How to clean & disinfect for Coronavirus COVID 19

You must properly disinfect and sanitize to avoid COVID-19

Transmission of COVID-19 is most likely between people close to each other from respiratory drops. Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is necessary.

Keep your work space clean to prevent community spread. People who are sick need to stay at home. We know what works and what doesn’t to bring you the latest information on what washing methods and sanitizing solutions are the most effective at destroying the corona virus.

What cleaning products kill coronavirus?

Because this coronavirus has a lipid envelope, any cleaner that’s designed to destroy fats is going to be highly effective at killing any viruses in your home or work area.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a list of antimicrobial products that are suitable for use against COVID 19. These include:

• Clorox Multi-Surface Cleaner + Bleach
• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
• Lysol Heavy-Duty Cleaner Disinfectant Concentrate
• Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
• Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes
• Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray

Use as recommend on the label. They are all tested to kill germs, bacteria, and viruses and destroy any viral cells lurking around your office.

How to disinfect surfaces against coronavirus

Now if you do not have any of these cleaners available, you can still disinfect your home and building against germs using household items. The CDC says that “diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective” at preventing COVID-19 infections.

First Clean to remove dirt & germs, Next use a chemical solution to disinfect

Step 1: Put on a pair of rubber gloves.  

Step 2: Clean any dirty surfaces using detergent or soap and water

Step 3: Make a bleach solution by adding ⅓ cup of bleach to 1 gallon water 

Step 4: Wash down surfaces using the bleach solution

Step 5: Rinse surfaces with clean water and dry thoroughly using a micro-fiber cloth or paper towels

Step 6: Dispose of the cloths, paper towels, and gloves used for cleaning  

Step 7: Wash hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water

Pro Cleaning Tip: To avoid waste, you can wash your microfiber cloths, gloves, and cleaning tools using soap and water in order to kill any viruses, but for best practice, use disposable cleaning equipment and throw away after each use.

IMPORTANT: Your cleaning items and tools can easily cross contaminate. Treat them as hazardous items, keep them separate from each other and or color code so there is no confusion. You must  ensure you only use them for cleaning viral services AND discard once your cleaning routine returns to normal. Learn more about our Medical Office Cleaning services.

How to clean soft surfaces to kill coronavirus

Although COVID-19 is unlikely to survive only hours on soft surfaces, it’s still a good idea to have a thorough clean-up routine during the outbreak to minimize the risk of transmission. The CDC recommends cleaning porous surfaces such as carpets, curtains, and clothes using appropriate cleaning solutions according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Many detergents are designed to work effectively on lipids and can break down the virus.

Heat treatment, such as steam cleaning, has effectively been shown to kill viruses on soft furnishings in the past. UK Government has advised employing a steam cleaner when destroying COVID-19.

‘When items cannot be cleaned using detergents or laundered, for example, upholstered furniture and mattresses, steam cleaning can be used,’

Clean your office to protect against disease

Staying on top of regular washing is important to keep your work or office safe from the risk of infection from any germ or bacteria, not just COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2. By following this guide, you can protect employees and coworkers from causes of exposure:

Entry and reception areas

The areas where the most people come and go are at most risk of contamination. You’re less likely to be able to control who enters your workplace, or what they touch. SO these areas should be cleaned often in order to minimize the risk to your workforce.

Door handles will be the most frequently touched objects in the room. Wipe them down with an disinfecting solution between uses, or on a regular schedule dependending on how busy your workplace is. Don’t forget to clean the door or window beside the handle, as more people will touch there instead of the handle itself if they’re also trying to avoid possible exposure to germs.

The front of reception desks are often leaned on or touched by visitors, and also need to be wiped down. If possible, use a disinfecting wipe after each contact. If that isn’t possible, either because your workplace is very busy, try to wipe down the desk at regularly scheduled intervals.

Consider putting away any pens that you usually make available for public use. Instead, offer visitors a pen if they need one, and ensure it’s cleaned before being reused. If you usually display business cards for visitors to take, consider removing the cardholder and offering visitors a card instead.

