Has your facility had a flu outbreak? Once one associate contracts the flu you’ll want to work quickly to prevent the spread to other associates. This is because the flu virus can live on a surface for more than 24 hours. Here, we’ll outline how to find the best disinfectants for the flu virus and what areas of your facility to disinfect. 

The first thing you want to do is make sure you buy the best flu virus disinfectants. 

How to buy the best flu virus disinfectants. 

When looking for cleaning products to kill viruses ensure you buy a disinfectant. Unlike cleaners and sanitizers, disinfectants actually kill germs. The best disinfectants for viruses contain alcohol, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compounds.

When buying disinfectants there are two things you want to look for on the label: 

1. You should look for an EPA registration number. These are usually found on the front or back of the label. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assigns these numbers to disinfectants that have been tested and proven to kill germs.
2. You should look at the dwell time of the disinfectant. The dwell time tells you how long a surface needs to stay wet after the disinfectant was applied in order to actually disinfect. Dwell times can range from 30 seconds to 10 minutes depending on the disinfectant. This means that disinfectants that have a longer dwell time may need to be applied more than once to fully disinfect.

What to clean in your facility after the flu virus hits. 

First, disinfect all common areas of your facility that multiple people touch everyday and can easily spread germs. Here is a list of common areas and things around your facility that multiple people typically use.

• Breakrooms
• Bathrooms
• Conference rooms
• Printers and copiers
• Elevators, especially elevator buttons
• Doors and door knobs
• Filing cabinets
• Water coolers
• Light switches
• Remotes for projectors and TVs

Second, disinfect individual areas. Here’s a list of items in individual areas that typically have a lot of germs.

• Desks
• Chairs
• Keyboards
• Computer mouse
• Personal filing cabinets
• Phones, desk phones and cell phones

List of the best flu virus disinfectants.

Don’t know what disinfectants to use? Below are a few flu virus disinfectants we recommend and their dwell times. 

Have questions about disinfectants and how to kill the flu virus? We can help. Give us a call at (614) 863-1700 or contact us here.