Nevertheless, instead of awaiting the worst scenario to manifest, both public health institutions and cleaning specialists recommend rolling up your sleeves and putting in more effort with the disinfection of offices, stores and other business and public premises. Alongside typical manual disinfection methods, there are also more reliable mechanised methods whereby not only surfaces are cleaned, but also the air in the premises.
Horizontal surfaces are disinfected most often
After the lockdown, many people have returned to working in offices. Restaurants, stores, bars, hairdressers, beauty parlours, kindergartens and a variety of other private and public institutions where numerous people visit have also resumed work.
“One of the most effective and accessible means of protection from both the coronavirus and from all other viruses and bacteria is constant cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in such premises, which can be organised to be performed at whatever intensity the business can handle, and views as being necessary. For example, some major retailers prophylactically disinfect surfaces five times a day,” Švaros Broliai Cleaning Services Department director Andrius Kinderis reveals.
Among the surfaces recommended to be prophylactically disinfected most often are office and catering establishment tables, store countertops, as well as door handles, light switches and all surfaces in toilets.
While surface disinfection is one of the most effective methods of destroying viruses, nevertheless, for offices and other institutions where work is done and clients visit, Kinderis recommends extra alternative premise cleaning methods, which ensure one hundred per cent removal of harmful microorganisms. One of them is the previously little used, but now rapidly becoming high-demand premise disinfection through hot or cold steam generators. They not only impact surfaces and hard to reach corners, but also the air found in the premises.
A stream of steam to catch viruses
Most likely, many have seen a thick white ‘smoke’ blown into an audience or on stage at night clubs or during concerts. This is actually steam from a mixture of water and special oils. This is similar to when cleaning premises, they are filled with hot or cold steam, which are supplemented with chemical additives, known as biocide compounds, and the ‘trademark’ ability of these compounds is to destroy microorganisms that harm humans, including viruses and bacteria.
The steam micro-particles rise up and fill the indoor space, thus destroying viruses everywhere, including in the air. Furthermore, after lingering in the air for some time, the steam cools off and condenses, settling down on the surfaces found in the premises: floors, ceilings, walls and all items found within, also entering all, even the very smallest, gaps, spaces and even the most distant corners that might have particles lingering that could harm humans.
This way, a biocide-filled virus and bacteria destroying film, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, covers all possible surfaces, which are neither possible for humans to reach, nor would it be worth reaching for them.
Recommended prophylaxis for virus hotspots
This methodology of cleaning premises with hot or cold steam as a final disinfection method can be used both prophylactically and at hotspots, where the spread of COVID-19 has been detected and where it is known that someone previously ill with the virus or an active carrier has been.
“Currently, this is one of the most reliable premise disinfection methods available in the cleaning service sector,” Kinderis says.
However, he recommends combining this measure with prophylactical surface disinfection, whereby firstly all horizontal surfaces are cleaned and only then the premise disinfection is completed with steam, which will catch what wasn’t caught by wiping. This is carried out in order to ensure the virus has no chances of surviving.
“These two methods supplement one another and allow ensuring one hundred per cent cleanliness and to help avoid mistakes that emerge due to the human factor. For example, if we were to perform an experiment and cover a wipe used for cleaning with invisible paint, pretending that this is our disinfectant and after cleaning, shone bright lights on the ‘paints’, we would see that there remain ‘unpainted’ areas. In our case, surfaces untouched by disinfectant.
This would come as no surprise at all because humans, try as they might, are not robots, and disinfectants are not paint you can see with the naked eye. Meanwhile, the steam that spreads out across the air destroys not only the particles that could have remained on the surfaces even after physical cleaning, but also those potentially still lingering in the air. This way, we ensure one hundred percent safety so that after such dual cleaning, there is no more virus present,” Kinderis says.
The same steam method, which can reach and carry active substances to where humans cannot reach or enter is also used for other purposes such as exterminating spiders, flies, ants and small parasites.
There can be no excessive hygiene in the midst of pandemic
“Of course, when cleaning, it is important to remember what we are fighting. Scientists say that the virus-carrying COVID-19 is a heavyweight in the viral world and so it does not linger long in the air and after an hour or more, it settles on surfaces. Nevertheless, as we cannot be certain that with hand cleaning we reach all surfaces, premise cleaning by steam offers us insurance that the heavy viruses will be caught, reached by steam and destroyed wherever they may be: in the air, on the computer, keyboard or the cash register,” Kinderis says.
Premise disinfection by steam and biocides does not damage indoor constructions, it does not impact plastic, metals, painted surfaces, or soft tissues.
“While we sometimes hear that excessive hygiene acts contrary to expectation when the organism ceases to fight for itself, nevertheless during a pandemic situation, it’s not the best time for such lectures. Right now, the disinfection of premises should be performed more often, more thoroughly and more regularly than before. If we wish to protect our workplaces, our teams and businesses, we must take up measures and invest in comprehensive safety,” the specialist notes.
