Claudia Calder introduces her latest checklist, this time focusing on office cleaning. This checklist can be used to help you understand what you need, what you should be doing, how to dispose of materials and more.

Use this document as part of the Prevent section of the Prepare, Inform, Prevent, Recover approach to return to work. For more information about the strategy read our article here.

As we start to return to work we’ll need to think about the regular cleaning of our facilities and workplaces. To stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the workplace and to limit your exposure to risk, you’ll need to consider the role effective cleaning will take and what effective cleaning might look like.

This checklist looks at a variety of aspects of the cleaning process in the COVID-19 world, and helps you to understand what can be done and should be done. It looks at 6 areas, “What do I need?”, “When do I need to clean?”, “What do I need to clean?”, “Safely cleaning”, “Preparing to clean” and “After cleaning”. These cover the main areas required to meet your objectives, allowing you to tick off each part of the process as soon as it is complete.

What’s in the Checklist?

What do I Need?

• Cleaning/disinfecting solution/wipes
  • Household detergent followed by disinfection
  • SDS for cleaning products
  • Follow manufacturer's instructions
  • Ensure the product is suitable for the surfaces you are cleaning
  • Method of recording cleaning

When do I Need to Clean?

• General cleaning at the end of the working day
• Workstation cleaning – when you have finished using the workstation

What do I Need to Clean?

• Frequently touched surfaces
  • Tabletops
  • Door handles
  • Light switches
  • Desks
  • Toilets & doors
  • Taps
  • Kitchen surfaces
  • Cupboard handles

Safely Cleaning

• Read product label and SDS
  • Follow instructions
  • Wear gloves while cleaning
  • Wash hands before and after
  • Use disposable gloves where possible
  • Only use reusable gloves for general cleaning
  • Do not share gloves

Preparing to Clean

• Prevent access to areas that have been used by suspected or confirmed cases
• Break rooms
• Bathrooms
• Touch points
• Open outside doors and windows (if possible) to increase air circulation

After Cleaning

• Disposal
  • Single-use PPE, disposable
  • Double bag, i.e. place the above materials in a rubbish bag, and put this rubbish bag inside another one and dispose in general waste
  • Launder
  • Reusable cleaning equipment (e.g. mop heads)
  • Completely dry before re-use
  • Empty and re-clean equipment. E.g. buckets, with a fresh solution of disinfectant and completely dry before re-use