Speciality Disinfection Services

We advise a daily disinfection routine for all high-touch surfaces throughout your facility. Weekly janitorial services generally focus disinfection on different areas of the building each night, with the intent of covering the entire building once per week. This legacy routine is not adequate to contain the COVID-19 virus.  Disinfection activities are not only laborsome, but the chemicals must be capable of killing the virus in short dwell time. Dwell time is the amount of time the compound needs to cover the virus in order to kill it.  Off the shelf compounds could take 10-15 minutes to kill COVID-19 and that means the compound needs to be wet for that entire time.  The off the shelf products are simply not up to the task.  Make sure your cleaners are using compounds from the EPA approved list with a dwell time less than 2 minutes.  

• These services are rapidly being added to our contract customers as an addendum to their current contract. 
• Performance Chores is also offering our speciality services on a month-to-month basis with a two-week notice for cancellation of services. 
• We offer these services on a fixed fee and hourly basis. 
• Credit card billing for short term servicee and NET terms for established accounts.

There is no perfect answer to the question about how to deal with this pandemic, and it will vary by industry.  Business continuity plans should be developed for your specific organization, and much of this planning should include a technology solution provider as well as professional janitorial services to keep your building disinfected.  Here are a few things to consider:

Step 1. Evaluate which workers can work from home

Telephone, quality broadband and access to your electronic systems is a huge barrier for remote workers.  If your workers are not ready, consider splitting your operations across multiple shifts.  

Step 2. Shift work

Not all tasks can be performed from home, and there are sensible ways to have your staff in the office during this chaos.  Consider splitting your teams in half and have them work alternating shifts.  This schedule may not be ideal, but it is very practical and will cut down on the number of employees in your building at any time.  You do not want to lose an entire department to a virus outbreak. When a worker gets sick, two-plus weeks of sick time will not help your business through this.  Consider splitting your essential staff into a morning and afternoon group.  Disinfect your building (bathrooms, breakrooms, doors, badge readers, elevators and buttons, stair rails, and any common surfaces unique to your building between shifts.  

Your staff may not be as productive as before, but they will continue to work, and business will go on.  It is imperative to coordinate this cleaning with your janitorial provider, or the split of workers between shifts does not make much sense.  Consider a 5 am - 11 am schedule and a 1 pm - 7 pm schedule.  In the 2 hour break, all bathrooms and common areas, common surfaces, and anything folks may touch should be thoroughly disinfected.  

Step 3. Ask your staff to step up and help out

We are advising most of our customers to distribute disinfecting wipes and have them wipe their own desks and cubicle areas, including doors to enclosed offices.  This will not only cut down on the extra janitorial labor but give your staff a sense of security that they are confident their immediate work area is fully sanitized.  We do not advise that you ask them to clean the rest of the building as they lack the training, tools, protective equipment and could cause more damage to your facility and business continuity goals than you expect.  The improper mixture or use of chemicals can cause severe bodily injury and or damage to your facility.  Consider the safety of your staff and the skills that led you to hire them. 

Step 4. Plan to come back to work

This pandemic will not last forever.  We will come up with a vaccine, or enough people will get sick and recover that we will build up an immunity, and the hospital pressure will decrease to a manageable level.  Be sure somebody is watching over your building as we all know things need maintenance, and people will need to run into the office if they have issues with work-from-home scenarios.  Make sure the roof isn't leaking, the toilets are not overflowing, the heat and AC are appropriately set, and the sewer isn't backing up.  A typical building janitorial crew can likely cover all these bases for you.  Make sure your supplies, suppliers, and systems are still on board to support you when your business returns to normal.  

Most clients feel they should have been more diligent in disinfecting surfaces before this started, but costs are always a consideration.  However, the business costs of missing workers are likely higher than the prices for proper cleaning schedules and work scopes.  

If you would like to discuss your pandemic or cleaning strategy further and hear what our clients are telling us or how we are advising them, please give us a call @ 402-326-2305

Surfaces

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.

• Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. 
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. 
• Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:

• 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
• 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claimsexternal icon are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).

For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:

• If the items can be laundered, launder items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and then dry items completely.
• Otherwise, use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims (examples at this linkpdf iconexternal icon) that are suitable for porous surfaces 

Linens, Clothing, and Other Items That Go in the Laundry

• Do not shake dirty laundry; this minimize the possibility of dispersing virus through the air.
• Wash items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.
• Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts for transporting laundry according to guidance above for hard or soft surfaces.

Link to EPA site with more details

EPA Appoved COVID-19 Disinfectants

American Chemistry Council - Approved COVID-19 Cleaners

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

World Health Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention