During these unprecedented times, it’s understandable if you have some uncertainty around the appropriate measures to take for the health and safety of your customers and employees. The 10 items below will give you actions you can take to maintain cleanliness and ensure best practices are being followed, so that you continue to provide the services your communities are relying on.
How to deep clean
1. Thorough sanitization of surfaces. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), coronavirus can live up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. To combat this, clean and disinfect all surfaces more regularly. Pay special attention to commonly touched areas such as tables, doorknobs, drawer pulls, light switches, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
2. Wipe down shopping carts, baskets, etc. Similarly, make sure to frequently wipe down and disinfect items and surfaces that a multitude of customers come into contact with during a visit to your store, including checkout conveyer belts, credit card terminals, and food counters. Use restocking as an opportunity to wipe down shelves.
3. Use proper cleaning agents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend checking a product’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration number against this list of products that meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
What to do for your customers
4. Offer free disinfectant wipes. Place disinfectant wipes near the front of the store for customers to use to wipe down their shopping carts and baskets.
5. Encourage social distancing. Consider placing signs around the store reminding customers to maintain 6 feet of space between each other whenever possible.
6. Regularly check restrooms. Increase the frequency with which restrooms are checked for cleanliness and adequate stock of hand soap, toilet paper, and paper towels.
What to do for your employees
7. Follow social distancing guidelines. As much as possible, keep 6 feet between employees and between employees and customers. Hold meetings virtually and discourage air travel through April 30.
8. Monitor employee health. Encourage employees to monitor themselves for any symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Check in with your employees frequently, and do not have any unwell employees report for work.
9. Maintain general healthy practices. Provide hand sanitizer and tissues in common areas, especially at food counters and cashier stations. Share best practices with employees (frequent hand-washing and covering of mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing).
10. Do not share supplies or equipment. Avoid sharing any items used throughout a regular workday, whenever possible. After using the items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water, and treat them with disinfectant.
While the situation around coronavirus is rapidly changing, you can take these precautions to provide peace of mind for everyone involved. SMS Assist has providers who are prepared to help you with the important yet time-consuming work of deep cleaning.
Our deep-cleaning services include preventative cleaning and sanitization that adheres to protocols outlined by health agencies, as well as more intensive disinfection in the case of a potential or confirmed positive test of coronavirus. Our providers are trained and tested in use of the proper protective gear and equipment and work in teams to make sure each part of the process is covered, documenting every step along the way.