Best Practices for Using Shoe Covers in Health Care

Hospitals need to remain sterilized and decontaminated as much as possible to keep medical staff, patients, and visitors safe. Clinging to shoes is one common way that germs and bacteria enter sterile locations.

Particles attach themselves to the soles of the shoes, and people unknowingly track them throughout medical facilities. Because of this, the best practices for using shoe covers in health care are to have them readily available when needed and easily disposed of when necessary.

Do Not Make Direct Contact With Your Shoes

When you put on your disposable plastic shoe covers before walking into a medical facility, you need to be careful where you place your hands. You never know what’s on your shoes. The contaminants can be microscopic or unnoticeable, and touching your shoe can spread whatever is on your sole to your hand.

Take Extra Precautions

Even if you’re confident that you didn’t make contact with your shoe, wash your hands thoroughly after applying them to guarantee that there is nothing harmful on them.

Constantly Change Your Shoe Covers

After walking for too long in one pair of shoe covers, they’ll become contaminated with grime and dust from the floor. Even in a sterile room, you don’t know what’s present—there could be residue from chemicals or bodily fluids that the human eye can’t pick up. Frequently change your shoe covers when moving from room to room. Otherwise, you run the risk of cross-contamination.

Know What Shoe Cover to Have

There are multiple shoe cover varieties, and they all have unique applications. If you know that you’re going into a room where the likelihood of stepping on a liquid is high, you need to have shoe covers with a suitable material for the situation. Cloth covers will easily soak up liquids, completely negating the purpose of wearing them in the first place. Additionally, some plastic covers may not have the traction necessary to keep you safe when you’re moving across a smooth floor.

Have a Supply Available For Use

Having shoe covers in health care facilities is necessary for maintaining cleanliness and reducing the risk of cross-contamination. Have covers ready for use when the need arises because failing to stock up on them can lead to the spreading of harmful contaminants.