Commercial Disinfection Services

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that businesses use processes like deep cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting to prepare their facilities for safe re-opening. But beyond that—whether operations did or did not close during the pandemic—continuing to deep clean, sanitize, and disinfect premises on a regular schedule going forward will be critical in order for companies to meet the growing expectations of customers and employees alike. Businesses that regularly deep clean, sanitize, and disinfect their facilities have a far better chance of meeting consumers’ and employees’ expectations—and of increasing their level of comfort about frequenting or working at these facilities— than those that do not.

Reputable companies require their employees to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the CDC. This means eyewear with protective sides, as well as gloves, masks, coveralls, and disposable shoe covers (to prevent the transfer of soil, residue, and germs from the bottom of the shoes to the floor).
Training is also a must for commercial cleaning company teams. All cleaning technicians undergo thorough, rigorous training in meeting Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards for handling blood-borne and other pathogens encountered during deep cleaning jobs. HAZWOPER standards are set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), whose mission is to ensure safe, healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards as well as by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.

The process starts with “lifting” all soil and residue from high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, cabinet knobs, computer keyboards, faucets, toilet-flushing apparatus, and many others. This step is important because dirt, dust, and oil, act as barriers between these surfaces and any sanitizing agents used. When these barriers are present, the disinfectants cannot effectively destroy or inactivate the microorganisms deep cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are meant to eliminate.

Disinfectant is applied using a technique called electrostatic spraying. Particles of disinfectant discharged by the sprayer contain enough moisture to “wrap around” surfaces, even reaching areas that are often missed during routine cleaning. The disinfectant is not wiped off and properly decontaminates and sanitizes surfaces in one minute.
In addition to its “wraparound” capabilities, electrostatic spraying offers many advantages over other ways to apply disinfectant. For starters, most surfaces are neutral or negative. Electrostatic spraying imparts a powerful positive charge on the disinfectant as it leaves the spray nozzle, making it more easily attracted and adhesive to surfaces. The end-result is more consistent coverage with less waste. What’s more, electrostatic spraying is not only more effective than wiping; it is 50 times faster as well as 10 times quicker than electric spraying. About 54,000 square feet of surfaces of varying sizes, including hard-to-reach surfaces, can be disinfected and sanitized in one hour when electrostatic spraying is used.

According to the EPA, disinfectants are antimicrobial pesticides that destroy or irreversibly inactivate microorganisms on surfaces and objects. Disinfectants come in two categories, hospital-grade products used for infection control and general use products for household applications. The EPA maintains a list of chemicals deemed effective against “emerging pathogens”—namely, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 as well as other newer viruses that are difficult to kill.

Regular cleaning of facilities via routine disinfecting services has always been important and is even more so in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of cleaning should occur daily, weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly, depending on the volume of foot traffic (both employee and visitor).

Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces to lower the amount of germs and reduce the risk of spreading infection. The cleaning process involves the use of using soap and water to physically reduce the number of germs from surfaces but does not kill the germs.

Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, and is most effective when done after the surfaces have been cleaned with soap and water. This process involves either cleaning or disinfecting the surfaces to effectively lower the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs. Disinfecting works by applying chemicals, using an electrostatic sprayer or cloth, to kill germs on surfaces or objects. The disinfecting chemicals works best when done after the surfaces have been cleaned as it does not remove impurities but very effective for killing germs.