Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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Soapbox: Disinfection vs Decontamination - why dry steam vapour cleaning is crucial to fighting COVID-19
Says Thomas Stuecken, Osprey Deepclean:
"As COVID-19 continues to ravage the globe, the face of environmental hygiene needs to change, and we must adapt fast. We need to put standard cleaning practices under the microscope and raise the bar on what's considered 'standard practice'.
Understanding the difference between disinfection versus decontamination and how you can use both through Dry Steam Vapour (DSV) cleaning to tackle COVID-19 is vital to achieving this.
"There are 4 main categories of physical and chemical means of decontamination: (1) heat; (2) liquid disinfection; (3) vapours and gases; and (4) radiation. Let's look at how COVID-19 spreads and the role Dry Steam Vapour integrated decontamination techniques play in creating a safe and clean environment, free from risks of infection.
One of the main ways COVID-19 is transmitted is when infected people cough or exhale and droplets land on surfaces and objects like phones, light switches, toilets, desks, etc. Humans naturally rub their eyes and touch their face and the consequences for handling infected surfaces Increases the risk of transmission of the virus.
The World Health Organisation has released 'Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19 guidelines', which recommends good hygiene practices are adhered to and states that one of the most effective ways to reduce transmission is washing hands with soap and water regularly. While sound advice, it doesn't go far enough to create a safe and clean environment.
We must take a similar approach to decontamination of frequently touched surfaces to reduce the risk of repeated cross-contamination from surfaces to hands.
21st May 2020