Routine environmental cleaning
Cleaning is an essential part of disinfection. Organic matter can inactivate many disinfectants. Cleaning reduces the soil load, allowing the disinfectant to work.
Removal of germs such as the virus that causes COVID-19 requires thorough cleaning followed by disinfection.
The length of time that SARS-COV-2 (the cause of COVID-19) survives on inanimate surfaces will vary depending on factors such as the amount of contaminated body fluid - such as respiratory droplets - present and environmental temperature and humidity. In general, coronaviruses are unlikely to survive for long once droplets produced by coughing or sneezing dry out.
It is good practice to routinely clean surfaces as follows:
Clean frequently touched surfaces with detergent solution (see diagram below).
Clean general surfaces and fittings when visibly soiled and immediately after any spillage.
Routine environmental cleaning requirements can be divided into two groups:
Information for cleaning staff
Social contact environments
Social contact environments include (but are not limited to), transport vehicles, shopping centres
and private businesses.
The risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the social and non-health care work settings can be
minimised through a good standard of general hygiene.
This includes:
• Promoting cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene.
• Routine cleaning of frequently touched hard surfaces with detergent/disinfectant
solution/wipe.
• Providing adequate alcohol-based hand rub for staff and consumers to use. Alcohol-based hand rub stations should be available, especially in areas where food is on display
and frequent touching of produce occurs.
• Training staff on use of alcohol-based hand rub.
• Consider signs to ask shoppers to only touch what they intend to purchase.
Vehicle air-conditioning should be set to fresh air
See attached document for the full principles.
