Free checklist · Infection control
ICU Cleaning and Disinfection Checklist
Intensive care units house the most vulnerable patients and the densest cluster of high-touch surfaces in a hospital. This checklist breaks ICU cleaning into bed-space routines, shared areas, isolation rooms and discharge cleans, with a final verification step. Use it alongside your ICU's infection control policy and the guidance of your infection control nurse.
- Checks
- 33
- Sections
- 6
- Frequency
- Every shift, with additional cleans on discharge or transfer
- Owner
- ICU housekeeping staff, verified by ICU nurse in-charge
01Preparation
02Bed space (each shift)
03Shared ICU areas
04Isolation rooms
05Discharge or transfer clean
06Verification and records
How to run this checklist well
- Agree with nursing exactly which equipment surfaces housekeeping may wipe and which only nurses handle, and write it into the checklist.
- Clean isolation rooms last and use dedicated equipment so you do not carry organisms around the unit.
- Use bed-space QR codes so each clean is logged with time and a photo, which helps during outbreak investigations.
- Watch hand rub dispenser levels closely; an empty dispenser at the bedside quietly lowers hand hygiene compliance.
- Share cleaning audit results with the ICU team monthly so housekeeping and nursing look at the same picture.
Frequently asked questions
How often should an ICU bed space be cleaned?
Most hospitals clean each ICU bed space at least once per shift, with high-touch surfaces cleaned more often and immediately after any spill. A full discharge clean is done after every transfer or discharge. Your infection control committee should set the exact frequency based on patient mix and local risk.
Should housekeeping clean ICU medical equipment?
Housekeeping may wipe the outer surfaces of equipment where hospital policy allows, but cleaning and disinfection of patient-connected devices is usually the nursing team's responsibility. Settings, connectors and invasive components should never be handled by housekeeping. Define the split clearly in your ICU policy.
What extra steps apply to ICU isolation rooms?
Isolation rooms need dedicated cleaning equipment, the PPE required by the precaution type, closed doors and correct waste handling. They are normally cleaned last in the round. Staff should remove PPE in the correct sequence and perform hand hygiene before moving on to the next area.
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Make your hospital audit-ready every single shift.
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