Cleanliness & Laundry Audit - Care Homes

Q1 | Unanswered

Is there a current Cleaning & Decontamination policy and a Laundry policy that reflect infection prevention and control (IPC) requirements?

Q2 | Unanswered

Is there a named IPC lead and a named housekeeping/laundry lead with clear responsibilities and oversight?

Q3 | Unanswered

Are cleaning and laundry arrangements included in the home’s IPC governance (audits, meetings, action plans, learning)?

Q4 | Unanswered

Is there a documented cleaning schedule (daily/weekly/monthly) for all areas with clear responsibilities and sign-off?

Q5 | Unanswered

Is there a system to monitor cleaning quality (spot checks, ATP testing where used, audits) with actions tracked to completion?

Q6 | Unanswered

Are staffing levels sufficient in housekeeping/laundry to maintain cleanliness standards without care staff routinely filling gaps?

Q7 | Unanswered

Are COSHH and product safety arrangements in place (risk assessments, SDS available, correct dilution, safe storage)?

Q8 | Unanswered

Are communal areas visibly clean, tidy, and free from dust, spills, and clutter (floors, touchpoints, furniture, skirting)?

Q9 | Unanswered

Are resident rooms cleaned to schedule and personalised items handled respectfully and safely?

Q10 | Unanswered

Are bathrooms/toilets clean and odour controlled, with evidence of frequent touchpoint cleaning (taps, flushes, rails, door handles)?

Q11 | Unanswered

Are kitchens and food service areas cleaned in line with food safety requirements (surfaces, equipment, fridges, bins)?

Q12 | Unanswered

Are high-touch points cleaned at appropriate frequency (handrails, lift buttons, call bells, light switches, door handles)?

Q13 | Unanswered

Are cleaning standards maintained consistently across all shifts, including nights/weekends?

Q14 | Unanswered

Are spillages (body fluids, food, vomit) cleaned promptly with appropriate decontamination procedures?

Q15 | Unanswered

Are cleaning tools and equipment in good condition and replaced when worn (mops, cloths, buckets)?

Q16 | Unanswered

Is an agreed colour-coded cleaning system used (e.g., red for toilets) and understood by all housekeeping staff?

Q17 | Unanswered

Are cleaning materials segregated appropriately to prevent cross-contamination (toilets vs bedrooms vs kitchens)?

Q18 | Unanswered

Are cloths and mops laundered/changed at appropriate frequency and stored hygienically between uses?

Q19 | Unanswered

Are disposable cloths used where required (e.g., isolation rooms/outbreak situations) and disposed of safely?

Q20 | Unanswered

Is there a process to prevent re-contamination (clean-to-dirty workflow, single-room equipment where needed)?

Q21 | Unanswered

Are enhanced cleaning protocols in place for isolation rooms and outbreaks (frequency, products, contact times, signage)?

Q22 | Unanswered

Are staff trained in outbreak cleaning procedures (norovirus/C. diff/COVID/flu where applicable) and do they follow them?

Q23 | Unanswered

Are dedicated cleaning equipment and supplies used for isolation areas where required?

Q24 | Unanswered

Are terminal cleans completed after isolation ends or following infection events, with documentation retained?

Q25 | Unanswered

Are communal areas managed safely during outbreaks (increased touchpoint cleaning, signage, waste segregation)?

Q26 | Unanswered

Is waste segregated correctly (domestic, clinical, offensive/hygiene, sharps) with clear signage and appropriate bins?

Q27 | Unanswered

Are bins foot-operated where appropriate, lined, and cleaned regularly to prevent contamination and odours?

Q28 | Unanswered

Are waste routes and storage areas secure, clean, and managed to prevent pest access and cross-contamination?

Q29 | Unanswered

Is sharps disposal safe and compliant where applicable (correct bins, not overfilled, secure storage, collection records)?

Q30 | Unanswered

Is the laundry layout designed to support a dirty-to-clean workflow, with clear separation of contaminated and clean textiles?

Q31 | Unanswered

Are there distinct areas/containers for soiled linen, infected linen, and clean linen to prevent mixing?

Q32 | Unanswered

Is there clear signage and staff adherence to segregation rules in the laundry room?

