Cleaning is Not Disinfecting. Use Microfiber to Clean AND Disinfect - By Alan Cohen

As we reopen the country, we hear daily news of increased cases of COVID-19 spreading with hotspots popping up all over the country. In order to ensure that your customers and employees feel safe returning to your business, it’s extremely important to have a strategy in place to make everyone comfortable and informed about the things you’re implementing to help reduce the spread of the virus. It would be best if you kept employees informed about the things you’re implementing to help reduce the virus’s spread. We often hear conflicting reports and changes in recommendations about COVID-19 and how the experts say it spreads, but one thing that has not changed is the importance of cleaning with microfiber. As a society, we have never been more aware of how germs spread and preventing the spread through good old-fashioned cleaning.

This post will find some basic recommendations and resources to help you provide a healthy and sanitary work environment. One of the first things to do is to develop new cleaning routines and protocols if you haven’t already done it. Educating the cleaning staff on the latest changes is very important. One important thing to make sure everyone understands is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.

The CDC states: “Cleaning with soap and water removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. It lowers the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces. By killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.”

So, make sure your protocol includes a two-part cleaning strategy: clean first then disinfect. By cleaning first, you help reduce the viral load. This will help the disinfectant be more effective in killing the remaining virus.

Importantly, make sure you’re using the proper tools (such as Monarch Brands Microfiber Cloths and Mops, and disinfecting products. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a list of effective products against another human coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or viruses that are harder to kill than SARS-CoV-2. You need not be daunted by the increased cost of outfitting your business with the proper cleaning tools. Many have found that our microfiber dispenser box SmartRags is an economic alternative to full price microfiber.

To maximize the disinfectant’s efficacy, the person cleaning must always follow the product’s label directions. For example, with many products, you can’t merely spray a surface then wipe it down immediately. Most products require contact times of one to ten minutes to be effective. 

Besides the additional cleaning, there are several other things to consider to provide a safe environment.

Social Distancing– Be sure to encourage proper social distancing with signage throughout the facility and to limit the number of people allowed inside the building at any given time. 

Air Quality/Ventilation System– It’s also vital to review your facility’s ventilation system as air quality does play a role in not just the spread of COVID-19 but also many other air bourn contaminants. For some general air quality tips, including the importance of bringing the outdoor air in, the EPA put together a comprehensive list of resources that can be found here: LINK 

As always, Monarch Brands is here to help you get through these unprecedented and challenging times. We continue to develop new products to assist you and your customers’ needs such as our SilverSure antimicrobial microfiber cloths, SmartPad microfiber mop dispenser boxes, and disposable disinfecting wipes. Should you have questions about these new products feel free to e-mail me at alanc@monarchbrands.com.

About Monarch Brands: With roots established in 1947, Monarch Brands delivers high quality and value-priced textiles from manufacturers around the world. By leveraging deep sourcing relationships and purchasing power, Monarch Brands works with distributors to design hospitality programs that work for each client.

Alan Cohen
Account Executive
O: (215) 482-6100 x305
P: (267) 238-1648
F: (215) 482-6191