Published 2026-08-19
Hygiene and cleaning of mobile IT carts
A cart that cannot be wiped down properly turns into the one device everybody avoids. Most of that is decided when the cart is configured, not when the cleaning trolley arrives.
Surfaces, edges and seals
Cleanability starts with geometry. Smooth, closed surfaces with as few joints, screw heads and gaps as possible are what makes a wipe-down quick and complete. The worktops on lean carts have a raised edge that keeps spills on the surface instead of letting them run into the cabinet, and the materials are chosen for repeated contact with cleaning agents: HPL worktops, ABS bodies, anodised and powder-coated aluminium profiles, and on the NovoCart a cabinet of E1 panels with a resistant melamine coating. Where dust and liquid must not reach the interior, the SilentCart goes further: drawers and doors close dust-tight against circumferential rubber seals, and the paint carries an antimicrobial coating.
Input devices, screens and scanners
Keyboards and mice are touched most often and are the parts most often ruled out by cleaning protocols. Disinfectable keyboards and mice are therefore standard equipment on lean carts rather than an upgrade, and the same goes for barcode and 2D scanners, which pass from hand to hand all day. Monitors can be ordered as True Flat panels with protective glass in 24″, 27″ or 32″, so there is no gap between frame and panel where residue collects; the AG Neovo X-2402 with toughened glass is one of the usual choices. Touch operation deserves a look of its own: the PCAP touchscreens on the all-in-one panel PCs work with gloves and with moisture on the surface, so the screen can be wiped without the device misreading the contact as input.
Fanless and sealed
A fan moves air, and air carries dust. Many lean carts are configured fanless for exactly that reason — the column carts, the LFP power supply with its passively cooled, dust- and splash-proof housing, and the all-in-one panel PCs with their antibacterial housings. The practical consequences are simple: no filters to change, no vents collecting deposits out of reach of a cloth, and no airflow across a workstation where that is unwelcome. A sealed housing also survives the cleaning itself, which is what splash protection is for. Wiping is a wet process, and electronics that cannot take a damp cloth end up being skipped.
Wall lifts and support arms
Where a cart does not fit, the workstation moves to the wall — with the same requirements. The IT Lift has fully integrated cable routing and easy-to-clean surfaces, which counts for more than it sounds: loose cables are the part of a workstation nobody can clean around. The lift stands only 110 mm from the wall, leaving the floor underneath clear. Support arms follow the same principle, with cables routed inside the arm, smooth surfaces and magnetic trays that lift off. They are maintenance-free and come with a five-year warranty.
What applies in medical environments
In clinical use, cleanability is part of a regulatory picture rather than a matter of taste. lean wall lifts and support arms are certified to IEC 60601-1 as medical devices of risk class I and CE-marked according to EU 2017/745. Material resistance is tested to DIN EN 60068-2-74 and DIN EN ISO 2409:2020-12, and the safety of the support arms is TÜV-certified. Among the all-in-one panel PCs there are models certified to IEC 60601-1. If a workstation is going to stand in a patient room, an intensive care unit or an emergency department, settle the certification question while the cart is being configured — a certificate cannot be retrofitted.
A routine that holds — inside and outside healthcare
Three decisions are enough: which agent, who wipes what, and when. Split the cart into two zones. The IT surfaces — display, keyboard, mouse, scanner, push handle — after each user or after each patient contact. The cart itself — worktop, drawers, castors, the underside of the keyboard tray — as part of the daily or shift routine. Name someone responsible; a shared cart without an owner is cleaned by nobody. Outside healthcare the logic is the same with a different driver. In laboratories, data is recorded where samples are handled, so surfaces have to withstand routine disinfection. In food-adjacent production, smooth surfaces, sealed drawers and the absence of a dust-moving fan are often what makes a workstation acceptable in the area at all. A cart that is easy to clean simply gets cleaned more often.
In short
- Cleanability is configured, not added later: smooth surfaces, sealed drawers, as few joints as possible.
- Disinfectable keyboards, mice and scanners belong on the order, not on the wish list.
- Fanless, sealed housings mean no filters, no vents collecting deposits, and electronics that survive a damp cloth.
- For clinical areas, settle IEC 60601-1 and EU 2017/745 before ordering.
- Split the routine: IT surfaces after each user, the cart body once per shift.
Read more on our site
Ready for your mobile workstation?
Get a tailored quote or request a trial unit — without obligation.