Cleaning Procedures During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading across the globe since it emerged in late 2019. At the time of writing, we’re starting to see the effects on public health and the economy here in the United States.

It’s likely that your upcoming events will be postponed or canceled. While this may be a devastating blow to your short-term income, keep things in perspective and focus on the health of yourself, your family and friends, and your staff. Portable restroom operators are uniquely affected at this time, as the coronavirus is first and foremost a health concern that is closely linked to hygiene and sanitation.

Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that you give units a more frequent and intense cleaning. That’s why we’d like to discuss the proper cleaning procedures your company can undertake during this uncertain time.

Soap and Sanitizer

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as the best way to combat the spread of the disease. This is recommended over the use of hand sanitizer, so please prioritize having hand soap available and topped off at all times.

Where you can, provide hand sanitizer, too, but not in lieu of soap – only as a backup. If you are finding sanitizer hard to come by, the WHO has published a guide on how to safely mix your own.

These supplies may be difficult to find right now because the high demand has depleted the stock of many suppliers. Do your best to locate what you can, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your fellow PROs on your contact list or on social media. They may be able to provide you with some leads. Times like these are when its especially important for people within the industry to look out for each other.

Please note: If you do mix your own sanitizer, carry a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for all the ingredients on every truck and properly label your containers.

Deep Cleaning

Because the virus can survive on surfaces besides the human body – the estimates range from a few hours to several days – it is essential that you are giving your units and all other equipment frequent, thorough cleaning.

As per the latest info from the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI), cleaning solutions including hydrogen peroxide (0.5% concentration), ethanol (62-71% concentration), and sodium hypochlorite – a chemical found in bleach (0.1% concentration) – are the most effective at killing these viruses. Use them on all surfaces, taking special care to clean anything that people are touching like door handles, faucets, etc.

Please note: These agents must be left on surfaces for 1 minute in order to kill the virus.

Protective Gear

Please ensure your staff is wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and Tyvek suits when cleaning.

Please note: According to PRO Monthly, face masks won’t protect against the coronavirus unless they are the N95 filtering facepiece respirator variety.

Educate Your Team

It’s not enough for you to know, also make sure your team not only understands the importance of these cleaning procedures but takes them extremely seriously. We are only seeing the beginning of the spread of this disease and the more we do to contain it, the fewer lives will be lost.

Ramp up your cleaning procedures today to get to grips with the coronavirus. The last thing you want is your staff or customers picking up the disease on your watch.

For more on general cleaning procedures, please see the PSAI guide here.

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