Labour Day is behind us and it’s back to work – with the Delta variant of COVID-19. Properly disinfect your office to ensure the health and safety of your employees.

With the Delta variant extending the life of the pandemic, even among the vaccinated, any hope of normalcy we might have achieved a few months ago is long gone. Fortunately, however, the more stringent cleaning protocols businesses had to implement at the beginning are still the best way to combat the virus.

The most current research maintains that, while more contagious (according to recent NPR reporting, “about 225% more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 strains”), the new Delta variant is transmitted in the same way as the original COVID virus. The primary means of transmission is still respiratory – indoors where infected droplets or aerosols can be more easily inhaled. What makes this variant more contagious – as much as two times more – is that it replicates far more efficiently and rapidly in the human body than previous variants.

The good news? The measures you have likely already implemented to clean and disinfect your office will continue to help protect you, your visitors, and your employees. Disinfection is key, of course, so to help make it a little easier, here are six easy tips to ensure you disinfect your office properly:

Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting – what’s the difference?

First, let’s be clear to establish the difference between the three processes. When you simply clean, you remove the dust, dirt, and other debris that is visible. Sanitizing eliminates pathogens, such as bacteria, on surfaces – it reduces the growth of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but does not kill them. Disinfecting is what kills microscopic organisms – bacteria and viruses.

6 tips to disinfect your office

  1. Be aware of the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting chemicals you are using and understand what they are designed to achieve. When it comes to disinfecting power, most common household disinfectants claim to kill and eradicate 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus, strains of the flu, E. coli, and salmonella. It will be stated right on the label. Just be certain of what they are able to eliminate and what they can’t.
  2. Change the way you wipe as you clean – go in only one direction, not back-and-forth. If you drag your cloth in the reverse direction you risk depositing the germs and bacteria once again on the surface you just wiped. As you probably already do, be sure to frequently disinfect all high-touch surfaces – light switches, doorknobs, countertops, workstations, and any others. Wiping one way only!
  3. Disinfect your office technology. Any technology and devices should be included in the disinfection of high-touch surfaces. These include desk- and laptops, keyboards, mouse, phones, presentation equipment, printers, and copiers.
  4. It’s vital to your office disinfection to foster a habit of frequent handwashing (with soap and warm water, scrubbing for 20 seconds) and sanitiser use. Keep soaps full and alcohol-based hand sanitisers handy and full around the office for all of your team members. Post handwashing and sanitising signs as reminders. Keep in mind that the hand sanitiser you provide should contain at least 60 to 95 per cent alcohol.
  5. Your cleaning products must be of the highest quality. There will be little to no benefit if the products you use are substandard. It’s an investment you can’t afford NOT to make to ensure the health of your staff. Choose high-quality cleaning and disinfecting products proven to kill germs but without harmful effects on people.
  6. Hire a janitorial service that can properly disinfect your office for you. Minimizing the spread of germs, bacteria, and viruses is not easy. Perhaps it’s better to hire a professional to ensure it’s done right. Again, it’s an investment that will help your bottom line – prevent lost hours and days to employee absence due to illness. A professional service will ensure that your office or facilities are most appropriately cleaned and sanitized with all high-touch surfaces properly and safely disinfected.

How to disinfect your office best? Hire a commercial janitorial service!

Prevent the spread of infection as best you can, and consider a commercial janitorial service. It’s our business to know exactly how to employ all the techniques, products, and expertise to safely and appropriately clean and disinfect your office. At Decca Janitorial Services, we know how to keep businesses clean and safe – over 45 years of providing commercial cleaning and janitorial services in Toronto and Southern Ontario.

Interested in more information about professional cleaning for your office? Contact us!