HTML Preview Cleaning and Disinfection infosheet page number 1.
Updated: 26 May 2020
swa.gov.au/coronavirus
Cleaning to prevent the
spread of COVID-19
Cleaning and disinfection
Cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes:
Cleaning means physically removing germs, dirt and organic matter from surfaces.
Disinfecting means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. It’s important to clean
before disinfecting because organic matter and dirt can reduce the ability of
disinfectants to kill germs.
A combination of cleaning and disinfection will be most effective in removing the
COVID-19 virus. Cleaning reduces the soil load on the surface, allowing the
disinfectant to work and kill the COVID-19 virus. Disinfectant may not kill the virus if
the surface has not been cleaned with a detergent first.
Routine cleaning
Workplaces should clean surfaces at least daily. Special attention should be given to frequently
touched surfaces (e.g. tabletops, door handles, light switches, desks, toilets, taps, TV remotes,
kitchen surfaces and cupboard handles). Ideally, once clean, surfaces should also be disinfected
regularly. Alternatively, you may be able to do a 2-in-1 clean and disinfection by using a
combined detergent and disinfectant.
Surfaces and fittings should be cleaned more frequently when:
> visibly soiled
> used repeatedly by a number of people (e.g. trolleys, checkouts, EFTPOS machines), and
> after any spillage.
For routine cleaning, disinfectants are usually only necessary if a surface has been contaminated
with potentially infectious material. For this reason, when and how often a workplace should
undertake disinfection as part of routine cleaning will depend on the likelihood of contaminated
material being present at the workplace. For example, in a busy retail environment with many
customers and others entering a workplace each day, more frequent disinfection is
recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By contrast, for a small work crew operating
the same item of plant each day with little interaction with other people, routine disinfection in
addition to daily cleaning may not be reasonably practicable.