Good Morning Arkansas
Interview with Corvus Janitorial CEO Justin Douglas
Corvus Janitorial Systems’ founder and co-CEO, Justin Douglas, sat down with KATV ABC7: Good Morning Arkansas’ Alyson Courtney to discuss cleaning and disinfecting your home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This interview aired on April 13, 2020.
Reporter:
Well, now more than ever cleaning services and cleaning thoroughly are vital. Cleaning expert Justin Douglas has been in the cleaning and janitorial business for more than 20 years and has some helpful tips to keep you from making some cleaning mistakes.
Courtney:
Justin, yes you guys are vitally important. The janitorial services that we just kind of took for granted for a long time. Really now, at the forefront of this pandemic, we need those cleaning services now more than ever. For people at home, what are some of the things that we need to keep in mind as we’re trying to clean our own homes?
Douglas:
Well, I think one of the big things that people need to be aware of is their schedule, what they’re cleaning, how often, and being aware of those high touchpoints. That’s where the germs and the disinfecting, of course, need to take place because everyone in your home is handling those items and objects.
Courtney:
There’re some mistakes out there that I’m sure that you notice as a professional in this business that a lot of us at home are making. Talk about some of those big mistakes.
Douglas:
Yeah, I think the biggest mistake that people are making has to do with the chemicals as well as the application of them. So, you want to clean a surface, but then you need to disinfect it. And when you’re doing that, you need to let the chemical dwell to have enough time to kill whatever it needs to kill–in this case, it’s a virus or bacteria. So, that two-step process is critical.
The other thing that I think people are making mistakes about is re-infecting areas that are clean. So, the frequency of cleaning those surfaces, how you’re cleaning them, again just being mindful of the fact that you may clean something in the morning, but it may need to be hit again in the afternoon and the evening as many times as possible. You know, avoiding re-infecting areas.
Courtney:
The dirtiest parts of our homes might not necessarily be where we think they are.
Douglas:
That’s right. I mean, what people have typically thought about cleaning–vacuuming the floors, trash–that, of course, is also still important, but you know, it’s become very different now.
I think that appliances are probably the dirtiest places in the house. And specifically, washing machines, dryers, and quite frankly, your trash bin because that’s where soiled materials are going to go. It’s just not a part of our regular routine so we’re reminding people that of course, you’re hitting the appliances as we said, but anywhere that soiled materials–rags, cloths, paper towels– that you’ve used to clean are going now needs to be cleaned too.
Courtney:
Let’s talk about the products that we use to clean and disinfect our homes. It’s been hard to find some of those products lately because everyone has gone out to get the Lysol and the disinfecting wipes. What should we be using and what should we use if we can’t necessarily find what we would typically like to use?
Douglas:
Yeah, so I think the supply chain is catching up. But certainly, people went out and bought in bulk and that’s understandable. In terms of a disinfectant, you want to be using an EPA certified disinfectant. The CDC is a great resource for people out there, and they have a list of all of these types of cleaning chemicals that you can use.
You know, in the event that you can’t get something at the store, there are home remedies. I think the thing that your viewers should be very careful about is mixing those home remedies, just as a disclaimer. But bleach is a disinfectant that you can use that the CDC is recommending and you need to dilute it with water correctly. And so is hydrogen peroxide.
Then, there are some more basic remedies, but I don’t think that they’re ideal for this sort of pandemic. White vinegar, for instance, has some disinfecting properties, but EPA certified disinfectant followed by bleach and hydrogen peroxide.
Courtney:
Let’s talk about disinfecting things that we bring into our homes. First off, we have our shoes on. Should we be leaving those outside? Then, as we bring in mail, packages, groceries, should we specifically be disinfecting each of those items?
Douglas:
Yes. And, I think that’s where people break down in terms of their vigilance, if you will. When groceries arrive, when packages come, I mean, frankly, it’s almost the only interaction we’re having with the outside world right now and I think people get excited. But the delivery people who are just as critical, I think, as janitors right now are out in the world and not social distancing.
So, what I think is really important is to set up almost a manufacturing line in your home. If you get home and you get packages, if you can leave them outside for a period of time, put them in your garage, put them somewhere safe. Quarantine those packages, quite frankly, for a period of time and then once that’s elapsed go out and disinfect it with a Lysol or a disinfectant. Then, also, get rid of the packaging that whatever you’ve ordered has come in. Or, if in the case of groceries, if you can take your strawberries from one of those plastic containers and put them into clean Tupperware, that’s what you really need to be doing. So, it’s the chemical, but it’s also the awareness about [the] order of operations for bringing outside objects into your home.
Courtney:
And Justin, are you guys still working as much and how does someone know when they do need a professional to come in?
Douglas:
We are an office cleaning company. Because so many of our customers are now quarantined and sheltering in place, we’re trying to provide home cleaning tips. You know, I think it’s a tricky situation that we’re in, obviously, that’s an understatement. But, for the time being, being aware of who is in your home and who’s not is probably the best and first line of defense. Therefore, if you can do your own cleaning at home, that’s probably the right thing to do. And you know, we’ve all got a lot of people at home these days, so you want to press your family into service and make it a team sport.
Courtney:
Justin, thanks so much for your time. I know you guys are certainly teaching us a lot as we learn to do it ourselves at home and make sure we’re doing it correctly. We appreciate you.
Douglas:
Thank you, it’s a pleasure.
Corvus Janitorial
If you’re looking for a commercial cleaning company that uses only the highest-quality products and proven techniques, Corvus Janitorial is it. For all of your cleaning, purifying, and disinfecting needs, trust Corvus Janitorial. Contact us today to learn more about how Corvus can help you.
