Specialist cleaning for Covid-19 was reactive, but a post-pandemic future includes preventative cleaning regimes using barrier products.
As more and more people are vaccinated in the UK, we’re moving towards the next phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, we still need to abide by restrictions, not least with new, more transmissible variants of the virus. But we will move to a situation where Covid-19 is no longer a pandemic. Once governments do lift national lockdowns, life can get back to its more usual rhythm – even if some things are likely to have changed. It seems inevitable that remote working will become a more common part of everyday working life for many. There will be less travel, both in terms of commuting and business travel, as well as potential impacts on leisure travel. And there will be more awareness of hygiene, from the personal (handwashing) to the commercial (thorough deep cleaning regimes in shared spaces). In this blog, we’re going to take a closer look at what the post-pandemic future holds for specialist cleaning.
Specialist cleaning lessons learnt in the pandemic
It’s unsurprising that commercial cleaning is one of the industries that saw an increase in demand for services throughout the pandemic. The sector quickly adapted existing technologies and methods to cope with the new virus. We (and other companies) reacted to the uncertainty felt by all industries, and the enhanced cleaning protocols that Covid-19 demanded. Most professional cleaning businesses were forced to adapt to focus mostly on providing decontamination solutions and saw the demand for the regular projects drop off.
Thankfully, although incredibly infectious, the virus that causes Covid-19 is relatively straightforward to get rid of on surfaces, even in its new more infectious variants. As we know, hot water and soap is a simple way to kill it on human skin. And to eradicate it on hard surfaces, thorough deep cleans and fogging have proven efficient in eliminating the virus from a building. Here at REACT, we used tried and tested methods. Indeed, our robust infection control methodology consists of four steps: test, clean, disinfect, and test again.
A post-pandemic future calls for more preventative cleaning
While it’s clear that our industry has seen a surge in work through the pandemic, what happens next remains unclear. There is a suggestion that Covid-19 will reappear every year around winter, and that it may become the ‘next flu’. If this is even a likelihood, the professional cleaning industry needs to be prepared for how to cope, just as scientists need to be prepared with new vaccines.
The overwhelming response to the virus has been reactive thus far. What the industry needs to assess is how to pre-empt future outbreaks of this virus and other pathogens, by putting processes in place to safeguard their clients against them. Businesses will need to bolster their pre-pandemic regular cleaning routines to ensure that staff can return safely to work. Higher standards of hygiene will need more frequent cleaning and technological innovation. That extends from using the internet of things to improve the efficiency of cleaning, through to the innovative use of newer chemicals.
Specialist cleaning using barrier products can be a way forward
In this last regard, one critical development is adopting a preventative approach to cleaning using barrier products. Such innovations mean cleaning professionals can guarantee a long-term surface coating on which bacteria, viruses and other pathogens can’t thrive. Critically, regular cleaning and disinfecting does not immediately remove this barrier, and some manufacturers claim this protective layer can last for up to 90 days. By building the barrier coatings into the deep cleaning regime, and re-applying the coating regularly, cleaning professionals can provide reassurance to their clients.
However, although barrier products are key in changing to a proactive approach, they are an expensive solution. The risk is that once life returns to a semblance of normality, businesses will return to previous less rigorous cleaning regimes. These would fail to showcase new technologies and products developed to accelerate progress in the cleaning industry.
We understand all too well that businesses face acute financial restraints due to the pandemic’s ongoing effects. But we argue that we’ve learnt the clear importance of enhanced cleaning regimes to protect employees. Ultimately, a safe and healthy workplace gives businesses the best possible chance of continuing to run with as few interruptions as possible. And REACT is here to help develop innovative new cleaning regimes that will deliver just that.
To find out more about REACT Specialist Cleaning and how we’re lining up for a post-pandemic future with barrier products, contact one of the team today.
Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of REACT Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector