COVID-19 has spread around the world quickly and proper cleaning is one of the best ways to prevent the disease from spreading further. The CDC has issued specific COVID-19 cleaning guidelines which should always be followed to ensure proper cleaning and to protect cleaning technicians.
Post exposure to COVID-19 cleaning bears no resemblance to old school cleaning that only required a mop bucket, mop, common cleaning products and elbow grease. COVID-19 cleaning is more akin to preparing a facility for surgery.
Deb Kleopfer, Vice President, W-Services Group, a multi-site cleaning services company for the United States and Canada says, “proper post COVID-19 exposure cleaning involves protecting cleaning personnel, using the correct cleaning supplies, and following the correct procedures.”
Protective gear and supplies
“First, we have to protect the cleaning technicians as they are the invisible army on the front lines fighting this war. We do not want to risk losing any of them to the virus as it can dramatically impact their health and how many locations we can clean going forward – which could impact the health of hundreds of people.”
According to Kleopfer, technicians should follow proper personal hygiene and use personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes a full respirator/mask with a minimum NIOSH rating of N95 or higher. The respirator/mask protects the technician from chemical splashes or inhalation of the chemicals being used. Other gear includes goggles, disposable shoes, coveralls or aprons, and medical grade gloves.
The supplies needed include: the PPE, proper EPA registered disinfectant cleaners and/or wipes depending upon the disinfection process being used. Techs also need disposable microfiber cleaning cloths, pads or brushes, trigger spray bottles or pressure sprayers, trash bags, and tape to seal full trash bags, mops and buckets and wet floor signs.
Proper protocol and procedures
When a cleaning crew arrives onsite, they follow a specific protocol. “First, they suit up and perform a walk through to ensure the area to be cleaned does not have any obstacles that will interfere with the cleaning,” explained Kleopfer.
“Next, we determine systematic way to complete the job that ensures we cover all the areas that need cleaning. For large spaces, we may assign specific techs to certain areas while also determining cleaning flow and the sequence in which rooms will be cleaned.
As the techs clean, they deposit any contaminated or soiled cleaning materials in the trash bags and seal those bags with tape when they are full.
“When the cleaning is completed, and while still wearing their PPE, technicians clean and disinfect reusable tools and equipment, place all disposable materials in the trash bags and tape securely for disposal – according to local regulations,” she emphasized.
After the last glove is removed, technicians must follow proper procedures to wash and sanitize their hands.
Protecting technicians
Crew safety is paramount during all procedures. “When cleaning after COVID-19 exposure the crew should only consist of technicians who have been trained in the appropriate use of PPE and biohazard cleanup,” stated Kleopfer.
“Some of the procedures sound like common sense, but they are in place to protect the technicians – like using wet floor signs to warn other techs. If surfaces are dirty, techs must first clean the area using a neutral pH detergent before they apply disinfectant.
They must follow all label directions and manufacturer’s instructions for the cleaning and disinfection products used such as, proper dilution, application method, contact time, disposal of empty containers,” she said.
Even hand washing must adhere to specific procedures to prevent contamination. Hands must be washed using soap and applying hand sanitizer prior to putting gloves on and when changing gloves. The procedure is as follows:
- Wet hands and apply soap.
- Agitate/rub all surfaces of the skin for at least 20 seconds. Ensure that areas between fingers, around knuckles, and fingernails are adequately cleaned.
- Thoroughly rinse with warm water and repeat washing and rinsing again.
- Dry hands using disposable towels. Turn off the water with the towel before discarding.
- Apply hand sanitizer.
Changing gloves to prevent cross contamination also follows a strict procedure as follows:
- Grasp the glove at your wrist at the back of your hand.
- Remove the glove by turning it inside out as you remove it.
- Hold the removed glove in the palm of your gloved hand.
- Remove the second glove by same method as the first and make sure the first glove is contained inside of the second glove.
- Discard the gloves into a biohazard labeled trash bag.
“These procedures are not simple or easy to perform,” Kleopfer stressed. “However, we want to win the war against COVID-19, and our highly trained invisible army must be properly trained and equipped to go into battle, do a thorough job and come home safely,” she concluded.
