Clean walls and blinds only if they are visibly soiled. Inspect, clean, and disinfect on a regular basis, all bins, pails, cans, and similar receptacles intended for reuse and having the potential for contamination with blood or OPIM. Clean and disinfect these containers immediately  or  as  soon  as  possible  upon  visible contamination. Noninfectious  waste  refuse  containers  are  not considered infection control hazards. Line them with plastic bags, leave them uncovered, and do not allow them  to  overflow.  Remove  hinged  doors  on  cabinet refuse containers and hinged lids on freestanding containers since they present an increased potential for cross-contamination. Do not pick up broken glassware directly with your hands. Instead, use mechanical means such as a brush and dust pan, vacuum cleaner, tongs, cotton swabs, or forceps. Laundry Bed linens, towels, smocks, trousers, and other protective attire are considered ordinary laundry unless they are visibly soiled by blood or OPIM. Ordinary laundry should be sorted wearing gloves and processed following your command’s laundry policy. Contaminated laundry is any laundry soiled with blood or OPIM, including saliva and will be packed in a red biohazard container or bag, or in a leakproof plastic bag with a biohazard label, before shipment to the laundry. When sorting laundry, you should wear gloves and other appropriate personnel protective attire. Bag contaminated laundry at the location of use. Do not sort or reuse soiled laundry in patient care areas. If your command has on-site laundry service, follow   instructions   contained   in   BUMEDINST 6600.10, Dental Infection Control Program. Regulated Waste Disposal Infectious waste, now termed “regulated waste” in the  DTR  is  defined  as  any  disposable  material  with blood or saliva on which, if handled, would release or express  blood  or  saliva. If there is doubt as to the infectiousness of the material in question, contact the ICO or supervisor. HANDLING.—Regulated  waste  must  be  placed in closable, leakproof containers or bags that are labeled as a biohazard (fig. 9-4). The container may be in the DTR or in a central area in the clinic. If a centralized  area  is  used  as  the  regulated  waste depository for the clinic, the regulated waste from each DTR  must  be  transported  to  this  central  area.  If headrest covers from the DTR are used to transport the regulated  waste  to  the  depository,  they  must  be closable and identified with a biohazard label. The ICO should ensure that all DTRs within a clinic  and  all  clinics  within  a  command  handle regulated waste in a uniform manner. RECORDKEEPING. —The ICO should implement a practical system to monitor disposal of infectious  waste.  This  system  includes  date,  type  of waste,   amount   (weight,   volume,   or   number   of containers), and disposition. Further guidance for infectious waste can be found in BUMEDINST 6600.10,  Dental Infection Control Program, and BUMEDINST 6280.1, Management of Infectious Waste. HANDWASHING Handwashing  is  one  of  the  most  important procedures  in  preventing  the  transfer  of  micro- organisms from one person to another. The purpose of handwashing is to remove these micro-organisms from the folds and grooves of the skin by lifting and rinsing them  from  the  skin  surface.  Good  handwashing techniques and use of gloves are essential before anticipated exposure to patients’ blood or body fluids. The skin harbors two types of flora, resident and transient. Resident organisms have these charac- teristics: Can survive and multiply on the skin. Can be cultured repeatedly from the skin. Are usually of low virulence and are not easily removed. Conversely,  transient  bacteria  have  these  charac- teristics: Do not survive and multiply on the skin. Are not firmly attached to the skin. Are effectively removed by rubbing of the hands together and rinsing them under running water. HANDWASHING AGENTS There   are   many   commercial   handwashing products available for use in clinics. Because of the variety,  we  will  discuss  the  two  main  handwashing 9-12