If you’re already back to office after a long season of working from home, you could still be accustomed to your previous habits. However, it’s important to consider how are we going to tackle office cleaning and safety rules during these times.
In general terms, there are two key points in preventing COVID-19 while working in the office. One of these is how commercial cleaning will be done, while the other point implies social distancing in the space.
Please consider that, even though we have gathered some tips and advice based on CDC instructions, you should check their detailed instructions before, since they provide a vast list of EPA-approved disinfectants (which are effective against SARS-CoV-2), as well as indications about how to clean and disinfect workspaces.
Before starting office cleaning: what you need to know
These aren’t the full guidelines, as we mentioned above, but you need to know all these points before reading CDC-instructions to have full understanding, as well as a proper approach to office cleaning.
Acquire and wear appropriate equipment
The person responsible for cleaning will need to be protected when cleaning and disinfecting. For this, we recommend wearing disposable gloves, gowns, and a mask (such as a cloth face covering).
After cleaning is done, these need to be carefully removed and immediately thrown away along the trash disposal after disinfection to avoid contamination of the spaces.
Clean first, disinfect later
To remove effectively the virus that carries COVID-19, we need to make sure surfaces are clean before disinfecting, since this will remove a huge percent of particles that carry said risk to begin with (basically, reducing the viral load).
For this, we can clear with a detergent or soap solution (diluted with water) in surfaces. After the office or Airbnb cleaning, we can tackle the disinfection, remembering to let the product act from 30 to 60 seconds to kill all the remaining viruses.
Use the right products
CDC has a rather comprehensive list of EPA-approved disinfectants, which you should check to know which product are you going to use. However, in case you don’t count with access to any of these, there are some easy-to-access solutions such as:
- Household bleach and water. To use it, mix 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of bleach per gallon of water. This is an ideal solution for both floors and larger surface cleanings.
- For a handy spray bottle application, you can grab 4 teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. This is ideal for cleaning smaller surfaces, such as desks, handles, etc.
- Disinfecting wipes (such as Clorox or Lysol wipes) can be an option as well. In case you decide to use them, remember to only clean one item at a time. When doing this, use enough wipes to ensure the surface stays wet for 4 minutes.
- 70% rubbing alcohol is a great disinfectant. Make sure the surface or object won’t react negatively to this product, and provide an easy way for your employees to disinfect their hands with either this or antibacterial soap.
In case you need stronger products or more options, check CDC list.
Avoid mixing cleaning products together
Certain products can’t be mixed together, since they can produce fumes that are dangerous to breath. If you want more effectiveness from a product, pick a less diluted version instead of mixing cleaning and disinfecting products.
Make sure to always read the label before mixing a product with anything else, even water. In general terms, bleach can only be diluted with water (anything else will cause a chemical reaction), and rubbing alcohol shouldn’t be mixed either.
Identify high-touch surfaces in common areas
The first step is to know which are the most commonly touched and used objects. Some great example of these are tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, phone receivers and keypads, remotes, handles, touchscreens, desks, toilets, sinks, elevator and elevator buttons, etc.
Make sure to clean and disinfect them daily, since this will reduce the possibilities of virus transmitting. If possible, make your employees disinfect their hands as well before entering common areas to reduce risks even more.
Remember to clean and disinfect electronic equipment
Even if these surfaces can’t get wet, rubbing alcohol is usually the ideal way to remove virus from digital surfaces and electronic equipment. Disinfect them daily: don’t forget keyboards, digital signage or touch screen surfaces.
Social distancing in the office
- Whenever possible, limit the amount of people in the office through flexible hours, staggered shifts, and working from home. A great option is to use A/B shifts: accommodate in the middle cleaning schedules and limit the amount of workstations active at the same time.
- Prohibit or keep visitors to a minimum, unless it’s absolutely necessary. This includes prohibiting personal package delivery as well.
- Limit the amount of shared surfaces: for example, snacks and coffee area, or the usage of locker (unless absolutely necessary).
- Avoid physical meetings, and opt for virtual meeting instead. Avoid using conference rooms: these spaces can be used as personal offices and/or storage areas.
As you can see, these guidelines (when it comes to office cleaning and social distancing) can be strange to follow at first, but are simple and will keep everyone safer, so make sure not to skip any step. Thus, why wait to hire the best janitorial cleaning service? Contact Marianna’s Cleaning today!
