Stop the Spread – Cleaning and Disinfecting Commercial Properties

With the spread of the coronavirus across the world, maintaining hygiene and cleanliness is more important to control the spread of infection.  Transmission of the virus can happen in a number of ways including from person to person when people are in close contact with each other or when the person with the infection coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread through contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus can live on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours and other surfaces for 24 hours showing just how important it is that cleanliness in public facilities and at home is made a top priority. 

Definitions of cleaning and disinfecting

There are important differences between cleaning and disinfecting. Sometimes a surface can look clean without necessarily being hygienic.

Cleaning removes surface level dirt and germs; disinfecting actually kills the germs on the surfaces properly so that the germs don’t pose a risk to people.

Whilst thorough cleaning can be effective at decreasing the spread of infection, fully disinfecting areas can decrease the risk even more.

How to clean and disinfect effectively

In order to minimise the spread of infection properly, effective solutions and chemicals need to be used.  The UK Government officially enforced the first lockdown on March 20th 2020. Many businesses remained open including manufacturing facilities, banks and supermarkets whilst other businesses have adapted their services to operate. Examples of this include as restaurant businesses offering take-out services or companies operating with skeleton staff in offices.

Although we've been lockdown free since 2021, it's important that we still continue the same safety precautions and cleaning regulations to avoid future issues. It's always advisable to minimise the risk of germs spreading infection.

Use the correct cleaning and disinfection products to enhance disease control

To effectively clean and disinfect, you should practice routine cleaning with the best disinfecting products available. One of the most cost effective options is actually chlorine bleach, which you can get at your local supermarket.

You should stick to a consistent cleaning schedule, focusing on areas such as food contact surfaces, contact points like light switches and other surfaces.

To protect yourself from damage that these chemical disinfectants can cause, you should wear disposable gloves and other PPE equipment as necessary.

Disinfect surfaces that are often used

Hands are one of the main culprits when it comes to the spread of infection. Many studies have found that people do not wash their hands for long enough to effectively remove germs and harmful bacteria.  Therefore, while people may be taking stringent measures to practice effective hand washing through soap and water or hand sanitiser, it’s still vitally important that commonly touched surfaces are disinfected on a daily basis Commonly touched surfaces include till screens, phones, keyboards and door handles.

Pay attention to high traffic areas

After lockdown, commercial properties are seeing more and more use again and people come and go frequently. Therefore, special attention should be given to make sure these areas such as entrance ways are cleaned and disinfected regularly. Retail stores may see particular high footfall currently so extra effort should be made to ensure employee and customer areas are disinfected using the right chemicals.

How often to clean and disinfect

It can be difficult to know how often you should disinfect areas; both in a pandemic and post pandemic. When would a full deep clean advised and when is daily cleaning sufficient?

Cleaning of a facility should take place daily whilst during a pandemic it is recommended that cleaning happen twice daily particularly in settings such as healthcare facilities or manufacturing facilities. This means cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched areas that could increase risk of infection transmission.

In the event that someone has been on your business premises with a highly contagious illness, whether it's a pandemic or not, deep cleaning is a recommended response.

What is a deep clean?

A deep clean means thorough cleaning and disinfecting of an area including cleaning behind areas and equipment and less commonly touched surfaces to ensure the spread of infection is minimised.  It may also include scrubbing floors and carpets, dusting high ceilings and scrubbing within cupboards. Effective disinfection can be achieved through proper use of the correct chemicals that may vary depending on area and surface.

Kill germs with expert commercial cleaning services from Jani-King

Jani-King can help support your business with its cleaning needs. Whether you are seeking more regular cleans or emergency deep cleaning, we can provide services to businesses to minimise the spread of harmful germs and bacteria to the wider community. Our expert local teams have a wide range of experience in providing cost-effective commercial cleaning services to businesses from all sectors and are trained on all the latest regulations and use the right equipment to ensure your facility is disinfected and healthy for all.

Contact Jani-King to enquire today.