Life After COVID-19: Checklists for Hawai‘i Homes and Businesses

PC: Premiere Restoration Hawaii

Locally owned and operated Premier Restoration Hawaiʻi has compiled a checklist for homes and businesses to keep residential and commercial spaces healthy and hygienic as they prepare to eventually reopen.

With offices on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island, Premier Restoration is a full-service mitigation and restoration company providing solutions for water, fire, mold and storm damage.

“Premier Restoration is an essential business, so we’ve been working throughout the shelter-in-place order to help local businesses disinfect their space, as well as providing homes and businesses affected by property disasters like floods with immediate restoration services and reconstruction work,” said Premier Restoration Hawaiʻi’s Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Nelson.

“Given our expertise in biohazard clean up, we wanted to share these helpful checklists with local homeowners and businesses as the state prepares to re-open slowly in the coming months. We expect COVID-19 to be a concern for people throughout the year and understanding how to properly clean and disinfect a home or businesses—whether you’re hiring a contractor or doing it yourself—is vital to the safety of the community.”

In late March, PRH began cleaning commercial spaces compromised by exposure to COVID-19. After an exhaustive cleaning of all surfaces and items in the space, disinfectant is applied to treat the space and remove or inactivate the virus.

Local businesses preparation

PRH recommends that prior to reopening, businesses should take these steps to clean their space:

• Always use Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves and a mask when handling cleaning products and disinfectants.
• First, clean high-touch surfaces first with soap and water (think door handles, keyboards, light switches, toilet levers, office refrigerator and microwave, cash registers, printers, point of sale equipment). For a disinfectant to do its job, all soil must be removed from the surface.
• Next, perform a complete cleaning of every surface (think couches, desks, break room tables, counter tops, rugs, carpet).
• Finally, once a surface is clean, disinfect using a bleach-based, alcohol-based, or EPA-registered disinfectant.
• Leave disinfectant on the targeted surface for at least one minute before wiping away.
• Proper, regular cleaning helps to keep the space healthy and is a benefit to both your employees and customers.

Hawaiʻi residents – preparing homes

• Always wear gloves and a mask when using cleaning products and disinfectants.
• First, clean high-touch surfaces with soap and water (think door knobs, kitchen countertops, bathroom sink and faucets, light switches, refrigerator handles, cabinet pulls, piano keys, windows).
• Next, perform a complete cleaning of every surface (think couches, beds, kitchen table and chairs, benches, desks, keyboards, dressers, rugs).
• Finally, disinfect using a bleach-based, alcohol-based, or EPA-registered disinfectant.
• Leave disinfectant on the targeted surface for at least one minute before wiping.
  • Resources/DIY Disinfectant recipes

    Bleach Based Recipe – 1/3 Cup of Bleach to 1 Gallon of Water OR 2 Tablespoons of Bleach to 1 Quart of water
    Alcohol Based Recipe – 12 Fluid Ounces of 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, 1 Tablespoon of Hydrogen Peroxide, and 3 Ounces Distilled/Boiled Water.

• If your home or business may have been exposed to COVID-19, full Personal Protective Equipment such as a Tyvek suit, gloves, and full-face mask with respirator are required to handle the clean up to avoid cross contamination.

PRH is available for a consultation regarding COVID-19 clean up and remediation. Call (808) 694-3552 or email [email protected] to schedule and appointment.