IN INVISION’S THIRD COVID-19 Impact Survey we asked ECPs about their new souped-up cleaning and sanitizing routines. According to the survey, 80 percent of the 118 respondents are now cleaning their high traffic areas after every patient/customer. Some (14 percent) report cleaning “several times a day,” while the remainder are cleaning every hour (3 percent) and daily (3 percent).
“We are cleaning everything constantly all day long! We use ODO Ban which is used by the hospitals,” shares Becki Martin of Harrington Vision Center II in Florence, SC. Liz Shellum, Regional Eye Optical in Hutchinson, MN, adds, “We’re cleaning the dispensing/fitting desks after every patient and the reception areas every few hours, plus pens and clip boards after each use.”
“We’re cleaning after every patient/customer and we are also wiping down every touchable surface at the top and bottom of the hour (door knobs, countertops, etc.),” explains Dr. Angie Patteson of Sunset Eye Care in Johnson City, TN. While for Jennifer Leuzzi of Mill Creek Optical in Dansville, NY, it isn’t just fixtures getting the cleaning treatment. “We’re only seeing one or two patients an hour so surfaces where customers sit or touch are sanitized, but I also do a spray of Lysol once an hour to clean the air.”
Selena Jachens at Urban Eyecare & Eyewear in West Des Moines, IA, reports, “We clean first thing in the morning, after every patient, as well as once we take the patient back and throughout the day. We have the patients wear gloves, assist them with eyewear selections, and thoroughly disinfect all frames that were touched after each patient.” Whereas Rick Pascucci of Towpath Vision Care in Clinton, NY, is using Pure and Clean to wipe down everything, including their frames.
In fact, how to clean and disinfect frames is of particular interest to most ECPs. For better or worse, here’s how respondents reported they were cleaning their frames:
- “UV machine as well as wipe down with hydrogen peroxide formula.” — Missy Dunn, Brisbane Eyecare, Spokane Valley, WA
- “Anything a patient handles goes in a tray. The tray goes back for a 5+ minute soak, the frames air dry, we wipe water spots off lenses and put them back out. Everything that’s getting published says the novel coronavirus’s lipid layer is extremely susceptible to soaps, so we feel this is a patient-safe and frame-safe method. Which is crucial when I have one manufacturer telling me to never use alcohol solutions, just hydrogen peroxide solutions, and another saying never to use hydrogen peroxide solutions, just alcohol solutions! Keeping customers safe is my number one objective; but keeping my frames undamaged is also a high priority.” — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
- “CaviWipes.” — Chris Dudley, Precision Optics at Lake Eye Associates, FL
- “Washing in soap and water. Also have a UV cleaner but have found soap and water to be faster and adds sparkle!” — Deb Jaeger, Eye Center of the Dakotas, Bismarck, ND
- “We remove from board and clean before they are returned with 70% alcohol and lens spray.” — Kimberly Butts, Baymeadows Vision Center, Jacksonville, FL
- “Ultrasonic, sanitizing with Clorox wipes and soap and water, then drying with paper towels.” — A J Saper, Ergonomic Eyewear, Houston, TX
- “We have a basket that patients put each frame into that they have handled. Frames are then washed in very hot soapy water, rinsed and allowed to air dry.” – Ginger Kendzior, Hubbell Eye Clinic, Eau Claire, WI
- “Spray disinfectant.” — Raymond Ryan, OD, VHA, Boise, ID
- “Ultrasonic.” — Randy Watsky, OD, Infocus Optical, Brighton, MI
- “UV light sterilizer box.” — Lorena Ayala, Solano Optical Boutique, Brooklyn, NY
- “We wash all frames in soapy water and following up with UV-C sterilization.” — Star Taylor, Richens Eye Center, St. George, UT
- “Sonic cleaning each frame once it is touched.” — Michael Kruger, OD, Ames Eye Care, Ames, IA
- “We are using dawn and cleaning after each patient tries on the frame.” — Tammy Warmouth, Main Optical, Luzerne, PA
- “I have Lysol and Clorox! Spray ’em up baby!” — David Greening, Astorino Eye Center, Newport Beach, CA
- “We are allowing only the opticians to select frames off the board. After patients/staff have touched them we put them in a “to-be-cleaned” bin and wipe them all down with alcohol prior to putting them back.” — Elizabeth Elliott, Nittany Eye Associates, State College, PA
- “With UV light for 8 minutes.” — Gayle Bergthold, Bee Cave Vision Center, Bee Cave, TX
- “We’re hitting them with this.” — Diana Sims, OD, Buena Vista Optical, Chicago, IL
- “Hypochlorous acid solution sanitizing solution.” — Lindsey Pulford, Insights Eyecare, Manhattan, KS
- “Barbicide.” — Travis LeFevre, Krystal Vision, Logan, UT