Disinfectant cleaning services have been instrumental in helping many buildings reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early 2020, preventing Coronavirus from spreading in the workplace has been the key to keeping your doors open.
The pandemic has taught many property managers and building owners the importance of being ready for emergencies, as they can occur at any time. After many buildings had to close down, some only briefly and others for months, it’s shown the importance of having a plan for emergency disinfection services and taking precautions to prevent these situations in the first place.
In this post, you’ll learn the recommended frequency for cleaning and disinfection services that will keep your tenants safe from contracting a disease or virus. Partnering with the right company will give you the peace of mind that you’ll be doing everything within your power to prevent and manage these situations.
Scheduling Disinfectant Cleaning Services For Your Building
Before deciding how often you need to schedule disinfectant cleaning services, we should establish a few things about how disinfection works. What makes disinfection services different from standard cleaning services?
Regular commercial cleaning services often use products like soap or detergents to clean surfaces. According to the CDC, this type of cleaning is sufficient for daily maintenance as long as there are no confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases on-site.
On the other hand, disinfecting is a more extensive cleaning process that involves using chemicals from an EPA-approved list proven to kill viruses like COVID-19. As buildings and businesses strive to keep their doors open and visitors and tenants healthy, disinfectant cleaning services are essential.
At Sentral Services, we offer disinfection services on a scheduled basis, and we have an emergency response plan to assist our clients with urgent requests. Get a custom disinfection quote from Sentral today, and keep reading to learn how frequently you should disinfect your building.
Building Type
How often you will need disinfectant cleaning services will depend on the type of building you operate. How high traffic is your building? A high-traffic facility like an airport or college campus will need disinfecting far more frequently than a quiet office building. Since disinfectant cleaning services are all about killing germs and stopping the spread of viruses, the more people you have coming in and out - potentially bringing germs and viruses with them - the more frequently you will need to have your building disinfected.
It is also essential to consider the industry operating inside of your building. If your building houses a medical facility, you will need to disinfect more frequently than other building types, but there may be specific cleaning regulations you must follow. Be sure to review any rules applicable to your industry, as well as CDC guidelines, when deciding how often you need to have your building disinfected.
What Needs to Be Disinfected
Another element you need to consider regarding the frequency of your commercial disinfection services is the number of surfaces and areas in your building that need to be disinfected. Keep in mind that different surfaces and materials will require different processes and equipment for disinfection.
You may also find that your high-touch surfaces need disinfection more frequently than the other areas in your building. Common high-touch surfaces include:
- Door handles
- Tables and countertops
- Light switches
- Phones and keyboards
- Toilets and sinks
Depending on your building type, you may also need to consider other high-touch surfaces, like shopping carts or point-of-sale keyboards.
How Long Does Disinfection Take
When considering how frequently to schedule disinfection services, it is also essential to factor in the length of the disinfection process itself. After all, disinfecting is a lot more extensive than simply wiping down a few surfaces and calling it a day.
To complete full disinfection, the service you have hired will need to take several carefully outlined steps, including turning off your HVAC system and testing cleaned areas to make sure they meet CDC guidelines of cleanliness. This requirement means that you will need to cease operations within your building during disinfection. Depending on the size and layout of your building, this may take anywhere from a few hours to an entire day.
Closing for Disinfection
As we hinted at above, you will need to temporarily close your building and cease operations during your disinfection process. This can be relatively simple to manage for scheduled disinfection, but you should also have a plan of action in case of an emergency that necessitates closing for disinfection.
Depending on the size and layout of your building, you may not need to close down the entire facility for disinfection. If your building has multiple sections with different HVAC systems, you may be able to close off one area for disinfection while leaving the rest of the building open. Be sure to discuss these possibilities with the disinfectant cleaning company you hire.
Regardless of whether you plan to close off only part of your building or shut down operations altogether for the duration of your disinfection, it’s vital to make sure you have processes and procedures in place regarding that shut down. Tenants and visitors should be informed of the disinfection and know when it will be safe for them to return to your building.
Partnering with a Disinfection Cleaning Service CTA
The frustrating answer to the question, “how often do I need disinfectant cleaning services?” is: It depends. With ever-changing CDC guidelines and fluctuating COVID levels in your area, it can be challenging to know for sure that you are doing all you can to keep your tenants safe.
This is why it is crucial to partner with a disinfectant cleaning service regularly trained in the most up-to-date guidelines and requirements. The right company will make recommendations for your building that will give you peace of mind that you are taking all the necessary steps to operate a safe and healthy facility.
Even after the pandemic ends, regular disinfection of facilities will remain essential to business operations across industries. Aside from the desire to keep their employees safe, business owners are beginning to realize that disinfection has other benefits, including lower absenteeism due to sick days.
Keeping workplaces as clean and germ-free as possible will be the new “norm” moving forward. That is why it is vital to partner with a cleaning and disinfection company that can efficiently and effectively handle all your needs. If you are interested in seeing how Sentral Services can help you keep your building’s doors open safely and with confidence, request a quote for disinfection services today!
