When COVID-19 emerged in 2020, the world changed in a myriad of ways. From face masks and lockdowns to “touch-free” business transactions and social distancing, America continues to evolve as it faces a pandemic. The effort to prevent transmission and infection has reshaped the country in the home, at work and in public spaces, changing the way we interact, and thus, how we conduct business, in countless ways. As Darrell X. Rounds with FacilitiesNet.com writes, facilities maintenance has transformed from an “unseen necessity” to a critical facet of leadership when it comes to building preparedness, safety and operational efficiency.

This is, of course, particularly true in healthcare settings and other areas like schools, daycares and nursing homes. Many hospitals have doubled their sanitation efforts and are making the move to touchless dispensers, if they haven’t already. In the blink of an eye, much of the industry has changed its consciousness about sanitation and the general swelling of maintenance budgets has reflected that. As business practices change, the maintenance of hard surfaces can play a powerful role in streamlining cleaning practices and strengthening sanitation. 

When upgrading sanitation efforts for a facility’s hard surfaces, there are several avenues where tile and grout professionals can safeguard people’s health while also improving the efficacy of maintenance practices, among other things.

Eliminating bacterial breeding grounds

Strong chemicals, abrasive brushing and constant maintenance are pointless if hard surfaces remain unsealed or unprotected. In fact, aggressive cleaning tends to worsen conditions, rather than fix them, creating new holes, cracks and fissures to trap moisture and breed bacteria. The best defense against this is to properly protect surfaces from foul liquids, contaminants, and damage from wear and tear, whether that’s through the help of an impregnating sealer or durable, protective coating.

Microbial additives

In addition to a variety of protective shields and sealants, a quality tile and grout restoration company will often provide an antimicrobial additive as part of its services. This broad-based microbial agent can be added to a finish to embed protection into the surface itself, killing the majority of residual bacteria, stopping the breeding cycle and preventing the transmission of bacteria from one area to another.

The return on improved sanitation

In addition to the money a company can save by protecting the health of its customers and staff, the sanitation and protection of hard surfaces (whether they are restaurant bars and tables or the bathroom walls of a daycare) can make maintenance more effective and reduce cleaning times. This can make a major impact in healthcare facilities and elsewhere. In fact, many hospitals that rely on tile and grout restoration professionals see improved inspection scores in areas of cleanliness and customer perception.

Most tile and grout restoration companies will offer support services as well as the initial cleaning and application of coatings. The pandemic has pushed many companies to increase the frequency of their routine deep cleanings, in addition to carefully maintaining their floor shields and sealants. This may prove beneficial in more ways than one.

“COVID-19 also has taught workers and managers to look at cleanliness in a different way,” Rounds writes. “As occupants return to the workplace, the ways that teams have cleaned, disinfected and sanitized must change and be more transparent..."

Surfaces treated with antimicrobial agents will have protection so long as the coating remains intact, so it’s in a hospital’s best interest to make sure the appropriate maintenance stays on schedule. In addition, the government is subsidizing a considerable amount of maintenance in state and federal facilities to reduce the impact of Covid-19. Enhancing sanitation and maintenance efforts, and being transparent about it, can make excellent financial sense.