Maintaining high cleanliness levels in nursing homes is critical for proper infection prevention and control, residents’ overall health, and their right to a clean and dignified living environment.
Working to keep nursing homes clean, on the other hand, can be a difficult task. Not only are care homes large, with many hygiene risks in every room, but the number of products available to maintain care home hygiene can also be perplexing, leaving caregivers unsure which to use.
That’s where this guide comes in. This article, written by the experts at the healthcare marketplace Wippet, discusses the best products for maintaining good hygiene in the care home.
Conti Wipes
Conti wipes are among the best products to maintain proper resident hygiene. Conti is a brand of wet and dry patient wipes used in the healthcare industry that has been in use by the NHS for over 35 years.
Conti dry wipes can be used for various patient cleansing tasks, such as daily washing and incontinence care. Each Conti wet and dry wipe has a distinct strength and softness rating, allowing users to select appropriate clothing for the task and patient skin type. They can also be used for general surface cleaning, especially near the resident’s bed.
Conti dry wipes
The Conti collection contains a wide range of dry wipes, including flushable, incontinence care, and gentle for sensitive skin, in various sizes ranging from small to extra large.
The cost-efficient Conti dry wipes range is a perfect alternative for patient care. It has numerous uses in the healthcare sector for general-purpose cleaning, ranging from the low-cost Conti Lite to the effective absorbency of the Conti Washcloth.
Conti dry wipes can be used alone or with a separate skin cleaning foam or body wash to create a versatile patient cleansing solution.
Conti wet wipes
Conti also has a smaller selection of flushable wet wipes in various sizes ranging from small to medium. These wet wipes are made with a dermatologically tested, pH balanced, lanolin and alcohol-free formulation designed to deliver rapid and long-lasting moisturisation.
Resident cleansing dry wipes
Recent studies based on NHS data show that approximately 630 million dry wipes are used each year, with wipes chosen based on clinical factors such as durability and performance.
Dry wipes are polyethene wipes that serve as a versatile tool for maintaining a sanitary, healthy environment because they are not pre-saturated with cleaning solutions. Furthermore, because they contain no chemicals, some users with sensitive skin prefer using dry wipes.
The dry wipes can be used dry to absorb fluids on surfaces, clean hard surfaces and mop up spills, or wet to thoroughly wash a patient or surface with soap and water or a cleansing solution. In this sense, they can be used in place of a J-cloth or flannel.
Dry wipes with cleansing solutions are often used in nursing homes to bathe people in bed or clean those who become soiled due to incontinence. Cross-infection between patients and surfaces is more readily avoided because they are designed for single-use in conditions with a high risk of bacterial contamination.
Wippet has a large selection of dry wipes, including flushable wipes, incontinence wipes, and soft wipes for sensitive skin. Many are available in sizes ranging from small to extra-large.
Resident cleansing wet wipes
Wet wipes have the same cleansing and moisturising properties as dry wipes, but they are better suited for sensitive skin and can be used on all body regions, including the face. In addition, they are larger and softer than dry wipes, making them excellent for cleaning patients and residents who are unable to move or are bedridden.
Wet wipes are widely used with soap and water when cleaning, especially when running water is unavailable. They offer a moisturising formula that deodorises skin while also battling bacteria to aid in infection control, making them suitable for all ages.
In nursing facilities, wet wipes are used similarly to dry wipes for bathing and to care for incontinence patients. If the individual you’re caring for has sensitive skin, though, unscented wipes should be used.
Recent research revealed a correlation between traditional soap and water handwashing and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs) in catheter management, as well as replacing washbasins with one-time use bathing items, such as pre-packaged wet wipes, lowered infection rates by more than 59%.
Appropriately coloured bins & waste sacks
To maintain exceptional hygienic standards, care homes follow strict waste management rules. As the law requires, waste must be divided into the correct category for disposal and placed in the appropriate colour bag with an identifying label. The care home’s waste management team should establish which category each waste item belongs to.
Each waste disposal category has its colour bin bag that must be used for disposing of the related type of rubbish. So Wippet carries all of the required waste sack colours and a variety of other things such as pedal bin liners, swing bin liners, and waste bins.
Our durable foot-operated bin, for example, is made of easy-to-clean and hygienic polypropylene, making it suitable for practically any care home environment. In addition, the 45-litre bin is available in six different colours, making it excellent for adhering to regulatory colour-coding regulations.
Another option is our bundle of 200 strong duty rubbish sacks, which are great for disposing of larger things or waste that could tear a thinner bin bag. Each sack is 160 gauge thick to bear the pressure of more unusually shaped goods and comes with a tie handle for convenient packaging.
Where can I purchase the best products for care home hygiene?
The above items are some of the best products carers can buy right now to help them maintain and clean, hygienic and dignified care home.
All of the items are available to purchase from Wippet, the UK’s healthcare marketplace. We stock many of the top care brands alongside each other, so you can choose the product that gives you the best deal.
