Making sure that you, your family, and your co-workers are in a clean environment where germs and bacteria are kept at bay is important under any circumstances, and more so now than ever. We all use and trust different cleaning products, routines and services, but how good are they and are they really protecting us? Let’s consider a few examples.
Good Old Soap and Water
What we know as soap is that it’s a tried and tested detergent that removes particles (including virus) by suspending them in water so they can be washed away. It’s a low-cost, effective product that isn’t as harsh on our skin as other products. Interestingly, soap destroys the protective coating that viruses have. This means that hot soapy water is a highly effective germ killer as well as being a good general cleaning solution.
Bleach
In terms of some of our trusted products, a favourite disinfectant is bleach (sodium hypochlorite). Bleach is highly effective at killing bacteria viruses and moulds on many surfaces, works well at low temperature, and is cost-effective. Unfortunately, it has a very strong smell, can damage fabrics and carpets, is quite rough on the surface it touches, and, in more concentrated form, can harm our skin.
Anti-bacterial Wipes
Research back in 2018 by “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor”, TV doctor Michael Mosley, and Researchers from Cardiff University both found that disinfecting wipes tend to spread harmful bacteria around instead of killing it. Other studies have found that anti-bacterial wipes only eradicate bacteria from kitchen surfaces for 20 minutes, after which time the bacteria just grow back. One of the problems (as identified by U.S. cleaning professional Jason Courtney), is that disinfectant needs to stay on a surface for five to ten minutes to be effective, whereas the disinfectant from antibacterial wipes tends to dry away in less than five minutes. Soap and water or mild bleach solution and a cloth may be more effective at killing bacteria than wipes.
Normal Dusting
Thinking about just some of particles that make up what we call dust i.e. dead skin cells, dead dust mites and dust mite faeces, allergens, dirt and pollution particles, is enough to make you want to take the cleaning of it very seriously. Waiting until the dust is clearly visible on surfaces isn’t the best strategy and experts suggest including dusting it as part of a daily routine, starting at the top of the room and working your way down. Damp cloths (that are regularly washed), static high dusters and microfibre cloths, work well. Vacuuming should be the last step in dust removal
If you use a sponge as a cleaning tool, experts recommend soaking the sponge in hot soapy water in order to remove harmful bacteria and soaking the sponge in bleach at least once a week.
Normal Vacuuming
Vacuuming is part of dusting and general cleaning, and experts suggest that using vacuum cleaners with High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing (HEPA) filters is best. This should minimise the amount of dust being blown back into the room.
Although a 2007 study (Woolcock Institute of Medical Research) showed that vacuum cleaning isn’t completely effective for allergy avoidance, vacuuming as part of a regular routine is an important part of cleaning our work-spaces. Since this study, cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners with powerful motors have made it more convenient for people to use their vacuum cleaner more frequently.
Cleaning Routine
Getting into a regular routine, using multiple cleaning tools and products where your move obstacles out of the way first, allowing plenty of time, starting at the top and work down, trying to get into those hard-to-reach spaces too and give it some good old-fashioned elbow grease is an important part of protecting health as well as having a tidy, presentable environment.
These are just some of the basics. Obviously, when trying to protect staff, clients and general public, it’s essential that all working environments are continually maintained to be as clear of infectious diseases, bacteria, mould, allergens and other nasties as possible.
Considering the potential downtime associated with sick-staff and the PR nightmare if a customer suspects your environment is anything less than completely sanitized, don’t take chances.
Let the professionals do it for you, so you know it’s being done properly and professionally, leaving one less thing for you to worry about.
To know what’s involved, including prices and availability for this service, please contact us today.