Most customers are pleased when their cleaning service adequately performs the requested cleaning per their agreement. A freshly vacuumed office, waste cans emptied, and a clean sink and toilet bowl in the bathroom would usually satisfy most customers. However, clean in appearance may not necessarily mean the area has been disinfected.
"I personally was taken back while working in the healthcare industry when a head housekeeper was not able to differentiate the deodorant bottle from the disinfectant bottle."
Not using a disinfectant could result in the spread of many types of infectious bacteria or disease. The health of your employees and yourself could be directly affected. The recent scare over the “swine flu” is just a reminder of the need for proper cleaning.
So what is the difference between cleaning a surface and disinfecting a surface? Most cleaning with soap and water or similar type products will remove dirt and most germs.
However, a disinfectant will destroy or inactivate certain bacteria such as salmonella, staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and tuberculosis. To be labeled a disinfectant, the product must be registered and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and assigned a registration number. The EPA website defines the word disinfectant and contains a database of currently acceptable disinfectants here: USEPA http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm
So, do you have areas that are heavily used that may require a disinfectant to cope with the entourage of germs everyday? When one person gets sick in your company, have you noticed that the sickness spreads like wildfire? Remember, this means for any influenza or similar type illness—not just the recently identified swine flu. If you have answered yes to these questions, you might want to make sure your service is using a disinfectant on the appropriate surfaces where needed.
Also, don’t take for granted that your service is using disinfectants in the most logical places where there might be a concentration of germs. Let your service know where the hot spots are for bacteria growth. Make sure their employees also know where to use the disinfectant as well as the general cleaners. You may be shocked to find out that some employees hired for cleaning may not know the difference between a general cleaning product and a cleaning product that contains a disinfectant. I personally was taken back while working in the healthcare industry when a head housekeeper was not able to differentiate the deodorant bottle from the disinfectant bottle. You can only imagine the repercussions of not using a disinfectant correctly in a hospital environment!
So if you are hiring a janitorial service with a large crew or just one person to clean your space, make sure you have identified the areas that need disinfecting, how often it should be done, what is being used, the manufacturer’s directions are being followed, and who is doing the actual cleaning or scrubbing. If you want to check what type of disinfectant is being used, check the container’s label for the EPA assigned number and the description of what the cleaning product will kill. A general cleaning product not labeled by the EPA as a disinfectant can still be used in many areas to clean up dirt and other organic matter, not to kill bacteria.
Even when using all the right cleaners, the first line of defense for employees is to stay home when sick or contagious. Of course, we cannot forget the customers who can carry anything and everything into your space. Be safe and smart-continue to ask the right questions of your cleaning service. By showing you care, your employees will love you. Who knows, you may even become the boss of the year!
Rita Duponty is currently working on developing her own website, http://www.tidbitsforhealthyliving.com, which will contain a variety of subjects such as healthful tips, safety reminders, and pet-smart ideas to name a few subjects. She has written numerous newsletters and enjoys writing poetry for her friends as well as other timely articles.
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