Slowly but steadily, people are coming back to work. In order to ensure safe working conditions, improved sanitary measures are high on the agenda. We are expected to pay extra attention to our personal hygiene and the condition of our surroundings. At De Vorm, we strive to provide you with all necessary information on how to care for our products and maintain a safe working environment.

SARS-CoV-19 is a so-called enveloped virus with a fatty outside layer. This structure can be destroyed using regular surface disinfectants and detergents. Therefore, sanitary measures are paramount in preventing the spread of the virus. We should wash hands regularly and maintain the surroundings clean. Appropriate, combined cleaning and disinfection strategies are recommended - for exact regulations, check the guidelines of your local authorities.

Below, you will find the updated Care & Maintenance instructions for our products. These recommendations are based on the current information provided by our suppliers. We are working hard to obtain all relevant data and will keep you updated.

WHO notes that contamination on surfaces touched by employees is one of the main ways that COVID-19 spreads. Therefore, they recommend to regularly clean the desks with disinfectants.
Below, you will find the cleaning and disinfection recommendations for the materials used in our tabletops:

Forbo Furniture Linoleum

• For regular cleaning, use a pH neutral cleaning product (such as Forbo Cleaner or M2 Care Desktop Maintainer)
• A trigger sprayer can be used for applying your own soapy solution before wipe cleaning the surface (e.g. mixing water and mild soap) 
• For sanitising, Forbo recommends using M2 Ultra Concentrate in proportion 1 part concentrate to 10 parts water
• Strongly acidic, alkaline and heavily-chlorinated products should be avoided because they can damage the surface

FENIX

• Almost all regular household cleaning products or disinfectants can be safely used
• Strongly acidic, alkaline and heavily-chlorinated products should be avoided because they can damage the surface
• Sodium hypochlorite should be used at concentrations lower than 5%, and for no more than 5 minutes at a time, then rinsed off with a sponge or towel
• Hydrogen peroxide at concentrations lower than 3% should be carefully rinsed off
• For concentrations higher than 3%, we recommend avoiding leaving this solution in contact with the surface for more than 10 minutes at a time, and the surface must be thoroughly rinsed with a non-abrasive sponge and then dried well

HPL

• For regular cleaning, you can use any commercially available washing-up liquid, alternatively, fat-dissolving/degreasing all-purpose cleaners
• Strongly acidic, alkaline and heavily-chlorinated products should be avoided because they can damage the surface
• The manufacturer suggests the following cleaning products:
  P&G – “Meister Proper” kitchen cleaner
  Der General - kitchen cleaner
  Mellerud - kitchen degreaser
  Ostermann - Teclinex One for All
  Caramba - TG 22

Wood veneer

• For regular cleaning, use a detergent that is specifically made for wood and does not contain chlorine, silicones or abrasives.
• A special care product is currently being developed for our wood veneer tabletops. We will keep you updated when we know more. Contact us if you would like to order this product.

Available studies show that SARS-CoV-19 is no longer detectable on textiles after 48 hours, given dry indoor conditions. Also, some early findings indicate that the risk of contracting the virus from textiles is low. Porous surfaces, like a cloth fabric, with small spaces or holes in the construction, can trap the virus and prevent its transfer. Again, to minimise the risk of contamination and spreading the virus, proper maintenance of upholstered products is essential. 

Wool

• It is important to keep wool dry as water plays a key role in the wool fibre’s relationship with microbes.
• For woollen textiles, we recommended dry cleaning or professional cleaning.
• Ethanol-based disinfectants can be used without damaging the textiles or changing its colour. Concentration should be between 70-85%.
• Avoid chlorine-based and bleach cleanable agents.
• We do not recommend washing woollen textiles.

Polyester and Trevira CS

• Polyester, polypropylene and poly-acrylics are less prone to be exposed to microbial growth on their surface. For example, Trevira CS textiles have a naturally good performance at reducing bacteria by more than 20% without any treatment.
• Ethanol-based disinfectants can be used without damaging the textiles or changing its colour. Concentration should be between 70-85%.
• Chlorine-based detergents can be used without damaging the textiles or changing its colour. Concentration should be 1000 - 1200  ppm.
• Bleach disinfectants can be used without damaging the textiles or changing its colour. Use a 5% bleach concentration, mix 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.
• Make sure to keep your fabrics as dry as possible, both during use and after eventual cleaning to prevent bacteria development.

In case of suspected contamination, we recommend you check and follow the guidelines of the local government, disinfect the fabric and/or not use the furniture for 48 hours.

To date, there is no data as to the stability of SARS-CoV-19 on PET Felt. Just like in case of fabrics, the studies suggest that the porous surface of PET Felt doesn't allow viruses to spread a lot. The small spaces or holes in them can trap the virus and prevent its transfer. 

However, in the case of suspected contamination, we recommend you to follow the guidelines of the local government and disinfect the surface. Ethanol-based disinfectants can be used without damaging PET Felt or changing its colour. The concentration of ethanol should be between 70-85%. Do not rub the surface of the PET Felt, that causes pilling of the material.