What is the correct method for cleaning the operating room (OR) at the start of the day?

• A. Use a two-step cleaning method for patient beds and attachments.
• B. Clean the OR lights and then move downward.
• C. Clean from the outside of room to the center.
• D. Clean flat surfaces from top to bottom.

Answer: (D)

Beginning the OR cleaning from the top and moving downward is essential because it prevents recontamination of surfaces that have already been cleaned. Dust, soil, and any contaminants tend to settle downward, so cleaning high surfaces first—such as ceilings, fixtures, and lights—releases noxious material onto surfaces that haven’t been cleaned yet. If you clean from the top to the bottom across flat surfaces, you systematically remove contaminants from the highest points down to the lower ones, ensuring anything that falls onto a surface is addressed on a subsequent pass. This approach keeps the room progressively cleaner as you proceed and sets a safe, sterile baseline for the day. Other methods either miss higher surfaces, move contaminants inward or downward inappropriately, or focus only on particular items like beds, which doesn’t ensure the whole room is properly decontaminated at the start of the day.