Office Reopening & CDC Guidelines for Cleaning

As more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and cases finally lower, many business owners are excited to welcome employees and customers back at full capacity. However, businesses also bear the responsibility for creating a safe and healthy environment. This means adhering to cleaning and disinfection, per CDC guidelines. This is also an opportunity for businesses that do not have a CDC-aligned cleaning schedule to begin positive habits for the year ahead. It may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be if you work with a qualified and well-organized commercial cleaning provider.

The CDC’s recommendations for cleaning public spaces can be broken down into three parts:

1. Plan
2. Implement
3. Maintain

Develop a Plan to Clean Your Business 

Before you begin the process of cleaning, it’s important to layout a well-organized plan. There may be details you haven’t thought about and missing a step could be very detrimental to your business. 

You’ll need to consider what needs to be cleaned, how you’ll disinfect, and the resources and equipment required. You should also take note of high-traffic times when cleaning should be avoided and when the building will be unoccupied for disinfection. When it comes to protecting against COVID-19, disinfection is the most important step. Cleaning removes visible dirt and dust, but disinfection is the only way to wipe out germs that spread disease. 

Properly disinfecting requires a lot of equipment and expertise that most businesses don’t simply have on hand. For this reason, you may find that hiring a commercial cleaning team is more efficient and cost-effective than trying to handle it yourself. True disinfection requires…

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Proper Training and Equipment
• Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Certification
• OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Certification
• EPA Approved List N Disinfectants

Each surface type in your building requires a unique approach for disinfection. The best plan of attack for disinfecting each area of your space will depend on the traffic level and surfaces. An uninformed approach to disinfection can lead to ruined surfaces, unhealthy chemical exposure, and, of course, the spread of illness. OpenWorks can help you create a cleaning and disinfection plan suited to your business type, surfaces, and schedule. 

Implement Your Cleaning Plan

Once you’ve thoroughly planned, it’s time to take action. Make sure all employees understand the plan and their responsibilities for maintaining cleanliness. Some tasks may be more frequent than others, such as wiping down high-traffic areas like doorknobs, vending machines, or ATMs. These surfaces should be both cleaned and disinfected multiple times throughout the day. 

You’ll also need to set up a recurring deep cleaning and disinfection schedule with a commercial cleaning crew. OpenWorks can advise on how frequently you should disinfect your space based on traffic and industry. 

Maintain Your Cleaning and Disinfecting Schedule

It’s easy to let old habits creep back in. Create a plan to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities for keeping their workspace clean. For some businesses, it may make sense to build this into training. Fortunately, a commercial cleaning company will keep a strict schedule of its own to ensure tasks don’t slip through the cracks. For any tasks your employees will handle, it may help to post signage or provide checklists. 

The CDC also stresses the importance of training any employees given cleaning responsibilities. They advise businesses to...

• Educate workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pick-up to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19.
• Develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff on-site prior to providing cleaning tasks.
• Train on when to use PPE, what PPE is necessary, how to properly put on, use, remove, and dispose of PPE.
• Ensure workers are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard. 
• Comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens.

As you can see, keeping up with a regular cleaning and disinfection schedule is a big responsibility for business owners. Communicating your plan with employees and customers will help them feel safe and confident returning to business as usual. 

When you choose OpenWorks, you can feel confident that you are doing everything possible to protect your employees, customers, and yourself. OpenWorks’ crews are...

• GBAC certified
• OSHA blood-borne pathogen certification
• Using EPA List N approved disinfectants
• Leveraging the latest EPA approved technology

OpenWorks provides exceptional service that consistently exceed your expectations. When looking for commercial cleaning services near me, be sure you consider companies such as OpenWorks that provide experienced and professional cleaning and disinfecting experts.