Office cleaning and disinfecting during Covid-19

As many businesses prepare to return to work although limited to a certain amount of employees at a time or on a rotational basis, office cleaning and disinfection during Covid-19 has become a topic of discussion.

The Government has put in place some Guidelines for the work place:

Arrange staggered working hours, shift systems, remote working arrangements or similar measures, to limit congestion in public transport and at the workplace
Make arrangements for social distancing at work

Provide sanitiser or facilities for hand-washing
Sanitise surfaces regularly
Screen employees for symptoms daily and assist those at risk to seek treatment

Social distancing is also a very important factor during this time. The basics of social distancing are as follows:

Keep a safe distance from others of up to 1.5 meters or even 2 meters.

Regular hand washing and sanitising

Wearing a cloth mask in public and in the workplace at all times

Cleaning surfaces and frequently touched areas regularly

Avoid large crowds and gatherings

Sanitising vs Disinfection

Regular cleaning and sanitising of surfaces is mostly for health and well-being of employees in the work place. This should be carried out daily and continuously throughout the day. Disinfection on the other hand is the use of specialised chemicals that can kill bacteria and viruses. This is always recommended should an employee be infected with a contagious illness. Disinfection is often more costly than sanitising due to the either the specialised equipment such as fogging machines or specialised disinfection chemicals. Disinfection can be carried out using a fogging machine, sprayers / manual misting and even manually using suitable chemicals and cloths to wipe surfaces. Always follow the manufacturer’s safety protocols when using disinfection chemicals. Some chemicals may need to be diluted for the specific type of surface or environment being disinfected.

Make a list of all the cleaning equipment you may require for regular office sanitising.

  • Gloves – some chemicals such as bleach can cause skin irritation
  • Suitable cloths, microfiber or paper towels. At weClean we prefer Kimberly Clark Wypall cloths.
  • Cleaning chemical or sanitising agents such as alcohol surface cleaners, diluted bleach or any other suitable germ or virus killing chemical.
  • Facemask or respirator depending on the safety instructions for the chemicals used.

List all the areas that require regular sanitising or disinfection.

  • Entrance and reception areas
  • Offices
  • Boardrooms
  • Restrooms
  • Storage rooms

List all the surfaces and create a checklist for each room to ensure that all surfaces have been sanitised. You can even add the frequency to your checklist.

  • Counter tops
  • Desk surfaces
  • Door handles and doors
  • Light switches
  • Stairwell hand rails
  • Lift buttons
  • Handles and knobs of cupboards and storage cabinets

Communal areas in the office or shared office equipment

  • Printer buttons and surfaces
  • Desktop Computers, keyboards and mice
  • Office stationary
  • Touchscreens or finger print scanners

Restrooms

  • Toilet door handles
  • Dispensers – hand towel, soap and sanitiser – no touch is preferred but many offices have manual dispensers installed – sanitise these surfaces regularly.
  • Tap handles
  • Waste bins

Create an office cleaning plan. Most offices already have a plan in place but during these unprecedented times there should be an adjusted plan to keep the workplace cleaned more regularly. If your office carpets and office chairs only get deep cleaned once a year, get this done more frequently. Once a month find a suitable provider or invest in disinfecting chemicals and a machine to either fog or spray surfaces with disinfectant to kill any viruses and bacteria.

Get your team on board

We are in the middle of winter in South Africa which is also flu season. Many may end up with the flu and not necessarily the Coronavirus Covid-19 infection. Having all your employees in on the cleaning and sanitising routine will effectively reduce the spread of germs in the office or workplace. Put up signage that promotes a clean work environment. Signs to remind teams to wash their hands regularly and to stick to social distancing protocols in the work place.

weClean provides professional office and commercial cleaning services in the Cape Town area. We also offer disinfection using the fogging method. Speak to us about your workplace office cleaning and disinfecting during Covid-19.

Resources – SACORONAVIRUS

checklist-cleaning-sanitising