Areas Requiring Cleaning vs Disinfection

In UK healthcare facilities, the degree of cleanliness necessary will vary according to the risk of infection within each location. For example, areas assessed as low risk, including administrative offices, hallways, waiting rooms, and staff locations, typically require routine cleaning; however, this is only to remove dirt and to keep them clean on an ongoing basis without any visible signs of contamination or clinical activity.
On the other hand, high-risk areas, which include patient rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), and laboratories, including pathology and microbiology, require both complete cleaning and adequate disinfection.
Cleaning and disinfection protocols must be maintained to minimize cross-contamination and maintain the patient's safety in a patient room. Strict cleaning protocols are essential in areas with an increased susceptibility to infections, for example, operating rooms and intensive care units, due to the high risk associated with the patient population in these locations. Likewise, laboratories must adhere to stricter cleaning processes to eliminate the risk of exposure to toxic or harmful microorganisms.