With the COVID-19 outbreak still spreading across the country, keeping our plastic products clean is of the utmost importance. While we’ve discussed how to sanitize plastic medical equipment, how do you do the same with the plastic items you use on a daily basis? Here we go through the steps:
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting
Before we go into how we clean and disinfect, it’s important to discuss the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
- Cleaning means removing all dirt, dust, and grime that has collected onto a surface.
- Disinfecting, meanwhile, means removing any bacteria and/or viruses that have collected onto a surface.
While cleaning may remove some bacteria or viruses, it won’t remove them all. You need to disinfect a surface after cleaning it in order to remove any remaining bacteria. Consequently, you can’t disinfect a surface before cleaning it, as disinfecting won’t remove all of the dirt and grime that is on that surface.
Cleaning Plastic Products
The majority of plastic products can be cleaned using mild soap and warm water. Use a sponge or a cloth to clean the product with soapy water, then rinse it off and dry it with a towel. Make sure the water isn’t too hot that you damage the plastic, and always wear latex or rubber gloves while you’re cleaning.
Disinfecting Plastic Products
Once you’ve cleaned your product, it’s time to disinfect. Before getting started, check to make sure that your disinfectant can kill the novel coronavirus. You can do this by searching for the product’s EPA registration number on the EPA’s website. If the disinfectant you have is effective against COVID-19, then spray it onto the surface and let it sit there for at least a few minutes. This last part is crucial, as most disinfectants need time to kill any bacteria that is on the surface. You can check your disinfectant’s label to see how long you should wait before wiping your product down.
For further questions on how to properly clean and disinfect your plastic products, contact Piper Plastics today!
