Five Common Disinfecting Problems (and How You Can Avoid Them)

Sanitization Solutions from the Zerorez® Professional Carpet Cleaning and Disinfection Services Leader

It’s been 13 long months since the COVID-19 pandemic began and made “disinfecting” part of our daily vocabulary – and our daily routine. But even when a historic worldwide viral outbreak isn’t in full swing, keeping up with CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your home is of paramount importance to your family’s health. It’s smart to take steps to prevent infection. But as Greater Washington’s five-star commercial and residential disinfection services company, we want you to avoid a few common pitfalls and missteps.

Here are five common problems people encounter when disinfecting the surfaces around their home or place of business – and how you can avoid them:
 

Problem 1: Not putting safety first.

Solution: While your home is being disinfected, prioritize health and safety by protecting yourself and your loved ones.

Obviously, the whole reason you’re disinfecting is to create a healthy environment for you and your family (and for some of us, our pets). The EPA released some recommended safety measures with the advent of COVID, but here are some easy ways to help keep you and your family safe:

• Wash and sanitize your hands before starting to clean or disinfect your home. That way, you won’t be introducing new germs to the place you’re disinfecting. Be sure to scrub every nook of your palms, fingers and thumbs for 20 seconds – long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice (slowly).

• Make sure the room being treated is ventilated by a fan or open window. You’ll want to avoid the problems that come with inhaling too many chemical fumes.

• Wear gloves. Gloves not only protect your hands from possible infections (germs can be nasty), but they also keep your hands looking young! The EPA suggests disposable gloves you can throw away after you’re done or dedicating a special set of gloves you use only for disinfecting.

• Never combine cleaning solutions. Mixing two strong chemical-based disinfectants together doesn’t make an even stronger cleaner. Such a mixture could actually be harmful to your health – or even deadly.

• Keep kids and pets away from the disinfected area. Disinfectants are serious chemicals – some contain EPA-registered pesticides – so keep the little ones at a safe distance.

So please be careful when handling any powerful chemical cleaners. Better yet, clean without harsh chemicals!

Zerorez® DC Metro is the only one among local carpet cleaning companies using eco-friendly Zr water®. No harsh chemicals, no excess moisture, no sticky residue from soap and detergent to attract more dirt – and our exclusive Zr3 cleaning process kills more than 99.99% of viruses and bacteria. That sort of performance is why Zerorez® holds both an IICRC certification and the first ever Platinum rating by the Carpet & Rug Institute, both of which are kind of a big deal.

Problem 2: Not sanitizing frequently enough.

Solution: Sanitize the surfaces of your home at least every other month – more often in high-traffic or high-touch areas.

No matter what method you use to kill germs and disinfect your home, it’s always just temporary. Disinfectants wear off with time and with every touch of the disinfected surface. Some disinfectants last for 60 days, some for 30, some for even less (the disinfection treatments by Zerorez® keep killing for up to 90 days). So be sure you’re disinfecting often enough – or just call Zerorez® DC Metro at 703-349-4461 to book an appointment to have your home Zerorezified®.

Problem 3: Leaving some surfaces unsanitized.

Solution: Use our checklist to help get everything clean!

Viruses and bacteria can linger just about anywhere. Be sure all surfaces are cleaned and disinfected, from ceiling fan blades and bookshelves to kitchen counters and carpets.

Pay special attention to high-touch surfaces that could be overlooked:

• light switches
• doorknobs
• remote controls
• display panels
• kitchen counters
• hampers
• phones

And when it comes to harder-to-disinfect surfaces like tile and grout, carpets or upholstery, Zerorez® cleans and disinfects every surface in your home or office using our state-of-the-art Zr shield™ technology. Plus, our technicians are trained to catch it all.

Problem 4: Wiping up the disinfectant solution too soon.

Solution: After applying, give the disinfectant time to work.

Ever heard of “dwell time”? It basically means the time spent dwelling on something – in this case, on the surface you’re disinfecting. The key to getting a disinfectant to work to its full potential? You have to get the surface really wet and allow the disinfectant to stand.

After spraying or wiping the disinfectant on, allow the disinfectant solution sufficient dwell time to sit on the surface and activate. Check the product’s label to determine how long to let it do its thing before wiping it up, but 10 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Bonus tip: Always use a disinfectant spray, not pre-soaked disinfectant wipes. Not only are they environmentally unfriendly, they may not be powerful enough to clean much of anything.

Problem 5: Waiting too long before throwing out the towel.

Solution: When disinfecting surfaces, swap out those towels often… or use microfiber cloths.

Don’t be a local mass transit system for germs. Prevent cross-contamination by using a new paper towel or clean rag for each area you’re disinfecting. If possible, keep a stack of clean microfiber cloths handy. Microfiber cloths are great for grabbing dirt and bacteria. After you use one to disinfect an area of your home, toss it in the wash and use it again and again.
 

What Is the Purpose of Disinfection? Your Family’s Health!

Congratulations on being so diligent in safeguarding your home with regular disinfection treatments. You’ve been a force in the fight against the coronavirus by keeping your family in a clean, sanitized, healthy home for more than 13 months.

The end of COVID-19 seems to be within reach. But until it’s completely over – and even afterward – it’s a good idea to keep your home clean, disinfected, and as virus-free as possible.

Like we say, A Clean Home Is a Healthy Home™.

Have you ever had a problem with any cleaning and disinfecting procedures? What problems did you encounter – and how’d you fix them? We’d love to hear your tips!

Contact Zerorez® DC Metro for Your Free Quote and Next Appointment

Talk to us on Facebook and LinkedIn to share your story about house cleaning and disinfecting services during the time of COVID. And get our latest disinfection tips from the Zerorez® Metro DC blog, The Residue Chronicles.

Call us at 703-382-1221, message us through our website, ZerorezDC.com, or book your professional carpet cleaning and home disinfection appointment online.

Locally owned and operated, Zerorez® DC Metro and Zerorez® Fredericksburg offer “The Right Way To Clean” in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. We serve Stafford County (including Fredericksburg, Cosner’s Corner, Midway Island, and Roseville VA), Maryland (including Chevy Chase, Aspen Hill, Kensington, and College Park MD) and the Northern Virginia region (including Sterling, Clifton, Manassas, and Springfield VA) since 2015.