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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.

As a result of the rapid and unsettling spread of COVID-19, Corvus Janitorial Systems – a national franchisor of office and workplace cleaning services – will be making an effort to pivot towards providing tips and best practices on how to ensure a safe, clean and sanitized home office area. Because so many Americans are working from home, obeying shelter-in-place requirements, all while doing their best to make America run, we aim to repurpose office and workspace cleaning and disinfecting tips to use in home offices and general home cleaning purposes.

In this post, we highlight often overlooked but critical TOUCHPOINTS that families and home office workers should ensure become a part of their cleaning regimes. Corvus of Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas teammate Justin Simmering shared his own insights on keeping the home office clean in this short video.

1. Refrigerator Doors

Now that we are all quarantined at home, we’re eating our meals at home, snacking and generally putting our hands on the home refrigerator far more than ever before. And yet how often do we wipe down and disinfect the refrigerator door handle? Stationing disinfecting wipes or some other visual queue by the refrigerator door handle is a great and effective way to remind yourself and members of your family to disinfect and clean frequently handled doors and handles.

2. Dumpster Handles or Trash Cans

You’ve done a great job disinfecting and cleaning the indoor parts of your home and the high touchpoints, but when we step outside do we get complacent or find a false sense of security? Essential services like trash collection are still operating, and every time your trash collector picks up or handles your refuse, he or she might be leaving germs or worse behind. Make a habit of disinfecting and sanitizing the lids and handles of trash bins.

3. Car Door Handles and Steering Wheel

This is an often-overlooked touchpoint; however, it is a critical one to address during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you are under state, county, or city-mandated shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, or simply practicing your own social distancing measures, individuals and families still need essential items that require a ride in the car. High traffic locations such as grocery stores and gas stations can potentially carry the virus. Because of this, it is imperative to clean and disinfect your car door handles as well as your steering wheel. Doing so can help prevent the virus from entering your household from outside sources and keep your family safe.

4. Remotes, Gadgets, Chargers, and Toys

With a majority of Americans staying home, devices are being used at a rate never seen before. From binge-watching Netflix to tuning into daily state and national briefings to video chatting with friends and coworkers on our cellphones, we are more attached to our electronics and toys than ever before. Due to this, keeping frequently touched items in our homes germ-free is more important than ever. Make it part of your daily cleaning routine to wipe down and disinfect any TV remotes, game console controllers, chargers, cellphones, children’s toys, and any other devices or objects that are being frequently handled in the home.

5. Light Switches, Keys Doorknobs, and Door Handles

These specific touchpoints are unavoidable in daily life at home. Therefore, they require cleaning and disinfecting on a consistent and frequent cadence. If you can, avoid directly touching these surfaces. Use a sleeve, a napkin, or another method to create a barrier between your skin and the touchpoint you are interacting with. Even if all direct skin contact can be avoided, you should still frequently clean and disinfect these touchpoints as a precautionary action.

6. Computers, Keyboards, and Mouse

With many people working from home, either for their job or for school, home desktops and laptops are critical to the continued productivity of our society during this prolonged period of shelter-in-place. With that said, make sure that you are routinely wiping down and disinfecting your keyboard, mouse, and computer screen.

Disinfecting and Cleaning Protocols

It is important to highlight the difference between general cleaning and disinfecting. During a general clean the intent is to remove dirt and dust. This step must be completed before disinfection because germs can lurk in grime and soiled areas. Once an area is clean, it can then be disinfected. Typically, disinfecting happens only in restrooms and dining areas, but with COVID-19, disinfection of all areas using EPA approved commercial-grade chemicals is a critical factor in helping to curb the spread of the virus in our communities. The EPA recently released List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, which can be found here.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the critical touchpoints in your home. However, we believe it is a good starting point for individuals and families looking to ensure their homes are clean and safe during the novel coronavirus pandemic. For more information and resources relating to COVID-19, visit our coronavirus response page here.

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.