Participating in ongoing discussion, regarding swine flu preparedness, on myfacilitiesnet, a site frequented by facility managers.  To help define terms, and real-world possibilities, I submitted the following:

    In restrooms, lunch areas, shower rooms, etc., we use a quat based hospital grade disinfectant (Johnson's Virex); after cleaning all areas, we mist the quat on, heavily, and leave to air dry - generally getting the required 10-minute dwell time.  In most restrooms, etc., with tiled walls, and floors designed to flood rinse, we can leave surfaces wet for 10 minutes without damaging anything.

Office touch points present different challenges.  Some surfaces - drywall, unsealed wood - ought not be left wet for very long.  Vertical surfaces - doors & jambs, light switches, glass - are difficult to keep wet, especially in Phoenix's dry climate, without standing by the surface with a spray bottle for the 10 minutes - so achieving (or claiming) effective disinfection is unworkable.

Therefore, for touch-points around the office, we use a hydrogen-peroxide product, Johnson's Alpha HP.  At least according to the research lab that developed the product, it achieves effective sanitation in 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the pathogen; this is much more easily achieved, with a sanitizer-saturated cloth (microfiber, so you physically remove most of the germs in addition to killing them).  The product is also a better cleaner than the neutral cleaner it replaces in our system, so we remove grime and prints at the same time.  Being mostly HP (with trace amounts of surfactant, chelating agent, etc.), the product residue is environmentally and personally friendly.

Naturally, we've squirreled away a supply of gloves and face masks (in addition to usual requirements), just in case, and offer to provide clients with sanitizing wipes for daytime use.

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