The COVID-19 pandemic has sent the world in disarray when it struck at the tail-end of 2019 and intensified in the first half of 2020. From strict stay-at-home orders to mask mandates, governments all over the world scrambled to curb the spread of the highly infectious disease. Meanwhile, researchers conducted study after study to crack the mystery behind the virus. Even then, there are still a lot of unknowns due to SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID—being a new coronavirus that until now continues to mutate.
How the World Responded to COVID
Aside from the previously mentioned stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, “non-essential” businesses were temporarily shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Additional safety measures such as contact tracing and physical distancing were also enforced.
There are also initiatives by private organisations, such as professional deep-cleaning services, specially developed by commercial cleaners to properly sanitise and disinfect establishments that have suffered COVID-19 cases. These high-level sanitation processes are also ideal for other highly infectious diseases.
Such efforts are in line with the recommendations of the medical and scientific communities about SARS-CoV-2: keeping things clean and disinfected. Because it’s an enveloped virus, SARS-CoV-2 is easy to kill using simple methods such as proper hand-washing and surface disinfection.
Surface Disinfection With COVID in Mind
Health experts have long touted the importance of cleanliness in the quest to stop the spread of communicable diseases. In particular, washing your hands properly using soap and water can minimise the risk of spreading not just COVID-19 but also influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the common cold, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, hepatitis A, and more.
Another simple yet helpful measure in preventing diseases is surface disinfection. This is because a lot of pathogens can be transferred onto surfaces and linger here for hours or even days. In the case of COVID-19, the airborne viral particles can land onto things like door handles, light switches, reception counters, and other high-touch areas that can easily become transmitters of the disease.
The problem is that it’s not practical to have someone come in and wipe every surface whenever someone touches it. This wastes time and resources, not to mention disruptive. This is where disinfectant wipes have proven their usefulness.
Disinfectant Wipes and COVID Prevention
What’s good about disinfectant wipes is that they’re readily available and easy to use. Even better is that you don’t need two separate items to achieve the desired level of disinfection. The only thing you have to make sure of is to choose a product that comes with disinfectants that have been proven safe and effective.
With the right disinfectant wipes, people don’t have to wait for the cleaning crew to come in to clean and properly sanitise hard surfaces. In addition, the right product can disinfect surfaces in as fast as one minute! This is especially important in establishments with high traffic, especially healthcare facilities, restaurants, hotels, and the like.
Simple, Straightforward Disinfection
Another benefit offered by disinfectant wipes is that they’re easy to use. While traditional disinfectants require exact measurements to achieve the best results, wipes already have the right amount of disinfectant on them. All you need to do is swipe them onto the surface and you’ll already achieve the proper disinfection.
Disinfectant wipes also don’t need any special precautions or additional tools. There’s no need to wear PPE or pre-clean the surfaces that need to be disinfected. Moreover, disinfectant wipes are designed to be non-irritating to human skin and non-corrosive to a variety of materials, including stainless steel and glass. There’s also no need to worry about volatile organic compounds or other harmful substances.
Finally, there’s no need for special training to use these products. If you know how to use regular hygienic wipes, then you can use disinfectant wipes. Just remember to dispose of them properly and you’ll be all set.
Quick and Visible Cleaning
Even before COVID-19 happened, people have always been particular about the cleanliness and safety of the businesses they patronise. This is especially true for businesses related to food, health and medicine, as well as hospitality.
Simply put, if the building or establishment is visibly dirty, customers will be turned off and reduce their spending or even not buy anything at all. Repeat patronage is also less likely if there are any issues with cleanliness and hygiene.
This is why quick and visible cleaning—which can be facilitated by the use of disinfectant wipes—can be helpful in communicating an establishment’s focus on safety and hygiene. When customers see the staff conscientiously cleaning surfaces, they will associate that business with cleanliness.
Obviously, keeping an establishment clean shouldn’t be performative. It’s something that should be taken seriously, for everyone’s sake. Nevertheless, you can’t deny the positive effect that the simple act of using disinfectant wipes can bring to a business.
Based on how COVID-19 continues to change and its long-lasting effects on global health, it’s highly likely that things will not be going back to “normal.” People will maintain their heightened consciousness about cleanliness and continue to practise healthy habits already ingrained by the pandemic.
Consumers will also expect businesses to follow stricter health and cleanliness protocols. For thorough cleaning, you can count on professional cleaning companies. For quick, day-to-day disinfection, you can use products like disinfectant wipes.