Spring Into Safety: How Seasonal Deep Cleaning Strengthens Hospital Infection Control

Spring Into Safety: How Seasonal Deep Cleaning Strengthens Hospital

Infection Control

Cover of May/June 2025 of Infection Control Today

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Hospitals are critical environments where cleanliness and maintenance directly impact patient outcomes, staff safety, and operational efficiency. Seasonal deep cleaning, particularly in the spring, can enhance infection control, maintain equipment, and address environmental factors associated with seasonal illnesses.

The tradition of spring-cleaning dates back thousands of years and is rooted in cultural, religious, and practical practices.¹ In ancient civilizations, such as Persia, the practice was tied to the Persian New Year,² which occurs at the spring equinox. It embodied renewal and purification, with households thoroughly cleaning their homes to welcome the new year. Similarly, in Jewish symbolic tradition, Passover involves removing all leavened (fermented dough) products from the home, prompting a deep clean.

Spring-cleaning had practical origins in colder climates: during winter, homes were sealed and heated by coal or wood fires, accumulating soot and dust. With the arrival of warmer weather, windows (or shutters) and doors could be opened, allowing homes to be thoroughly cleaned and aired out.

Historically, cleaning was rudimentary, but growing awareness of health care–associated infections (HAIs) has driven advancements. Current practices combine traditional methods with modern technologies such as UV light and antimicrobial surfaces, though standardization and compliance remain challenging. The future of hospital cleaning lies in integrating evidence-based protocols, innovative disinfection technologies, and educating staff to enhance efficacy.³

This essay explores the rationale behind hospital spring-cleaning and seasonal maintenance, emphasizing infection prevention, equipment reliability, and environmental hygiene. Despite significant technological advancements, spring-cleaning can still confer notable cognitive and physical health benefits.

Infection Control and Prevention

A primary reason for conducting comprehensive spring cleaning in hospitals is to minimize the risk of infections. HAIs remain a significant concern, contributing to patient morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs.⁴ Although daily cleaning protocols are essential, seasonal deep cleaning helps eliminate persistent pathogens that accumulate in less frequently cleaned areas such as ceilings, vents, and walls.

Spring-cleaning also includes intensive disinfection of high-touch surfaces, a necessary practice given that bacteria and viruses, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, can survive on surfaces for extended periods.⁵ Advanced disinfection techniques, such as UV light sterilization and electrostatic spraying, can supplement traditional cleaning methods to enhance pathogen elimination. Using appropriate disinfectants and cleaning techniques ensures that biofilms and airborne pathogens do not persist in health care environments.

Before we adopt an extremely cautious stance toward bacteria and viruses, we must acknowledge that most bacterial species are benign and play a critical role in maintaining biological processes essential for life. Pathogenic viruses are a significant public health concern due to their potential to cause disease, but they lack the cellular machinery necessary for independent replication. Instead, they must first infect a host cell, hijacking the host’s biological processes to facilitate their replication and propagation. Widespread cleaning and disinfecting remove the opportunity for viruses to achieve transmission.

HVAC Systems, Seasonal Diseases, and Their Impact

Seasonal illnesses, such as influenza, norovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus, peak during colder months.^6,7 As spring arrives, it is crucial to conduct deep cleaning to reduce the residual microbial load from the winter season and reduce outbreaks. Additionally, allergens such as pollen and mold spores increase in the spring, potentially exacerbating respiratory conditions in vulnerable patients. Thorough cleaning of air filtration systems, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units, and hospital rooms can help reduce allergens and improve indoor air quality. If heating systems are not regularly cleaned and maintained, they can become reservoirs for pathogens. For example, dust and debris in ducts or vents can harbor bacteria or fungi, which may then be dispersed into the air.

The emergence of new respiratory threats, such as COVID-19 and other viral infections, further underscores the need for rigorous hospital cleaning. Study findings indicate that improved environmental cleaning protocols significantly reduce viral transmission in health care settings.⁸ Periodic deep cleaning ensures hospitals remain prepared to manage and mitigate the risks of evolving infectious diseases.

The implementation of deep cleaning may require expanded operational tasks and additional labor resources. To meet these demands, departments may strategically allocate overtime hours to existing staff with proven competencies. This approach is a cost-effective alternative to hiring external contractors whose performance may not align with their proposals. From a value-added standpoint, this strategy helps minimize quality variability while sustaining operational efficiency.

Maintenance of Medical Equipment

Medical equipment requires routine maintenance to ensure functionality and compliance with safety regulations. Seasonal maintenance, particularly during spring-cleaning, offers a systematic approach to inspecting, repairing, and calibrating essential devices such as ventilators, defibrillators, infusion pumps, and imaging machines.

Preventive maintenance helps extend the lifespan of medical devices and ensures compliance with manufacturer guidelines. It also reduces the likelihood of malfunctions, which could harm patients.

Cleaning stored equipment is just as critical as maintaining equipment in operation. Proactive measures to reduce microbial contamination are essential in mitigating potential infection risks.

The CDC’s Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008⁹ provides evidence-based recommendations for preventing infections through proper disinfection and sterilization practices. It categorizes medical items as critical, semicritical, or noncritical and outlines appropriate sterilization and disinfection methods for each. Key strategies include using high-level disinfectants for semicritical instruments, ensuring adequate exposure times, and following manufacturer guidelines.

