During the winter season, more people, especially children, come down with illnesses such as norovirus. This can cause them to get sick with a vomit or diarrhea event while in school or a public place.

When this happens, pathogens such as norovirus are introduced to the environment and can cause others to become sick as well. And when someone gets sick in a school or commercial facility, guess who has to clean it up?

Invariably, it’s the job of cleaning workers and housekeepers.

Because cleaning up vomit is unpleasant and can be unsafe, here are some ways to make the cleaning process safer and more manageable:

Get the right bodily fluid spill kit and follow directions. Before beginning any cleanup operations, putting on protective gear is imperative. The right spill kit will include protective gear, everything from shoe covers and gloves, to masks and face shield.

Cover the area with a spill pad. An effective spill pad can absorb much more of the splatter, essentially removing it from the floor. This is key to making the cleanup process safer and more manageable for the person cleaning up the spill, as it will mitigate the spread of pathogens living in or on the spill itself. As an added benefit, the pads serve as a barrier between the spill and the worker, rendering the mostly-unenjoyable experience of spill cleanup less unpleasant.

Clean and disinfect. Using an EPA-registered cleaner/disinfectant with a 30 second norovirus kill claim, gross soils should be removed from the surface. After that, the same cleaner can be used to effectively disinfect the surface.

Dump and wash. Place used materials in the provided trash bag and dispose of it in an outside dumpster. One of the benefits of DayMark's spill kit is the inclusion of yellow trash bags that are approved by OSHA and can be co-mingled regular trash (as opposed to red bags). Cleaning workers should then thoroughly wash their hands.

No one likes cleaning up vomit, but it can be less unpleasant following these steps.