Why do I need to clean and disinfect?
A common misconception is that cleaning and disinfection are one and the same. In reality, they are two different processes which achieve related results but not the same results. Cleaning is the removal of visible dirt and soiling, for example the coffee ring on a kitchen counter. While cleaning may remove pathogens from surfaces by wiping them away, it does NOT kill pathogens. Disinfection, on the other hand, does KILL pathogens on surfaces through the use of chemicals. As such, both processes are used hand-in-hand — first cleaning, then disinfection — in infection control efforts. Please note — not all disinfectants are created equally! Typically, disinfectants are developed to kill certain types or classes of pathogens. As such, ensure that the disinfectant used in your facility has been approved to treat your pathogen of concern.
We’ve already had deep cleaning and disinfection done in our facility, doesn’t that cover it?
The purpose of disinfection is for infection control to help ensure the health and safety of your facility and its occupants. Surface contamination can and is likely to recur. Once a surface has been disinfected, that same surface can easily be re-contaminated when the next passerby touches that surface or sneezes or coughs near that surface. As such, infection control is about regular and consistent cleaning and disinfection. Unless an occupant has been diagnosed with a confirmed case of an illness, you will likely not need to regularly perform deep cleaning and disinfection. However, to keep your facility healthy and safe, what you should be maintaining is your standard cleaning protocols with the addition of regular and consistent disinfection of high touch points.
How often do we need to disinfect?
A key consideration in determining how often you should be disinfecting is based on the traffic level in your facility. As disinfection is for infection prevention, the goal is to help to mitigate surface-to-person transmission of pathogens. If your 10,000 SF office will be occupied by 5 staff and no visitors, you can likely disinfect less frequently than that same office which might house 60 staff and consistent visitors. Additional considerations include how often multiple people may be touching the same surface as well as whether an antimicrobial surface protectant has been applied. At minimum, however, we would recommend daily disinfection of high touch surfaces. If the traffic in your facility is high, we would recommend increasing this frequency to multiple times per day. For example, common elevator lobbies in an office tower should be disinfected multiple times per day, particularly at the entrance level.
A FEW FACTS ABOUT DISINFECTION…
FACT: Cleaning and disinfection are two different processes.
FACT: Not all disinfectants are approved for use against COVID-19.
FACT: True disinfection can only occur on clean surfaces.
FACT: Disinfection is only effective until the next person touches that surface, or sneezes or coughs near that surface.
WHAT IS THE PROTECT-3 ADVANCETM SYSTEM?
The health and safety of your facility and all its occupants as well as visitors has always been our primary focus. Since the emergence of COVID-19, that concern has become even more significant.
The Protect-3 Advance system is ServiceMaster Clean’s answer to help our customers protect the health and safety of their facilities, not only today but into all the coming days.
As a professional commercial cleaning company with over 65 years of experience, we are proud to be at the forefront of our industry. This exclusive, proprietary program integrates state-of-the-art equipment to not only deliver the best cleaning and disinfection solutions to our customers but also provides scientific validation that we have done just as we promised – delivered a safer and healthier commercial facility!
PROTECT-3 ADVANCETM SYSTEM COMPONENTS
STEP 1 – CLEANING
Our process always begins with cleaning to allow us to remove any visible dirt and soil. By cleaning first, we enable the disinfectant product to do its job effectively.
STEP 2 – DISINFECTION
We only use Health Canada approved disinfectants and allow the proper dwell time for maximum effectiveness.
To maintain a continuously safe and healthy workplace however requires our third step – Fortify.
STEP 3 – FORTIFY
We know that every facility is different and so are the requirements of each customer. As such, our Fortify step will include a consultation to determine needs based on a variety of factors including how and when the facility is used, primary concerns, and of course, the budget. Based on these factors we can provide the best solutions for our customers’ facilities including antimicrobial surface protection, increased cleaning and disinfecting frequency and more.
ServiceMaster Clean has decades of experience cleaning and disinfecting hospitals, healthcare and commercial facilities that have been at risk for exposure to various infectious diseases. We rely on experience and a scientific common-sense approach that is thorough and cost-effective. We utilize the most effective products and protocols to break the chain of infection, protecting both our customers and their facilities. We pride ourselves on going “above and beyond” your expectations.