Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Standard Precaution

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...

Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection

Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection

Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are the methods that help to break the infection chain and prevent disease.
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...

Hand hygiene

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...

Handwashing I: Introduction and Types of Equipment

Handwashing I: Introduction and Types of Equipment

Handwashing is hand hygiene with plain or antimicrobial soap and water to physically remove dirt, organic material, and microorganisms. However, it may not kill all microorganisms. The handwashing procedure requires a hand wash basin, liquid soap, paper towels, a domestic waste bin, and disposable nail cleaner as optional equipment.
Hand wash basins in clinical areas should have faucets that can be turned on and off without using the hands; that is, they should be non-touch or lever-operated.

Asepsis

Asepsis

The condition of being free from disease-causing living pathogens is asepsis. Aseptic techniques include a set of standard practices to achieve asepsis. An example is the regular environmental cleaning of all parts of the healthcare facility and hand hygiene at home before preparing or eating food. Medical and surgical asepsis in healthcare practice protects patients from harmful pathogens, minimizes the risk of contamination of susceptible sites, and reduces the risk of infection transmission.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

What constitutes an adequate sample size for monitoring hand hygiene adherence?

American journal of infection control·2025

Same author

Response to the comment on the article "No detrimental effect on the hand microbiome of health care staff by frequent alcohol-based antisepsis".

American journal of infection control·2025

Same author

No detrimental effect on the hand microbiome of health care staff by frequent alcohol-based antisepsis.

American journal of infection control·2024

Same author

Elimination of an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a burn unit.

American journal of infection control·2024

Same author

Hand and environmental hygiene: respective roles for MRSA, multi-resistant gram negatives, Clostridioides difficile, and Candida spp.

Antimicrobial resistance and infection control·2024

Same author

Pseudo-outbreak of Parengyodontium album related to contaminated saline used in specimen processing in the microbiology laboratory.

American journal of infection control·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Published on: February 24, 2026

Variations in hospital daily cleaning practices.

John M Boyce¹, Nancy L Havill, Abigail Lipka

¹Infectious Diseases Section, Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. jboyce@srhs.org

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology

|December 3, 2009

Summary

Daily hospital cleaning practices show significant variation. Housekeepers differ in time spent, disinfectant wipe usage, and achieved cleanliness levels for high-touch surfaces.

More Related Videos

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Published on: June 21, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Published on: February 24, 2026

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Published on: June 21, 2022

Area of Science:

Healthcare quality improvement
Infection control
Environmental hygiene

Background:

Effective daily cleaning is crucial for preventing healthcare-associated infections.
Standardized protocols are essential for consistent environmental hygiene in hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the variability in daily cleaning practices within a university-affiliated hospital.
To assess the consistency of cleaning high-touch surfaces and disinfectant usage.

Main Methods:

Prospective observational study design.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assays used to measure surface cleanliness.
Direct observation of housekeeping activities, including time spent and materials used.

Main Results:

Significant variations observed in the time dedicated to cleaning high-touch surfaces.
Inconsistent use of disinfectant wipes across different rooms and by different staff.
Discrepancies in the final level of cleanliness achieved, as measured by ATP assays.

Conclusions:

Current daily cleaning practices in the studied hospital exhibit considerable variability.
Lack of standardization impacts the effectiveness of environmental hygiene and infection control.
Further research into standardized cleaning protocols and staff training is warranted.