Compliance

Post-COVID Cleaning Protocols: What Stuck, What Didn't

The disinfection theater is gone. The systems that stayed are actually worth keeping.

In 2020 every office was 'fogging' and 'electrostatic-spraying' twice a day. By 2022 most of it was gone. What stayed is the stuff that was actually worth keeping.

What's still standard

  • High-touch surface disinfection (door handles, elevator buttons, light switches, shared kitchen surfaces) — now routine, not occasional
  • EPA List N disinfectants kept on the shelf for response
  • Hand sanitizer stations in lobbies and common areas
  • Color-coded microfiber (no more cross-contamination)
  • HEPA-filtered vacuums (captures particulates, doesn't re-release them)

What's gone

  • Electrostatic fogging (performance > results)
  • UV wands (theater)
  • Closing buildings for 'deep cleans' after any case (not evidence-based)

What we'd add back for a real outbreak

GBAC-trained technicians, EPA List N disinfectants applied at label contact times, mechanical cleaning before disinfection (not after), and deliberate targeting of high-touch surfaces. Not theater.