Covid-19 Carpet Cleaning – 10 tips for Carpet Cleaners & Coronavirus

Many are simply asking “can I just work safely carpet cleaning with Covid-19 around”?

Obviously we all need to survive and earn an income, so can we work safely both for ourselves and for our customers? It seems there is a lack of real information or some very misleading information – 5G masts do not spread Covid-19 by the way!

Firstly you would ascertain how long ago a person infected may have attended the premises. Based on known facts and current information (WHO) if you know the life-cycle of the virus on surface transmission you’ll then be better able to provide assistance based on the following:

WHO (The World Health Organisation) information states the Covid-19 virus can survive on plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours, less than 4 hours on copper and less than 24 on cardboard and fabric. It can be cleaned with most common household products.

All upholstery & carpet cleaning can be acceptable if you follow common sense, social distancing and take the correct precautions. Far too much scare mongering going on, just carry out a risk assessment. This isn’t something that is going to go away, it’s something we all need to learn to manage and move forwards with. Treat everyone and everything as infected. This isn’t really any different to going to the shops, nobody knows where it’s lurking!!

Let’s be honest here, its a form of flu, a very virulent one I grant you, but nonetheless the likelihood of some magic cure is a million miles away, if at all. Upholstery & carpet cleaning in combination with surface cleaning is possibly the one thing that could help to alleviate the spread, as long as it is managed in the correct way.

So thinking outside the box, which is what we are going to have to do, so far we have this tip list for Covid-19 carpet cleaning:

• Wearing the correct mask, gloves, shoe covers etc (PPE).
• Using a good hand sanitiser with a lasting effect, ours gives up to 8 hours protection time.
• Social distancing, i.e customer is either not present which could mean being in a different room or outside shopping etc.
• Leaving the machine outside – exhausting particles of dirty air into the house is not a good idea.
• Opening windows to allow for clean air movement.
• Working in empty properties, or whilst the customer is exercising or shopping.
• Treating the area with the likes of Soluclear or similar on arrival prior to commencing any work and allowing a reasonable contact time.
• Disinfecting hoses and wand (machine is outside remember) wiping of door handles and or any surfaces that you may use, again with Soluclear or similar.
• When finished disinfect hoses, tools and machine.
• The correct removal and storage of non reusable PPE.
• The correct safe storage of reusable PPE (mask).

I’m sure there is more but it’s a starting point for discussion, leave a comment below if you’ve thought of some more tips we’ve missed.

Regards,

Nick Robertson-Vousden

Managing Director