Disinfectants and virus-killing cleaning agents have been hard to find during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the virus still very much a threat in the United States, there has been a marked increase in disinfectant purchases.
Under normal circumstances, disinfectants usually see an uptick in sales during flu season but otherwise remain steady throughout the rest of the year. According to Nielsen, sales of spray disinfectants were 520% higher this past year in 2020 than the same period in 2019.
Most manufacturers haven’t experienced such a massive demand for disinfectant products, and they don’t tend to keep that much product on hand due to high storage costs. Manufacturers simply cannot keep pace with this tremendous level of demand.
Kevin Jacobsen, the chief financial officer at Clorox, said the company’s disinfectant wipes were selling out within 30 to 45 minutes of shelving. While toilet paper might be easier to find these days, most customers looking for disinfectant wipes leave stores empty-handed.
It doesn’t stop there, though. This supply shortage also deeply affects healthcare professionals and other workers on the frontlines of this pandemic
The Challenges Frontline Workers Face
As hospital staff members tend to people most severely affected by the coronavirus, they’re experiencing shortages in personal protective equipment. And while bravely serving ailing patients, home healthcare workers are in the homes of those individuals without sufficient protective gear.
Healthcare workers can’t do their jobs from 6 feet away, so it’s critical to ensure the safety of them and their patients. Fortunately, users and caretakers can use everyday items to disinfect Broda’s products and lower their risk of contracting the virus — even without store-bought disinfectant.
Deep Cleaning Without Disinfectant
With disinfectant products scarce, it’s important to keep all medical equipment clean to reduce the risk of users developing an infection. This can be particularly challenging when dealing with chairs and wheelchairs. Thankfully, Broda’s chairs and wheelchairs have Spradling brand vinyl coverings that are protected by PERMABLOK3 technology.
Follow these steps to disinfect our chair coverings:
- First, remove any spills or debris with a damp cloth, soap, and water. Rinse the area with clean water, and dry it thoroughly.
- If spills or stains are still present — or for mild disinfection — spray a concentrated cleaning solution on the affected area before using a clean cloth to wipe it down.
- To disinfect and sanitize the vinyl material, a hospital-grade or quaternary cleaning agent will work. If you don’t have one of those on hand, apply a mixture of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water directly to any areas that need cleaning
For other portions of the chair, use these cleaning methods:
- A steam vapor cleaner that reaches temperatures between 240°F and 270°F can effectively clean parts of Broda’s chairs and wheelchairs that are heat-resistant, such as the fabric and frame components. Wipe all areas dry to prevent rusting or corrosion on the frame.
- To clean adhesives and stains from the straps, create a mixture of water and an acetone-based cleaner (e.g., nail polish remover). Apply that mixture to the affected area, rinse it with clean water, and dry it.
- You can also use a steam vapor cleaner for our Comfort Tension Seating® vinyl straps by continuously moving the steam wand over the strap from a few inches away to avoid damaging the material.
If you lack access to proper cleaning materials and disinfectants, don’t worry. You can still clean Broda’s products with just soap and water to lower the risk of infection.
To learn out more about the cleaning process and what materials to use for cleaning and disinfecting our chairs and wheelchairs, consult our full cleaning and disinfecting guide.
