Step 1: Cleaning

The first step in infection control is cleaning.

When you clean, you must remove all visible and surface dirt and debris from tools, implements, and equipment by washing them with liquid soap or detergent and warm water, or a chemical cleaner, and using a clean an disinfected brush to scrub any grooved or hinged portions of the item.

When a surface is properly cleaned, the number of contaminants on the surface is greatly reduced.

Proper cleaning also removes any oils or residue from items that might interfere with disinfectant being able to work properly.

A surface must be properly cleaned before it can be properly disinfected. Using a disinfectant without cleaning first is like using mouthwash without brushing your teeth — it just does not work properly!

Applying antiseptics to your skin or washing your hands with soap and water will drastically lower the number of pathogens on your hands.

There are three ways to clean your tools and implements:

• Washing with soap and warm water and then scrubbing them with a clean and properly disinfected nailbrush

• Using an ultrasonic unit

• Using a chemical cleaner