Sometimes with gloves, but often times without. Sometimes their hands are clean, but often times they are not. Patients are given clean linens and patients gowns, yet the curtains that hang within 2 feet of them has not been changed for weeks, months, or maybe over a year. Have you considered the possible link between these curtains and healthcare associated infections? Perhaps you should.
To maintain compliance and proper infection control, a written policy must be in place for laundering cubicle curtains on a scheduled basis through an HLAC-accredited healthcare laundry service. MediCleanse follows proper laundering techniques and biohazard handling, in accordance with HLAC Standards, to ensure that your curtains are hygienically clean for hanging in patient care areas.
Call today to learn more about implementing a scheduled laundry service for your cubicle curtains. Our team would look forward to hearing about your needs and assist in outlining a program that best suits your facility’s requirements.
