As businesses prepare to jump back on their feet as lockdown started to ease, we had a deep look at how and what we can do for the guests and staff according to health and safety in a Covid-19 context. Proactive communication is required to prevent the spread of coronavirus Covid-19 but also how we can deliver safely reassuring cleaning services according to the guidance in place.
As a general rule, social distancing and personal protection equipment is the first line of defence.
COVID-19 can be transferred via hands from one surface to another. By touching a surface that has traces of COVID-19 on it, and then touching your face or eyes, you may become infected with COVID-19. Soap and hand sanitizers are effective at denaturing the fats and proteins surrounding the virus, and therefore good ways to kill the virus.
COVID-19 can live on some common household surfaces for up to 3 days. Information and knowledge are evolving all the time. Currently, it is thought that the virus can live for up to:
2-3 hours in the air
Up to 4 hours on copper
Up to 24 hours on cardboard, glass, and metal.
Up to 2 or 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.
Therefore, these surfaces need to be disinfected before they are safe to touch. All surfaces which are touched frequently should be regularly disinfected.
Detergent and disinfectants
We compiled information from multiple sources and we have tailored a cleaning protocol to clean and disinfect with the aid of professional detergents and best in class disinfection agents. Ready to use detergent for specific areas diluted automatically with the help of the Diversey J-flex systemassures correct concentrations ruling out the human error. Detailed information can be found by following the link.
For the kitchen area, we use Suma D10 J-Flex, which is a concentrated detergent disinfectant for cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces in food premises. The product is effective against a wide range of micro-organisms, in all water conditions. The formulation also contains surfactants, which makes the product suitable for one-step cleaning and disinfection.
Special attention should be given to the kitchen area and all the kitchenware should be washed at the highest temperature setting every time for new guests.
For the bathroom area, we use Taski Sani 4 in 1 cleaner, descaler, disinfectant, and deodorizer for all acid-resistant hard surfaces. It provides excellent hygiene, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
For common touchpoints disinfection, we use Oxivir Excel, a highly concentrated one-step cleaner disinfectant with broad-spectrum efficacy, and short contact times. Based on Diversey Care patented Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide formulation Oxivir Excel can be used on hard, nonporous surfaces and some soft furnishings.
Broad efficacy provides the highest levels of protection. Extensively tested against European norms and effective against multiple pathogens of concern, carries a full virucidal claim including Poliovirus, Adenovirus, and Murine norovirus, considered effective against all enveloped viruses such as HIV, HBV, HCV, Influenza, Vaccinia virus, and Coronavirus. Excellent user safety profile reduces worker risk, with no hazard warnings; it does not contain respiratory irritants, gentle on surfaces suitable for use in high-risk areas in Healthcare. Oxivir Excel does not need rinsing, the active ingredient breaks down into water and oxygen harmless when dried out.
Soft furnishings
The official UK Government advice is to steam clean your upholstery and fabric furnishings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This will be available on-demand so please let us know in advance.
Flooring
The recommendation for carpets and flooring is to be spayed with disinfectant mist but also a hepa filter for the vacuum cleaner. Our vacuum cleaners contains a hospital grade micro-filter and a micro hygiene filter.
Training
Our staff been through extensive training and are familiar with processes and procedures specific to infection control and we provide adequate personal protection equipment (disposable gloves, face mask, aprons, and shoe covers) between cleans, to avoid cross-contamination. Fresh cleaning cloths are used for each property, disinfected (washed at 90 degrees celsius) prior to visiting.
For each changeover, we follow these steps:
Assess the workplace
Remove the waste
Clean to remove any residual dirt on surfaces
Disinfect
We start with a thorough, structured cleaning with special attention to common touchpoints as:
Door handles
Remote controls
Landline phone
Alarm clocks
Drawer handles
Door locks and doors knobs
Light switches
Desk and bedside tables etc.
The owner or letting agent should ask guests to air the property during the stay and to strip beds/bag up linen on departure.
