While the COVID-19 pandemic is largely over, many people are still living with the consequences. As many as 4 million people are left unable to work. This highlights the importance of office disinfection. Without regular disinfection, your workers could catch various viruses, such as COVID-19, from the workplace.
So how exactly should you handle disinfecting your office space? This article lists some of the critical do’s and don’ts of office disinfection.
Do: Follow Public Health Guidelines
One of the most important things to do when disinfecting an office is to ensure your company always follows the local public health guidelines. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, guidelines suggested that the virus spread more through the air than through infected surfaces.
This meant that effective office disinfection schedules also needed to be combined with other measures. Always check out what the public health guidelines are and make sure you follow them.
Do: Clean Surfaces With Soap and Water
Some people believe that you need a lot of sophisticated cleaning products to clean an office properly. In reality, you can do a lot with just soap and water. Not only are soap and water effective for cleaning the office, but it’s also quite safe to use.
Some commercial disinfectant products can be quite unsafe if used incorrectly. If you’re using mostly soap and water, you won’t need to worry about this. With that said, certain situations may call for stronger cleaning products.
Do: Use Disinfectants According to the Directions
If you do use commercial disinfectant products in a non-healthcare setting, you’ll still need to make sure you follow the directions to the letter. These are products that can be very harmful if they’re used incorrectly.
For example, leaving certain products on a surface for too long could cause damage to that surface. The good news is that the manufacturers almost always provide detailed instructions on the packaging about how their products should be used.
If you have any doubt about how to use a disinfectant product, you should search online for instructions. Always double-check that the instructions you find are a match for your products.
Take Care: People With Asthma
One thing to bear in mind when working towards a disinfected workplace is that you need to take care of people with asthma. People with asthma often struggle to breathe, and this is much more likely if they’re exposed to certain cleaning products.
If you have workers who suffer from asthma, you should always give them the opportunity to vacate the area when the process starts. You can also minimize the harm caused by disinfecting products by using them in well-ventilated areas.
Take Care: UV Lights
While some sources may recommend that you use UV lights to disinfect surfaces, you should be very careful about using this method. Organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency have yet to verify whether or not it’s appropriate to use UV devices for disinfection.
You’ll be much better off using tried and tested cleaning methods such as disinfectant sprays. You can’t afford to gamble on the health of your workers by relying on untested technology.
Take Care: Foreign Products
You should use foreign cleaning products with caution. If the product instructions are written in a language you can’t understand, you need to make sure you have access to the English instructions.
You also need to be careful with foreign products because they might contain ingredients that are now allowed in the USA. If you want to be safe, you should only use products intended for the US market.
Don’t: Use Disinfectants Around Children
When using any kind of disinfectant product, you need to take extra care around children. While the improper use of disinfectants can harm just about anyone, children are particularly vulnerable.
Children and young adults should absolutely not use disinfectant products. You should also be very careful about using these kinds of products in an area where children are likely to be.
Disinfectants are very powerful tools for controlling the spread of disease, but you need to be extra responsible when using these kinds of products around children.
Don’t: Ignore Label Directions
Whenever you use any kind of disinfection product, you need to be sure you’ve read and understood the label directions. You should absolutely never ignore anything that you read on the label, even if you don’t understand why a specific direction has been given.
If you don’t understand the instructions or if the label is damaged and unreadable, try to find instructions online. Of course, you need to make sure those instructions come from the official manufacturer if there’s any doubt, you should contact the manufacturer for confirmation.
Don’t: Use Unregistered Disinfectants
If a product makes claims about its capabilities, it should have a registration number with the EPA. This confirms the EPA has fully investigated the product and found that it works as advertised.
If you have a product without this kind of certification, you have no way of knowing if it really works. You should only buy your products from a reputable seller. Ordering from foreign websites is a way to get an inferior product.
Correct Office Disinfection is Essential
As you can see, office disinfection involves a lot of responsibility. You’ll need to make sure you follow the instructions carefully. You also need to ensure you buy the right kinds of products. You shouldn’t use any product that isn’t certified by an organization like the EPA.
One way to ensure your office is always cleaned correctly is to work with a professional commercial cleaning service. This kind of service has the expertise necessary to safely clean your office space. If you’re interested in hiring such a service in Dodge or Jefferson County, contact us today.
