When was the last time you were more aware of every handrail or door knob you touched throughout the day, especially in the work place? In the wake of COVID-19, one group who is also keeping an eye on what you are touching is our housekeeping staff.

You might see more of these essential personnel as they are working to keep Baylor College of Medicine as clean and germ free as possible for those who are still working in the building.

“We have added extra staff to help keep restrooms and breakrooms as a clean as possible,” said Rock Morille, vice president of facility services. “Additionally, they are disinfecting door knobs, handles, faucets and other high touch areas more often throughout the day.”

This includes classrooms, student spaces, auditoriums, hallway intersections, stair railings and even walls. You might also notice your office or work space is a little cleaner too. Cleaning crews have been wiping down and disinfecting cleared spaces and counters in offices more often than they did pre-pandemic.

They are following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and Occupational Safety and Health Administration to clean and disinfect areas to reduce the spread of infectious disease. This includes procedures that describe which items should be sanitized and in what order to be more effective and to eliminate cross contamination.

For example, in a kitchen area all drawer pulls, appliance exteriors and light switches are cleaned as well as any horizontal surface. They are instructed to start with clean areas moving to dirtier areas, higher to lower surfaces and to allow any disinfectants to air dry, as recommended for maximum effectiveness.

“We want to make sure that those who are still working in our building know that we are keeping everyone’s health in mind,” Morille said. “These are difficult times and this is an important way to support the Baylor community.”

-By Graciela Gutierrez