As businesses across the country begin to reopen, facility sanitation and safety are top of mind concerns for staff and customers alike, prompting many a forward-thinking business owner to increase the frequency of their cleaning services.
Increasing Cleaning Frequencies to Protect Occupant Safety
According to a recent OpenWorks survey, businesses that plan on reopening over the next few weeks intend on:
- Increasing cleaning frequency - 83%, and;
- Adding additional regular disinfection services - 94%.
This is ideal, given the results of another OpenWorks survey of employees showed that:
- Workers think their workplace should be cleaned every day - 73%, and;
- More than half want their workplace disinfected daily as well.
Due to the length of time COVID-19 can survive on surfaces commonly found in schools and businesses, daily cleaning and disinfection services are a critical component to eradicating the virus and protecting occupant health.
According to recent findings from the National Institutes of Health, the increased focus on cleaning and disinfecting is for good reason.
Scientists found that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be detectable in the air for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for two to three days.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.
Cleaning Frequency Recommendations
To ensure maximum effectiveness and resource utilization, increased cleaning frequencies should align with occupancy and use while focusing on high-contact touchpoints.
According to a recent document published by the University of Washington;
Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting, focusing on high-touch surfaces, such as residence hall communal rooms, public restrooms, exercise rooms, library tables, buttons, handrails, tables, faucets, doorknobs, shared toys, and shared keyboards.
Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting with attention to these areas helps remove bacteria and viruses, including the novel coronavirus.
COVID-19 Prevention: Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection Protocols
In addition to focusing on occupancy and use, as well as high-contact touchpoint cleaning when determining cleaning and disinfection frequencies, it is important to keep the predominant occupant demographic in mind--spaces predominantly occupied by very young children, the elderly, or those with high-risk comorbidities will need to be cleaned more frequently than areas primarily used by healthy adults.
According to industry magazine CleanLink;
The vulnerability of a building’s tenants also affects cleaning frequency.
BSCs may need to clean restrooms in schools and healthcare facilities more frequently than an office building, because children and the infirmed are more susceptible to illnesses from unsanitary restrooms.
Finally, given the importance of hand hygiene in combatting viral outbreaks, we recommend placing hand sanitation stations adjacent to high-contact touchpoints, especially where restrooms or other handwashing stations are not nearby.
Distributors and cleaning crews should make soap and towels or hand dryers available at every sink, and provide hand-sanitizing stations in high-touch areas where hand washing isn’t readily available.
Signage with instructions should be displayed near sinks.
Distributors can suggest installing kid-friendly dispensers to encourage participation from younger students.
Additional enhanced cleaning measures include:
- Cross-contamination prevention using the two-bucket method combined with zone cleaning, cleaning checklists, and smart, color-coded microfiber.
- Correctly choosing and using cleaning products and, especially, disinfectants, and;
- Implementing no-touch cleaning and disinfection appliances to protect custodial staff and improve cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.
Takeaway
Enhanced cleaning measures have been shown to protect facility occupants and improve worker and student performance while improving district test scores and attendance, as well as business profits.
Conventional cleaning methods, tools, and chemicals, such as cotton mops, old rags, and bleach, are not suitable to meet the requirements and increased demand for enhanced cleaning and disinfection services that are proven to combat COVID-19 while protecting facility occupants from exposure to dangerous chemicals.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale CA, or Lancaster CA, call (661) 371-4756