At the end of our visit, we will complete a cleaning checklist after the model provided by The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers that can be downloaded by clicking the link.
Laundry
The dirty laundry shouldn’t be moved and shaken unnecessary – this minimizes the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air. Everything used for transporting laundry should be cleaned and disinfected in line with the current guidelines. To minimize the risk of contamination, the dirty laundry is kept bagged for 72 hours before washing it where possible. The linen is being washed with disinfecting washing powder, tumble dried and ironed according to manufacturer specification. These three steps will effectively kill the virus.
Clean pillow and mattress protectors should be used for each changeover (removed and left bagged for 72 hours between use).
Guests who are self-isolating
If a guest is self-isolating in holiday accommodation, staff members should avoid entering the room. Communication with the guest should take place over the phone to agree on arrangements for room service, linen and laundry supply such as items being left outside the room for the guest to collect and deposit for collection. The staff should avoid close contact (within 2 meters) with self-isolating guests and clean their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub. Guest that are self isolating and are tested positive ( Test and Protect programe) should isolate for 7 days and family members, 14 days respectively. If the guest test is negative they can end the isolation protocol and can safely return to their main residence.
If guests who are isolating can travel home safely to isolate, avoiding the use of public transport, they should do this.
If a guest has developed symptoms during the stay at your property, they must declare it when leaving and refrain from putting out any rubbish. All rubbish should be double-bagged and stored safely for 72 hours before being thrown out.
Our work ethic is central to Tidy Cleanerbusiness philosophy and critical to delivering consistent, reassuring cleaning services.
We are prepared with the new enhanced cleaning procedures and looking forward for a fruitful summer.
We willing to help so if anyone requires information regarding this post we will do the best to answer all the questions.
After a long day at work, the last thing you may want to do to de-stress is to come home and clean the house. Many people associate cleaning more with drudgery than relaxation, for obvious reasons. However, there are several reasons why cleaning can be a great stress reliever.
Some of these reasons have to do with the process of cleaning, and some come from the end results of your efforts. This information may just make you want to start cleaning the next time you feel stressed.
Cleaning provides relief
If you come home and the house is a big mess then it can be a potential source of stress. Walking into a home that has piles of paper on every surface, stacks of laundry needing to be put away, and random items were thrown on the floor feels different than walking into a tidy home.
While most of us want that neat, ordered home environment, far too many of us live in a cluttered one that causes us stress. Very few of us live in a clutter-free home, and over a third live in surroundings so cluttered that they don’t even know where to begin cleaning.
Cleaning as a Money Saver
If you find yourself late on paying bills (because you can’t find them), replacing items you still have (because you don’t know where they are), and eating out more often than you need to (because your kitchen is too cluttered and messy for regular cooking), a little spring cleaning may actually save you money. You may not even realize the ways that a clean house can also be a money saver until you live in one.
Cleaning as an Exercise in Gratitude
Make cleaning a mindful task by taking the opportunity to be thankful for each thing you touch. For instance, if you are washing dishes, admire your plates, be grateful for the food that you’re scraping off since some have none, and admire the beauty of modern technology as you place that dish in the dishwasher.
By thinking about what you are cleaning you might find an extra appreciation that you didn’t realize you were lucky to have before. Because inner peace comes more from wanting what you have than from having what you want, unearthing the wonderful haven beneath the dirt and clutter can bring a new level of gratitude for all that you have.
Cleaning as Meditation
While the end result of a major cleaning session — a beautiful and clean home — can be a great stress reliever, the act of cleaning your house can be a stress management technique. If you incorporate mindfulness into your cleaning, the work can actually be a form of meditation, leaving you more relaxed after you finish.
Cleaning as a Party
If you’re not one to get into a zen state as you clean, why not go in the other direction, and turn your cleaning experience into a mini party? Music has many wonderful stress relief benefits and playing music as you clean can make the activity much more enjoyable. Play your favorite music as you clean, and you may actually work faster and be done sooner.
