Reopening? What to Expect from a Professional COVID-19 Cleanup (Case Study)

After having been under shelter-in-place orders for many weeks due to the Coronavirus pandemic, South Florida businesses have recently started to reopen. As Phase I of reopening has rolled out in Broward County and Palm Beach County, many have reached out to us to ensure that their premises are as safe as possible. The truth is, the danger of contamination is as present as ever, but businesses also understand how important it is to ensure the safety of their staff and customers. Over the past few weeks, we have done many COVID-19 cleanup jobs in various commercial spaces such as offices, banks, cafés, and multi-unit residential common areas.

One of these jobs was at Bright Pink Agency, a marketing agency Coral Springs (name disclosed with permission). Like many non-essential businesses, their offices had been closed for two months before the cleanup. But some of their staff still had to come to the office on occasion, just to be able to conduct basic operations while most were still working from home. 

While they had not had a confirmed case of COVID-19, they decided that they would “rather be safe than sorry” and proactively get their office professionally cleaned. Because they’re a marketing agency, they also wanted to use this as an opportunity to educate their clients and their community about the importance of communication. They believe it’s important that businesses are open about communicating with their staff and clients about the measures they’ve taken to provide a safe environment. 

Therefore, they created a video documenting the cleanup process.

We performed their cleanup on a Sunday when fewer people were in the office complex. As always, we set up the staging area outside, our technicians suite-up in full PPE, with a Tyvek suit and respirator. 
First, we performed a general cleaning of each work station, as well as the common areas such as the conference room, kitchen, and restroom. Surfaces were carefully wiped with disinfectant, paying attention to high-touch areas such as desks, phones, chairs, and the water fountain, but also to areas that are not quite as obvious, such as shelves and even the pedal that adjusts the height of office chairs. 

Each station was cleaned with a different colored rag, to avoid cross-contamination. After each use, each rag was discarded in a bag kept by the staging area, outside of the office. 

Another important detail to keep in mind is that we are very mindful of not bringing other germs into your spaces. Some clients share concerns that our technicians and equipment have been in many potentially-infected areas, and this is a good observation. That’s why we wear complete protective equipment when walking into your space, and we check each technician’s temperature at the beginning of every job. Moreover, all equipment is thoroughly sanitized after each use. Even the cords are wrapped in disposable plastic, to prevent spreading germs.

After the initial cleanup, our technicians sprayed a disinfectant on all walls and surfaces, allowing it to stay in contact with the surfaces for the duration recommended on the label. After that, another sweep collected all the possible contaminants displaced during the spraying procedure.

Before we declared the job complete, we swabbed and tested to ensure the offices were as clean as possible. When it comes to COVID-19 cleanup, we don’t simply rely on our training and assume the space is clean, but on testing and industry standards. 

While many believe that the fact that businesses are allowed to reopen means it’s safe to go back to “normal”, the reality is that more and more new cases of COVID-19 are being registered daily. In fact, June has seen some of the highest numbers of new cases per day since the pandemic started. This is not the time to become relaxed about the rules of safety. With more traffic in your offices from both the employees that have returned to work and the customers that come in for business, it’s safe to assume that the risk of contamination may have actually increased. It’s up to you to determine if janitorial cleaning measures up to the professional biohazard cleaning performed as described in this case study. 

If you wish to receive a free cost estimate for a professional COVID-19 cleanup at your place of business, give us a call. We’ll also offer you a complete plan to keep your spaces clean, educate your staff, and give you priority response in the event of a confirmed case within your facility. 
Keep informed, be proactive, and stay safe everyone!

Antonio Medina & your team at PuroClean of Wellington