In a post-pandemic world, it’s certain that the spotlight will be firmly on keeping workplaces as clean as possible for infection control.
As a company owner, cleaning is not a ‘nice to have’, it’s your duty to ensure your workplace is clean and healthy for employees. The HSE has created in-depth guidelines that companies are required to adhere to in order to protect employees from coronavirus and other infectious diseases.
Visit https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/cleaning/index.htm for the latest information.
One way to help you keep standards high is to create a cleaning rota that is followed by your cleaning and maintenance staff and employees. So here are some tips on how to create a workplace cleaning schedule.
Why is cleaning the workplace so important?
It’s important to understand the value cleaning brings to a workspace.
A clean office is not just a nice to have, but a clear reflection of a company’s identity. It demonstrates that your organisation values quality and efficiency, two very important business objectives.
Cleaning regularly will also go some way to reassure employees who may be re-entering the workplace for the first time in a long time.
The main reason for maintaining the office is, of course, to lower the risk of illness. In an office, common items serve as breeding grounds for germs. Cleaning and disinfecting on a regular basis will significantly reduce the risk of infection spreading in the workplace. Employees will not only be safe and happy, but there will also be no lack in productivity in the workplace, due to frequent sick days.
Where are the bacteria hot spots in the workplace?
It’s important to keep in mind some of the places where bacteria are most likely to accumulate, as these are the types of places that need to be targeted when putting a cleaning schedule in place. Some of the most common surfaces with high levels of contamination include:
- Computers (including the mouse and keyboard)
- Desk phones
- Kitchen/break room tap handles
- Microwave door handles
- Water fountain buttons
- Vending machine buttons
- Keypads for entering the building or office.
What type of cleaning schedule is best for you?
When establishing a cleaning schedule, a variety of factors should be weighed up. Your daily, weekly, and monthly office cleaning lists can vary based on the number of workers, the location of your office, and the size of your workplace, so you should keep this in mind when deciding what kind of cleaning you’ll need to put in to place.
Some things to consider will be: is there a rota system in place? And if so, will employees be sharing desks? If they are hot desking, the space will need to be cleaned down in between the crossover.
Different types of workplaces need different cleaning schedules, for instance a busy office with lots of workers coming in and out will probably need daily mopping of hard floor areas, whereas a smaller, quieter workplace may not demand this. Factories or places of work that generate more mess will likely need more regular cleaning.
You should create a list of all the areas that need cleaning along with how frequently they need to be cleaned. These tasks can then be ticked off and signed as completed. Some examples might be:
Daily
- Brush and mop hard flooring
- Vacuum carpets
- Clean glass surfaces
- Emptying rubbish and replace bin liners
- Remove clutter
- Dust surfaces
- Clean common touchpoints – light switches, door handles, keypads etc
- Clean and sanitise toilets sinks and dispensers
- Polish mirrors
- Restock soap, towel, and tissues.
- Dust all surfaces
- Wipe down walls where needed
- Mop and rinse flooring with disinfectant.
Weekly
- Thorough brush and mop of hard flooring including hard to reach places.
- Empty refrigerator
- Clean microwave
- Clean windows.
Monthly
- Deep clean carpets
- Polish and buff hard floors
- Here are some other cleaning options that can be considered.
Janitorial Cleaning
Janitorial services come to mind for many business owners when they start considering cleaning services. Cleaning floors, walls, chairs, kitchens, toilets, and other areas are generally all part of janitorial services. Basic property repair, such as light bulb replacement or minor plumbing work, is typically included in most janitorial services. You can help keep employee productivity and workplace morale high by ensuring a safe, friendly, and relaxed working atmosphere by outsourcing your cleaning needs to a reputable janitorial/cleaning business.
Air Sanitisation
Regardless of how small or large your company is, the quality of air inside your premises influences the experience and overall health of your employees and visitors. Viruses, bacteria, mould, fungi, and volatile organic compounds can all be found in the air and on exposed surfaces. They can produce foul odours as well as lead to illness. As soon as an area is washed, airborne microorganisms can settle again, recolonising on surfaces and growing odour and infection problems.
The SteraSpace air and surface sanitisers from Airdri continuously distribute a stream of disinfecting plasma that eliminates harmful viruses and breaks down bacteria – leaving the room smelling clean and fresh. Air does not need to pass through the units making SteraSpace effective, even in poorly ventilated rooms.
SteraSpace can reduce the frequency with which you need to clean as while it cleans the air, it also stops microorganisms from reproducing on surfaces. To find out more about how SteraSpace can help with your workplace cleaning schedule please get in touch.