Disinfecting the Office: Take the Right Steps to Stay Safe

Disinfecting your company and offices is an important part of staying safe in uncertain times. Here at Silverback Supply, we have the right disinfectants and tools to help you eliminate viruses and harmful bacteria from your space. Throughout the pandemic, we've kept our supply up, making it possible for our customers to continue getting the disinfectants and cleaning supplies they need.

What Should You Use to Disinfect Your Space?

To start with, look carefully at the ingredients you use. The primary three disinfecting agents include:

• · Isopropyl Alcohol (70% or higher)
• · Quaternary based disinfectants
• · Hydrogen Peroxide (3% or higher)
• · Bleach (10% or higher)

You'll want to make sure any product you purchase has one of these at the right percentage or is a registered disinfectant with the EPA.

How Can You Disinfect a Space Correctly?

To disinfect your space correctly, there are five steps.

• · First, determine which areas of the space need to be disinfected. High-traffic spaces should come first, like desktops and walkways. You should also get your personal protective equipment on before starting. Some gear that you may want to buy includes:
  • o Masks to prevent the spread of airborne illnesses.
  • o One-time use mops and throw-away paper towels, so that you don’t retain viruses or bacteria on sponges.
  • o Latex or vinyl gloves, which are even better if they can be thrown away after use.
• · Choose the right tools and disinfectants that are EPA-approved.
  • o Opt for disinfectants with 70% alcohol or higher and EPA registered disinfectants. Hydrogen peroxide can also disinfect a space as long as it is at 3% or higher by volume.
• · Use the right infection control procedures for your business. This includes using a disinfectant and allowing it to remain on the surface for at least 2-10 minutes (refer to label instructions) before wiping it up. This "dwell time" helps kill viruses and bacteria that may be in your business.
  • o Dwell time can be difficult for some businesses due to how quickly visitors interact. To help eliminate that issue, you may want to rotate where customers go for support. For example, if you have two checkouts, have customers go to each one alternately. This gives your disinfectant more time to work between guests, reducing the risk of spreading an illness.
• · Verify that high-touch surfaces have been cleaned, and potentially go over them again. These surfaces may include doorknobs, desktops, keyboards and other commonly used surfaces.
  • o It’s a good idea to have at least two people working on disinfecting a space. What one person misses, the other won’t likely miss. Make it a priority to wipe down light switches, doorknobs, desk pulls, keyboards, monitors and other items that are frequently touched. It’s even better if both people disinfect them, since a single pass could miss some viruses or bacteria.
• · Document the cleaning. You want to do this so that you know the last time you cleaned, what was used and who did the cleaning.
  • o When you document cleaning rounds, state the time and the person’s name. Make sure that anyone who is cleaning your office or business has training and understands dwell time. They should be trained to clean with the right percentage of bleach, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide and wear personal protective equipment while doing so.

We at Silverback Supply know that cleaning to the highest industry standard is our clients' goal. Whether you're disinfecting the office to defeat COVID-19 or are trying to keep the office clean of other viruses and bacteria, we have the supplies you need in the days and weeks ahead. Contact us for more information today.