What is a hospital cleaning trolley?
A hospital cleaning trolley is a piece of equipment specifically designed to facilitate cleaning and disinfection tasks in a hospital environment. It is equipped with compartments, bins, and specific holders for transporting cleaning products, disinfectants, cloths , brooms , mop heads, trash bags, gloves, and other accessories necessary for safe and effective cleaning and disinfection. Hospital cleaning trolleys are generally made of stainless steel or durable plastic, making them easy to clean and disinfect. They also feature durable wheels and brakes for easy movement from room to room.
The advantages of hospital cleaning trolleys
Organization and mobility
Hospital cleaning trolleys allow all the necessary cleaning products and accessories to be grouped together in one place. This greatly facilitates the work of cleaning staff by keeping everything within easy reach. Furthermore, the trolley's wheels make moving from one room to another quick and efficient.
Hygiene and safety
Hospital cleaning trolleys are designed to meet the strictest hygiene standards. They are easy to clean and disinfect, eliminating the risk of contamination. Furthermore, these trolleys are equipped with specific compartments for waste storage, allowing for its isolation and proper disposal, particularly with the use of biohazard waste bags .
Ergonomics
Cleaning in a hospital environment can be physically demanding. Hospital cleaning trolleys are ergonomically designed to reduce fatigue and injuries associated with handling heavy objects. They are equipped with comfortable handles, swivel casters, and lifting mechanisms to facilitate the work of cleaning staff.
Versatility
Hospital cleaning trolleys are versatile and can be used for various cleaning and disinfection tasks. They are often equipped with removable and adjustable compartments, allowing the trolley to be adapted to the specific needs of each hospital department and its disinfection protocol. For example, a trolley used in a radiology department can be configured to transport cleaning products specific to radiology medical equipment.
The different types of trolleys: general cleaning, specialized cleaning and disinfection
There is a wide variety of hospital cleaning trolleys, each designed for different types of facilities. The pre-impregnation method, widely used in hospitals, has led to a specific range of trolleys. These are used for general cleaning of hospital premises such as corridors, patient rooms, and waiting rooms. They are generally equipped with compartments for cleaning products, cloths, high-quality disinfectants such as Anios or Exeol Santé, disinfectant mops and mop heads, and trash bags.
There are trolleys specifically designed for cleaning operating rooms, intensive care units, and radiology rooms. These trolleys are equipped with specific compartments for disinfectant products, sometimes classified as medical devices (MDs), adapted to each environment.
These trolleys are used to collect and transport medical waste in hospitals. They are equipped with special compartments for different types of waste (contaminated waste, sharps, chemical waste, etc.) to ensure proper disposal. The use of DASRI (infectious waste) bags or DASRI containers is therefore necessary.
These trolleys are equipped with special compartments for preparing disinfectant solutions. They are used to disinfect surfaces and medical equipment in hospitals, particularly through the use of the "pre-impregnation" method. These trolleys are then referred to as pre-impregnation trolleys.
What type of cleaning surface is used for the pre-impregnation method?
Microfiber fringe with Velcro, with pockets or disposable headband: which one to choose?
Several options are available for choosing the floor cleaning equipment that you will attach to your trolley:
Microfiber fringe with Velcro backing, 40 cm - The most common method uses
microfiber fringes with Velcro fastening and a 40cm
microfiber backing . These fringes are available in various weights, color-coded for differentiation between areas, and textured to provide more abrasive cleaning power.
The lifespan of a fringe of this type varies between 200 and 250 washes because the wear of the "scratch" present on the microfiber makes the fringe not adhere to the support.
The amount of solution absorbed by the fringe is on average 100 grams.
40cm microfiber fringe with pockets and pocket holder In this case the method is strictly the same as before with the only difference that the fringe being pocketed its lifespan in machine washing doubles or even triples with a duration of 500 to 600 washes.
The average amount of solution absorbed by the mop head is 200 grams. Therefore, the pocket mop head has a much longer lifespan than the hook-and-loop mop head, which absorbs a greater amount of solution.
Short-use/single-use washband Another solution is the use of
single-use (one-time use) or short-use washing strips with a number of wash cycles less than 50.
The advantage of this headband is that it ensures impeccable hygiene because, in the case of strict disinfection protocols that do not allow any reuse of the product, the headband can be destroyed. Its unit cost remains low in use.
How to choose your hospital cleaning trolley?
You are a healthcare facility and wish to install or renew your fleet of trolleys. Implementing bio-cleaning and the pre-impregnated fringe method is an almost implicit rule to prevent cross-contamination and the risk of nosocomial transmission.
Dimensions, size and cleaning capacity
Your cleaning and disinfection cart must be adapted to the chosen method, not the other way around. The number of patient rooms or the surface area will determine the cart's autonomy. The size and capacity of the cart must be sufficient to transport all the necessary cleaning products and accessories and to be able to move through corridors, rooms, and elevators. Even though it may seem obvious, the size of the elevator must be checked...
Material and durability
The material of the trolley is another important factor to consider. Opt for a trolley made of stainless steel or durable plastic to ensure its longevity and ease of cleaning. This is especially important given the aggressive nature of some disinfectants.
Ergonomics and maneuverability
Ensure the trolley is ergonomic and easy to maneuver. The handles, wheels, and lifting mechanisms should be designed to minimize physical effort and facilitate moving the trolley.
Adaptability
Check if the trolley is modular and can be adapted to the specific needs of your facility. The compartments and accessories should be easily adjustable to meet the different requirements of each hospital department.