Cleaning service in pandemic situations

In pandemic situations, the aim of cleaning is to prevent the spread of pathogens to humans through contact surfaces.

Take a self-assessment and your score will indicate how well your cleaning service is prepared for a pandemic.

The self-assessment has been developed in the PandemicClean project, Safe and effective cleaning in a pandemic situation (2021–2024) in cooperation with the project partners:

Estonia (Puhastusekspert OÜ)
Finland (Propuhtaus)
France (IFPRA Normandie) and
The Netherlands (SVS b.v.)

The project was co-funded by the European Union.

Self-assessment

This self-assessment is intended for those who want to analyse the cleaning results and process. The assessment is mapping both work activities and the result of cleaning.

Before answering the questions, map the situation with cleaning in your building or rooms.

Then select the option that best suits your real situation with cleaning. You can change your answer during the assessment.

Once you have answered all the questions, you will get your score compared to the best answers and the average of the other respondents' answers.

You will receive feedback  at the end of the self-assessment. For each question, there is the best answer, in the opinion of the PandemicClean project team. This answer gives the most points.

According to the project team opinion, the best answer is displayed in green and other answers in red. Please note that the color red does not mean that the answer is wrong. It's just not the ideal answer that the project team came up with.

Let’s start!

First, a few questions about the quality of cleaning in general.

Which surfaces are touched by the people who use the rooms?

Here are some pictures of contact surfaces to give you an idea to discover them before answering the next question.

 

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Now that you have identified all the contact surfaces, choose the answer that best describes your real situation.

After cleaning, you may see wiping marks on surfaces. They can be caused by deposits of dirt or cleaning agents, for example. This is something that is created during cleaning, by smearing dirt instead of removing it.

You can detect dirt layers by drawing on the surface with your finger or foot. If you see a mark after that, then the surface is dirty and perhaps there is a layer of dirt on the surface.

Now it's your turn to walk around your cleaning area with your eyes open. Can you spot any wiping marks?

Use the following five questions to monitor for dirt layers on surfaces. Please choose which answer best describes your situation.

Here below are some examples of wiping marks.

Different kinds of surfaces with wiping marks or dirt.

2 / 17

Based on your real situation, did you detect streaks or other signs of cleaning on the mirror or glass?

3 / 17

Based on your real situation, did you detect streaks or other signs of cleaning on the floor?

4 / 17

Based on your real situation, did you detect streaks or other signs of cleaning in an elevator or other steel surface?

5 / 17

Based on your real situation, did you detect streaks or other signs of cleaning on the furniture?

6 / 17

Based on your real situation, did you detect streaks or other signs of cleaning on the contact surface?

Following questions are about the cleaning programme and management. Please choose which answer best describes your situation regarding the cleaning.

7 / 17

Are microfibre cleaning cloths and mops used for cleaning? Please choose which answer best describes your situation regarding the cleaning.

Microfibre cloths in different colors

8 / 17

How are the cleaning textiles moistened? Choose the response that best applies to your work site.

9 / 17

How are cloths/mops cleaned? Please choose which answer best describes your situation regarding the cleaning.

10 / 17

Is the cleaning result and process systematically monitored? Please choose which answer best describes your situation regarding the cleaning.

11 / 17

Do the cleaners get feedback on their work? Please choose which answer best describes your situation regarding the cleaning.

 

12 / 17

Are the cleaners motivated and aware of the importance of their work?

13 / 17

When the situation changes on the cleaning site/area, e.g. during a pandemic situation, does the cleaner know how the cleaning protocol needs to be changed?

Finally, assess how the cleaning work is performed in practice

14 / 17

Do the cleaners have a bucket in the cleaning area that they use to rinse cleaning textiles?

15 / 17

When cleaning agents are used, they are always dosed exactly according to the dosage instructions.

16 / 17

Does the cleaner fold the cleaning cloth when using it?

Picture showing two ways to have a microfibre cloth when wiping. As folded which is the correct way and without folding which is an incorrect way.

17 / 17

Does the cleaner thoroughly clean all contact surfaces during each cleaning?

If you would like to receive the results by email, please provide your email address.

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The PandemicClean project team would be very happy to receive feedback to make this audit better.

How many stars do you give this audit?

Thank you for rating the self-audit and giving feedback!