HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

9/23/2020 (Permalink)

Be safe at work. Disinfect your work area

We all have to do our part to stay healthy, safe, and protect each other right now, so keeping your work environment clean is more important than ever. SERVPRO of Streamwood, Bartlett, West Chicago, & Warrenville has been working around the clock to protect businesses, homes, and people for over 10 years. Here are a few tips for keeping the work environment clean, disinfected, and what to do if someone is sick.

How to Clean Your Workspace

In addition to practicing respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene, you can slow the spread of germs by simply cleaning your area regularly. Most workplaces have regular facility cleaning procedures conducted by a professional team. Cleaning refers to the physical removal of grime, dirt, and debris from surfaces using soap and water. High-touch surfaces like desks, keyboards, phones, door handles, elevator buttons, and light switches need to be cleaned regularly as part of a facility cleaning protocol.

Simply using a general household cleaner according to its instructions is all you need to effectively clean the area. Wipe down your desk, office items, chair armrests, and your immediate area until they are visibly clean. This prepares the area for effective disinfection.

In addition to daily cleaning, any surface that is visibly soiled needs to be cleaned immediately. It’s a good idea to wear gloves while cleaning to avoid coming into contact with the dirt. While cleaning doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria and viruses, it removes them to lower the number of microorganisms on the surface.

When to Disinfect the Workplace

Disinfecting is a method of removing bacteria and viruses by killing them with chemicals. To perform proper disinfection, clean the area to be disinfected with a general cleaner, then use an appropriate disinfecting product. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of registered disinfectants, but bleach or a cleaner with at least 70% alcohol will work if other products are not available.

There are no set rules about disinfecting the work environment, but it’s recommended to disinfect frequently used items in a public space, like a refrigerator door handle or break room light switches, after each use. Your own individual work area should be disinfected every day if you are the only one using it, but more often if multiple people are working in the area.