Kerry Hughes, Infection Prevention Team Leader, Diversey UK&I, discusses how surface disinfection can help protect children in schools

As a mother, the most important thing to me is the health, safety, and well-being of my children. Away from our home, there is nowhere else they spend more time than school. As a cleaning industry professional, and member of the Diversey team, I know that we have a vital role in helping schools provide a safe environment for all children.

Every parent knows that schools across the UK and Ireland have been under incredible pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have implemented measures to keep our children safe. Everyone has pulled together to create environments where children can feel happy and secure.

At Diversey, we want to help all schools ensure that they are free from viruses, whether it be the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, norovirus, or something else. That is always important of course but even more so at the moment.

One of the main ways that viruses can spread is when someone touches a contaminated surface. The droplets produced when an infected child coughs or sneezes, for example, can land on any surface. If another child touches that surface, their own hands can become contaminated. The virus can then enter their body and infect them if they touch their mouth, nose, or eyes. So, along with good hand hygiene, surface disinfection is one of the best ways to stop the spread of a virus like the one that causes COVID-19.

The challenge facing schools is that they are full of surfaces and items that children, teachers, and support staff might touch a lot during the day. These might include, for example, desks, worktops, locker doors, drawers, and play equipment, as well as door handles, buttons on equipment, and light switches. Some of these might only be touched by a single child or adult. But it is much more likely that many children will touch the same surface at some point during a lesson or playtime.

Surfaces like these should be cleaned regularly during the school day. For some items that might mean after every use. That will help stop the spread of the virus to protect children as well as teachers and support staff. So, they need something that can disinfect any surface quickly and effectively and which can be used whenever and wherever required.

Our solution is Oxivir Excel Wipes, which are ideal for disinfecting surfaces where speed and convenience are critical. They are the only wipes on the market that are 100 percent safe to use without personal protective equipment (PPE) and which kill all viruses – including coronavirus and norovirus - in 30 seconds. Anyone can safely and quickly clean and disinfect a surface in one pass with the wipe. This makes them ideal for schools.

The variety of surfaces and items found in schools also means we need something that can be used on as many as possible. One product to get the job done with no delay and no complications. 

Oxivir Excel Wipes are ideal because they are kind to surfaces. Their active ingredient is called AHP or accelerated hydrogen peroxide. This is an innovative and patented formulation that can be used safely on a wide range of surfaces and items. The fast action and all-round cleaning and disinfection performance of the wipes mean they can be used at any time with no preparation, rinsing, or clean-up. That is good in any setting but especially in schools. Surfaces are left free from germs and our children are safe and free to explore and learn. 

Protecting children and the teachers and support staff who care for them while they are at school is vital at this critical time. Whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or part of the support team, using Oxivir Excel Wipes will give you the confidence that your school or education setting is safe for our future generations to learn and grow.

At Diversey, our aim is to protect and care for people every day through leading infection prevention technologies and cleaning solutions. Oxivir Excel Wipes are just one example of the advanced and innovative products that we offer to enable effective surface disinfection and hand hygiene in schools and other educational settings.