Are You Properly Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Workplace?

7/27/2020 (Permalink)

Properly Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Workplace

In the current climate of the COVID 19 pandemic there is a much greater emphasis on having safe clean workplaces, shopping venues and eateries. The majority of people are following proper social distancing, wearing masks and using hand sanitizer. Most people have read, or heard the guidelines drafted by the CDC and EPA regarding processes for effectively minimizing the spread of the COVID 19 virus, but are they being followed?

In the CDC article entitled, Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes, the guidelines for effective cleaning to kill the Coronavirus includes routine cleaning with soap and water to remove the virus and disinfecting with an EPA approved disinfectant. In many cases, only one part is being implemented, the applying of disinfectant with no regard to cleaning with soap and water. Most people have witnessed the few quick pumps of a chemical on the handle of a shopping cart, or restaurant table, followed by an immediate wipe away of that chemical by a well-intentioned employee. There are several reasons this should be a cause for concern:

• It provides a false sense of security.
• Virus could still be present due to lack of cleaning with soap and water
• Virus could still be present due to lack of dwell time of chemical

The simple steps of cleaning with soap and water first removes most if not all of the bacteria, viruses and debris, making it a necessary step. The applying of disinfectants works best when allowed the proper dwell time to effectively kill what they were designed to eradicate. When it is immediately wiped away it is not effective and may leave active contamination behind. Following the proper steps, including the recommendations by the CDC, EPA and the product labels will keep everyone safe. For a quote on having a proactive or positive test COVID 19 cleaning of your commercial business call SERVPRO of South Durham and Orange County at (919) 596-1242.