It feels a little surreal to think that we’re into the third year of a global pandemic.
When COVID-19 first hit, people scrambled into supermarkets and chemists to get their hands on any kind of disinfectant and/or sanitiser.
The shelves were empty!
Sanitiser wipes and liquids (and even the ingredients to make sanitiser) became such a hot commodity that they started selling on eBay and Amazon for grossly inflated prices.
What a throwback, right?!
But what if I was to tell you that the boom in frenzied cleaning and also buying all these cleaning products wasn’t necessarily needed. Or, needed to that large extent.
Since the pandemic started, we’ve often compared it to a wartime scenario. In this case, the whole world has shown up to the battlefield with antibacterial sprays, disinfectants, and sanitiser instead of guns and missiles.
We’re trying to defeat the opponent with excessive hygiene and safety measures.
This is where hygiene theatre comes in.
With over 28 years of experience in the commercial cleaning industry, we’re educated on all things when it comes to cleaning and it’s no different when it comes to hygiene theatre.
So, in this article, we’re going to define hygiene theatre and explain the proper precautions you should be taking in your workplace to keep the health of your employees and clients safe.
Let’s get started.
How does COVID-19 spread?
Before we dive deep into the world of hygiene theatre, there’s one important thing I want to explain to you first.
And don’t worry, it definitely has something to do with hygiene theatre.
How is COVID-19 transmitted?
In the early days of the pandemic, we had very little information about how the coronavirus was transmitted. At first, it was believed that the virus could spread via contaminated surfaces which is why they needed rigorous cleaning constantly.
However, it was later found that the possibility of catching the virus from surfaces was much lower than catching it from sneezes and coughs.
In fact, although research has found that the disease typically spreads through small aerolized droplets (saliva), there are still individuals and organisations out there that continue to hyper-clean.
And this takes us right into the next question.
What is hygiene theatre?
Hygiene theatre.
Who would’ve thought that these two words, which are the complete opposite of one another, could be put together to form a term that is so significant in today’s world?
The term hygiene theatre first arose in 2020 when a writer for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson, wrote an essay about COVID-19 safety protocols.
Hygiene theatre is used to describe the practice of implementing hygiene measures that make us feel safer, but don’t actually do much to reduce the risk of catching an illness – in this case, the coronavirus.
In other words, it gives us an illusion of improved safety – a false sense of security.
In fact, hygiene theatre actually stemmed from the term “security theatre” that first came about after the 9/11 attacks. Similarly, it explains the safety measures that were enforced in airports following the terror attacks such as banning nail scissors and lighters. But in reality, these measures are a meaningless and complicated charade that makes nervous passengers feel safer, but don’t do much to reduce the risk.
Can you notice an echo here?
It’s the same with COVID-19.
During the entirety of the pandemic, hygiene theatre has been associated with retail and hospitality businesses that have tried to reduce the concerns of the customers, while doing little to alleviate the risk of contracting COVID-19.
For instance, think of all those times where you saw servers at a restaurant frantically “disinfecting” and wiping down tables and chairs before the next group of customers sat down.
Unless a positive COVID case or close contact have visited a business, then a rigorous cleaning and disinfecting protocol aren’t really needed.
But this doesn’t mean that businesses should be taking a vacation from cleaning. Just as we were all cleaning our homes and workplaces before COVID, we should still be doing the same now. Nothing has changed in terms of regular weekly cleaning.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be regularly cleaning high touchpoints like door handles, light switches etc., it just doesn’t need to be excessive as we know the virus’ transmission from surfaces is low.
So you may be wondering, “what cleaning products should be used if I did have a positive case at my workplace?”
Let’s answer that for you right here, right now.
What disinfectants should my cleaner be using for COVID-19
Preparation is key.
I’m certain that we’ve all heard this saying before.
At one point or another, it’s more than likely that positive COVID-19 cases will be popping up in many workplaces in Brisbane this year due to the new Omicron variant.
So, what’s the best way to be prepared when this happens?
At In-Tec, we have conducted COVID-19 deep cleans at many sites in Brisbane and have used 3 different disinfectants for the job. They are:
- eWater – this system provides 4 types of cleaning solutions with the eWater disinfectant being proven by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration to kill SARS-CoV-2. It’s a ready-to-use, on-demand supply of disinfectant, sanitising, and cleaning solutions that are comprised of only salt, water, and electricity!
- Tersano – the Tersano SAO system is a simple and sustainable way to clean, sanitise, and deodorise that turns water and oxygen into a powerful cleaning agent. It kills up to 99.999% of germs including SARS-CoV-2. (side note - the TGA in Australia does not recognise Tersano to kill COVID. However, other countries have been able to verify it does based on science and testing.)
🔍 Recommended: If you’re interested in reading the differences between Tersano and eWater, take a look at our article Tersano vs eWater Sustainable Cleaning Systems [pros and cons] that delves right into this.
- Oxivir – a disinfecting product that has a fast and effective cleaning performance – kills SARS-CoV-2 in under one minute via an electrostatic sprayer. Oxivir is based on Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide.
And there you have it.
The top 3 disinfectants the team at In-Tec use for killing and removing COVID-19.
If your workplace ever comes into contact with a positive case or close contact, these are the cleaning solutions your cleaners should be using.
If you’re unsure what protocols or procedures your current cleaning company have in place, make sure to ask them.
How does hygiene theatre affect us?
It may seem silly that hygiene theatre can negatively affect us but let me explain and you’ll see why.
Hygiene theatre can prevent people from making informed decisions about risk. As infectious disease expert, Amesh A. Adalja at the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security explains,
“It gives people the wrong impression about what is and isn’t risky. It also gives people a false sense of security because they don’t realise that’s not the main way they could get infected.”
Hygiene theatre forces people to avoid taking the proper mitigating measures that would actually work against the risk of the virus such as wearing a mask and ensuring good ventilation.
Instead of focusing on “preventative measures” that aren’t reducing the risk of catching COVID-19, we need to start shifting our priorities to those that will confidently do the job – stop us from getting sick.
Hygiene theatre is a thing of the past
The need for excessive and constant disinfecting of surfaces is of the past.
Instead of participating in hygiene theatre, it’s time for individuals and businesses to start implementing hygiene measures that actually reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 like:
- Wearing a mask
- Hand washing
- Continuing with your regular weekly workplace cleaning
- Disinfecting only once positive cases or close contacts come along
- Proper workplace ventilation
If you have any questions regarding hygiene theatre or COVID-19 cleaning, get in touch with Paul directly by scheduling a call with him.
We’re here to help.
