If you’ve ever felt dirty when you get home from a long day, you know there’s nothing better than a nice sudsy, soapy shower.
You come out of the shower feeling like you washed the day away and have a fresh start.
Well, it turns out your commercial building needs that treatment too - especially since COVID-19 began.
Commercial disinfectant services take cleaning to the next level, leaving you with a freshly disinfected commercial space and ready for uninterrupted operations. We know it sounds tempting to sign up for commercial disinfection services, but there is essential information you need to know before hiring a disinfection company to save you the most time, money, and operation hours.
The Increasing Demand For Commercial Disinfectant Services
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, disinfection services were not top of mind for building managers the way they are now.
Disinfection services were previously used:
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- In bathrooms or kitchens alone
- In case of a highly contagious outbreak such as influenza or seasonal colds
- As a way to deep clean your building once every blue moon
- In response to compliance issues for health and safety codes
Times have changed, and now disinfection services are in high demand. Recent reports show a 75% increase in the demand for cleaning services. With that increase, more and more new cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection companies are popping up.
Let's dive into exactly what high-quality commercial disinfectant services look like so you can ensure you’re choosing the right company for the job. We’ll also cover exactly how to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak in your building.
What Are Commercial Disinfectant Services?
By now, we’re all too familiar with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. But despite our day-to-day usage of disinfectants, sanitizers, and other cleansers, there’s one important distinction to make before we move forward. What’s the difference between sanitization and disinfection?
These terms are often used interchangeably, but the differences can have a tremendous impact on the health and safety of your commercial property visitors and inhabitants.
According to the CDC, cleaning is when you use soaps or cleansers to remove dirt and other impurities from surfaces. Sanitizing is when you reduce the number of bacteria in an area to a safe level. Finally, disinfection uses chemicals to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces, which prevents the continued spread of contagions.
Sanitizing and disinfecting have a couple of things in common. Both technically create a safe environment for public health standards, and both utilize EPA-approved products. The main difference is that disinfection is the better choice for eliminating bacteria and viruses from an area instead of just reducing it.
What Happens If My Building Has a COVID-19 Outbreak?
In case of a COVID-19 outbreak on your commercial property, it’s crucial to know that there’s no one size fits all solution. Many cleaning companies handle COVID-19 outbreaks differently, but as an example, Sentral Services has three distinct levels of disinfection services. Depending on your property’s needs and your COVID-19 situation, you would choose a corresponding level of disinfection.
Level 1: Re-opening Detail Sanitizing
With reopening detail sanitization, you’re able to feel confident reopening your doors if your occupancy has been affected by COVID-19. This sanitization is perfect for commercial buildings operating with reduced occupancy or zero occupancy for weeks or months.
Building owners and managers call us for level 1 reopening detail sanitization for many reasons, including:
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- Re-opening after weeks of a complete lockdown
- Preparations for a new tenant to occupy a floor that has been empty for months
In this level of sanitization, all affected areas and high touchpoints are sanitized and taken care of, so you’re able to re-open with peace of mind.
Level 2: Disinfecting Response
For a level 2 disinfection response, our team members start by sanitizing all affected areas of your building. This includes high-touch points such as light switches, doorknobs, keyboards, computer mouses, desk phones, elevator buttons, and much more.
In addition to an initial sanitization, our team members also leave a coat of residual disinfectant that continues to kill viruses for up to 4 additional hours.
This level of sanitization and disinfection is often requested during:
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- Flu season
- Common cold or seasonal cold season
- Other non-COVID-19 communicable illnesses common in a workplace
Level 3: COVID-19 Positive Disinfecting Response
Anytime someone from your building has tested positive for COVID-19, the third and most extensive level of disinfection is needed. This level of disinfection shares a two-step process similar to level 2, but has added measures in response to this elevated risk of a positive COVID-19 case.
First, our team members cover the affected areas of your building with disinfection technology. This helps protect our own team members and delivers an added level of disinfection. Then our team members perform the two-step sanitization and disinfection that kills the COVID-19 virus. Our process enables you to reopen your doors safely, knowing that you chose the best response to a positive COVID-19 case.
So, when can I reopen my commercial property after disinfection from a positive COVID-19 case? The answer varies depending on your building’s size, the thoroughness of your disinfection, and your cleaning crew size. The good news is that we have a 4-Step COVID-19 Reopening Cleaning Plan so you can take a peek into what the reopening process is like. Before hiring any disinfection crews after a positive COVID-19 case, be sure to ask any providers about their reopening cleaning plan and compare it to our 4-step guide.
How Often Does Your Building Need Commercial Disinfectant Services
According to CDC guidelines, commercial properties should be cleaned daily. In addition to daily janitorial cleaning, we recommend disinfection 2-3 times per year. It’s crucial to keep tabs on outbreaks in your commercial property so you can request ad-hoc disinfection services whenever you need.
How To Get The Best Commercial Disinfectant Services
When you know the proper procedure and set your expectations high, you’ll be able to find a commercial disinfection company that meets all the best practices and standards. Hiring a qualified and experienced team shows that you value the health and safety of those inside your commercial property. High-quality commercial disinfectant services also allow the businesses on your property to continue uninterrupted.
At Sentral Services, we have over 15 years of experience in the cleaning industry and three levels of disinfection, proven to kill viruses, bacteria, and pathogens effectively. We know what it takes to achieve complete client satisfaction and help ensure a safe and healthy commercial environment.
Before hiring a commercial disinfectant services provider, be sure to ask the necessary questions to see if their best practices are up to your standards; this way, you know you’re choosing the right vendor. Check out our free e-book on the 10 Questions to Ask Before Purchasing Disinfection Services to ensure the vendors you’re considering are up to code.
