Our economy has partially re-opened and some businesses are allowing staff to return to work. The coronavirus threat is still around so employers must take extra precaution this year to ensure that staff and customers are protected and safe from infection.
You can minimise the risk of flu and coronavirus infection in the office by taking the simple steps to engage a professional cleaning company to look after the cleaning and sanitising of the entire office.
The office is a harbinger of germs and harmful allergens. Anytime you put a group of people in a confined space for eight hours or more a day, it’s going to get dirty. Some offices have a handful of personnel while others may have 100. Combined this with visitors – suppliers, customers, service providers and your office is a magnet for trouble.
While surface cleaning can remove visible dirt and regular tidying can make the place looks neat, some of the dirtiest spots in the office cannot be seen by the naked eye. You will be surprised where these spots are.
The dirtiest spots in your office is lurking where you least expect them.
Here is the list:
Door Handles
Door handles are incredibly dirty. Many people touch them many times in a day -going in and out of rooms. If your business deals with walk-in customers, door handles in public spaces can become ‘hotspots’ to transmit virus and bacteria.
The Coffee Machine
If there is a coffee machine, there will be people. You can bet a multitude of different hands would have the machine multiple times on a daily basis. That goes for the sugar bowl, the tea canister and the cupboards where crockery is kept.
The Photocopier
Most employees will use the photocopier at some point in the day. No one thinks of wiping the machine before they use it. It’s not surprising that the start button on the machine is one of the dirtiest spots in your office.
The Pantry
The pantry is a big part of many offices, and while it is wonderful for small talk, grabbing a bite or just destressing, it is also one of the dirtiest spots in the office. When you combine, food, water and multiple hands touching everything, there is bound to be issues with cleanliness and ultimately, health.
So where are the kitchen problem spots? The sink faucet handle, the handles of the pantry cupboards, the rubbish bin, dining table and chairs even the communal dish cloth we use to wipe down everything!
Coffee Mugs
If you have a system of shared mugs you may be inviting germs and bacteria into your office. The more staff sharing the mugs, the higher the probability of bacteria. More so if they are cleaning it with a communal cloth or sponge or drying it with the single tea towel in the pantry.
The Microwave
One of the most neglected object to be cleaned in the office. Everyone’s using it to heat up their lunch but not everyone is bothered to wipe it down. The microwave ranks high in the dirtiest spots in the office.
The Fridge
Another neglected item. The fridge door is handled dozens of time in an eight-hour work day. Inside the fridge, fresh lunches mix dangerously with forgotten lunches, leftover sandwiches, rotting fruit and other perishables.
Pens
How many of us have picked up a pen from someone else’s desk during work? You may not know it but pens passed from hands to hands can become very dirty. Especially when you consider that some people put them in their mouths, in their ears and use them as a general scratching tool.
Computers
The keyboard is a harbinger for germs and bacteria. We use it all the time after touching other surfaces. We don’t usually make it a point to wash our hands before we start work on the computer again.
Waste Bins
We throw all sorts of rubbish into the bin. Office bins have to be emptied and sanitised regularly to ensure the health of your staff.
Staff workstations
We place all sort of things on our personal space in the office. From unwashed coffee cups to takeaway cartons the workstation is one of the biggest culprits in cultivating germs and bacteria.
Filing cupboards
They are accessible to most staff. Everyone who needs to get a paper file will rifle through its drawers. Very few people will think of wiping their hands before or after they have been through it.
Telephones
Do you have an extension at your desk? The mouthpiece and handle are harbingers of bacteria because they are used so often.
What You Can Do
If you are surprised and a little disgusted by the realization that many of the common spots in an office are also its dirtiest, there is a solution. Take steps to ensure these dirty spots are regularly and properly cleaned. Install a blower in the washrooms. Provide and encourage staff to use hand sanitisers. Replace cloth sponges with paper towels. Use disposable paper cups or encourage staff to bring their own mugs from home. Invest in a good dishwasher and encourage the staff to use it. Educate staff on how to use the fridge and create a roster to clean out the fridge regularly.
There are many things employers can do to ensure the health and safety of their staff. A clean and healthy environment minimises workplace accidents, grows productivity and promotes wellbeing.
Finally, consider engaging the services of a team of professional commercial cleaners to undertake the office cleaning. A commercial cleaning team are trained to look out for all the possible hotspots for bacteria and germs. They are trained to clean and sanitize the office to quality standards. Most commercial cleaning businesses in Sydney are competitive and you will easily be able to negotiate a price within your cleaning budget.
When finding a professional cleaning company, look for one with trained and qualified staff, a good reputation, Australian cleaning accreditation and superior customer service. Also, check that the company can provide the necessary insurance indemnity and a service guarantee. The commercial cleaning company must also be reliable, trustworthy and flexible.
If you’d like to learn more about keeping your office clean contact the DryTech Commercial Cleaning today. You will be surprised how affordable it is to get on top of all these dirty spots.