The coronavirus has been more than a simple “inconvenience” for most of us in the Chicagoland area. It has shut down many businesses and adversely affected the livelihoods of many people. And, most importantly, it has claimed over 200,000 lives. Given the severity of the situation as businesses and offices begin to reopen their doors during Phase 4, it’s worth asking: What kind of COVID-19 professional cleaning and disinfection services will they need?
Obviously, cleanliness and safety are top of mind right now. When businesses reopen, everyone working and visiting the premises will need to work together to practice social distancing and maintain other COVID-preventing daily habits to reduce our risk of exposure to the virus. But if a facility is just now reopening after weeks of being closed, what precautions should owners, management and administrators take? Aside from the usual social distancing, we can tell you with certainty that they will need to reopen safely with professional cleaning and disinfecting services.
Right now, we’re relying on the advice of the CDC and medical bodies for guidelines surrounding cleaning offices and keeping them safe for employees and guests alike. If a structure has been unoccupied for 7 days or more, it will only need normal routine cleaning and disinfection to reopen. This is because the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been shown to survive on surfaces longer than this time. For instance, the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the virus exists on plastic for the longest period – up to 72 hours. On stainless steel the virus was detected up to 48 hours after transmission. For cardboard it was 24 hours and for copper just four hours.
Dr Bharat Pankhania, clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, says that rather than trying to remember how the virus operates on different surfaces and when you last cleaned them, “your mindset needs to be that everything, everyone, everywhere is contaminated. And whatever you handle is a potential risk.” But that doesn’t mean you need to be afraid to touch anything, it just means you should regularly wash your hands. “Do it meticulously every two hours, mindfully,” Dr Pankhania says, “and that is the solution.” This also calls to mind the assumption that your premises could be contaminated — and that you should always just assume that you need professional cleaning and disinfecting in the interest of everyone’s safety.
Additionally, what management and administrators need to be concerned with is that their premises stay clean and decontaminated after regular use has begun again. And of course, the best way to do this is to ensure regular professional cleaning and disinfection services.
As the weather gets colder, we also need to keep in mind that we’re up against the challenge of large, indoor gatherings of people — whether they be employees, customers, students or churchgoers. Obviously, when numerous individuals regularly congregate or pass through a certain area, keeping that facility clean and disinfected becomes a huge task. That’s where ServiceMaster by Simons, a trusted Chicagoland professional cleaning and disinfection company, comes in. Our COVID-19 cleaning services are here to help, powered by professionals who truly do know what they’re doing when it comes to disinfecting your premises from the virus.
ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons has developed a two-stage preventative cleaning process that provides the most effective cleaning possible. We disinfect all horizontal surfaces as well as any high-touch points such as door handles, elevator buttons, escalator rails, and so on. Next, we employ a specialized fogging system to provide the most complete coverage and disinfection of your facility. This two-stage preventative cleaning process provides the most comprehensive preventative cleaning available. We use EPA registered hospital-grade disinfectants throughout the entire process.
ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons can provide regular, preventative professional cleaning and disinfection of your facility, giving you the peace of mind that your building or office remains safe. From daily cleaning to high-level disinfection, we offer all levels of service to fit your needs and budget. Give us a call to learn more!
ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons is an MBE/WBE certified firm and family-run company serving Chicago, Oak Park/River Forest, and the North Shore. ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons provides Disaster Restoration Services including COVID-19 Cleaning Services, Water & Flood Damage Restoration, Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration, Mold Remediation, and a wide range of interior specialty cleaning including Hoarder & Clutter Cleaning, Post-Construction Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning, and Upholstery Cleaning to residential and commercial customers. ServiceMaster Cleaning By Simons provides Specialty Cleaning Services For Chicago, Oak Park-River Forest, and the North Shore. For more information, give us a call at 773-376-1110 or visit servicemasterbysimons.com.