We never thought this would be a topic for a printing and promotions company, but here we are, in a very different world than just a couple of months ago. We’ve helped our clients to obtain masks and other PPE along with the hand sanitizer that has been a staple for years, yet suddenly in short supply due to exploding demand. As we continue to face the global Coronavirus pandemic, cleaning and disinfecting has become extremely important. With good reason, COVID-19 is easily transmissible through touching infected surfaces in addition to human-to-human transmission.

Before we dive into the Do’s and Don’ts of disinfecting surfaces, let’s quickly cover the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.

Cleaning

Usually, cleaning is performed with ordinary soaps or detergents mixed with water. We then use that solution to wipe household surfaces, removing dirt, grime, and germs. The keyword to focus on is "removing." Removing is not the same as killing the virus or bacteria.

Disinfecting

Disinfecting refers to the use of chemicals to kill germs on surfaces (you’ll want to make sure your disinfectant is EPA registered). This process doesn’t necessarily clean dirty surfaces, but it will kill the germs living on that surface. Disinfecting a surface after you clean it will further lower the risk of spreading infection.
The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas daily—at minimum. If someone in your home or workspace is ill, then the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting should be increased.

DO use waterproof disposable gloves while cleaning and disinfecting. Even if you wash your hands after cleaning, you need to wash them correctly. Save yourself the risk and wear disposable gloves.

DON’T reuse gloves. Remove gloves immediately after cleaning and dispose of them properly. If you were to reuse the gloves again, you could transfer the germs back onto the surfaces you just cleaned.

DO follow the directions on the product label of the disinfectant. This step is critical to successfully disinfecting an area. Almost all surface disinfectants have a specific amount of time the solution needs to be left on the surface to be effective.

It’s critical to understand contact time for disinfectant. Contact time is the amount of time the surface needs to remain wet with disinfectant to achieve the 99.9% kill claim.

DON’T use surface disinfectant on soft surfaces unless the label specifically states that its safe to do so.

Help if you need it

Contact us if you’re in need of PPE supplies such as these:

• masks
• gloves
• gowns
• shields
• sanitizer
• disinfectant
• thermometers
• signage