An evaluation of hospital cleaning regimes and standards.

Cleaning standards of environmental surfaces in an operating theatre and surgical ward were evaluated in 3 ways: visually, microbiologically and with ATP bioluminescence. Selected sites were monitored before and after routine cleaning over a 14-day period. After cleaning 82% of ward sites were assessed as visually clean yet only 24% were considered clean using ATP bioluminescence and 30% using microbiological techniques. Operating theatre sites had lower ATP results that ward sites, but 61% of sites would be considered unacceptable. An integrated cleaning monitoring programme is recommended. Journal of Hospital Infection 2000;45:19-28.