Essential Cleaning Tips for a Healthier Workspace
Maintaining a clean office is extraordinarily important for promoting a healthy work environment, ensuring your staff’s safety and controlling the spread of bacteria.
A tidy and clean workspace enhances employee wellbeing, of course, but it actually does a lot more too. It assists with boosting productivity and ensuring an overall better working activity.
In this article, we will explore the importance of office cleanliness, the hidden sources of bacteria in your workspace, and share some practical cleaning tips that can help foster an effective and sustainable culture of hygiene.
The Hidden Germs in Your Office
Offices are commonly recognised breeding grounds for bacteria. You might be horrified to know that the average office desk is home to over 10 million bacteria.
To put that into perspective: That’s 400 times more germs than found on a toilet seat!
The office desk has numerous high-touch areas, including keyboards, mice, phones, and desks. High touch areas are therefore particularly problematic from a hygiene perspective. These surfaces can and do quickly accumulate germs, especially when multiple employees use them throughout the day.
Office buildings have plenty of other high-touch areas, like elevator buttons and water fountain handles. These bacteria hotspots can spread illness rapidly and sickness can spread across various office surfaces in a matter of hours. That’s why regular office cleaning, including disinfection and hygiene management, are critical for minimising health risks and maintaining a safe workplace.
The Impact of Poor Office Hygiene
Neglecting office hygiene can have serious consequences for both the physical and mental health of your team. Employees working in unhealthy conditions may be exposed to more illnesses, leading to higher rates of team members taking sick leave and an overall reduced productivity.
Moreover, an unsanitary workplace can foster a negative atmosphere, prompting employees to prefer remote work or take more sick days. It can foster a feeling of resentment and can spread a general feeling of lack of pride.
Benefits of a Clean Workspace
There are many advantages to maintaining a clean office and this extends beyond mere aesthetics of a clean working environment.
1. Reduced Sickness Absences
Employees being absent can affect productivity and negatively affect operations. Moreover, the stress and pressure it puts other team members under can be debilitating. That’s why having a clean workspace that significantly lowers the risk of illness among employees is a huge advantage for any company.
2. Improved Productivity
Employees are able to retain more focus and operate more efficiently in a clean environment. This leads to higher levels of satisfaction and then on to tangibly better performance.
3. Enhanced Mental Health
There is a widely recognised connection between physiological health and mental health. A clean office can contribute to a positive atmosphere that will boost morale and make employees feel valued and prioritised.
4. Increased Company Image
A well-maintained office reflects professionalism and can positively influence client perceptions. But even more importantly it fosters a sense of pride in one’s space and therefore in one’s work more holistically.
Implementing Regular Cleaning Practices
To combat the accumulation of germs and encourage a bacteria-free workspace, implement some simple office cleaning practices regularly.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Clean High-Touch Surfaces at Least Once a Week
Ensure that all keyboards, mice, and phones are cleaned with disinfectants on a regular basis.
Use Appropriate Cleaning Supplies
Keep your office stocked with disinfectant wipes, surface cleaners, and natural alternatives like white vinegar. While industrial grade chemicals might be necessary in some contexts, be careful when using harsh cleaners on sensitive surfaces.
Deep Cleaning Protocols
Notify professional cleaning services immediately if an employee is sick to ensure thorough and complete disinfection of the workspace.
Encourage employees to clean as they go, maintain hygienic practices and take part in sharing responsibility of maintaining a bacteria-free workspace. Which leads us to…
How to Create a Culture of Cleanliness
Fostering a culture of cleanliness in the workplace starts at the top and then spreads downwards.
Management must lead by example, promoting hygiene practices through their own actions and providing regular training sessions on cleaning best practices.
Even implementing some more structural or systemic changes, such as maintaining good ventilation to help prevent mould growth and improve air quality, can further support employee health. (Think doors that can open, controllable air conditioning systems, ventilation holes in closable meeting rooms etc.)
Office Cleaning Checklist
To help you out further, we’ve put together this simple and easy-to-follow cleaning checklist to keep your office bacteria free.
Daily To Do Tasks
- Wipe down high-touch surfaces (including desks, phones, keyboards).
- Empty trash bins.
- Clean communal areas (kitchen, break rooms and meeting spaces).
Weekly To Do Tasks
- Deep clean all bathroom and end-of-trip facilities.
- Vacuum office carpets and mop all hard surface floors.
- Dust surfaces and equipment.
Monthly To Do Tasks
- Organise storage areas and ensure the areas are kept clean.
- Deep clean carpets and upholstery, including desk furniture.
- Inspect and restock cleaning supplies.
Need a Hand Cleaning? Give HCS Cleaners a call today!
Maintaining office hygiene is crucial for the health and productivity of your workforce. By implementing regular cleaning practices and fostering a culture of cleanliness, you can create a more productive, more efficient and more enjoyable workplace. Use our checklist above to keep you on track regarding all things hygiene.
If you would like professional assistance in keeping your office bacteria-free, please contact the HCS cleaning services team for tailored cleaning solutions that can be designed and customised to suit your needs.
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