What’s the new normal?
It’s probably fair to say that many of us have done a lot more cleaning, more carefully, over the last few months. Obviously,
scrubbing the house from top to bottom every day isn’t really practical, but a little thought regarding what we should continue
to clean regularly can really help to keep germs at bay.
Hopefully, it’s ingrained by now that frequent hand-washing is the best way to prevent the spread of germs. We should be washing our hands several times a day, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water or using a hand sanitiser that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol.
Around the house, it makes sense that the more often something is touched, the more often it should be cleaned. For example, door handles, or latches are surfaces we could sanitise daily using a disinfectant spray, soap and water or sanitiser. And don’t forget that floors get a lot of traffic so they might benefit from a bit more attention than usual.
Though most of us haven’t been driving that much recently, it’s still worth cleaning the high-contact surfaces inside our cars when we do. The steering wheel is a bit of a magnet for germs as are gear levers, dashboard buttons, controls and door handles. Washing hands first then using disinfectant wipes should clean most surfaces inside the car.
Germs can live for up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces such as light switches so as well as cleaning to remove dirt we need to disinfect to kill germs. Remember appliance door handles on microwaves, fridges, ovens, and dishwashers too. Wash first then disinfect.
Disinfecting kitchen counters and tables is nothing new as hopefully we all do it anyway, but mobile phones are often overlooked, and they are one of the most germ-laden items out there. After unplugging it, as with any electronic device, it should be wiped with a soft, dry cloth then wiped with alcohol-based wipes or spray (at least 60%). Tablets and other touch screens should be cleaned in the same way.
Finally, don’t forget debit cards. We still have to use them so they too should be disinfected frequently. Use disinfectant or a wipe after using and treat wallets purses and keys in the same way.
And even though we can’t keep everything completely clean all the time, these are still great habits to get into.
ServiceMaster Clean provides outstanding commercial office and industrial cleaning in the North West.
To discuss your cleaning requirements with our experts, please get in touch.