3 Steps to Properly Clean & Disinfect Your Business

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3 Steps to Properly Clean & Disinfect Your Business

With so much at stake in our current COVID-focused climate in America, it is important for business leaders to make sure they’re doing all they can to protect employees, customers, and their companies’ ability to operate.

To do so, business operators should use these three steps to ensure they are properly cleaning and disinfecting their business, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control:

1. Develop a Plan to Clean & Disinfect

First, determine what needs to be cleaned.

Areas that are unoccupied for seven or more days need only routine cleaning. For outdoor areas, maintain existing cleaning practices.

Then, determine how areas will be disinfected.

Consider the type of surface you are cleaning and how often each surface is touched. You should prioritize disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

Lastly, when developing a plan, consider the resources and equipment needed.

Keep in mind the availability of cleaning products and personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate for cleaners and disinfectants as it fluctuates throughout the pandemic.

2. Implement Your Plan

Next, you want to put your plan into action.

Clean visibly dirty surfaces with soap and water prior to disinfecting them. Cleaning with soap and water reduces the number of germs, dirt, and impurities on the surface. Disinfecting kills any remaining germs on surfaces, which further reduces any risk of spreading infection.

You also want to be sure you are using the appropriate cleaning or disinfecting product. For instance, you should use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved disinfectant against COVID-19 and read the label to make sure it meets your needs.

Lastly, be sure to always follow the directions on the label of your cleaning or disinfecting product.

All labels include safety information and application instructions. As always, keep disinfectants out of the reach of children.

3. Maintain & Revise as Needed

Obviously, to maintain safe conditions, you need to be sure to continue routine cleaning and disinfection.

Continue or revise your plan based on appropriate disinfectant and PPE availability. Dirty surfaces should be cleaned with soap and water prior to disinfection then routinely disinfected, especially frequently touched surfaces, which should be cleaned and disinfected at least daily.

Maintain safe practices like frequent handwashing, wearing masks, and staying home if you are sick.

And continue those practices that reduce the potential for exposure such as maintaining social distance, staying 6 feet away from others, and reducing the sharing of common spaces and frequently touched objects.

Be sure to wear disposable gloves during cleaning and disinfecting, then discard them after use or use reusable gloves that are dedicated only for cleaning and disinfecting. Always wash hands after removing gloves.

Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces, including more frequent cleaning and disinfection that may be required based on the level of use of some of those frequently touched services.

Surfaces and objects in public places, such as shopping carts, point of sale keypads, pens, counters, vending machines, and ATMs should be cleaned and disinfected before each use or as much as possible.

Other high-touch surfaces include tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Clean and disinfect these as often as possible, but at least once a day, at the very least.

When disinfecting, be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product.

Many products recommend:

  • Keeping surface wet with disinfectant for a period of time (see product label)
  • Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation while using the product
  • Use chemical disinfectants safely! Always read and follow the directions on the label of cleaning and disinfection products to ensure safe and effective use.
  • Wear gloves and consider glasses or goggles for potential splash hazards to eyes.
  • Ensure adequate ventilation (for example, open windows)
  • Use only the amount recommended on the label
  • Use water at room temperature for dilution (unless stated otherwise on the label)
  • Label diluted cleaning solutions
  • Store and use chemicals out of the reach of children and pets
  • Do not mix products or chemicals
  • Do not eat, drink, breathe, or inject cleaning and disinfection products into your body or apply directly to your skin as they can cause serious harm
  • Do not wipe or bathe pets with any cleaning and disinfection products.

Your friends at NightRider Janitorial wish you and your team a happy and healthy 2021.

Contact our team of cleaning professionals today if you need help at your home or business with any phase of cleaning and disinfection services.

We’re here to help keep you, your business, your customers, and your employees safe.