ICU Maintenance Protocols

The following are short sections describing procedures which must be run in order to maintain the ICU as an efficient, safe, and effective clinic.

Each ward should be stocked with 1 spray bottle each of diluted bleach (1:10) (bottle must be covered in vet wrap), Trifectant (¼ scoop to a bottle), and water with dish soap.

When in doubt, scrub it with hot soapy water and spray with bleach water!

Laundry

Washer

1. Shake out all laundry to remove feces/food/etc

2. Load 10-15 items (depending on size) into the washer

3. Pour ½ cup laundry detergent and ¼ cup bleach into the corresponding compartments

4. Run Washer on ‘Heavy Duty’ setting.

5. Move to dryer after cycle is finished

6. Run on ‘Heavy Duty/Towel’ setting

7. Fold and place in the appropriate location

8. Remove lint from dryer, and clean out the rubber seal of the washer before running another load

Dryer

• Clean lint filter before every use.

• Dryer is a fire hazard so stop dryer when leaving at night.

• Do not overfill

• Do not place soaked towels in drier. If "Spin" function of washer is broken, set to washer to complete a second drain and spin part of the cycle.  If towels are still soaked, air dry towels, then place in drier for 10-20 minute to soften. 

• Dyer must be turned off before leaving at the end of the night. Leave washer door open to prevent mold build-up 

• Any hard toys and cones thrown in the laundry hamper should be washed in the shower/sink and sprayed with bleach water. 

Shoes

Spot clean with soapy water and spray with diluted bleach. Once a week, throw into the washer with bleach and run on ‘Quick Wash’.

Trash and Recycling

• Tie up full bag of trash and spray entire surface with trifectant, including bottom of bag and ties.

• Double bag trash with new bag and spray outer surface of bag, again.  DO NOT LET second bag touch any surface or floor after second spray. Allow full contact time and place bag outside of quarantine area.

Crates

1. Mechanically remove all visible organic material (feces, food, etc)

2. Scrub all crate surfaces with water and soap. These first two steps removes 90% of pathogens

3. Chemically remove (kill) virus with bleach and/or trifectant: spray onto clean and relatively dry surface for appropriate contact time

Sweeping and Mopping

• Sweep entire areas (pick up stuff to get full floor swept) and collect in dustbin then put in trash.

• Mop with warm soapy bleach water starting in cleanest area first and move to dirtiest.

• Spray the dryer, fridge, washer, and toilet with disinfectant 

Sharps

• All sharps (needles only) must be discarded in the red Sharps container. Please do not overfill. 

• Once full, close container, disinfect, and place outside the ICU. 

Dishes

1. When possible dishes should be rinsed and returned to the same kennel.

2. If the dish is too dirty and needs to be washed with a sponge, leave the dish in the sink until the end of the shift and give the kennel a new clean dish from the cupboard NOT FROM THE DRYING RACK.

3. If the sink becomes too full during a shift, wash all the dishes and as they are cleaned dip them in a 1:20 bleach bath just before setting them on the drying rack.  Alternatively if you need to only bleach a few dishes, you may also spray the entire surface of the dish with the bleach spray bottle.  Once done with the dishes, rinse the sponge in the bleach bath and set to dry.

4. The bleach bath should be made up fresh for each shift.

5. Dishes must be completely dry before removing from the drying rack and placing into the cupboard.

6. At the end of the PM shift, throw the sponge in the laundry.  Sponges must go through the laundry once per day.

7. Dishes should be washed and left to dry in the ward they are being used. E.g. Do not bring a dish from ward 2 and wash it in the ward 1 sink.