COVID-19 Cleaning Archives - Medtech Cleaners

With the advent of COVID-19, it seems like the entire world has become focused on infection prevention. As a company that specializes in cleanup of biohazards (including infectious organisms), this isn’t new to us; it’s how we’ve been operating for a long time. Whenever we tackle a biohazard remediation project, we use all three of these methods to remove the biohazards and restore the property to a safe, clean state. There may be other things involved, such as physical repairs and restoration, but our priority is first to eliminate the health threat that infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms present.

Cleaning: Before any area can be disinfected or sanitized, it first has to be cleaned. Removal of dirt, grime, and debris is our first step. This is an important one, because germs may be hiding underneath. Removing anything on the surface may be done through scrubbing, washing, and rinsing. Of course, we may also do things such as trash removal, sweeping up dust, etc. But the priority is to get to a clean surface. However, “CLEAN” doesn’t mean it’s free of biohazards. Germs are invisible, and dirt-free doesn’t mean it’s sanitized or disinfected.

Sanitizing: Sanitizing should not be confused with disinfecting, and it’s used mostly for porous surfaces such as fabric. Using a sanitizing agent is useful when doing laundry. Read the label on the product you are using as a sanitizing agent, because it should list specific organisms it is effective at reducing. Note that chlorine bleach is both a disinfectant and sanitizer when used according to label directions.

Disinfecting: Disinfecting is a process used to eliminate infectious organisms on hard, non-porous surfaces such as glass, countertops, stainless steel, tile, porcelain, etc. Disinfectants are designed to either eliminate or inactivate germs, viruses, bacteria, funguses, and other biohazards. But again, read the label for the specifics of what organisms the disinfectant will work against.

If your concern is addressing the COVID-19 virus, disinfectants and not sanitizers should be used on hard surfaces. Why? Because of the main difference between sanitizers and disinfectants. Sanitizers that are approved by the EPA will kill only bacteria; EPA-approved disinfectants claim effectiveness against both bacteria and viruses.

Is your disinfectant approved for use against COVID-19? Look for an EPA registration number on the back label. You can also visit the EPA website for a list of approved products.

The most important thing you should know is that these three methods are NOT the same, and there are different substances and methods needed to accomplish each.

As more and more businesses around the Pacific Northwest are resuming in-person operations (with some limited restrictions, of course), the importance of making sure your premises is clean and disinfected in light of reducing the spread of this virus is crucial. Yes, you could let your regular janitorial or cleaning service handle it, or perhaps you’ve considered doing it yourself. But there are some very good reasons why the best idea is to work with a professional biohazard mediation and cleanup company like ours.

Professional biohazard cleaning companies have the trained staff and equipment to handle working with possible contamination by any infectious disease organism, not just this one.

A regular janitorial service may not have this particular type of training. And while no doubt they’ve educated themselves on the particular required or recommended protocols, they most likely lack the experience. This is, after all, a newly emerged disease. But a biohazard remediation company like MedTech has been working in this industry for awhile, and there are certain procedures common decontaminating and sanitizing from ANY infectious organism.

Are you thinking of doing the cleaning yourself? We don’t recommend it.

As a business owner, your health and safety is crucial to the operation of your business as well as the livelihood of your employees. And chances are, you’ve got quite a bit of other things to do to get your business up and running again. Plus, the same reasons apply as the point above; in all likelihood you aren’t trained to do this properly. You may not even be aware of all the requirements. Yes, getting areas sanitized effectively is important, but so is doing it with the safety of the cleaning person in mind.

Don’t be tempted to have your employees handle the cleaning.

We understand that the desire to be able to get people back to work is strong, and we support that. But bringing in your employees to do COVID-19 cleaning is NOT a good idea. You risk the liability you’d assume if they got exposed. You need those employees for the jobs you hired them to do, and this type of work is likely not it!

So, if it’s time to get your place of business back in operation, and you need COVID-19 cleanup, disinfecting, and sanitizing to do that, give us a call. We are a trained biohazard remediation company serving the greater Seattle and Spokane areas, as well as other locations around the nearby Pacific Northwest. Professional cleanup from this virus, that meets or exceeds CDC and EPA standards, is just one of our services.

Biohazard Cleanup Basics: Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

Why Your Business Should Hire a PNW Biohazard Cleanup Company to Handle Your COVID-19 Cleaning

Any more questions? Feel free to contact us.