With the coronavirus pandemic affecting every industry, cleanliness and proper sanitization have become more important than ever before. Previously, the average person would read the facts about the many germs lingering on common public surfaces, and still only do a quick 10-second hand-washing.
However, those same people now have a religious routine with products like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and lots of bleach. Of course, relying on individuals to keep themselves and their environments clean is still rather risky, and so the use of industrial cleaning services is important to professionally maintain commercial and retail areas.
JDI Cleaning Services follows the Canadian Public Health Standards laid out specifically during the pandemic
What Professional Cleaning Does Differently
Viruses are found in many commonly touched items in public places. Find out where, and how professional cleaning services are an essential line of defence against microbes. Professional or ‘industrial’ cleaning differs from simple janitorial services. This is referenced in more detail in our ‘Janitorial Services and Commercial Cleaning’ article.
The main point is that viruses and germs are everywhere, and without the proper tools, can be easy to miss. Such a mistake as using casual cleaning in the modern situation is dangerous.
Where do germs and viruses thrive?
Commonly infected surfaces are found in office spaces. Offices are filled with doorknobs, keyboards, phones, pens, taps, and light switches, all of which are surfaces commonly touched by many people.
Keyboards in particular commonly contain E.coli, and staph in amounts higher than a toilet seat. With such a commonly used tool being dirtier than an actual waste disposal system, it puts into perspective, the danger microbes pose in any workplace.
The same can be said for smartphones, which are also seven times dirtier than a toilet seat, as well as a common vector for viruses and bacteria to transmit into hosts. This is because the aforementioned areas of infection (doorknobs for example) are touched by multiple employees, who then routinely check their phones. It is almost unheard of for people to regularly sanitize their phone screens, and thus it is easy to draw a conclusion from this.
In offices, it is always prudent to wear disposable gloves, while going over the above high-touch surfaces (phones, switches, doorknobs, keyboards/ screens, toilets, faucets) with soap and water.
A second disinfectant is needed after this, as well as a change of gloves. With this in mind, here is a list that further delves into these common (and novel) bugs, and how long they remain on surfaces.
Common Colds
The common cold: This refers to approximately 200 strains of the virus, all of which can stay on a surface for about a week, while only being able to survive on human hands for a few seconds- minutes. Despite this, the virus is extremely contagious, hence why it has stayed as a yearly tradition for most people. It should be noted that the length of time these viruses can survive depends on the strain. Above all, the same tactic of regular hand-washing by individuals, as well as a thorough cleaning with disinfectant can neutralize the threat of this virus.
Stomach viruses (Salmonella, Norovirus, E.coli)
These viruses can last up to four hours or more on surfaces, with the Norovirus being able to last for days. A good disinfectant wipe and soap/water combination will kill the virus; however, hand-held sanitizers are not powerful enough to deal with them, hence the need for professional cleaning for optimal safety.
The Flu
The flu is relatively long-lasting and can survive on surfaces for 24 hours or longer, which makes it easily transferable through physical contact. Other than hand washing, active cleaning of surfaces is very important for stopping the transmission of the flu, as surface contact is the main method of spread.
The Coronavirus
Studies are still being done on the virus and how long it lasts on surfaces, however, it has been recorded to have survived on surfaces for two weeks while remaining contagious. For specific materials in the office space (plastic) the virus supposedly remains for 3-7 days, which still poses a significant risk. This is just an overview. For detailed information about the novel coronavirus, please read our article ‘Health and Safety Guidance During Covid 19 for Employers of Office Settings’.
Viruses and micro-organisms are nasty little creatures that are very difficult to fight, especially if done in an uncoordinated way. With examples of people who lapse or refuse to follow proper social distancing, it is evident that the latter statement has been made obvious. This is why, alongside an individual’s proper hand-washing and disinfecting, it is important to employ professional cleaning services to keep a coordinated attack on these viruses.
Each person has their own duties, their own personal lives, their own stresses, and their own desire to enjoy a lunch at work. It is not possible to rely on each individual person’s alertness, as this is simply not human nature. That is why professional cleaners who focus on cleaning the common hot spots of viruses and bacteria are so important in preventing the spread of diseases. We’re all in this together, and it is better to be prepared and plan properly with the right professionals.
JDI Cleaning Services are commercial cleaning specialists. We are proud to say we lead commercial cleaning training programs as well as provide systematic cleaning of businesses all throughout Southwestern Ontario through our strong franchise business programs.