Furthermore, departments demonstrating consistent fiscal prudence and resource optimization throughout the fiscal year can reallocate accrued savings to support seasonal maintenance activities, including procuring new equipment. This strategy ensures sustained operational performance and aligns with principles of financial stewardship and long-term asset management.

The Role of Wall Washing in Hospital Hygiene

Hospital walls are often overlooked during routine cleaning. Visually clean hospital surfaces, including walls, can harbor pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These microorganisms can survive on such surfaces for extended periods, posing infection risks to patients and medical staff.¹⁰

Ventilation systems primarily affect air quality by filtering and circulating air. Properly designed systems can reduce airborne pathogens, but do not directly target pathogens on walls or other surfaces. However, airflow can influence the deposition of airborne particles, potentially redistributing pathogens to surfaces.

Sick patients can shed bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens, contingent upon the nature of their illness. This shedding can occur through multiple routes, including respiratory droplets (generated by coughing or sneezing), bodily fluids (eg, saliva, mucus, urine, or feces), or direct skin contact. The specific infectious agent and the stage of disease influence the extent and mode of pathogen shedding. The pathway to bed placement within health care facilities presents numerous opportunities for disseminating residual pathogens, which may be transmitted to others traversing the same route. This underscores the importance of rigorous infection control measures to mitigate the risk of HAIs.

Environmental and Psychological Benefits

A clean and well-maintained hospital environment positively affects patients and health care professionals.^10,11 A study by Vance et al explores the often-overlooked role of hospital cleaning staff as caregivers beyond their primary cleaning duties.¹¹ Through a qualitative descriptive approach, the research findings highlight how these staff members contribute to patient care by providing emotional support, fostering a healing environment, and acting as a bridge between patients and clinical staff. The findings emphasize the importance of recognizing and valuing the multifaceted contributions of cleaning staff in health care settings, advocating for their inclusion in patient care teams and training programs to enhance their impact on patient outcomes and overall hospital dynamics.^11,12

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care personnel diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection were promptly isolated and placed under quarantine, resulting in elevated stress levels among the remaining staff. The imperceptible nature of airborne pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, exacerbated this psychological burden, highlighting the profound mental health implications of infectious disease outbreaks within health care settings.

The pandemic induced comparable levels of distress among environmental services (EVS) staff. However, it also gave EVS professionals a critical opportunity to underscore their indispensable role in infection prevention and control programs, demonstrating their vital contribution to mitigating transmission risks and maintaining safe health care environments.

Conclusion

Spring-cleaning and seasonal maintenance should be essential practices in hospital management. They enhance infection control, reduce the burden of seasonal diseases, ensure equipment functionality, and promote environmental and cognitive hygiene. Given the significant impact of hospital cleanliness on patient outcomes and staff efficiency, investing in systematic seasonal deep cleaning is a proactive strategy that benefits all stakeholders. Future research and continuous improvements in cleaning protocols will further strengthen the role of hospital hygiene in preventing infections and maintaining high health care standards. 

References

1. Méndex L. The history of spring cleaning. National Geographic. March 19, 2019. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-spring-cleaning
2. Nowruz – Persian New Year. HISTORY. March 19, 2024. Updated March 2, 2025. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/nowruz-persian-new-year
3. Dancer SJ. Hospital cleaning: past, present, and future. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2023;12(1):80. doi:10.1186/s13756-023-01275-3
4. Haque M, McKimm J, Sartelli M, et al. Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections: a narrative overview. Risk Manag Health Policy. 2020;13:1765-1780. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S269315
5. Boyce JM, Potter-Bynoe G, Chenevert C, King T. Environmental contamination due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: possible infection control implications. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1997;18(9):622-627.
6. Dowell SF, Ho MS. Seasonality of infectious diseases and severe acute respiratory syndrome–what we don’t know can hurt us. Lancet Infect Dis. 2004;4(11):704-708. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(04)01177-6
7. Lowen AC, Mubareka S, Steel J, Palese P. Influenza virus transmission is dependent on relative humidity and temperature. PLoS Pathog. 2007;3(10):1470-1476. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030151
8. Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Corrigendum to “persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents” [J Hosp Infect 104 (2020) 246-251]. 2020;105(3):587. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2020.06.001
9. Recommendations for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities: guideline disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities (2008). CDC. December 7, 2023. Accessed March 22, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/summary-recommendations.html
10. Jabłońska-Trypuć A, Makuła M, Włodarczyk-Makuła M, et al. Inanimate surfaces as a source of hospital infections caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses with particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(13):8121. doi:10.3390/ijerph19138121
11. Vance N, Ackerman-Barger K, Murray-García J, Cothran FA. “More than just cleaning”: a qualitative descriptive study of hospital cleaning staff as patient caregivers. Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2022;4:100097. doi:10.1016/j.ijnsa.2022.100097
12. Hospital cleanliness impacts overall patient experience. Facility Executive. November 7, 2016. Accessed March 22, 2025. https://facilityexecutive.com/83312-2/​