![[ Visit SHEA online ]](images/banner.gif)
Background: Housekeepers play an important role in prevention of healthcare-associated infections. In some recent studies, significant improvements in cleaning have been achieved through interventions directed at housekeeping staff. To be optimally effective, such interventions require that housekeepers be knowledgeable about environmental disinfection and willing to receive constructive feedback on their cleaning performance.
Objective: To assess housekeepers' knowledge and opinions regarding environmental cleaning in hospitals.
Methods: Housekeepers working on 9 patient care wards at a VA medical center completed a survey that included years of work experience, knowledge and opinions regarding environmental disinfection practices and products, and willingness to participate in cleaning interventions.
Results: Of 39 housekeepers surveyed, 27 (69%) had 3 or more years of work experience. Thirty-six (92%) housekeepers thought that environmental disinfection is very important for prevention of infections, and 37 (95%) were aware that hands often become contaminated after touching surfaces. Thirty-four (87%) housekeepers were very willing (N =22) or somewhat willing (N =12) to participate in an intervention including routine monitoring of thoroughness of cleaning. The most common factors identified as barriers to cleaning were lack of sufficient time for cleaning (N =12; 31%) and delayed communication of when rooms are ready for cleaning (N =17; 44%). Twenty-eight (72%) housekeepers were aware that bleach is needed to kill Clostridium difficile spores, but only 6 (15%) were aware that 6-8 minutes of contact time is required for optimal killing of spores.
Conclusions: A majority of housekeepers in our facility expressed willingness to participate in interventions to improve cleaning. Our findings suggest that interventions should include education on appropriate application of bleach and assessment of the adequacy of the time allotted for room cleaning.