Be Careful When Choosing Products for Surface Hygiene to Protect Against Covid-19!

With the new Coronavirus, surface hygiene has become just as important as hand hygiene. However, since not every surface is the same, the chemicals used for hygiene and disinfection can vary. Gökçe Yılmaz, Manager of Eczacıbaşı Professional Academy, who noted that many parameters come into play — from product selection to usage rates — explained what to look out for when it comes to surface hygiene.

“The right product, in the right place, in the right amount for proper hygiene”

Yılmaz stated that using the right product in the right place and in the right amount is essential for flawless surface hygiene, and emphasized that protecting and maintaining the surfaces we clean should not be neglected alongside achieving a good cleaning effect and a healthy environment. She shared her recommendations as follows:

• Not every product may be effective on every surface or every type of dirt. If we are not familiar with the floor or surface, we may damage it and cause permanent harm. That is why it is important to know exactly what the surface is made of, which products can be used on it, and which cannot. For example, in many establishments, the greatest damage to surfaces can occur during opening-day cleaning. Sensitive surfaces may be cleaned with very strong chemicals to remove heavy dirt, which can lead to irreversible damage.
• It is important to understand the nature of the stain. Every stain has its own characteristics, and a cleaning chemical must be chosen that suits those characteristics. The sooner the stain is treated after it occurs — using the correct product — the higher the chance of removing it. Otherwise, stains that have been treated incorrectly or not addressed in time may become impossible to remove from the surface.

• It is important to be well acquainted with cleaning chemicals. It is essential to make sure that the products are the right choice for the surface and the type of stain. The usage instructions on product labels must always be read. Based on the information in these instructions, personal protective equipment should be used carefully, and the product should be applied at the correct dosage and with the correct method.
• Label literacy is very important. Labels must contain complete information, expiration dates must be checked, and documents such as the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) or Technical Data Sheet (TDS) must be provided by the manufacturer.

• It is extremely important that personnel who apply these products receive training on chemicals. Incorrect applications can lead to workplace accidents as well as loss of workforce. For this reason, personnel who use these products must receive timely training without delay.