With the full reopening of Maryland schools and businesses, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines as they pertain to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in your facility. As a commercial cleaning company, we make a point to educate ourselves and our staff on all of the latest information.
Today, we’re going to discuss the latest CDC guidelines and how they relate to your school, office building, factory, or church. These COVID-19 cleaning guidelines do not apply to medical facilities or long-term care locations, which have their own, more complicated guidelines for cleaning. Some manufacturing plants may have more stringent guidelines as well.
CDC Commercial Cleaning Guidelines
It’s important to know that as we learn more about the spread of COVID-19, methods to prevent its spread have necessarily changed. Witness the whole mask/no mask debate early on in the pandemic. This is why the CDC changes guidelines. As new scientific information becomes available, guidelines change. So, let’s look at the most recent updates:
- Scientists have learned that in most situations, the risk of getting infected because you touched a surface is low. Frequent handwashing and using had sanitizer is the best way to prevent infection from a surface such as a desk or table.
- Cleaning with products containing detergent or soap will help reduce germs on surfaces and will lower the risk of infection from surfaces.
- Once a day cleaning is appropriate when no people who use that space are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.
- Using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved List N disinfectants will kill any remaining germs on surfaces, reducing the likelihood of spread even further.
- If there has been someone who tested positive for COVID-19, or someone suspected of being sick in your facility within the last 24 hours, you should clean AND disinfect the space.
Disinfecting High Traffic Areas in Facilities in High-Risk Areas
All of the above being said, the CDC reminds facilities managers that you may want to disinfect surfaces in high traffic areas and shared spaces if certain conditions may increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 by touching surfaces. These include:
- A high transmission rate of COVID-19 in your community
- Low vaccination rates in your area
- Resistance or low compliance with mask wearing (voluntary or mandated)
- People at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 occupy the space
According to the CDC, most of the state of Maryland is in the high transmission category, including Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County. The vaccination rate among eligible people ranges from 73% in Baltimore County to 64% in Baltimore City to 72% in Harford County.
All school districts have mask mandates, and regular cleaning and disinfecting is highly recommended. High traffic indoors, as well as a high unvaccinated population puts schools at risk of an outbreak without proper cleaning and disinfecting.
Protect Your Facility and Its Occupants by Using a Reputable Commercial Cleaning Company
Whether you need an emergency cleaning because of positive COVID-19 tests in people who use or occupy your facility, or you need a commercial cleaning company for daily/weekly cleaning, it’s important you seek out a company you can trust.
At ServiceMaster Clean PBM of Baltimore, our staff is highly trained in both standard cleaning and COVID cleaning services. We provide all of the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and EPA approved cleaning supplies and disinfectants.
We can work with you to develop a customized cleaning plan that covers all high touch areas, surfaces, flooring types, and more. We follow all CDC and EPA guidelines, as well as OSHA guidelines.
Get a COVID-19 Cleaning Quote or General Commercial Cleaning Quote
We provide full-scale COVID-19 cleaning for facilities that have had an outbreak and need a deep clean. This includes educational facilities, factories, nursing homes, and more. And of course, we continue to provide regular commercial cleaning services to current clients and new clients alike.
To get a quote for either type of cleaning, fill out the contact form or call us at (410) 618-4527. We partner with facilities managers in a wide variety of industries, businesses, and religious facilities in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County.
