Top 5 Cleaning and Pest Control Tips for Business Reopening after Coronavirus Lockdown

As we’ve witnessed over the past few months during the Coronavirus Pandemic, businesses have been forced to close and with the widespread practice of furloughing staff business premise may have been dormant for weeks or even months.

Pest Pulse 24/7 smart monitors have shown a significant increase in pest activity in recent weeks while media outlets are covering the surge in pest activity as a result of lockdown;

“In New Orleans, where Louisiana's governor imposed a stay-at-home order that shuttered many restaurants, particularly those in popular tourist areas like the French Quarter, a viral video posted in March showed swarms of rats taking to the streets to find food. And officials said social distancing is to blame.”

Source nbcnews.com

‍

As business owners are thinking about their plan to reopen sites and get back to daily operations as quickly as possible. 

Here are our top 5 tips for reopening and getting back to business:

1. Wipe down your customer-facing touchpoints and high traffic areas such as bathrooms, grab-rails, stairwells and door handles. Using a disposable cloth first clean the areas with warm soapy water. Then disinfect the areas with the cleaning products you normally use. Be sure to wear the necessary PPE to protect yourself! (see gov.uk for further guidance on cleaning)
2. Looks for signs of pest activity. Debris on countertops that may have been cleaned prior to closure. Droppings and food debris under cabinets is another sign of pest activity so check there too. If you find any activity, take measures immediately and call a pest control professional
3. Check all stored products for signs of damage. Pests will have been attracted to stored products as their regular food sources have dwindled during the lockdown. Throw out any products you suspect may have been damaged or contaminated.
4. Check your electronic fly killers. There may have been fly activity whilst the site was closed if your fly killer sticky board is full, be sure to request a replacement or empty the catch tray. This will help control the increase in flying insects as we move into warmer weather.
5. Lastly, don’t forget to wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds.
   

Taking these measures will ensure that you can get back up and running as fast as possible whilst ensuring that your site is safe for your customers and staff. 

If you need assistance prior to opening, Pest Pulse has put together a two-part treatment programme ‘Reset and Reopen’ that’s been designed specifically for businesses that may have been closed during the lockdown. It guards against the threat of COVID-19 and ensures your site is free from Pests, read more about it on our ‘Reset and Reopen’ page.

If you’d like assistance getting back to business, find out how we can help today!

 🇬🇧 + 44 20 8089 9257 

🇮🇪 + 353 1 9015257 

📧 info@pestpulse.com