There’s that old saying that cleanliness comes next to godliness. The notion that the human race has a moral obligation to keep ourselves, our homes and our work spaces clean couldn’t get a more resounding yes than in today’s context of Covid-19.
That’s right. The “C” word has taken over the world with masks, hand sanitizers and stay home orders becoming the norm. But how much do we know about the cleaning disinfectant process that could be applied at three different phases; while seeking general peace of mind and safeguard against Covid-19, where there has been a transient case of Covid-19 or where there has been a confirmed case of Covid-19?
Being a professional cleaning company, we break it down for you. Here’s what you need to know about how disinfectant cleaning works and please don’t try this at home yourself.
There are three main aspects to disinfectant cleaning in the fight against Covid-19.
The first is the type of cleaning agents and disinfectants that are being used. Be sure to enquire and confirm that the cleaning company you have hired is using disinfectant products with the active ingredient Alkylbenzyldimethylammonium Chloride. This helps in the fight against the Covid-19 virus. Bleach products can also be used and should carry the active ingredient Sodium Hypochlorite.
Now comes Protective Personal Equipment (PPE). Cleaning crew hired to carry out disinfectant cleaning undergo specialized training. This includes learning how to be dressed for the occasion with the correct PPE attire. Hair cover, face shield, N95 mask, surgical gown and gloves, and shoe cover are all must-haves when it comes to being in the right PPE outfit.
And then the real work begins. If there has been a confirmed case of Covid-19, the cleaning company should firstly seal off all areas that the confirmed Covid-19 case individual may have visited or come into contact with. This is to limit and prevent any further exposure and spread to other unsuspecting individuals.
Next step is to open up windows, if there are any, to allow ventilation while the cleaning crew is carrying out the disinfecting.
The cleaning crew will fog the area using a specialized Ultra-Low Volume (UVL) fogging machine. The disinfectant chemical is released as a fog or mist that is dispersed and covers every corner of the site. Once the site is supersaturated with the disinfectant chemical dispersed through the fogging method as fog or mist, allow 45 minutes to an hour for the disinfectant droplets to settle down onto all surfaces.
The cleaning crew then proceeds to mop the floor area with bleach and wipe down all frequently touched areas such as hand rails, door knobs, arm rests, seat backs, tables, keyboards and more. The bleach can also be used to wipe down walls of up to 3 metres in height and blinds.
Once a thorough cleaning wipe down of the site has been carried out, it is just as important to discard the cleaning material in a correct manner. All cleaning material made of cloth and absorbent material such as mop heads, wiping cloths etc should be disposed into a biohazard bag. The cleaning crew should then wear a new pair of gloves to fasten and double-bag the biohazard bag with a cable tie before properly discarding it.
These are the key steps to carrying out a professional and thorough disinfectant cleaning service, if you or someone you know have come into contact with a transient or confirmed case of Covid-19 and are looking to disinfect the place. That said, it doesn’t hurt to carry out a one time disinfectant cleaning of your home or office if you are simply looking for some peace of mind.
We hope this blog article has been useful as we continue the fight against Covid-19 one disinfectant cleaning at a time. Stay well and stay safe everyone!
