On this page: Background | Educational Resources | Setting-Specific Resources
Background
Germs can live on environmental surfaces or on medical equipment. It is important to clean and disinfect surfaces and equipment to prevent the spread of germs.
Medical equipment has different disinfection or sterilization requirements depending on what the equipment touches.
Educational Resources
- Daily Room Cleaning Checklist for Occupied Patient/Resident Rooms: Step-by-Step Guide (PDF, docx)
- Recommendations for the Routine Use of a Disinfectant Effective Against Candida auris in Healthcare Settings
- Memo: Improving Environmental Cleaning to Prevent MDRO Transmission
- Cleaning and Disinfection (poster for education) – English / Spanish
- Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Responsibilities Chart
- Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection
- Healthcare Facility Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection (slides, recording)
- Think Sink: Reducing the Risk from Plumbing to Patients (9/6/2024) (webinar recording)
VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: The HAI/AR team is available to conduct a no-cost, non-regulatory, onsite visit to help a facility identify its infection prevention strengths and areas of opportunity.
- Considerations for Reducing Risk: Surfaces in Healthcare Facilities
- Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities
- Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities
- How to Read a Disinfectant Label
- Infection Control Assessment Modules
- Options for Evaluating Environmental Cleaning
- Project Firstline: CDC’s Project Firstline provides innovative and accessible infection control education for all frontline healthcare workers.
- Environmental Cleaning Courses (training)
Association for the Health Care Environment / Project Firstline
- Competency resources (note: cost associated), educational videos (in English and Spanish), cleaning and disinfecting job aids (in English and Spanish)
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
- APIC Issue Brief: The Science Behind Endoscope Reprocessing
- Quick Safety Checklist for an Endoscope Reprocessing Area
- STRIVE Environmental Training Modules and Tools
California Department of Public Health
Environmental Protection Agency
Indiana State Department of Health
Nebraska Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE)
Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group
- Virginia Infection Prevention and Control Training Alliance (VIPTA) - search the education and training resource library for resources related to cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization
VCU Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center
- Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center (VIPTC) - courses and trainings related to infection prevention and control
- Sterile Surgical Instrument Peel Packs: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (video)
Setting-Specific Resources
Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization resources specific to long-term care settings:
Nursing Homes
- Sparkling Surfaces- Combat COVID-19's Spread (CDC)
- Cleaning and Disinfection During Outbreaks (quick guide for infection preventionists in nursing homes) (VDH)
- Environment of Care (quick guide for infection preventionists in nursing homes) (VDH)