Eight Things to Clean Right Now to Prevent a Norovirus Outbreak
Experts from Cintas identify common hot spots to help reduce the
spread of infection
CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Most prevalent in the winter months, norovirus is the most common cause
of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States resulting in as
many as 21 million cases each year and 1.9 million hospital visits1.
To help reduce the spread of flu within businesses this season, Cintas
Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) offers a checklist of commonly overlooked
“hot spots” to help facility managers maintain a clean environment for
employees and guests.
“A norovirus outbreak can wreak havoc on a business’s productivity,”
said John Engel, Senior Marketing Manager, Cintas. “Whether you work in
a school, medical building, hotel, restaurant or even a cruise ship, an
aggressive cleaning regimen with effective cleaning, sanitization and
disinfection can help reduce the impact or threat of an outbreak.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies three
primary modes of transmission for norovirus: eating or drinking
contaminated foods or liquids, touching surfaces or objects contaminated
with norovirus then putting your fingers in your mouth or having direct
contact with an infected person.
To help minimize the spread of norovirus, facility managers should pay
close attention to the following items within a building:
-
Door handles. Because they are one of the most touched surfaces
in a facility, it’s important to regularly wipe down and disinfect all
door handles within a building. This includes doors to offices,
restrooms, storage areas, refrigerators, as well as the front and back
entrances that are often used by employees. -
Community tables. Whether it is in a conference room, waiting
area or in an employee cafeteria, table surfaces are touched often and
should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. -
Elevators. Touched daily by employees or guests, elevator
buttons can be a likely source for virus transmission. Wipe down
elevator buttons on a daily basis and sanitize them at least once a
week. -
Community benches and chairs. Because they are designated for
sitting, seats might be an overlooked part of the cleaning and
disinfecting process. To prevent the spread of bacteria and norovirus
infection, clean all parts of the seat, including the bottom and arm
rests. -
Light switches. Although light switches in primary areas of a
facility, such as the lobby, might be touched only once a day, light
switches in other areas like meeting rooms, offices or the restroom
are used more frequently and require additional cleaning. -
Employee kitchen equipment. Clean and wipe down the surfaces of
all kitchen and break room equipment, including large items such as
dishwashers and microwaves and smaller equipment such as coffee makers
and toasters. -
Drinking fountains. Drinking fountains can become contaminated
by a variety of germs from the user’s mouth and hands, which is why
it’s important to disinfect their surfaces – particularly their spouts
and handles daily. -
Railings. Located alongside stairs or at the top of an atrium
or overlook, railings and handrails should be cleaned and disinfected
daily.
For more information on Cintas’ facility services, please visit www.cintas.com/facilityservices.
About Cintas:
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly
specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout
North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate
identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom cleaning
and supplies, tile and carpet cleaning, promotional products, first aid,
safety, fire protection products and services. Cintas is a publicly held
company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol
CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
1 http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/overview.html
Contacts
Mulberry Marketing Communications
Jennifer Petersen
(513)
762-5549
jpetersen@mulberrymc.com
