The Ultimate Guide To Disinfecting Your Office Space
The continued spread of the flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) further demonstrates the need for workspaces to be clean and healthy. Getting your office or commercial space ready to reopen is a huge step and one that should be done with diligence. This guide will cover all the measures you can take to get your workspace COVID ready and safe for your employees.
Whether you're in need of a professional sanitizing service to use electrostatic cleaning and fogging for a large warehouse, office or commercial building, or are taking on the task of disinfecting your workspace yourself, we’ve prepared all the steps, considerations & tips you should know about.
What to consider when choosing a professional disinfecting service,
& how to choose the best service for your business.
You may already be considering a professional sanitizing company, especially if your workspace or commercial building that you need disinfected is a school, hotel, office building or warehouse, as these large workspaces can seem a mammoth task to disinfect thoroughly.
When looking for a disinfecting service, you’ll find both experts that specialize in just that, as well as standardized cleaning contractors who now offer this service in line with the current needs dues to COVID-19. So the question remains, who is the right fit for your business? And what should you be considering when choosing a business to disinfect your workspace. Here are some things to consider:
What, or how much, will they be disinfecting? Plenty of cleaning service providers may lack the equipment or expertise to thoroughly disinfect an entire workspace. Think 360 disinfecting: this means walls, air & surfaces are thoroughly disinfected from germs. To ensure that not just the surfaces are wiped, or your office isn’t just getting spray cleaned, you can check your provider has the correct equipment, such as electrostatic sprayers, atomizing foggers and planning in place to ensure they are doing a thorough job.
What steps are in place to ensure they won’t bring more germs into your workspace? The act of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces dramatically reduces the chances of infection spreading, however, if this process is not diligent there can be a risk of additional germs added to your workspace. Check if your provider put in planning for routes through your office space, ensuring they aren’t reentering and re-infecting rooms they have already sanitized. How thorough are they at disinfecting their own equipment and selves before entering your office and when they leave? These are crucial pieces of information all professional commercial cleaning companies should be providing.
Finally, a little background research into your considered disinfecting company can demonstrate if they are the right fit for you. Ask yourself, are they providing expert knowledge in their industry, such as what risks are eliminated with their service (i.e. what germs are they going to kill, are they thorough in their knowledge of ingredients & cleaning technologies.) You can also take a look at industries they work in or business they’ve worked with to see if they are a reputable and credible choice for your business.
What to do when disinfecting your own office or workspace.
5 Tips on disinfecting your office.
Before anyone heads back to your office, WHO suggests comprehensively cleaning and disinfecting your workspace, including common areas, entry points, bathrooms, pantries, and furniture. If you are taking on this task yourself or utilizing your current cleaning employees, there are specific cleaning tools and methods and a right and wrong way to tackle disinfection that could make or break the health of an office. Even without the latest fogging machines or electrostatic spraying, you can start to effectively disinfect your office using the following tips.
1. Know what chemicals can do
On the bottle, common household disinfectants tout their ability to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses, including human coronavirus, flu strains, E.coli and salmonella, among others. But will they work against COVID-19? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says these disinfectants are “thought” to be effective against the new coronavirus strain, but until tests confirm it, this has not been scientifically proven. With this in mind, ensure you have the best cleaning product that is easily available to you.
2. Tech disinfect
Don’t forget to wipe down high touch surfaces that employees will be touching regularly, such as their keyboard, phone, penholders and stationary, desktop and desk surfaces.
3. Heavily promote handwashing
Create and post hand washing and drying signs throughout the office – from the kitchen to the bathroom, at the entrance and around desks – to remind employees to clean their hands regularly with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Choose a sanitizer with at least 60% to 95% alcohol or with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Dry hands thoroughly because germs spread with moisture!
4. Practice color-coded cleaning
Color code cloths for specific spaces so janitorial and custodial staff doesn’t cross-contaminate — don't confuse kitchen cloths with the bathroom.
5. Use a one-way wipe down
Wipe down a surface in one direction and don’t go back over it in the opposite direction because it will deposit germs that were just cleaned up. Routinely wipe down all frequently touched surfaces such as workstations, countertops and doorknobs.
6. Install Cleaning Stations
If you’re able to, consider installing hand sanitizing and disinfectant wipe stations throughout your office. You want to place this in high-traffic areas so that employees can use these as they move through the office. Such as at the entrance, outside lifts, before the kitchn or at the end of desk rows.
How to keep your office clean.
Tips for cleaning your office even after the professionals are done.
So the professionals left your workspace sparkling and germ-free, or you’ve just finished a thorough clean throughout your office, now what? Even after you’ve got your office COVID-19 ready, you’ll want to ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to keep this high level of sanitization for your employees.
Once employees are back in the office, they can prevent the spread of workplace colds and germs by keeping their personal space clean and germ-free. Here are the areas most likely to spread germs and how you can keep them from causing illness.
Computer keyboard - which can potentially host more germs than an office toilet! It is likely that restrooms are going to be cleaned regularly by sanitation staff and people take more hygiene precautions when using the restroom. But how diligent are employees at cleaning their personal keyboards? How to keep it clean:
Turn your computer off and unplug the keyboard.
Use a can of compressed air to release dust from the keyboard.
Dip cotton swabs in a mild cleaning solution and wipe the surfaces between each key.
Use a lint-free cloth and the cleaning solution to gently wipe all other surfaces.
Phone - Phones harbor germs from your hands, ears, face and mouth. Encourage sanitizing your phone regularly throughout the day.
Unplug the phone.
Use a lint-free cloth and a cleaning solution to gently wipe all over surfaces.
Use a disinfecting wipe on the handset, and pay careful attention to surfaces that come closest to your mouth.
Water bottles - An almost permanent fixture on all employee desks, that travels with them to and from work, collecting germs along the way.
Wipe it down when you get to the office
Take it home daily to wash it with dish detergent and warm water.
Snacks - Food crumbs can be a breeding ground for bacteria or vermin.
Keep all snacks sealed in airtight containers.
Do not eat lunch at your desk. If you do have a snack, be sure to use a plate and thoroughly wipe the surface afterward.
Desktop - The final step of a clean workspace is a disinfected desk. Once you've cleaned the other items on your desk, you're ready for the finishing touch.
Remove any papers or clutter from your desktop.
Use disinfectant wipes to thoroughly clean the entire surface.
Do not ignore spaces that aren't easily accessible. For instance, lift photo frames to wipe underneath them.
