Now that more people are heading back to the office and restrictions are easing up across the country, it is a good time to speak about office disinfection. Best practices, things to avoid doing, and products that can help get the best results, are some of the things office managers need to know to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and customers. This article answers these and other important questions about this topic.
Do's and Don'ts of Office Disinfection
For some people, disinfecting an office seems like a daunting task due to the number of electronic devices, stationary, and other moisture-sensitive items that can be found in these spaces. However, by following a simple set of rules, or best practices, office disinfection can become a simple and quick activity.
These are the Do's and Don'ts to consider when disinfecting an office:
- Do focus on high touch surfaces, such as desks, cubicles, dividing glasses, chairs, common kitchen counters, etc.
- Do choose the disinfectant solution wisely, making sure it is approved by health authorities for killing most allergens, bacteria, and viruses, such as the one that causes COVID-19 and its variants.
- Do read product labels. It's important to know how long surfaces should remain wet if you're manually spraying and wiping, or what to do after the surface has been treated with an electric sprayer or fogger.
- Do invest in sprayers and foggers, which are electric devices (either plug-in or battery-operated) that guarantee better results than manual office disinfection.
- Do open the windows to ventilate the office and promote air exchange. This will let stale air out and fresh air in. If this is not possible, use a fogger recommended for airborne disinfection to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ.)
- Do clean monitors and other electronics with a dry fogger. If you don't have one (you should consider it!) make sure to turn these devices off before disinfection to avoid hazards.
- Do think of a regular day in the office before disinfecting. This will help you determine which are the high-touch surfaces and the high-traffic areas.
- Do encourage your staff to disinfect their personal equipment at the start and end of each workday. Provide them with products and materials to quickly and easily spray their desks, keyboards, the arms of their chairs, etc.
- Do remind your staff to keep their hands clean and sanitized. One way to do this is by displaying hand-washing and hand sanitizing signs throughout the office and posting guidelines and best practices for hand-washing and hand sanitizing in all washrooms and common areas.
- Don't forget to disinfect smaller surfaces and items like keyboards, telephones, coffee pots, door handles, light switches, etc.
- Don't miss writing utensils, such as pens, pencils, and markers, as well as other office items like folders, staplers, trashcans, etc.
- Don't skip the use of gloves, masks and other forms of PPE (personal protective equipment) when cleaning, considering that offices are used by multiple people, and janitorial staff should do their best to their risk of pathogen exposure while cleaning and disinfecting.
- Don't overlook shared office equipment, including printers, scanners, fax machines, photocopiers, touchpads, POS debit machines, adding devices etc.
- Don't use peroxide, bleach, or ammonia on electronics. You're better off using all-natural, organic and hypoallergenic disinfectants that won't damage equipment or cause adverse reactions on your staff.
- Don't submerge any device into a disinfectant solution. You shouldn't let moisture in any device opening, so don’t submerge items in any disinfecting liquid, even if it is permitted by the manufacturer. Use a sprayer or fogger, instead.
- Don't use a paper towel or a tissue on display monitors because these materials can leave behind residues, fail to clean the screen, and even scratch it. You can use a dry fogger, a thermal sprayer, or a lint-free reusable wipe, if necessary.
- Don't wait too long between disinfections. High-touch surfaces and high-traffic areas should be disinfected daily to control the spread of pathogens. Office disinfection works best when there's consistency and use of high-quality products and techniques.
- Don't avoid cleaning just because you work from home. Regardless of where you work, disinfecting your work area to prevent the spread of viruses, including COVID-19, is always important.
Top Office Disinfection Products
Disinfecto Electrostatic Sprayer - This is a lightweight and easy-to-use handheld sprayer that provides excellent coverage. Plus, it generates mainly fog, which helps to get rid of the wiping process afterward. This top-selling model features an exceptional rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that reaches a full charge in only 2 hours, for a run time of 3 and a half hours of continuous electrostatic disinfection. And the best part is how silent it is, so it can be used anytime during the day without worrying about interrupting a business call or a meeting at the office.
Nano Atomizer - Perfect for any office space that needs quick and easy disinfecting before a meeting or a client presentation. This thermal fogger stands out from similar devices because it works exceptionally well without the tiresome labour of spraying, scrubbing, and wiping, and with no rinsing required. This device works by producing a dry fog that disinfects on contact, making it perfect for spaces with electronic devices, printed documents and other moisture-sensitive items.
EnviroNize Anolyte Multi-Use Disinfectant - Multifunctional product for all hard non-porous surfaces at the office, such as wood desks, plastic chairs, metal door handles, etc. It offers deep disinfection thanks to its concentrated electro-chemically activated solution rich in oxygen, in which pathogens such as bacteria and viruses cannot survive. Plus, it eliminates odour-causing bacteria, which is very important in closed-off and climatized offices.
Ultra-Lyte Disinfectant - Top-selling spray-on sanitizer and disinfectant with powerful antimicrobial properties. It is ready to use with no mixing required, so it saves janitorial staff lots of time. Plus, it is highly recommended for common areas and high-traffic spaces in offices like kitchens, meeting rooms and washrooms because it is effective against pathogens such as the Human Coronavirus, Norovirus, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Influenza A (H1N1).
Sanitization Station - Every office needs one of these. It is the perfect solution for office managers to help staff, customers and visitors stay safe. These stations are available for hand sanitizer only or hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, with two or four sides. They can also be customized to include a logo on all sides. They are a great product for offices where frequent hand-washing is not possible or easy to achieve.
We've reached the end of this article, hoping you now know the basics of effective office disinfection for a germ-free and safe workplace. If you have any questions about the recommendations or products we have mentioned, please leave us a comment below or reach out to us directly.
About Our Company:
Disinfect & Fog is a disinfecting company based in London, Ontario, that offers commercial disinfection and fogging services across Southwestern Ontario. We also specialize in office, industrial and residential disinfecting, as well as fogging equipment, including electrostatic sprayers and thermal foggers. All of our commercial disinfecting services are provided by dedicated and problem-solving experts who always recommend the most cost-effective and efficient disinfecting products and techniques for every situation.
Looking for green disinfectants? You've come to the right place!
Disinfect & Fog is a disinfecting company that only carries organic, hypoallergenic, and eco-friendly disinfectants that are safe to use around children, pets and plants.
You can give us a call at 1-855-561-4512, or email us at info@disinfectandfog.com. And to shop our products for office disinfection, you can go ahead and visit our Disinfect & Fog Shop.
