To Clean or Not to Clean?
Dave Thompson
Motivational Speaker - Author - Podcaster - Instructor - Heart Surgery Survivor
Okay, we have made it through 2020 and just as everyone is getting used to the fact that we need to clean and disinfect, then someone who doesn't spend time in the field working hand in hand with real issues comes up and tell you that you don't need to do what you did last year. That's what the latest news said! Right?
Well, I for one am going to do what I have been preaching for years. Clean and disinfect with conviction, using my awareness and knowledge of what makes sense.
People, doesn't it make sense that if I have been washing my dishes, (which requires us to remove the debris, use soap and water to clean and then rinse the dishes before putting them back into service), after each use, that I'm going to continue to do that even is someone comes up and says you don't need to go through all of that because of a new study?
As we start 2021, the worldwide flu season is off to one of the slowest starts in years, maybe even decades (and I'm not going to point to a report here). WHY? Because we all have been paying attention to what works. EFFORT! We needed to do more than we were doing. We weren't doing enough. We wanted to get it done faster and cheaper at all costs. Now you see what that got us. What were the real, true costs of doing only what we had to do? Don't we get it!
Here at the Academy, we saw thousands of students come through our Infection Prevention classes in 2020 and the resounding comment was, "That makes sense!" Don't stop doing what makes sense, once you have the education to go with the decision you have made. Don't just follow along because someone else is doing it. Get the real-life, practical knowledge you need before you make your move.
Life teaches us that change will happen, now what have we learned? How many times in the past 12 months have the experts changed their stance on how COVID spreads and what you should do? Oh, is COVID the only pathogen that causes illness and death?
I want to point out that through all of it, no one told you NOT to wash your hands! So if COVID only spreads by the air and you don't need to clean and disinfect as much, then am I to believe that I don't need to wash my hands as much? NO!
RIGHT, wash your hands! Remove the contaminants. We don't need any certain chemical, or unit to kill what is on our hands. We don't have to walk through a machine to clean our bodies. We don't have to have a special device to make our dishes safe to eat off of.
So, if FREQUENT washing of our hands with any soap and water removes the issues, then why wouldn't we continue to apply those same principles to the common surfaces everyone else frequently touches? Now I didn't say not to use the chemical, machine, unit, or wiper you are using. But do so with knowledge of what you know works for the reasons you want. Do you know what the outcome is of the process, tools, and supplies you are using, or are you using or doing it because someone else showed you a report that said it did?
What we teach at the Academy of Cleaning Excellence is; "There are two basic principles in all cleaning, pH and physical removal". The question now is, do you have the professional development knowledge to apply those principles using the right process, in the right way, at the right time, to get the right result?
To learn more and attend one of our common sense Accredited classes, visit us at www.AcademyofCleaning.com or call 888-999-6059.
Dad ?? Husband ?? Writer/Blogger for Handprint Content Inc. ?? Infrastructure Manager II @Fermilab
4 年Like the others, cleaning is still the basic concept. Plain and simple. I follow your posts all the time and good personal hygiene has to be the starting point, from there its the surrounding environment. Keep the posts coming. Marcus
Owner / Extreme Steam LLC
4 年I hope to see more cleaning / disinfection being done in 2021
Owner at Safe, Clean and Disinfected
4 年For an environment to be considered sanitary, we clean it to the point it protects human health in general, but it still has some contamination. A risk of disease still exists, but it is at an acceptable risk level. At a minimum, cleaning must always achieve a state of "sanitation." An unsanitary condition poses a likely health risk. The purpose of cleaning is to correct the risky condition. Therefore, if a risk has not been improved to a level we call sanitary, cleaning has not been accomplished.
Hospitality Operations - Feasibility and Operations Review. Coach, Trainer, and Author of the book, "Focusing On Expense Loss" The analysis of behavior and decision-making for increased productivity and higher profits.
4 年Appreciate the post. Makes sense to do what makes sense.
Great read Dave, I appreciate raw content that isn’t just another article that has more links to studies than the author’s own thoughts and opinions. 2020 has taught me many things but most alarmingly, we as a society continue to lose our ability to critically think. I don’t know if it’s because everything is so PC anymore that it’s easier to reference or quote someone else’s stance, make recommendations based on other’s findings etc because there is less liability on the individual or organization? Don’t get me wrong, expert opinions, studies etc have value but to your point, how should society respond when the so called “experts” change their opinions on something like Covid prevention more than they change their socks.