You know the importance of using acrylic or vinyl sneeze guard shields if you run a business. Several governments and health agencies have mandated the use of these guards as vital safety measures. That’s why countless businesses across the world have installed sneeze barriers at their workplaces.
However, installing sneeze barriers alone will not mitigate all risks of virus transmission. In order to protect staff and limit business disruptions, office managers must prepare in various ways. One key preparatory step is the cleaning and maintaining the sneeze barriers. Is it okay to reuse old sneeze barriers? Yes. But, you need to clean and disinfect them first.
The Importance of Cleaning Sneeze Guards
The best sneeze barriers in the market are made of vinyl or acrylic. Both these materials are water-resistant and washable. That’s why by cleaning and disinfecting these screens regularly, managers can reuse them at their workspaces. However, the cleaning process should be efficient enough to eliminate all germs loitering on the sneeze guard every day.
How to Clean Your Sneeze Guards?
Even the sneeze guards that aren’t used or touched on a regular basis should be cleaned every day. Will cleaning your acrylic or vinyl sneeze barriers every day make them weaker? No. Sneeze barriers made of vinyl and acrylic are water-resistant. They can be cleaned or washed on a daily basis because –
- Vinyl and acrylic are both flexible, non-porous, and waterproof materials. No amount of washing or cleaning will damage your vinyl or acrylic sneeze barriers. However, rigorous brushing or rubbing may cause the sneeze guards to pick up scratches.
- Acrylic and vinyl are both known for their antimicrobial properties. Bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms can’t survive for too long on surfaces made of vinyl or acrylic. That’s why these sneeze guards are also very easy to disinfect.
- Acrylic and vinyl sheets have great impact strength. They don’t lose their shape when they’re washed on a regular basis.
Acrylic and vinyl sneeze barriers are also known for their optical clarity. That means users can always detect whether these guards are dirty or not. Disinfect the guards anytime you spot a stain or blemish on them.
How Not to Clean Your Sneeze Guards?
Although acrylic and vinyl sneeze guards are physically strong and easy to clean, they do pick up scratches pretty easily. Don’t forget – acrylic and vinyl are both plastic-based materials. Like most versions of plastic, these two are also extremely prone to scratches, heat damage, and chemical damage.
That’s why users must adhere to some basic rules while cleaning their acrylic or vinyl sneeze barriers –
- Avoid using ammonia or alcohol-based cleaning products. These abrasive cleaning agents may leave scratches on your sneeze shields.
- Avoid rubbing any dirt on the sneeze barrier with your bare hands. You’ll only be spreading the dirt to other regions of the barrier. Dirt, food, or other abrasive residues will also leave scratches on your sneeze shields.
Another effective way of cleaning acrylic or vinyl barriers is with blow dryers. Blow the hot air on the sneeze shields every night. The mild heat will help eliminate all germs.
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