Why You Need to Hire Professional Cleaners to Clean & Disinfect Your Facility
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world is now focused on the role that cleaning and disinfection have in stopping the spread of the virus. During this unprecedented time, all types of businesses need professional help to ensure their facilities are safe and healthy for their employees and building occupants. While transmission of COVID-19 is most common via respiratory droplets, it can remain on surfaces anywhere from several hours to several days, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
As a result of a struggling economy dealing with the coronavirus, complementary service providers such as carpet cleaners, window washers, and even painters and the like have suddenly begun offering disinfection services to keep business coming in the door. Unfortunately for business owners and facility managers, many of these cleaning industry newcomers have a limited understanding of proper disinfection protocols and best practices, which are especially critical when dealing with a highly-infectious and complex virus such as COVID-19. These newcomers often fail to clean before disinfecting and have minimal knowledge of dwell times, both of which are essential to the efficacy of the disinfection process.
Cleaning is an essential first step in the disinfection process
“Cleaning” is the process of removing visible debris (dirt, dust, oil, or other impurities) from surfaces. Once all visible debris is gone, cleaning has technically been achieved. Although cleaning can reduce the number of germs that remain on a surface, cleaning alone does not kill them. A disinfectant must also be applied to the surface in order to destroy whatever germs are left behind. Although disinfectants are powerful chemicals, they are only effective when used on a surface that has first been properly cleaned first.
Cleaning is not just about a bucket of suds, some cleaning cloths, and a mop. First, you need to take a look at the area you’re about to clean and get rid of any visible mess, dirt, grime, and debris. Papers off the floor; food scraps and crumbs swept up; and rubbish on countertops collected. Now it’s time to start the actual cleaning. Use a good cleaning agent to wipe down surfaces thoroughly. Next, remove any detergent residue which can leave a sticky film. Once you have washed away all the dirt and debris you can see, it’s now time to use an EPA-registered disinfectant while giving special attention to high-touch points.
Disinfectants: what they are and how do they work
“Disinfectants” are chemical agents designed to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection is a form of decontamination and can be defined as the process whereby physical or chemical methods are used to reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms on a surface. The goal is not to completely sterilize the environment, but rather to decrease the pathogen load significantly to a point where disease transmission does not occur. Disinfectants work by destroying the cell wall of microbes or interfering with their metabolism.
Without the necessary first step of cleaning, dirt and debris can create a barrier that prevents the disinfectant from fully adhering to the cell wall of microbes. It’s not enough to trust that a business has already properly cleaned a space just because there are vacuums, brooms, or other housekeeping paraphernalia and cleaning supplies on-site. Cleaning must happen immediately prior to disinfection to get the most out of the disinfection process.
Choosing the right disinfectants and equipment
It’s essential that you choose a disinfectant the EPA has confirmed will kill COVID-19 when used according to label directions. Another important consideration is the type of equipment that will be used to apply the disinfectant. Your typical spray bottle and wiping routine will take a lot more time to execute and leaves more room for human error. It’s also difficult to get those tiny nooks and crannies and hard to reach surfaces that can easily get missed. Fortunately, there are better options to spray bottles that will get the job done more efficiently and effectively such as electrostatic spray technology.
Electrostatic spray disinfection technology
Electrostatic spray disinfection systems turn disinfectant liquid (e.g., quaternary ammonium compounds) into aerosols. They are equipped with a special nozzle that coats each particle of the disinfectant solution with a positive charge. Once the positively charged solution comes into contact with its intended target, it adheres to and engulfs it entirely. Electrostatic sprayers cover more areas in a shorter amount of time, which is especially helpful when attempting to cover a large area.
Using electrostatic spray technology properly requires training. When used incorrectly, this equipment can leave spots and residue behind resulting in a second visit to your facility to fix the problem, which nobody wants. Spots and residue also indicate that the technician doesn’t understand how to use the equipment properly or disinfectant dwell times (the amount of time the disinfectant solution must remain wet on the surface). Without the appropriate contact time, a disinfectant will not reach its full kill-claim potential for eliminating illness-causing germs and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi).
Given the room for error when disinfecting with an electrostatic sprayer, it’s best left to trained professionals. Painters, carpet cleaners, window washers, and plumbers may have good intentions by offering these services, but do you really want to entrust the health and safety of your employees and building occupants to them during an escalating coronavirus pandemic? Commercial cleaning and janitorial professionals are trained in the latest cleaning and disinfection methods, technologies, protocols, and best practices for killing illness-causing germs and pathogens (bacteria, fungi, and viruses including COVID-19), and are your best defense when it comes to keeping your facility, clean, hygienic, and safe.
Choosing the right commercial cleaning and janitorial service
At Cleanstart, our highly-trained cleaning team is able to provide rapid response to businesses looking to achieve an enhanced level of hygiene and safety. Now more than ever, business owners and facility managers must recognize and address the unique challenges that come with the COVID-19 pandemic. By taking extra precautions today and focussing on the details, you can reduce the chance of infection and spread of coronavirus and other pathogens in your facility.
Our facility cleaning services include hand wiping and/or the use of an electrostatic sprayer to apply an EPA-registered disinfectant used to kill 99% of viruses including the SARS-CoV-2. Based on CDC guidelines, extra attention will be given to high-touch surfaces such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, handles, elevator buttons, security card readers, faucets, sinks, handrails, and other frequently-touched surfaces by multiple people.
Cleanstart has been in the commercial cleaning and janitorial business for over 28 years and on the front lines combating the spread of COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in early 2020 (See Time Magazine video featuring Cleanstart on the front lines). We provide fast, efficient, and effective cleaning and disinfection services and are able to customize a cleaning plan tailored to your needs and schedule. Daily, weekly and monthly cleanings are available as well as one-time emergency cleaning and disinfection visits.
Our Customer service guarantee
We provide a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. If for whatever reason our 5-star quality cleaning standard is not met, we will make it right by correcting the issue within one business day. Our combination of proven processes, high standards, and uncompromising customer service take commercial cleaning and janitorial services to the next level.
Cleanstart is proud to offer:
✓ Over 28 years of experience in the cleaning and janitorial industry
✓ Thoroughly trained and vetted cleaning professionals
✓ Commitment to the highest quality clean
✓ Local, licensed, insured, & bonded service
✓ 24/7 cleaning options & support
✓ Customized cleaning solutions
✓ One-time and recurring professional cleaning visits
✓ 100% satisfaction guarantee
✓ OSHA, HIPAA, EPA, CDC, AORN compliant
✓ A+ BBB-rating
For more information about our quality services, please give the experts at Cleanstart a call at (253) 921-2593 or request a free online cleaning estimate now!
We service the following locales in the Greater Puget Sound region:
Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Factoria, Fife, Gig Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, King County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, and Thurston County.
5013 Pacific Hwy E unit 16 Fife, WA 98424 • Phone: 253.921.2593 • Email: Caleb @ thecleanstart.com
