Clean, Disinfect … Like Your Life Depends On It

The US CDC has recently provided guidance to the National Association of Manufacturers regarding the proper approach for cleaning and disinfection of facilities and manufacturing plants. Here is a link to the CDC guidance.

If an infected individual was on site:

Close any area where a sick person worked. The cleaning and disinfection of this area should be delayed as much as feasible to minimize the risk of exposure through aerosolized droplets. Proper ventilation with outdoor air is a good method to do this. Where possible, cleaning should begin after a 24 hour waiting period of the cordoned-off area.

The cleaning team should ensure all affected areas are cleaned and disinfected. This would include all surfaces that could have been exposed to the sick individual, including bathrooms, office spaces, lunchrooms, and common areas.

General guideline for cleaning and disinfection:

Disinfectants are designed to work on surfaces that are clear of dirt and debris. The first step of any cleaning and disinfection is the use of industrial detergents/soaps and water. Cleanings should always be done before disinfection.

Hard surface cleaning and disinfection (non-porous)

Cleaning of the surfaces should be done with an appropriate industrial cleaner designed for horizontal or vertical surfaces based on the application. The cleaning should follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Once the surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned of dirt and debris, an EPA approved disinfectant should be used. DuBois Chemicals recommends a sodium hypochlorite solution (SHS-900) or a quaternary ammonium compound solution (Neuquat) be used for this step. The user must ensure that the product is approved for the application, per label claim, and applied per label instruction. Mixing different cleaning solutions could lead to dangerous interactions.

The cleaning team must also ensure they are wearing the appropriate PPE per the label instructions.

Resources:

The list below contains Deep Cleaning Packages created by DuBois to support facilities in ordering the proper products. (Download a pdf of the list here.)