When it comes to hospital curtains, there are typically no specific requirements for their cleaning routines. However, the privacy curtains you use will need to be cleaned. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are due to various pathogens that thrive on soft surfaces. These pathogens may find shelter in shades and may spread easily. The safety and comfort of patients are top priority, which means that hospital fabrics must be thoroughly cleaned to reduce the risks and spread of HAIs.
If you manage a medical facility, here is what you need to know about cleaning your curtains:
When To Change and Clean Hospital Curtains
Hospital curtains must be changed and cleaned when they are showing signs of dirt, even if the area hasn’t been used as much as others. Another reason to change and clean them is when a patient has been discharged, and you need to prepare for another patient.
You will also find manufacturing directions that contain information about the frequency of cleaning the shades, and it’s essential to follow them. Similarly, there are three classified HAIs that require the immediate changing of privacy curtains:
- Clostridium difficile (C-diff)
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
If a patient is diagnosed with any of these viruses, the curtains must be cleaned immediately.
How To Clean Hospital Curtains
Most medical facilities outsource their cleaning services to an agency because it is a more practical solution. Moreover, there may be no room in a hospital to accommodate laundry services, which is why to clean privacy curtains, you can consider the following options:
- Get A Full-Service Program: You don’t want to burden your staff with additional cleaning tasks, which is why you need to get a company that offers a full-service program. Find a launderer that can handle deliveries and inventory management. The company must also inspect the screens every time they are laundered.
- Consider A Simplified Privacy Curtain System: There are companies that offer same-sized panels attached to a mesh to accommodate varying ceiling heights. This way, all cubicle curtains will be the same size, which will make their removal simpler.
Keep in mind that medical facilities launder their curtains at different times; some do it quarterly, while others semi-annually or annually. However, those who rent cubicles don’t need to worry about curtain laundry.
Regardless of how frequently you decide to clean your fabrics, what’s vital is to have a process for replacing the curtains when needed. This ensures that your medical facility remains safe and free from contagious infections. 
Conclusion
When it comes to having your privacy curtains laundered, be sure to first evaluate the needs of your facility. Since there is regulatory freedom when it comes to this, it is up to you to decide what makes the most sense for you. All you have to do is ensure that your patients and their comfort and security are a top priority.
Moreover, despite the frequency of laundering, you also need to choose the right company to work with to ensure that you will have clean fabrics delivered at the right time. They need to help you with other curtain-related tasks in your facility to ease the burden off of your staff. That way, they can focus more on delivering quality healthcare for the success of your facility.
Aside from cleaning your curtains, consider the quality as well quality. This includes finding a reliable supplier that can provide you with proper curtain systems and perform the installations for you.
Direct Fabrics are NHS fabric suppliers with a superior range of contract furnishings. From manufacture to installation, we offer high-quality cubicle curtains in the UK as well as made-to-measure ones to fit your facilities perfectly. Visit our store today to place your order!