Introduction to the Operating Room
LESSON 1: ORIENTATION
1-31
1-31. WET-VACUUM METHOD (RECOMMENDED)
a. Discussion. For floor cleaning at the end of a day's schedule, the wet-vacuum method is more effective in reducing the bacterial count on the floor than the mop-and-pail method.
b. Procedure.
(1) Wipe down the furniture with a germicide solution and remove it from the room.
(2) Flood the floor with a germicide, beginning with the most heavily contaminated area (usually the area around the operating table). If flooding does not remove the soil, scrub the area with a clean mop head and pour additional solution on the area. At this point, the solution will have been on the floor for several minutes.
(3) Remove the excess solution from the floor with the wet vacuum pickup. This ensures that dirty solutions are removed from cracks, crevices, corners, and so forth.
(4) Wheel the furniture into the OR over a germicide-soaked mat.
(5) Wipe the furniture down with a germicidal solution.