Q33 | Unanswered

Are clean linens stored in a clean, dry, protected area (not in corridors, not near dirty laundry)?

Q34 | Unanswered

Are laundry trolleys clean, labelled, and segregated (dirty vs clean) with routine cleaning schedules?

Q35 | Unanswered

Are sluice/dirty utility practices aligned (bagging, handling, PPE) to avoid contamination entering clean zones?

Q36 | Unanswered

Is soiled linen handled minimally and bagged at point of use (e.g., in bedrooms) to reduce contamination spread?

Q37 | Unanswered

Are appropriate water-soluble or alginate bags used for infected linen where required, in line with policy?

Q38 | Unanswered

Are staff trained not to shake linen and to use correct PPE when handling contaminated textiles?

Q39 | Unanswered

Are heavily soiled items (faeces/vomit/blood) managed with appropriate pre-treatment and safe handling procedures?

Q40 | Unanswered

Are residents’ personal clothing and linen kept separate to maintain dignity and prevent loss/mix-ups?

Q41 | Unanswered

Are wash cycles appropriate for the level of soiling/infection risk (temperature/time/chemical disinfection as required)?

Q42 | Unanswered

Are washer extractors and dryers maintained, serviced, and cleaned routinely (filters, seals, drums) with records kept?

Q43 | Unanswered

Are detergent and disinfectant products used correctly (correct dosing, contact times) with staff trained and competence checked?

Q44 | Unanswered

Are laundry machines calibrated/validated where required for thermal disinfection processes, and are records retained?

Q45 | Unanswered

Are clean items fully dried before storage to reduce mould and odour risk?

Q46 | Unanswered

Are ironing/finishing processes used appropriately and hygienically (clean surfaces, safe temperatures)?

Q47 | Unanswered

Do laundry and housekeeping staff use PPE appropriately (gloves/aprons) and change PPE between dirty and clean tasks?

Q48 | Unanswered

Is hand hygiene practiced correctly before/after cleaning tasks and after handling soiled linen?

Q49 | Unanswered

Are staff uniforms laundered appropriately (on-site processes or guidance for home laundering) to minimise infection risk?

Q50 | Unanswered

Are staff with symptoms of infection managed appropriately (exclusion, return-to-work guidance) to prevent spread?

Q51 | Unanswered

Are cleaning chemicals stored securely and segregated (locked cupboards) with COSHH assessments available and current?

Q52 | Unanswered

Are dilution controls in place (dose pumps, labelled bottles) to prevent ineffective cleaning or chemical hazards?

Q53 | Unanswered

Are spray bottles labelled with contents and date, and disposed of/replaced according to policy?

Q54 | Unanswered

Are PPE and spill kits available and stocked (body fluid kits, disinfectants, bags, signage)?

Q55 | Unanswered

Are residents supported to have clean clothing and bedding at appropriate frequency, respecting preferences and routines?

Q56 | Unanswered

Are continence products and soiled laundry handled discreetly to preserve dignity (no public carrying of exposed items)?

Q57 | Unanswered

Are lost/damaged items tracked and investigated with learning/actions to reduce recurrence?

Q58 | Unanswered

Are residents/families asked about satisfaction with cleanliness and laundry services, and is feedback acted upon?

Q59 | Unanswered

Are cleanliness audits completed routinely with objective criteria and documented scores/actions?

Q60 | Unanswered

Are laundry audits completed (segregation, workflow, temperatures, machine maintenance) with documented outcomes?

Q61 | Unanswered

Are repeated failures addressed with root cause analysis (staffing, training, layout, equipment, product issues)?

Q62 | Unanswered

Are IPC walkarounds completed with housekeeping/laundry representation and actions tracked?

Q63 | Unanswered

Is there evidence of improvement over time (audit trends, fewer infection outbreaks linked to environment)?

Q64 | Unanswered

Can the home provide current cleaning schedules with sign-off records and evidence of monitoring/audit results?

Q65 | Unanswered

Can the home demonstrate dirty-to-clean segregation in the laundry with appropriate bags, zones, and storage?

Q66 | Unanswered

Can staff explain how they manage infected linen and what enhanced cleaning looks like during an outbreak?

Q67 | Unanswered

Are maintenance/service records available for laundry equipment, including repairs and routine cleaning checks?