Guide offers best practices for safely using bleach to clean and sanitize

East Lansing, MI – Employees who use bleach for workplace cleaning and sanitizing are the focus of a new safety guide published by the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division.

The guide offers best practices for workers exposed to bleach, including janitors; housekeepers; environmental engineers; and hospital, restaurant, maintenance and agricultural workers. Bleach should be used only when required and in the right amount, the guide states. Users also should remember that bleach concentrate has a stronger solution than regular bleach.

Other tips:

• Read and follow the label of any cleaners you use.
• Wear label-required personal protective equipment, including gloves, when cleaning blood or vomit.
• Avoid bleach splashes by adding bleach to water rather than adding water to bleach.
• If you must use a spray bottle, set the nozzle to produce a heavy stream instead of a fine mist.
• Open windows and doors or turn on an exhaust fan.
• Apply bleach solutions directly to a disposable cloth, paper towel, or a non-disposable cloth that is laundered in hot water and dried after each use. Do not apply bleach directly to surfaces. Do not use a sponge.