Treadmills at a gym being disinfected

As millions of businesses across the U.S. prepare to re-open to both employees and the public, workplace cleanliness and disinfection is top-of-mind among corporate leaders, according to a recent survey conducted by OpenWorks.

The survey reveals that 83% of business leaders indicated that it was “likely” or “very likely” that they would increase the cleaning frequency of their facilities once their company reopened. In addition, 94% of those leaders surveyed plan to add regular disinfection to their cleaning programs.

“No matter what industry you operate in, COVID-19 has redefined the level of clean that is acceptable for business,” says Eric Roudi, president and chief executive officer of OpenWorks. “Workplaces are moving from basic, manual cleaning procedures, like vacuuming and wiping down surfaces, into specialized, more advanced cleaning protocols that include disinfecting. It’s a trend we don’t see waning any time soon.”

According to recent findings from the National Institutes of Health, the increased focus on cleaning and disinfecting is for good reason. Scientists found that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be detectable in the air for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for two to three days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

“Destroying and deactivating germs is of paramount importance to us,” says Liz Caracciolo, chief operating officer of OpenWorks. “An increased focus on cleanliness and disinfection is not just coming from business leaders in school classrooms, surgical sites, offices or manufacturing and distribution centers. There is also a heightened awareness among consumers of disinfection, and the essential role it plays, in the health and safety of all environments.”

According to another OpenWorks survey, 73% of consumers feel that their workplace should be cleaned daily and more than half want their workplace disinfected daily.

Caracciolo says that OpenWorks has experienced a sharp increase in demand for its advanced cleaning and disinfecting measures since the outbreak of COVID-19.