4 Best Practices for Creating a Disinfection Plan

As the 2nd wave of coronavirus (COVID-19) sweeps across many US states, reopening and staying open is no simple task for business owners, facility managers, office managers or facilities management companies. Building management professionals are facing important responsibilities in order to prevent the spread of illness in their facilities.

Misinformation abounds. Gaining knowledge from credible, multi-decade experts, who specialize in the commercial cleaning industry is a must-have. In this article, you’ll understand the four best practices to follow when creating a disinfection plan. System4 IPS is here to help you avoid mistakes and pitfalls, not just amidst the pandemic, but even after COVID-19 is a concern.

1. Go Beyond the Community Touchpoints

• Focusing on high-touch areas of your building is a great place to begin…but it’s just that, a beginning. Use this list to jumpstart your checklist of high-touch areas. 

• Sure, these touchpoints harbor millions of bacteria and should be regularly cleaned and disinfected to ensure a healthy workplace, but walls, floors and ceilings can also harbor disease causing bacteria as well. Fogging and electrostatic spraying is a more comprehensive method to assure your space is disinfected thoroughly. Choosing a cleaning service with these specialized tools and the years of experience utilizing them is key. These devices emit a fine mist that evenly coats the hard-to-reach areas of your space, destroying harmful microbes wherever they are hiding, from hairline cracks to carpeting to ceiling tiles. To elevate your confidence further, layering on antimicrobial coatings will provide lasting protection for months.

2. Use the Right Products

• There’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning solutions will remove grime and grease. To kill germs and bacteria, disinfecting solutions are needed. The array of products for both categories is lengthy and contain different active ingredients. Choosing the right one that is best for your building can be daunting. Bleach can be damaging, while all-natural products can be ineffective. The EPA published List-N disinfectants that are approved for killing viruses, including the coronavirus. Using a professional cleaning service, like System4 IPS, with experience beyond janitorial service, but also disinfection is important.  From restaurants to preschools and offices to surgical centers, using a disinfectant that is tough on bacteria, yet safe for food surfaces, humans and pets is an important decision, one that a reputable commercial cleaning service will handle for you.

3. Choose the Right Team

• Are you working with an in-house team? Which is the best cleaning service near me? With the added tasks due to the pandemic, have you increased your staff to cover the greater workload? Have you been pitched by a newcomer to the cleaning industry? With the pandemic, a number of pop-up cleaning companies have made their way into the industry, arming themselves with equipment they have minimal experience with. Few stay in business for long. Businesses are exposed to acrid odors, incorrect application of chemicals, and unsatisfactory results.  Choosing an established, reputable commercial cleaner, particularly one with years of experience in disinfection, will bring you peace of mind knowing that your facility is in good hands and your customers and employees are in a safe and healthy workplace. Make sure your janitors are properly trained to use the equipment, know how to avoid cross-contamination, are supplied with approved disinfectant solutions, and are equipped with necessary PPE. How does your team compare to others? Find out:

4. Increase Frequency of Disinfection

• To bring peace of mind to your customers and employees, disinfection of your facility is critical part of overall safety. Unfortunately, disinfection does not last forever. The risk of contamination happens every time a new person enters your space.  Implement a cleaning regimen that includes frequent disinfection. If you seek a higher level of protection, add antimicrobial coatings to your disinfection schedule. Only certain professional cleaning companies are trained and experienced in the application of antimicrobial coatings, System4 IPS is one of them. Wondering if your workplace needs antimicrobial coatings?

• Professional cleaning companies will advise on how frequently disinfection needs to occur based on how your space is used, the size, the number and type of people who come in contact with it, and your comfort level and expectations.