Proper cleaning and disinfection practices to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 are an integral part of reopening many businesses, schools, and public spaces. This will require many to develop a plan, implement that plan, and then maintain and revise the plan as this situation further progresses. This will help ensure our communities stay safe as possible, reopen as soon as possible, and most importantly remain open.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be killed by using the proper products. The EPA has a list of all approved disinfectant products that have been proven to be effective against viruses such as COVID-19.

This article will provide the best guidance and tips for the most up to date cleaning and disinfection practices according to the CDC - Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Such as routine cleaning with soap and water, frequent disinfection using EPA approved disinfectants especially targeting high touch areas or objects. If you are unable to obtain an EPA approved disinfectant, alternate solutions can be used, such as bleach or 70%+ alcohol solutions. Although, NEVER mix bleach or other cleaning/disinfection products together as this can cause very dangerous or even deadly fumes. Always read product labels and follow instructions closely.

Important Reminders about Coronavirus and Reducing Your Risk of Exposure -

• Coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours to days depending on the surface material. Warmer temperatures and sunlight exposure reduce the time the virus is able to survive on surfaces and objects. Thankfully, going into the beginning of May, we are starting to experience much warmer temperatures!

• Regular routine cleaning with only soap and water can remove germs and dirt from surfaces lowering the risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection.

• Disinfectants kill germs on surfaces if used properly. Always make sure to read the label and follow instructions. For disinfectants to be effective, they must sit ( Dwell) on the surface for anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Simply spraying a disinfectant on a surface and instantly wiping it down will not kill the virus.

• Always store and use disinfectants as intended by reading the label. Also, never mix any cleaning products together as toxic fumes could be created, and as always make sure all disinfectants are out of reach of children.

• Always wear proper gloves for the chemicals being used, and in some instances, additional personal protection equipment ( PPE) may be required.

• Continuing to social distance, wearing face masks, and following proper hand hygiene procedures are still very much important.

Want to leave all of this to the professionals? Evergreen Cleaning Company has adapted its services to be able to provide the most effective cleaning and disinfection services possible! Using our electrostatic sprayers combined with an EPA disinfectant is the most efficient and effective way to disinfect any home, business, or facility. We have been certified and accredited in coronavirus cleaning services, and remain committed to continuing our education, staying up to date with the latest recommendations in order to provide the absolute best/most thorough cleaning and disinfection services available! Learn more here or call us at 657-203-3393 to schedule your appointment or receive a free consultation and quote.

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Developing a Plan

Developing a well thought out plan of action can be extremely helpful when determining what and how your home or business needs to clean/disinfect surfaces. Many surfaces may only require a standard cleaning with soap and water, while frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned first, then disinfected to minimize the risk of any germs remaining on those surfaces and objects.

Whether you are dealing with a residential home or a commercial facility, it is critical that your plan includes a way to maintain a cleaning and disinfecting procedure. The plan should remain flexible to accommodate your staff or family, as well as being able to make any adjustments as new federal, state, or local guidance is updated.

Some examples of frequently touched surfaces and objects that will need routine disinfection are -

• tables

• doorknobs

• light switches

• countertops

• handles

• desks

• phones

• keyboards

• toilets

• faucets, and sinks

• gas pump handles

• touch screens

• ATM machines

Each business or facility will have different surfaces and objects that are frequently touched by multiple people that require frequent disinfection. Some surfaces, such as soft and porous materials are much more difficult to disinfect than hard non-porous surfaces. Although, many of these soft porous materials or objects that aren’t frequently touched can simply be cleaned or laundered. Luckily the EPA does have listed a limited number of approved products for the use on soft and porous surfaces, and high heat steam cleaning can also be utilized where applicable.

Implement Your Plan

After a plan is devised, it’s now time to take action. Make sure to read all instructions and labels on the products you will be using. Equip yourself with the proper PPE and begin the cleaning and disinfecting process. Always clean first, then disinfect afterward. Clean all visibly dirty surfaces with soap and water which will remove all dirt/debris prepping the surface for disinfection. The cleaning step should not be overlooked as the disinfectant won’t be effective if the surface is covered with dirt and debris. Clean soft and porous materials by laundering them using the warmest temperature settings possible or use a high-temperature steam cleaner for items that cannot be laundered such as couches and other furniture.

Maintain and Revise Your Plan

Reduce your risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 during all daily activities by following guidelines from the CDC and federal/local governments. Make adjustments to your plan as needed and based on your current circumstances.

Continue frequent routine cleaning and disinfecting procedures to further reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Cleaning with just soap and water alone can reduce your risk of exposure, but also is a required step prior to disinfecting surfaces. Surfaces frequently touched by multiple people, such as door handles, desks, phones, light switches, and faucets, should be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. More frequent cleaning and disinfection may be required based on the level of use. For example, certain surfaces and objects in public spaces, such as shopping carts and point of sale keypads, should be cleaned and disinfected before each use.

We all have had to make drastic changes to our normal lives to help reduce the spread of this virus. To successfully reopen the United States, we all need to continue following all safety precautions such as social distancing, frequently washing hands or use sanitizer containing 60% alcohol or higher, wearing face masks when in public, avoid touching your face, staying home if feeling ill, and frequently cleaning and disinfecting, especially high touch objects and surfaces.

Continue to stay updated and follow federal, state, and local guidance for reopening America. Check out this CDC Resource for updates to see if your plan needs to be modified based on new information that may be discovered.

It is very important to continue following these steps and safety guidelines as America begins to reopen, as making sure we can keep the country open and operating “Normally” is something I believe I can safely say everyone wants. As more states reopen, everyone needs to realize that even though the stay at home orders are lifted, the daily life of most will not be exactly the same as it was prior to this pandemic. Safety precautions will still need to be followed to prevent the virus from further spreading leading to another lockdown. When out in public, reduce your risk as much as possible by touching as few surfaces as possible, wipe down surfaces before and after touching them along with washing your hands or using hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching surfaces out in public. This combined with all other safety recommendations should reduce your risk significantly. Check out this CDC resource to Prevent Getting Sick.

Other changes that can be made to reduce the risk of exposure is to limit the use of porous materials used for seating, leave doors open/use automatic doors to reduce multiple people touching the door handle, open windows to improve ventilation and remove frequently touched objects in common areas.

There are many more steps that businesses and facilities can implement to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect their staff as well as the public. Additional information can be found at CDC’s Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities with Local COVID-19 Transmission.

In closing, reopening the United States will require all of us to work together using the recommended safety practices while following safe daily habits in order to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as much as possible. We are all in this together and Evergreen Cleaning Company is here to help our communities as much as we possibly can!

Evergreen Cleaning Company is here to help the situation and has taken many steps in order to do so! We have invested in the best equipment, received the best training which is an ongoing process, and offer the best cleaning and disinfection services available. Our services are available to both residential homes as well as commercial buildings of all types and sizes. Cleaning and Electrostatic Disinfection Spraying services are available in all of Orange County, Long Beach plus surrounding cities such as Carson, Paramount, Downey, Signal Hill, and many more, and in some cases Los Angeles as well! We are Huntington Beach's only officially accredited Coronavirus cleaning service. We are proud of our commitment to cleaning and disinfecting your home or business and will continue to follow CDC/EPA recommendations when servicing your home or business. Our staff is not only trained and educated, but they have also each pledged a personal commitment to following every measure we have implemented as a business to ensure your health and safety are protected. Contact us today for a free consultation and quote!

www.evergreencleaningco.com