How To Clean Your Office During The Pandemic?

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

Why and how to thoroughly clean your office? In professional life, good hygiene is essential to progress in a healthy atmosphere. However, during a pandemic, it becomes a real must! The telephone, the seat, the desk and all the small things that we keep in the workplace are breeding grounds for viruses and bacteria. They are put on and touched everywhere, which only facilitates the transmission of germs and viruses. After you've adopted all the great tips for disinfecting the house in case of the flu, it's time to add another one! Here are the hygienic measures to limit the risks of contamination of covid-19 outside the home, and in particular at the workplace.

How to clean your office effectively during a pandemic?

Now is the time to disinfect against viruses! Although you have been told and repeated over and over, the coronavirus is transmitted between two people through droplets expelled from the nose or mouth, and by bringing hands to the face after touching a contaminated surface. And although there is no vaccine against the threat invisible to the naked eye yet, scientists have managed to identify that it has a certain lifespan on various exterior surfaces.

According to the results of the study, the coronavirus lasts about 4 hours on copper surfaces, 3 hours in the air, 24 hours on cardboard, 3 days on plastic and stainless steel and up to 4 days on wood and glass. Of course, these times can vary and depend on several factors such as temperature, humidity and the amount of virus contaminating the surface. It is therefore essential to take all the necessary measures to properly clean the rooms frequented by sufferers.

You don't need your colleague to sneeze on your keyboard for covid-19 to get to you! Having impeccable hygiene both at home and in the office is essential to avoid the risks of contracting the coronavirus or any other flu. It will be said and repeated again: washing your hands several times a day is one of the most adequate and important measures to limit the spread of the virus. So, after washing your hands, it is time to ensure proper cleaning of the house and the workplace.

Regularly ventilate the workspace

Whether it is a home office or an open plan office, opening the windows every day and renewing the air is of crucial importance in eliminating germs, viruses as well as chemical pollutants. Bactericidal aerosols are also a good solution for effective and rapid disinfection.

What product to disinfect the workplace?

How to clean your office in order to eliminate viruses? With or without bleach, in a can, in a spray or in the form of wipes … there are several disinfectant products, which will allow you to sanitize your office (door handles, light button, furniture surface, computer, smartphone) and all the “at risk” areas of your company.

To disinfect the floor and some surfaces in your office, the WHO recommends mixing one serving of an oxidizing liquid solution, such as bleach, with 9 servings of water. Intended for professionals and the general public, this recipe is made for large quantities!

Other experts say that window cleaners and hand held hand sanitizers are all equally suitable for cleaning objects prone to the spread of the coronavirus, such as documents, electronics, pens, doorknobs or cupboard handles, etc.

Hydrogen peroxide and solutions containing 70% alcohol, on the other hand, are also very reliable in eradicating the coronavirus from an object or a surface, according to specialists. They also advise against the use of hand sanitizers, vodka or even vinegar, because their effectiveness is not yet proven.

And if some consider that alcohol is not a miracle solution for disinfecting the home or office, ethanol, or ethyl alcohol (used in the composition of household alcohol) makes an excellent cleaning product that fights bacteria and germs, and kills several viruses that some disinfectants cannot eliminate.

In order to disinfect the surface of your desk and all the objects on it, you can either spray it or moisten it with ethanol by simply letting it dry. For a cleansing effect, just add a few drops of essential oil (tea tree, mint, rosemary, cloves, lemon, pine or Chinese cinnamon) and white vinegar.

How to clean your office and electronic devices?

How to clean your desk, your computer and your smartphone? As mentioned above, technological devices, such as smartphones, tablets and computers are a very interesting playground for viruses and bacteria. What's more, smartphones contain 7 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. This is explained by the frequency with which they are handled. And in times of pandemic, it is no longer a question of mithridatization, but rather of risk-taking …

However, it is necessary to avoid cleaning technological devices with oxidizing solutions. According to the global electronics giant, Apple, a wipe impregnated with 70% alcohol is enough to disinfect his mobile. The American manufacturer also specifies that the disinfectant must not be allowed to enter the device and that it must above all not be immersed in the liquid. That's why, you must turn it off before decontaminating it.

South Korean company Samsung, meanwhile, has set up a service to disinfect smartphones for free using a UV lamp, in an attempt to avoid the use of chemicals. If, moreover, your smartphone wants to be protected by a film, you can simply disinfect it with soapy water. Easy and fast, this method remains the most effective for eliminating the coronavirus, according to the majority of experts.

Regarding the disinfection of your computer, here are the steps to follow for an optimal cleaning:

• If your keyboard is wired, you must unplug it. If, on the other hand, it's a laptop keyboard or wireless keyboard, turn everything off!
• Turn it over and give it a shake to knock off the dirt.

• Then use a compressed air cylinder to blow out the debris.

  Soak a cotton ball in a little isopropanol or ethyl alcohol and pass it between the keys.

• Rub the keyboard with a cloth soaked in isopropanol or ethanol and run with a microfiber cloth to remove the excess. Instead of isopropanol, you can use an antiseptic wipe.
• To disinfect your mouse or gamepad, opt for an antiseptic wipe or a cloth soaked in isopropanol, after unplugging it, of course.
• Gently run the wipe or cloth over the whole and wipe with a microfiber cloth or a simple handkerchief.

Note: be careful with isopropyl and ethyl alcohol. Flammable and irritating, they must be kept away from heat and any flame. Also avoid mixing them with bleach.

Habits to adopt and forget to ensure good hygiene in the office

Once the workplace has been disinfected, focus on the habits to adopt to ensure good hygiene in the office:

• wash your hands regularly
• avoid eating in front of the computer screen
• use antibacterial wipes to disinfect items that are loaned to you
• always have a hydroalcoholic gel on your desk
• avoid touching your face