Cleaning and Coronavirus: What to Know

In March 2020, we found ourselves in a world rapidly being shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At that time, a spotlight was pointed at cleaning for disease prevention, one that has not moved away since. Cleaning and proper hygiene are still on the first line of defense against infectious disease, including coronavirus. Some of the most effective cleaning coronavirus equipment is available to help schools and businesses clean properly.

Here’s a primer on why cleaning works, where to focus cleaning efforts, and what to use when combating viruses.

Why Cleaning Works

This excellent article in The Guardian, by Pall Thordarson explains why good old soap and water is the best line of defense against most viruses, including corona. ‘The…virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer,’ writes Thordarson. ‘Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart like a house of cards and dies – or rather, we should say it becomes inactive as viruses aren’t really alive.’

Thordarson was writing specifically about handwashing, but the same theory works for surface cleaning too.

The CDC recommends routine cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting of surfaces to slow the spread of flu. The general recommendations for COVID-19 are the same. ‘Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings,’ according to the website.

Where Cleaning Counts Most

Kaivac has advocated touchpoint cleaning for years. Now it seems like everyone else is obsessed as well. That’s because these touchpoints are germ hotspots. Touch them and, if they are covered with live germs or viruses, your hand is now covered with live germs or viruses. Touch your eyes, nose or mouth, which is something we all do about 16 times an hour, before washing your hands and you’ve introduced that germ or virus into your system.

This is why touchpoint cleaning is so vital. Now, with maintenance staff strained to the limit, focusing on touchpoint cleaning is the best use of precious resources.

Touchpoint cleaning, sanitizing or disinfecting must include:

• Desks
• Countertops
• Doorknobs
• Keyboards
• Faucet Handles
• Toilet and urinal flushers
• Soap dispensers
• Hand rails
• Elevator buttons

The CDC advises that no additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended at this time. They also suggest providing disposable wipes, so commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by individuals before each use.

One place the CDC overlooks is the floor, yet it is, in fact, a touchpoint. People touch the floor all the time, either directly by picking up dropped objects or indirectly when retrieving purses, backpacks, boxes, toys or coats that end up there.

This boosts the importance of floorcare in every environment.

What Products to Use

If you think toilet paper is hard to find, just try getting your hands on any household cleaning and disinfecting products. Even regular old soap, hand gels, disinfectant wipes and sprays have disappeared from the shelves. In answer, many groceries and other retail outlets are limiting purchases.

There’s also a mad dash among manufacturers to prove that their products are effective against this particular strain of the coronavirus. Consumers already spent some $22 billion on surface cleaners globally and another $1.43 billion on cleaning wipes in 2019. Analysts expect a sharp spike in those numbers, and the company that can claim its products can specifically kill COVID-19 will surely have an advantage.

Commercial janitorial staff should continue to use the approved EPA-registered disinfectants, like KaiBosh (EPA REG. NO. 10324-93-71665). The formula for KaiBosh has been deemed effective against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Maquat PD-64 (EPA REG. NO. 10324-93), the KaiBosh formula, has been added to the list of disinfectants effective against SARS-CoV-2.

Training on correct use, including dwell time and appropriate dilution, should be re-emphasized. Be sure to stress that more product doesn’t result in cleaner surfaces.

To fight inaccurate and wasteful practices, try using a pre-measured pack of cleaning chemical. Kaivac’s KaiBosh Disinfectant Packet confidently delivers the right amount of no-rinse, Hospital Use cleaning chemical in any wet vacuum application, spray bottle and other applications. The packets save time, conserve chemical and deliver confidently clean surfaces.

To learn more information about Disease Prevention, please explore our section here.

Now go wash your hands.