As the pandemic hopefully begins coming to a close, offices are opening again. After two years of closing your doors, cleaning is in order. How can office owners and managers ensure their businesses are safe for employees and customers alike?
While cases largely have fell across the world, COVID-19 still threatens us. To reduce the risks to employees, cleaning and disinfecting are essential. There are right and wrong ways to take care of these chores and get back to business as usual.
Offices Deal with Cross Contamination Too
Every janitorial service knows the importance of avoiding cross contamination. Although you hear more about this issue in the food industry, it could affect the safety of your office.
Cross contamination happens rapidly and can make everyone in the office ill. To prevent cross contamination, encourage employees to wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer when they cannot access soap and water.
Cleaning professionals use gloves to help prevent cross contamination. When cleaning your office, wear gloves and change them frequently.
Disinfect Your Office Electronics
Look around your office, and you are likely to discover many electronics. Although these get wiped down from time to time, most are teeming with germs because they never get disinfected. Many office owners do not even realize they can sanitize electronics.
To disinfect your electronics, use pure alcohol wipes. These wipes will not harm your electronics and will kill bacteria that can make office workers ill.
Consider Color-Coding
While it may seem elementary, color-coding your cleaning rags is essential. You need a color for each area of the office. Color coding your cleaning rags helps to avoid issues with cross contamination.
You should store these rags in the same color-coded method. Getting organized will help you keep your office clean. Professional cleaners use similar color-coding approaches.
Disinfect In One Direction
One of the biggest mistakes people make when cleaning offices is disinfecting in multiple directions. When disinfecting, you need to make a single one-direction motion.
Wiping one way and then wiping back the same direction will only deposit germs on the freshly disinfected area. You should only use disposable cloths for disinfecting. Wipe in one direction and then dispose of the cloth.
Do Not Forget to Disinfect the Floors
Most office managers know cleaning their floors is integral to the appearance of the building. Germs are everywhere. Imagine the bacteria tracked in from employees and customers.
Forgetting to disinfect the flooring in your office could lead to cross contamination and the spreading of germs. Because it is challenging to disinfect carpeting, it helps to hire professionals
Choose the Right Chemical Cleaners
While almost all cleaners promise to kill bacteria and viruses, few of them deliver. Because COVID-19 is a new virus, not all cleaners address it appropriately.
To kill viruses like COVID-19, you need to use EPA-approved disinfectants only. Products with the EPA designation have gone through meticulous testing. Any other cleaners may not kill viruses like COVID-19.
Let Fresh Air In
Offices shut for months or even years need fresh air. Opening the windows inside the office will air it out.
You should also consider the air circulation inside the office. How well does air circulate? Remember that many viruses, including COVID-19, are airborne. Avoid using fans to circulate air because they will only deposit germs on newly cleaned services.
Keep a Checklist
Getting organized is critical for keeping an office clean. Checklists allow you to organize cleaning efforts to ensure employees handle tasks appropriately and in order.
It helps to have everyone in charge of a cleaning task. As a part of the cleaning checklist, offices need to ensure disinfection is a prominent task. Employees should disinfect frequently touched items throughout the day.
Never Let Your Guard Down
As cases decline, there is hope COVID-19 will one day remain in the past. Unfortunately, we do not know what lies in the future. Until COVID-19 becomes eradicated, you must continue your extensive cleaning efforts to keep employees and customers safe.
Even if COVID-19 is no longer a problem, office owners are wise to keep their cleaning practices. According to scientists, there are more viruses than stars in the sky.
Encourage employees to flip light switches with their elbows and consider installing door handles employees can use with their arms instead of their hands.
Benefits of Hiring Professional Cleaners for Your Office
Running an office takes consistent work. You may find many cleaning chores get overlooked because of your duties. For this reason, owners often rely on professional cleaners to ensure their offices are clean and free of harmful germs. The following are some benefits of hiring janitors.
1. The number one benefit of hiring a professional cleaner is protection against germs. Professional cleaners have the tools, equipment, and skills to ensure they use exacting measures for cleanliness.
2. Office owners will find they save time and money by hiring a janitorial company to handle their cleaning chores.
3. Owners will also experience great peace of mind knowing their offices are clean, inviting, and protective of their employees and customers.
4. Professional cleaners have access to industrial strength cleaners and disinfectants that may not be readily available to the public.
Keep Your Employees and Customers Safe
If the above cleaning tips seem intimidating and time-consuming, you are not alone. Many office managers and owners feel overwhelmed right now as they attempt to open their businesses. There are so many risks to consider.
With offices all over the world opening again, you may think about your options. To keep your employees and customers safe, consider implementing strategic cleaning tasks daily. Deep disinfecting kills many viruses, including COVID-19.
If you feel ill-equipped to handle deep cleaning chores, hiring a professional is essential. Professional cleaners will set up a cleaning schedule according to your needs.
These professionals understand what it takes to clean an office thoroughly. With these services, office owners can ensure their premises are clean and disinfected, so they do not have to worry about germs and viruses spreading and making people sick.
Corvus Janitorial Systems offers professional office cleaning services for businesses of all sizes. If you have questions about keeping your office clean as you reopen and return to work, or if you are interested in office cleaning services, contact us today.Â
