6th January 2016

Keep Your Office Germ-Free Over Winter

The cold season generally brings with it an array of germs and bugs, which, without a few basic safeguards, can spread like wildfire throughout the office environment. Here, we provide a few helpful suggestions to keep your workplace clean and sanitary, ensuring employees stay healthy and productive.

We all know the familiar coughing, sneezing and wheezing that occur as soon as the temperature drops, and with offices providing a veritable breeding ground for flu-like germs, the bugs get passed around in no time at all. Keeping the workplace clean and sanitary is always important, but never more so during winter.

First and foremost, you need to make sure all employees follow good hygiene practice, and this includes following Zenith’s example by installing an instant hand sanitizer in each office during flu season, along with anti-bacterial soap at sinks. You can also provide staff with hand sanitizing wipes to keep in their desk drawers, useful not only for keeping hands clean, but also wiping down desks, telephones and equipment. Keeping keyboards clean is a must, as one recent study found the average keyboard contains five times more bacteria than a toilet. This should be done with a cleaning solution, lint-free cloth and cotton swabs.

Good hygiene practice leads the way, but you should also pay attention to high traffic areas, making sure toilet areas are regularly cleaned and items used by lots of hands, such as door handles, telephone receivers and electronic devices, are regularly disinfected. Dust can carry bacteria and germs, so it’s important to carry out regular dusting using a disinfectant solution, paying particular attention to window frames, fan blades, light fittings and underneath furniture.

Key to maintaining a healthy work environment is a clean floor, and during winter months, a great deal of dirt and grime can be walked in, including salt from the pavement. Floors should thoroughly mopped and/or machine cleaned to remove any puddles of dirty water, preventing slipping and ensuring all dirt and germs are wiped away; and carpeted areas should be regularly vacuumed to remove germs and pollutants from the fibres. It’s a good idea to place dust mats in reception, enabling staff to wipe their feet and helping to prevent the spread of germs.

Finally, air quality plays a major role in keeping staff healthy. With indoor air containing up to five times more pollutants than outdoor air, it’s essential HVAC systems are regularly cleaned and maintained, filters changed, and plants are placed around the office.

Keeping your office clean and sanitary during winter will pay dividends in terms of employee health, ensuring you minimise absenteeism and maximise productivity. Whether you choose to clean the workplace or employ professionals, it’s important to be thorough and meticulous, and use high quality materials. To find out more about Zenith’s professional cleaning services, please click here.

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