Clean point-of-sale card readers according to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid damaging the machine.

If you have a waiting area with chairs and tables , wipe them down using EPA-approved cleaners after each use. If your area is usually busy, take advantage of lunch hour- if your workplace is closed to the public or quiet periods in the day when you can disinfect. Scrub armrests and other places where people usually place their hands.

Remove any magazines, toys, and other items you might put out to entertain waiting visitors. These items are often too difficult to clean effectively. If you do choose to keep some available, particularly toys, choose ones with surfaces that are easy to access for cleaning- plastic, not soft fabric or stuffed animals.  

If your staff members have telephones , clean them with disinfectant wipes before the start of each shift, and before and after any other person uses the phone. Pay particular attention to the handset and the dial pad. Consider removing shared phones, as they are hard to keep track of cleaning and more likely to result in sickness spreading through your company.

Desks and conference rooms

For the most effective containment of any type of virus or infection in the workplace, it’s best if your workers have their own desks and chairs. If this isn’t possible, ensure that everything is wiped down between changes- 70% alcohol wipes kills viruses dead.

Desk surfaces should be wiped with anti-viral solutions when new staff members begin to use them, and after anyone has eaten at the desk.

You should also encourage employees to clean telephones and computer mice and keyboards at the start of each shift, and before and after changing users.

Break rooms and kitchens

COVID-19 is most commonly transmitted through close contact, so having many employees eating in the same area could increase the risk of the virus being transmitted through your workforce. Encourage all employees to clean tables and chairs before and after each use with disinfectant wipes.

Wash plates and utensils with warm, soapy water, and dry using disposable paper towels. If you have a microwave, coffee maker, cooking facilities , or water dispenser , make sure they are all cleaned before and after each use.

Tip: Have only one employee with the responsibility of cleaning the handles and buttons of the most used appliances to ensure they are all disinfected on a regular basis.

Bathrooms

Use extra precaution entering and exiting the restroom door, use your foot or elbow if you must touch entrances. Encourage employees to avoid touching door handles, toilet handles, and faucets with bare skin, and to wash their hands thoroughly after using the restroom. Make sure the soap dispensers are filled, supply plenty of paper towels and have your commercial cleaning company pay extra attention to high-touch areas during nightly cleans.

After hours janitorial service 

When your workplace is closed is the best time for deep cleaning. Your regular cleaning company, like Idaho Maintenance & Cleaning probably already takes most of the necessary precautions to minimize disease transmission, but ask them to use EPA-approved cleaners, and to focus on high-touch areas such as telephones , keyboards , and door handles.

Disinfect your home to protect against COVID-19

At home, you’re the most protected against COVID-19. If nobody in your household is showing symptoms, focus on minimizing the risk of introducing the virus into your home . You can do this by demanding every person to wash their hands as soon as they enter, and regularly wiping down high-touch areas such as door handles , light switches, TV remotes , and faucets , using EPA-approved disinfectants.

Pro Tip: Place a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol on a clean paper towel. Use as a disinfectant and wipe on hard surfaces. Then let air dry.  REMINDER: Clean dirty services first with soap and water before sanitizing. 

Maintaining a clean home is a good idea to protect against all kinds of infections and viruses, especially with kids or seniors.

Don’t panic

While the news might be full of terrible stories about novel Coronavirus, there’s no need to panic and buy 48 rolls of toilet paper! The steps you need to take to minimize your risk of contracting the virus are straightforward and simple. Maintaining good cleaning habits and regular hand washing are the best things you can do to keep yourself, your workplace, and your family safe.

But most important of all: stay away from people 

At IMC, we know a thing or two about keeping your home and business germ-free. Our cleaning experts are trained to get the spots that other cleaners miss, and they know the best cleaning chemicals to use on every surface.

Contact us today to see how we can help you protect your workforce and household from germs all year round.