How To Clean Your Office And Prevent Covid 19
The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the face of our livelihood; it spread rapidly bringing all activities in the world to a halt. Most companies have to resort to working from home while workers in the essential services still have to go to work. It is important to note that effective and constant cleaning and decontamination substantially decreases the menace of the Coronavirus in the workspace, which is why this article is geared toward sensitization on the fundamentals of ensuring a pristine and sanitized environment within the office space and the general well-being of the workers and customers.
However, it is salient to understand that cleaning and decontamination are separate undertakings. Whilst cleaning gets rid of dirt and some micro-organisms, decontamination kills all micro-organisms on all surfaces due to the chemical content in the disinfectant; a combo of cleaning and decontamination has high potency in preventing the Coronavirus.
Below are rudimentary guidelines on how to clean up your office space to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Employers of labor should ensure the following in their various workspaces:
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Standard scheduled cleaning
Before commencing cleaning, ensure to put on tight fitted disposable gloves and a nose mask which should be thrown away when cleaning is done, then wash hands thoroughly with soap and water; it is much better to make use of disposable cleaning towels to clean and decontaminate the surfaces. All surfaces should be cleaned with washing powder and decontaminated with disinfectants constantly; most especially surfaces that are touched often like doorknobs, tables, gadgets, taps, etc. The cleaning and decontaminating process should be progressive; from cleaner parts of the office space to the dirtier parts.
Ensure not to do a mixture of different antiseptics, sprinkle on the cleaning towel before use and more attention should be given to high traffic areas in your office space; here decontamination should be done more often. The importance of cleaning before decontamination cannot be understated as it is the only procedure effective enough to kill all micro-organisms. The communal parts of the office space like the front desk office, the cafeteria, the washroom, etc. should be cleaned more often like every 1-2 hours. I would also recommend you hire professionals by doing a search office cleaning near me.
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Be Observant of Trash Cans
Keep an eye on the trash cans inside and outside the office space. Ensure all trash cans are covered and are only filled a little above half their capacity and all the trash bags should be firmly and securely tied. The trash should be evacuated daily.
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Focus on the Washroom
The washroom is that part of the office space where the virus can spread easily if not adequate care is not taken; viruses can advance progressively from the water closet hence, proper care must be taken while cleaning and decontaminating. It is important to take the proper steps to sanitize or you should consider hiring a professional cleaning service for the job. They could also provide exterior cleaning services such as pressure washing as well. If you go the DIY route I would suggest putting on elbow long protective gloves over the disposable gloves before commencing cleaning. In cleaning the water closet, pour in washing powder along with toilet cleaner and scrub the interior all around, then flush. After which a sprinkle of antiseptic on a disposable towel is used to wipe the handle, the edge of the water closet downwards. Trash the disposable gloves after cleaning, then wash the elbow long gloves and decontaminate because of its continuous use. Next, swipe the mirrors, taps, wash hand basins, doorknobs, taps, and other items in the washroom with a damp disposable towel with a sprinkle of antiseptic on it to do thorough decontamination. Finally, do a one-off cleaning of the washroom floor by using a mixture of washing powder and antiseptic to do thorough decontamination.
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Quality Air Space
The importance of quality air was more emphasized during the Coronavirus pandemic because the spread of viruses will not thrive in a well-aired space. It is only advisable to do an evaluation of the general airing of the office space and make needed improvements. Office spaces should be well aired and filtered; the choice of a high MERV filtration system helps to get rid of specks in the air for more quality air in the office space.
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Advocate frequent hand washing
Encourage constant hand washing by workers and customers through the pasting of posters; providing accessible wash hand basins with soap and clean running water; ensuring alcohol-based sanitizers are placed in strategic places within and outside the office space and supervising replacement. Constant washing and decontamination of the hands gets rid of micro-organisms and averts the spread of Coronavirus.
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Encouraging Physical Distancing
Promote physical distancing by keeping the number of persons coming into the office space minimal. Upgrade the structure of the office space to align with the physical distancing rule of 6 feet (2 arm’s length)
Adherence to the above-stated guidelines in your office space will avert the menace of the Coronavirus.
