With the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing many are looking to take a vacation in mountainous settings to be able to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment. To be able to do so, the rental homes themselves need to be cleaned appropriately. The Vacation Rental Management Association has recognized this and has updated its guidelines so property owners can make every effort to properly sanitize their properties. The full list of recommendations can be found here. At Kradel’s Kabins we have adapted our cleaning protocol to allow our guests a safe and enjoyable stay. Below are some of the highlights of the cleaning protocols which we at Kradel’s Kabins follow.
There is a difference between sanitizing and disinfecting a house. Sanitizing refers to eliminating the germs to a safe level. This is cleaning the surface. Disinfecting is the process of killing nearly 100% of the germs still left on a surface. Disinfecting requires use of specific products that are designed to kill specific viruses. We do ensure to use hospital grade disinfectants that are on the EPA list as specifically effective against COVID-19 for the peace of mind that the house is sanitized per recommendations.
Before cleaning, it is important to have a time gap to allow air born particles to settle, recommended at no less than 3 hours. When using disinfectants, each requires a certain amount of time they need to sit on a surface to be effective before wiping off. The products themselves list how long they need to sit. When cleaning it is important to follow the times described on the disinfectants to ensure that the surfaces are disinfected. Then after cleaning the home there is an additional wait time of 24 hours before the last person leaves and when guests are due to arrive at the home. This is important as the virus breaks down over time.
VRMA strongly emphasizes using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and disposable gloves for entry into any property even after the 3 hour waiting period. Gloves are changed between certain different activities in the property and always changed when visiting another property. We do require everyone who cleans the house to do so while wearing PPE.