Now more than ever we all want to know that we are doing everything we can to keep ourselves and others safe and well and that means regularly washing our hands, social distancing and cleaning.
We all clean as a norm but there is no doubt that both at home and in business more focus has been put on cleaning in recent months and this will no doubt continue to be the case for some time to come.
It is important to create a more hygienic space for all and we want to know that the people we are in contact with have washed their hands properly and the places we visit are as clean and hygienic as possible.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends prioritising the daily cleaning and disinfecting of hot spots but what is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
Cleaning removes germs and dirt from surfaces or objects using soap and water or detergent but it does not kill germs. Disinfecting kills germs but doesn’t necessarily clean dirty surfaces therefore in line with the advice from CDC, we recommend a two-step daily routine. Step 1 Clean surfaces with a detergent or soap and water. Step 2 Disinfect surfaces. It is also recommended that regularly used surfaces are wiped down after each use, this could include keyboards, phones, door handles, light switches and desks and tables.
It’s hard to believe but adults reportedly touch 7200 surfaces every 24 hours and their faces 552 times and studies have shown that the average desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat so no matter what environments you live, work, shop and socialise in it goes without saying that tougher hygiene protocols are required to break the chain of transmission.
So as individuals we can all do our bit but business owners, facilities managers and general managers need to ensure that they are doing everything they can too to ensure the safety of their staff and customers both now and in the future, this is not something to do today but not tomorrow, this is a new improved way of cleaning and disinfecting that should be adopted now and become the new norm.
