At MemphisClean we follow these CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your building or facility if someone is sick.

• Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
  • Companies do not necessarily need to close operations if they can close off affected areas.
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
• Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.
• Vacuum the space if needed. Use vacuum equipped with high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filter, if available.
  • Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.
  • Consider temporarily turning off room fans and the central HVAC system that services the room or space, so that particles that escape from vacuuming will not circulate throughout the facility.
• Once the area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.
  • Workers without close contact with the person who is sick can return to work immediately after disinfection.
• If more than 7 days since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.
  • Continue routine cleaning and disinfection. This includes everyday practices that businesses and communities normally use to maintain a healthy environment.

Cleaning and disinfecting outdoor areas

• Outdoor areas, like playgrounds in schools and parks generally require normal routine cleaning but do not require disinfection.
  • Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds- it is not an efficient use of supplies and is not proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19 to the public.
  • High touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars and railings should be cleaned routinely.
  • Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or groundcovers (mulch, sand) is not recommended.
• Sidewalks and roads should not be disinfected.
  • The spread of COVID-19 from these surfaces is very low and disinfection is not effective.

When cleaning

• Regular cleaning staff can clean and disinfect community spaces.
  • Ensure they have trained on the appropriate use of cleaning and disinfection chemicals.
• Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash.
  • Additional personal protective equipment (PPE) might be required based on the cleaning/disinfectant products being used and whether there is a risk of splash.
  • Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a person who is sick.
  • Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.

Always read and follow the directions on the label to ensure safe and effective use.

• Keep hand sanitizers away from fire or flame
• For children under six years of age, hand sanitizer should be used with adult supervision
• Always store hand sanitizer out of reach of children and pets

See FDA’s Tips for Safe Sanitizer Use

• Regular cleaning staff can clean and disinfect community spaces.
  • Ensure they have trained on the appropriate use of cleaning and disinfection chemicals.
• Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash.
  • Additional personal protective equipment (PPE) might be required based on the cleaning/disinfectant products being used and whether there is a risk of splash.
  • Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a person who is sick.
  • Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.

Always read and follow the directions on the label to ensure safe and effective use.

• Keep hand sanitizers away from fire or flame
• For children under six years of age, hand sanitizer should be used with adult supervision
• Always store hand sanitizer out of reach of children and pets

See FDA’s Tips for Safe Sanitizer Use and CDC’s Hand Sanitizer Use Considerations

• Additional key times to wash hands include:
  • After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • After using the restroom.
  • Before eating or preparing food.
  • After contact with animals or pets.
  • Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g., a child).

Additional considerations for employers

• Educate workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pick-up to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19. (Symptoms typically include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms include headache, sore throat, and stuffy or runny nose. Some people have also reported a diminished sense of taste and smell. In some patients, symptoms can worsen into pneumonia.)
• Provide instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure to the virus.
• Develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff on-site prior to providing cleaning tasks.
  • Training should include when to use PPE, what PPE is necessary, how to properly don (put on), use, and doff (take off) PPE, and how to properly dispose of PPE.
• Ensure workers are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard Comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens  Including proper disposal of regulated waste and PPE.

Alternative disinfection methods

• The efficacy of alternative disinfection methods, such as ultrasonic waves, high-intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light against the COVID-19 virus is not known.
  • EPA does not routinely review the safety or efficacy of pesticidal devices, such as UV lights, LED lights, or ultrasonic devices. Therefore, EPA cannot confirm whether, or under what circumstances, such products might be effective against the spread of COVID-19.
• CDC does not recommend the use of sanitizing tunnels. There is no evidence that they are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Chemicals used in sanitizing tunnels could cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation or damage. CDC only recommends the surface disinfectants identified on the List against the virus that causes COVID-19.

For facilities that house people overnight

• Follow CDC’s guidance for colleges and universities. Work with state and local health officials to determine the best way to isolate people who are sick and if temporary housing is needed.
• For guidance on cleaning and disinfecting the bedroom/bathroom for someone who is sick, review CDC’s guidance on disinfecting your home if someone is sick. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Background

There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently known about the virus and about similar coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets, but disease transmission via infectious aerosols is currently uncertain. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through objects and surfaces, like doorknobs, countertops, keyboards, toys, etc. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for the COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in community settings.

It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious. Facilities will need to consider factors such as the size of the room and the ventilation system design (including flowrate [air changes per hour] and location of supply and exhaust vents) when deciding how long to close off rooms or areas used by ill persons before beginning disinfection. Taking measures to improve ventilation in an area or room where someone was ill or suspected to be ill with COVID-19 will help shorten the time it takes respiratory droplets to be removed from the air.

Purpose

This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of rooms or areas occupied by those with suspected or with confirmed COVID-19. It is aimed at limiting the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in key environments. These recommendations will be updated if additional information becomes available.

These guidelines are focused on community, non-healthcare facilities such as schools, institutions of higher education, offices, daycare centers, businesses, and community centers that do, and do not, house persons overnight. These guidelines are not meant for cleaning staff in healthcare facilities or repatriation sites, households, or for others for whom specific guidance already exists.