Cleaning and Disinfecting to Prevent COVID-19 in Australia

How often should you be disinfecting surfaces? Are there any hidden parts in your business or in your home that you are missing? We know that all commercial cleaners in Australia are working hard, especially all those who are in hotspot areas.

In this article, we will show you all the different Covid-19 cleaning services and disinfecting techniques that you will find helpful to perform our day to day job as commercial cleaners to be more effective.

There are a lot of commercial and household cleaning materials to choose from. You may refer to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for the complete list of cleaners and disinfectants that are approved and proven to kill the Coronavirus.

When shopping for your own choice of disinfectant, make sure that it says 99.9 per cent of germs and viruses like the flu, and it will be even better if it says it can kill Tuberculosis.

If you cannot get your hands on these products, especially now that almost every store has run out of stock, you may use your commercial or household bleach for COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting.

You can mix four teaspoons of bleach with four cups of water. After that, you can take a clean microfibre cloth or rug and let it soak in the solution. This specific solution is not applicable to food contact surfaces.

You Should Know About…

High touchpoints or surfaces that are touched often are highly likely to be contaminated with viruses and germs.

Many studies show that Corona Virus can live on surfaces for days depending on what kind of surfaces it landed on.

The Do’s and Don’t for Preventing COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting

Commercial cleaners in Australia have been doing a lot of cleaning and disinfecting jobs since the outbreak. Before they partake in any of these jobs, they are observed to use the appropriate PPE that will protect themselves from being in contact directly with the chemical and from cross-contamination.

You need to use gloves if you are disinfecting with bleach.

• Wipe the microwave buttons or touchpad. Take the soaked rag and wipe the whole area down. Wipe the microwave handles too. Make sure to let it air dry—just a rule of thumb, all things that you sanitize and disinfect to be air-dried.
• The fridge handle – this handle gets a lot of heavy traffic in both the home and office settings. As a COVID cleaner, you need to make sure that you give this good coverage.
• Light Switches – Wring out your microfiber cloth before wiping it. Wipe the entire switch.
• Floor Baseboards – Apart from aesthetic reasons, you need to sanitize your baseboards regularly.
• Toilet Flush – The toilet flush is often overlooked and almost always forgotten. Give that a good clean and wipe it with the soaked rag from the solution that you prepared.
• Vacuum Cleaner Handle – This is something that gets a lot of hand contact, so make sure you wiped it with a sanitized rag. You can also wipe the hose.
• Car Steering Wheel – It has a lot of hand contact.
• Door Handles – Get the hook and crannies a good wipe-down to kill the virus and germs that may have been sitting there for a long time.
• Desk Drawer Handles – Admit it, a lot of office staff touch, push, and pull the desk drawer handles without even minding if their hands are clean or not.
• Cleaning Supplies – You may probably not think about this. You are always touching them as compared to before.

Creating a Cleaning Procedure to Fight COVID 19

COVID-19 cleaning Sydney had developed effective cleaning protocols that will combat the Coronavirus from spreading. Most of these protocols are applied to public spaces like schools, hospitals, gyms, transportation, and many different business industries.

By outlining the protocol, the community will be more aware of whether these said procedures are working or if it needs additional improvements.

Commercial cleaners are also expected to know the proper cleaning chemicals and how to use them safely. They are using the appropriate personal protective equipment and are knowledgeable when they come in direct contact with deadly pathogens and substances.

Washing hands after cleaning is necessary to decrease and eliminate the spread of germs.

General Cleaning Practices

• Wear protective gloves while cleaning.
• Use cleaning chemicals in a well-ventilated area. Never mix cleaning chemicals.
• Handle soiled gloves, towels, etc. as little as possible.
• Prevent chemical contact with food during cleaning.

Cleaning Hard, Non-Porous Surfaces

It includes surfaces made out of stainless steel, floors, kitchen surfaces, countertops, desks, tables and chairs, sinks, toilets, railings, light switch plates, doorknobs, computer keyboards, remote controls, etc.

• Read and follow the instructions that are on the label.
• Clean the surface first with soap and water to remove dirt and visible dust and debris.
• Rinse the surface with clean water and wipe it clean.
• Apply the disinfectant and let it sit for at least ten minutes. Disinfectants have different dwell times, and it will be stated in the manufacturer’s instructions, which is all the more reason for you to read the instructions first before using the disinfectant of your choice.
• Allow the surface to air dry. You need to rinse the surface with water if the surface is in a food preparation area.
• Remove the gloves and discard them immediately.
• Wash your hands after discarding the gloves. Always wash your hands after you handle contaminated materials, trash or waste.

Cleaning Soft and Porous Materials

This includes carpets, rugs, towels, couches, chairs, bedding, toys for daycares, etc.

• Gather all the soft and porous materials and place them in a bag.
• Wash them using hot water with detergent and colour-safe bleach.
• Dry on high heat.

I hope that you follow all of these things that I mentioned to you today. Always sanitize and disinfect those high touchpoints as these are the breeding areas of deadly pathogens.

This is the only way for you to protect your employee, customers, and your family from the Corona Virus and many other dangerous viruses around.

It will go a long way, especially now that the cure for the Corona Virus is not yet available. Share this if you care.

Let us spread awareness that will surely create a difference.

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