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Coronavirus Deep Cleaning Guidance

Coronavirus Deep Cleaning Guidance

COVID-19 is dominating our news headlines, our social lives, and our hygiene routines, although we cannot cure it, we can prevent it, which is what we are here for, to share the advice gained from our years of experience as one of the UK’s leading professional deep cleaning and disaster recovery companies.

In the hardest hitting pandemic the world has experienced in quite some time, prevention is key!

UK Government Cleaning and Disinfection Guidelines

Public areas where a symptomatic individual has passed through and spent minimal time, such as corridors, but which are not visibly contaminated with body fluids can be cleaned thoroughly as normal.

All surfaces that the symptomatic person has come into contact with must be cleaned and disinfected, including:

  • objects which are visibly contaminated with body fluids
  • all potentially contaminated high-contact areas such as bathrooms, door handles, telephones, grab-rails in corridors and stairwells

Use disposable cloths or paper roll and disposable mop heads, to clean all hard surfaces, floors, chairs, door handles and sanitary fittings, following one of the options below:

  • use either a combined detergent disinfectant solution at a dilution of 1,000 parts per million available chlorine

or

  • a household detergent followed by disinfection (1000 ppm av.cl.). Follow manufacturer’s instructions for dilution, application and contact times for all detergents and disinfectants

or

  • if an alternative disinfectant is used within the organisation, this should be checked and ensure that it is effective against enveloped viruses

Avoid creating splashes and spray when cleaning.

Any cloths and mop heads used must be disposed of and should be put into waste bags.

When items cannot be cleaned using detergents or laundered, for example, upholstered furniture and mattresses, steam cleaning should be used.

Any items that are heavily contaminated with body fluids and cannot be cleaned by washing should be disposed of.

If possible keep an area closed off and secure for 72 hours. After this time the amount of virus contamination will have decreased substantially and you can clean as normal with your usual products.

Read more information from the UK Government website to learn about what you can do to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Frequently Touched Surfaces for Deep Cleaning:

  • Desktops and all work surfaces
  • Doorknobs and door handles​
  • ​Light switches
  • Computer monitors, keyboards, and mice
  • Tablets and laptops
  • ​Telephone equipment
  • All chair rests and arms
  • Canteen tables & chairs, crockery, trays, and cutlery
  • Sinks, taps, and kitchen areas
  • Toilets, including all surfaces
  • Water fountains, drinks dispensers, and vending machines
  • Lifts and their doors & buttons

Advised Frequency of Deep Cleaning Surfaces

The areas highlighted above should be cleaned daily and, if possible, at regular intervals in the day. Commercial disinfecting wipes, detergent and water, or commercial anti-microbial products should be used to clean any and all surfaces. The general guideline is that the more people who come into contact with surfaces, the more frequently that surface should be cleaned.

Guidelines for Disinfection for Known or Suspected Cases of COVID-19

The survival time for COVID-19 is not known for certain, so it is best to assume that the virus can survive on surfaces of different materials for at least 2 to 3 days, and possibly longer. Where there is reason to suspect that surfaces may have been contaminated with COVID-19, the surfaces should be thoroughly sanitised with any of the following options listed above by the UK Government. If the potentially contaminated surface is covered with a textile, it may be necessary to launder the material at the warmest temperatures recommended for the material with a laundry detergent and bleach.

Disinfectants should be prepared and applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Ensure that appropriate contact time is given before rinsing or removing the disinfectant.

Commercial Deep Cleaning Services We Provide

As one of the UK’s leading Commercial Cleaning Companies, Rainbow International provide a wide range of commercial and medical deep cleaning services appropriate for the current pandemic at hand, for example, Bacterial and Viral Control, or Commercial Deep Cleans.

Our staff are well-informed on the constant status updates of the virus, and can assure you that our professional services will develop and adapt to specific circumstances of customers during this difficult time.

Find out more about the Commercial Deep Cleaning Services and our Public Sector & Healthcare services that we provide, and if you have any questions about our guidelines and services provided, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Published: 06 Apr 2020