Cleaning Systems and Aged Care Facilities
Aged care homes are places where the elderly should be able to enjoy their retirement with dignity while getting the necessary help. A clean facility, including working ventilation systems, is essential to keeping the residents happy, safe, and healthy.
Aged care homes are also facilities equipped with their own commercial kitchens. That’s where Lotus Commercial can help as a reliable provider of such services with over three decades of industry experience.
Ensuring Kitchen Hygiene
A clean commercial kitchen is a legal requirement, and there are good reasons for it. A dirty kitchen or a kitchen that’s not sufficiently cleaned is practically an invitation for the growth of dangerous bacteria and mould.
The problem with kitchens is that what is dangerous is often invisible to the untrained eye. Oil and grease gets accumulated in the ventilation system quietly. The same is true for fungus growth. Busy commercial kitchens that service many elderly residents are even more at risk.
While mould isn’t always visible, sometimes it can be smelled. If you invest in regular cleaning services from Lotus Commercial, you won’t have to wait until this stage. We’ll take care of the issue before it appears or just after it starts.
Unhygienic kitchens are also particularly dangerous to the fragile residents of aged care homes. Apart from mould that can cause issues, there’s also bacteria. Here are some examples of bacterial risks to an assisted living facility:
- Salmonella – an infection caused by it is potentially very serious to vulnerable (including older) individuals
- Listeria – if not killed by the cooking process, it can be dangerous to people of frail health
- Clostridium – an enemy that poses a serious threat even in a small amount
- Campylobacter – digestion of contaminated food or water can cause a severe food poisoning
As the residents in aged care homes are vulnerable individuals, kitchen cleanliness, including kitchen exhaust cleaning, is simply a must. You should also remember that poor ventilation and clogged kitchen exhaust systems put your staff at risk.
How Does It Work?
Duct cleaning is a deep cleaning procedure that requires trained staff and specialised equipment. There’s a variety of strategies that are used during the process. It starts with an inspection of ducts to be cleaned to evaluate contamination. The inspection includes checking for any possible damage.
One of the most popular cleaning methods today is the so-called manual method. It uses a combination of air stream and negative pressure to upset the contaminants and allow for their elimination. Occasionally, a duct rat is used to enhance this method. However, it’s not an option for all kinds of ducts. There are also new technologies, such as super collectors, that service providers may choose to use, depending on the project.
Fire Hazards in Aged Care Facilities
Another concern that comes with badly maintained exhaust systems are fires. While you may associate them with restaurants, any commercial kitchen is at risk of a fire starting. Flames out of control in an old-age home put not only staff but also residents in danger.
A fire that’s not easily contained usually has to do with clogged exhaust systems and ducts. It may also be related to filters that are full of grease and oil. While kitchen systems are there to prevent such events from happening, they need to be maintained to be able to work properly.
Lotus Commercial can take care of kitchen duct cleaning and kitchen exhaust cleaning to minimise such risks. We understand that such establishments are busy facilities that need operational kitchens to provide meals to their valuable residents. We always strive for a turnaround that ensures minimal business interruptions.
You should also discuss with us a regular cleaning schedule that will suit your facility. Remember that these are regulatory requirements and non-compliance is risky in all sorts of ways. Apart from safety threats, it can end up causing you financial loss and insurance claims being rejected. By working with us, you’ll always have a certificate of your cleaning obligations being up-to-date.
Ventilation and Air Quality in Aged-Care Facilities
Air conditioning system cleaning is another professional service that Lotus Commercial provides, and your facility needs. Air conditioning structures are easily forgotten as long as they seem to work fine. Most of the system is hidden from your eyes, so you don’t put much thought into it.
Unfortunately, that something is barely visible doesn’t make it any less harmful. Air conditioning systems accumulate a lot of pollutants such as dust, dirt and insect carcasses. Do you know when your AC duct cleaning was done for the last time? It’s important to keep an eye on your schedule for such services.
The state of an air conditioning system directly influences the air quality of your aged care establishment. It’s essential when we take into account that some residents may have breathing issues. What’s more, dirty ducts are full of dust, which can exacerbate health conditions related to the respiratory system as well as allergies.
Our air conditioning system cleaning includes the following:
- Horizontal ducting (if accessible)
- Vertical ducting (if accessible)
- Exhaust casing, fan blades, and outlet duct
- Condenser coil
If applicable, it extends to:
- The air plenum
- The areas around turning vanes
- Fan chamber
Our comprehensive air conditioning cleaning assistance will allow your staff and elderly residents to breathe with ease.
Why Lotus Commercial
Lotus Commercial has been providing commercial cleaning services to a variety of industries. Aged care homes have been one of our areas of focus, due to the need of such facilities for comprehensive, professional service providers and quick turnaround times.
When hiring us for a cleaning service of your assisted living facility, you can count on a variety of services as well as recommendations on best practises. We assist services on a national level with kitchen filter exchange and sales as well as exhaust system, canopy range hood and air conditioning cleaning and maintenance.
We’re up-to-date with the regulations, so we’ll be able to suggest a service frequency necessary for compliance. What if your systems due to their usage or conditions in your facility require more frequent cleaning? We’ll be able to advise you on that too and provide you with a schedule that would fit both your needs and your pocket.
For any queries or to request our services, get in touch with us. You can call us, email us or use the online form on our website. We can help you nationwide, but our offices are in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns or Townsville.