by Brianna Crandall — October 17, 2014—With the first case of Ebola now reported in the United States, Kaivac, developer of the No-Touch and OmniFlex cleaning systems, has begun a series of safety tips designed specifically for those in the professional cleaning industry.
“As in the past with other…outbreaks [affecting public health], our industry will likely play a crucial role in conquering this one,” says Matt Morrison, Communications Manager for Kaivac. “But in order to accomplish this, the first step [we must take] is protecting our own health.”
Accordingly, Morrison says cleaning pros should implement the following steps when using and cleaning public restrooms, to help protect themselves and others from any kind of infectious diseases:
- Wash hands in hot, soapy water before using or cleaning the restroom; accept the fact that any surface touched before entering the restroom might have been contaminated.
- Avoid placing anything on the restroom counter or on the floor; should the counter or floor be contaminated, germs and bacteria potentially could be transferred from the surface to your hands when you pick up the items.
- When using a restroom stall, always grab toilet paper before touching the partition door handle before and after use.
- Use a paper towel to turn manual faucets off and on.
- Before using a toilet or urinal, flush first; stand a couple of feet away from the fixture when it is being flushed to avoid any spray from the fixture.
- Use a toilet seat cover, or use toilet paper to create a makeshift toilet seat cover.
- If a restroom looks unusually soiled, look for another restroom to use. If cleaning an unusually soiled restroom, accept the fact that every surface may be contaminated, and take added precautions (wear gloves, wear goggles, avoid skin contact with soiled items or surfaces).
- In place of traditional cleaning methods, select what ISSA calls “spray-and-vac” cleaning systems to avoid direct contact with surfaces.
- Wash hands again after cleaning restrooms, and have paper towels at hand so they do not have to be grabbed from a dispenser.
Kaivac’s Preventing Diseases Spread from Restroom Germs Web page provides further tips for both using and cleaning restrooms.
Kaivac, Inc., is the developer of the No-Touch Cleaning and OmniFlex Crossover Cleaning systems. Headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, Kaivac delivers complete science-based cleaning systems designed to produce healthy results and outcomes while raising the value of cleaning operations and the professionalism of the worker. Kaivac offers an integrated portfolio of environmentally friendly cleaning products engineered to remove the maximum amount of soil and potentially harmful biopollutants in the most cost-effective manner possible.
