Maintaining exceptional standards of cleanliness in lab animal facilities is essential not only for animal health and welfare but also for research integrity and compliance. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals — a widely accepted core standard referenced by IACUCs, NIH OLAW, and accrediting bodies — emphasizes the need for clean and disinfected environments tailored to use patterns and contamination risk. “All components of the animal facility … should be regularly cleaned and disinfected … based on the use of the area and the nature of likely contamination.”
Contec’s Process Improvement Program, anchored by our Contamination Control Assessment (CCA), helps vivarium leaders identify cleaning gaps, enhance protocols, and streamline workflows — supporting cleaner, safer environments, stronger compliance, and measurable efficiencies.
Cleaning and sanitation in laboratory animal settings are not optional — they are required elements of responsible animal care and sound research practice. Institutional policies from universities and IACUCs consistently require written SOPs for sanitization, routine validation of cleaning effectiveness, and documented quality-assurance activities.
Standardized sanitation and disinfection practices — enforced through compliant SOPs and documented protocols — reduce the presence of pathogenic organisms and contaminants that compromise animal health and data quality.
Institutional guidelines emphasize tailored procedures: mechanical cage washing where possible, and validated manual cleaning with appropriate disinfectants where not — all documented in approved SOPs.
Documented cleaning and workflow procedures reduce variation between shifts and personnel, minimize rework, and support training consistency, saving time and labor costs without sacrificing thoroughness.
Validated sanitation programs that include QA/QC testing (e.g., ATP or microbiological swabbing) help confirm cleaning effectiveness and support audit readiness.
Contec’s CCA is a structured, collaborative, process designed to enhance cleaning outcomes from planning to documentation:
We walk through your facility with your team, identify product mismatches, procedural gaps, and training inconsistencies — then cross-reference findings against best practices and institutional guidelines.
Our team identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, standardize processes, and reduce unnecessary chemical and labor spend—without compromising efficacy or compliance.
You receive a comprehensive written report that includes:
Once the appropriate process improvement program is decided on, a tailored Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) aligned with your institutional format will be created.
These deliverables not only support daily operations but strengthen internal oversight and audit readiness.
Contec will effectively train your entire staff to ensure proper process according to the SOPs is being followed.
Contec’s Process Improvement Program helps lab animal facilities enhance cleaning practices, improve productivity, and protect research integrity — all backed by structured assessments and documentation that align with regulatory guidance and institutional expectations.
Schedule your Contamination Control Assessment today and take a proactive step toward cleaner, safer, and more efficient lab animal operations.