General Requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, all general requirements apply to both new construction and an existing nursing home. Staff. Sufficient housekeeping and maintenance personnel shall be employed to maintain the interior and exterior of the facility in a safe, clean, orderly, and attractive manner. Cleanliness and Maintenance. The building and all its parts and facilities shall be kept in good repair, neat, and attractive. The safety and comfort of the residents shall be the primary consideration. All walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and fixtures shall be kept clean. Interior walls and floors shall be of a type to allow frequent and easy cleaning. The nursing home shall be kept free of unnecessary accumulations of personal possessions, boxes, trunks, suitcases, papers, unused furniture, bed clothing, linens, bric-a-brac, and similar items. Storage areas shall be: Kept clean and orderly; and Readily accessible for: Housekeeping; Maintenance; and Pest control servicing. The grounds shall be kept clean, neat, attractive, and free of hazards. Pest Control. The nursing home shall: Be maintained free of insects and rodents by operation of an active pest-control program, either by use of maintenance personnel or by contract with a pest-control company; Use and store toxic and flammable insecticides and rodenticides with care; Ensure that usage of toxic and flammable insecticides and rodenticides conforms to the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and Maryland Department of Agriculture requirements; Be protected to prevent the entry and harborage of rodents and insects; Install and effectively maintain: Screen doors that fit tightly when closed; Easily adjusted closely fitted window screens; Rat-proofing devices; or Other approved deterrents; and Effectively protect all openings to the outside against the entry of insects by: Closed doors; Closed windows; or Other means. Laundry Services. A nursing home shall provide laundry service, whether on-site or off-site. Laundry service shall be provided to meet the residents’ needs. All laundry shall be processed and handled in a manner that prevents the spread of infections. Staff working in laundry shall be given personal protective equipment, including: Disposable gloves; Masks; and Body coverings. All laundry shall be processed through the use of sufficiently hot water, chemical agents, or a combination of the both, to remove or destroy infectious biological materials. Clean and Soiled Areas. There shall be a physical separation between the clean and soiled areas. The soiled area shall allow for sorting and washing soiled laundry. The clean area shall allow for drying and folding of clean laundry. All soiled areas within a laundry shall be connected to mechanically operated exhaust ventilation. The system provided in laundries may not allow the spread of airborne contaminants to other parts of the nursing home that are occupied by residents, staff not working in the laundry, and the general public. The plumbing fixtures for all water supply connections to washing machines and the plumbing fixtures for all utility sinks shall have an integrated atmospheric vacuum breaker or other approved back-flow prevention devices.