What to Do After Your Business Has Been Disinfected

The pandemic has caused significant disruptions in both homes and businesses throughout the country. The good news is that businesses have already begun to open or have an upcoming reopening date. So, the big question is, once your business has been disinfected and is ready to open, what do you do next? There are several precautions you’ll need to take to ensure your employees and customers stay safe. Here are a few tips to help you with what to do after your business has been disinfected.

Period Between Disinfecting and Reopening

If your business has remained closed for at least one week after it was disinfected, to reopen safely, you’ll only need to do your normal routine cleaning. Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus doesn’t survive on surfaces longer than 7 days, so if the interior, including all hard surfaces inside the business, were cleaned and disinfected within this timeframe, there isn’t a risk of contamination. However, suppose you closed for only a day or two while the disinfection was being done. In that case, all touched surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a product that is approved by the EPA for effectiveness against COVID-19.

Maintain Safe Practices

Everyone has had to make behavioral changes to limit the spread of the virus. To ensure your business is practicing safety in regards to the pandemic, following disinfection, there are a few things you’ll need to enforce while your business is in operation, including:

Maintain social distancing by encouraging employees and customers to stay 6 feet away from others. If your office space previously shared working areas less than six feet, it’s important to address this. For instance, consider moving working stations or install plastic shields to prevent the risk of person-to-person contamination.

Encourage frequent hand washing and have alcohol-based hand sanitizer available for both employees and customers.

Enforce a policy of wearing masks

Encourage employees and customers to avoid touching their mouth, eyes, and nose, especially after touching a potentially contaminated surface

Encourage employees to stay home if they become sick, or anyone within their household becomes sick

Follow the state, local, and federal guidelines for reopening and requirements for remaining opening.

Routine Cleaning and Disinfecting

One of the most critical things you’ll need to do after your business has been disinfected is to ensure it stays cleansed and sanitized. Routine cleaning and regular disinfecting are crucial steps in reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other viruses. All hard surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water at the end of each workday, followed by disinfecting with an approved disinfectant. Throughout the day, multiple people frequently touch surfaces such as light switches, desks, water faucets, phones, and desks should be cleaned and disinfected often. If you do not have a dedicated cleaning crew on location, it’s helpful to develop a cleaning schedule for employees.

Once your business has been professionally disinfected and followed the recommended cleaning guidelines, it may be beneficial to schedule full disinfection services by a professional every month. This will help to ensure that your business remains clean and disinfected. It’s also important to choose a disinfectant for daily use that has been approved by the EPA for effective use against COVID, such as Lysol. Make sure there is a supply of gloves and personal protective equipment placed throughout the business.