Safe Exhibiting Guide

ESSENTIALS

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ne century ago, when the Spanish Influenza burned through the world, people were bombarded by another kind of plague: one of misleading ads for soaps that promised to stop the scourge dead in its viral tracks. With industrial-sounding names like Yadil and Toxol, these cleaners vowed they had superpowers of sanitization. Today, fortunately, we know much more about viruses and cleaners. When it comes to exhibits and how their materials should be disinfected, there is a variety of valuable information available from government sources. While exhibit managers may not always be directly involved in cleaning and sanitiz ing their booths, it helps to understand what solvents should be used and how they should be applied. This knowledge can help them assure both staff and attendees that all the proper precautions have been taken to keep their spaces safe. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about cleaning agents that should help give your exhibit a clean bill of health. By Charles Pappas

What kinds of cleaners should be used?

With the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, many cleaners began touting their efficacy against the coronavirus. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a fast-track process for companies to submit their cleaners to the federal agency, where they would be tested to see if they were indeed capable of killing the virus on surfaces. If the EPA approved the cleaners, the manufac turers could then add claims to their product labels that they were effective against “Emerging Viral Pathogens,” or some similar declaration. So when selecting cleaners, be sure to look for both the claim and the EPA approval. No. The EPA requires that cleaners work in at least one of three related areas. The cleaners have to be potent against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (that is, COVID-19); against a patho gen harder to kill than COVID-19; or against a different human coronavirus similar to COVID-19. Beyond that, Are these cleaners only good against COVID-19 and nothing else?

Cleaning