A clinic, IPS or medical practice in Cali doesn’t hire a cleaning service: it hires a direct component of its infection control system. The difference between a generic provider and one who understands the healthcare sector can be the difference between passing a service habilitation visit or having it shut down. Here’s what a professional provider must comply with for the healthcare sector in Colombia.
Applicable regulatory framework
Resolution 3100 of 2019 (Health Services Habilitation)
Defines minimum standards any health service provider in Colombia must meet. Covers infrastructure, equipment, processes and, transversal to everything, cleaning and disinfection management.
Decree 351 of 2014 (Integrated Waste Management)
Regulates waste management from healthcare. Classification, segregation, storage, transport and final disposal. Shared responsibility between generator (clinic) and manager (cleaning provider and/or waste manager).
Resolution 1164 of 2002 (Hospital Waste Procedures Manual)
The operational manual: bag color codes, labeling, max storage times, internal integrated waste management plan (PGIRH).
WHO guidelines
WHO publishes technical guidelines on environmental cleaning in healthcare that have been adopted as reference. Covers cleaning order (least to most contaminated), frequencies, products and decontamination techniques.
What a hospital cleaning provider must do
1. Segregate waste per Colombian regulation
- Green: non-hazardous ordinary (sanitary paper, food remains).
- Gray: clean recyclables (dry cardboard, uncontaminated plastic).
- Red: biosanitary (gauze with blood, used gloves, patient masks).
- Red sharps container: sharps (needles, scalpel blades).
- Black: chemical or hazardous (additional labeling).
Each bag must be labeled with date, generating area and responsible person. Intermediate storage shouldn’t exceed 12-24 hours depending on category.
2. Apply products with INVIMA registration and correct dilutions
- Sodium hypochlorite (bleach): non-metallic surfaces, variable dilutions by area (practices, procedure rooms, critical areas).
- Quaternary ammonium: surfaces, furniture, equipment.
- Hydrogen peroxide: deep decontamination, aspersion.
- 70% alcohol: small surfaces, non-critical medical devices.
Ask the provider for technical sheets of each product. And the dilution table by area.
3. Follow correct cleaning order
From least to most contaminated areas. Top to bottom. Inside out. With color-coded cloths per area (red for bathrooms, blue for general surfaces, yellow for critical areas, green for kitchens if applicable). Reusing cloths across zones is one of the worst mistakes in cross-infection.
4. Documented staff training
- Biosafety and chemical handling.
- Hospital waste management.
- Cleaning techniques per area.
- Correct PPE use.
Training certificates must be available for audit. Annual renewal minimum.
5. Current vaccination
Minimum: Hepatitis B (full schedule) and current tetanus. Ideally also COVID-19, influenza and MMR per institutional policy.
6. Service bitácora and reports
Daily bitácora per area with: time, responsible, products used, observations, verification signature. That’s what gets shown to the auditor when the habilitation visit arrives.
Minimum frequencies per area type
- Critical areas (ORs, ICU, delivery): terminal after each use + concurrent every 4-6 hours.
- Semi-critical areas (practices, procedures): concurrent between patients + terminal at close.
- Non-critical areas (hallways, offices, waiting rooms): minimum 2x daily + terminal at close.
- Public restrooms: every 1-2 hours depending on flow.
5 red flags when evaluating a provider
- Doesn’t hand you a written protocol manual.
- Doesn’t differentiate products by area.
- Staff without documented training or vaccination schedule.
- Reuses cloths across zones.
- No authorized waste manager or doesn’t deliver manifests.
Any of these 5 is reason to change provider before your clinic becomes the one in a cross-infection alert or loses service habilitation.
Hospital cleaning service in Cali
At Limpio Colombia we work with clinics, IPS and medical practices in Cali under certified protocols, trained and vaccinated staff, INVIMA-registered products and regulation-compliant waste management. We deliver a service certificate + audit bitácora.