What surfaces should be cleaned during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 virus has the ability to land on surfaces. People could develop an infection if they contact those items and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. The likelihood of contracting an infection from touching a surface is typically low. The best way to avoid getting sick from surfaces is to constantly wash your hands with soap and water or sterilize them with an alcohol-based product. The danger of infection can be decreased by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Disinfection procedures are crucial to lowering the risk of COVID-19 virus contamination in places other than healthcare facilities, such as the workplace, homes, offices, schools, gyms, publicly accessible structures, religious community centers, marketplaces, places of business, or restaurants. In these non-healthcare environments, high-touch surfaces such as door and window handles, kitchen and food preparation areas, countertops, bathroom surfaces, toilets and taps, touchscreen personal devices, personal computer keyboards, and work surfaces should be designated for priority cleaning.

Which surface cleaners are suitable for use in non-medical environments to prevent COVID19?

The acceptable value of sodium hypochlorite (bleach/chlorine) in non-medical environments is 0.1 percent or 1,000 ppm (1 part of 5 percent strength household bleach to 49 parts of water). Additionally, surfaces can be cleaned with alcohol at a 70–90% concentration. Prior to disinfection, surfaces must be cleaned with water, soap, or a detergent to eliminate grime. In order to prevent the unclean from spreading to places that are less soiled, cleaning should always begin from the least soiled (cleanest) part to the most soiled (dirtiest) area. All disinfectant solutions should be prepared fresh every day, kept in opaque containers, and kept out of direct sunlight in a covered, well-ventilated environment. For COVID-19, routine spraying of disinfectants on surfaces in indoor settings is not advised. If disinfectants must be used, they must be applied using a cloth or wipe that has been dipped in the disinfectant.

When to Disinfect and When to Clean

By eliminating pollutants, cleaning with soap or detergent reduces the number of germs on surfaces and lowers the risk of infection. Cleaning once per day is typically sufficient to eradicate any virus that may be present on surfaces if no one with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has been in the area. This contributes to the facility’s continued health. Any leftover germs on surfaces are eliminated during disinfection using disinfectants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List N disinfectants, lowering the likelihood of an infection spreading. In shared places, you might want to disinfect in addition to cleaning more frequently if the area:

• Is a high-traffic area, with a large number of people.
• Is poorly ventilated.
• Does not provide access to handwashing or hand sanitizer.
• Is occupied by people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

You should clean AND disinfect the area if a sick individual or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 was in your facility during the last 24 hours.

Surface transmission reduction

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has a thin outer membrane, which limits the amount of time it may survive on surfaces. It is also simple to eliminate through thorough washing and disinfection with common cleaning and disinfecting products.

In order to physically remove dirt, grime, and germs (bacteria and viruses) from surfaces, cleaning is required. Any disinfection process must begin with this crucial stage.

Utilizing chemicals, disinfection eliminates microorganisms on surfaces. Cleaning must be done before disinfection because filth and dirt can interfere with the effectiveness of disinfectants in killing bacteria. For effective surface disinfection, the disinfectant concentration and contact time are also crucial.

Recommended cleaning method

Utilize products that are appropriate for each surface and adhere to the product’s label’s instructions, including any personal protective equipment you may need to wear to safeguard yourself from chemicals.

Use a detergent first, then a disinfectant, or a detergent and disinfectant mixture, to clean surfaces.

If disinfectants are necessary, make sure they are COVID-19 virus-effective. To use them securely and successfully, adhere to the directions. Before wiping off a surface with a clean cloth to dry it, dwell times—the period of time a substance should be wet on a surface—are required to kill germs.

Starting with surfaces higher up, clean your way down to the floor. By using this technique, any debris, dust, or dirt will fall to the floor, which will be cleaned last.

Prior to cleaning anything else, clean the less-touched surfaces and items.

Work your way up to cleaning items that are touched more frequently and have a greater chance of picking up contaminants (eg, door handles and toilets).

Whenever possible, avoid moving from an unclean location into a clean one. This will ensure that you aren’t cross-contaminating objects or surfaces and prevent contamination of the cleaned region.

After use, wash the mop heads and cloths.

Wash and dry your hands after you’re done. To protect your hands from any cleaning agents, you might wear domestic gloves when cleaning or disinfecting. Wash the reusable house gloves after you’re done, then wash and dry your hands. If you’re wearing disposable gloves, take them off after usage, throw them in the trash, then wash and dry your hands.