Cleaning as Exercise
The act of cleaning done right, can bring the added benefit of getting you a little extra exercise, which can be great for relieving stress. Running up and down the stairs, carrying items from room to room, and scrubbing windows and floors can burn calories, release endorphins, and help you blow off steam. Spring cleaning is a workout routine that brings many benefits indeed.
Keeping your workplace clean and free from unsightly clutter is an important part of good management. Health hazards can quickly establish themselves in poorly maintained and unhygienic environments and you, and your employees, risk infection or contamination if you do not pay attention to best practice recommendations, whether in an office, on a building site or in a retail environment.
Poor workplace hygiene causes health and safety problems, particularly if attention is not paid to appropriate waste management and to keeping washrooms and kitchen areas spotlessly clean. In fact, employers are legally bound by the Health and Safety Act 1974 to ensure that their employees are looked after and that their safety and health is protected, as far as is reasonable and practical.
Know the requirements for workplace hygiene
For toilets and washing areas, you need to supply:
Both hot and cold running water
Soap for hand washing
Towels for drying hands
Toilet paper for toilet cubicles
Regularly maintained and cleaned facilities
If your facilities include cold water that is not suitable for drinking, make sure you have appropriate signs in place for your employees.
Encourage personal hygiene
Your employees should be encouraged to practice their own personal hygiene. Display a polite notice asking them to contribute by cleaning facilities after use. If you use a contractor to undertake the cleaning of toilets and washrooms or kitchens and offices, you should be clear about the levels of cleanliness you require, how often cleaning should be done and when premises will be inspected. Remind employees that regular hand washing and the use of hand sanitisers are important, particularly after using washrooms, to help prevent the spread of illnesses.
Kitchen hygiene
Kitchens can be a health risk if high standards of cleanliness are not implemented. Any area used for the preparation of food or drinks should be kept scrupulously clean, as should appliances such as fridges, microwaves and toasters where these are used. Your checklist should include:
All surfaces used for preparation of food, including chopping boards and utensils
All appliances installed
Cupboards where food and crockery is stored, inside and outside
Windows, doors and floors
Remember that employees are entitled to complain if they believe lack of maintenance and poor cleaning of the kitchen area has created a health risk. Once again, it’s best to encourage employees to take some responsibility to protect them and to practice good hygiene.
Workstations
Personal work areas should be looked after by individual employees who share a space or by the sole occupant if workstations are not shared. A sensible hygiene policy will make sure everyone is aware of his or her responsibilities to remove clutter and properly dispose of waste, preferably via recycling it. Work surfaces can be cleaned with an appropriate solution to reduce the possibility of bacterial infection.
Employees who understand why it is important to have a hygienic workplace are much more likely to follow your policy guidelines for a clean and safe workplace environment.
Having a workspace usually means a lot of people, and a lot of foot traffic, so naturally you will want to keep it clean.
Carpet cleaning, carpet shampooing, hot water extraction, dry steam cleaning, dry compound cleaning, there are so many different names used for basically getting dirt out of your carpet, it’s easy to get confused about what they all mean. To make matters worse, these words are often used incorrectly, sometimes deliberately to mislead the customer, and some, shall we say, less reputable companies will take advantage if you use a generic term, such as steam cleaning. If you don’t specify hot water extraction cleaning, you might end up with a carpet cleaning company simply using a steam mop on your floors, which will not produce the same results. If in doubt, ask for a precise description of how your carpet is going to be cleaned, so you know exactly what carpet cleaning method you are getting. There are several methods used for cleaning carpets, with the most popular being hot water extraction cleaning, as it gives the real deep clean to your carpet, getting rid of not just dirt but allergens, dust mites and more.
However, the best method of carpet cleaning also depends on the type of carpet to be cleaned. Most carpets benefit from the really thorough clean you get from hot water extraction, but it could spell disaster for carpets made from fibres such as sisal or jute. A jute carpet may look hard wearing, but the fibres are actually delicate, and should never be saturated, otherwise your carpet may never be the same again.
