Effective Ways to Improve Hygiene and Reduce Operating Costs

A recent study by the Cleaning Coalition of America found 66% of US workers consider cleaning practices very important in their workplace. Some of this is linked to Coronavirus, of course, but much is due to people realizing the importance of health and hygiene in the place they spend most of their time. While you cannot be responsible for all cleaning activities yourself, there are things business owners, management and individual staff can do to increase the hygiene levels in their office or facility. Here are four to consider:

1. Audit your Consumables, Fixtures and Fittings

Hands-free and contactless solutions for many essential elements of your office remove the touchpoints that your employees may come into contact with. Soap dispensers, for example, are available with no need to touch the dispenser itself. Similarly, closed models also include a hygienically sealed nozzle and storage space for the liquid soap. This minimizes the risk of bacteria spreading. Similarly, you can look into hands-free faucets and other kitchen essentials to minimize contact points and help ensure there is less risk of the spread of bacteria and other contaminants. You can audit all elements of your business and replace, where financially viable, anything that requires excessive touch or is used by multiple people throughout the day, such as soap dispensers, faucets and even coffee machines and water dispensers. Implementing touchless alternatives may seem like an unnecessary expense but as they are also designed with conservation and energy saving in mind they will save the business money over time.

2. Consider smart technologies

Smart technologies can be used in any area within your business to help ensure cleaning standards are met. Smart restroom technology, for example, will prompt cleaners to ensure touch points are regularly sanitized. Critical touch points such as toilet paper dispensers, stalls and doorknobs will never be missed again.

3. Invest in relevant training

While you do not expect your employees to carry out the full cleaning requirements for your business, they do need to know the basics. Training in health and safety and hygiene helps to ensure best practice is always followed. If your employees understand the risks of not maintaining good levels of personal hygiene and keeping their workspace clean and tidy, there is less risk of the spread of bacteria, infection and other potential hazards. You can embed hygiene and cleanliness training into any element of your employee’s training schedule. Include it at onboarding, through self-learning videos and webinars or even consider asking your cleaning company partner to step in and show your employees the basics they can cover.

4. Choose a reliable partner

Most businesses need a commercial cleaning partner. Keeping on top of a good level of cleaning is not something your employees are paid to do and they also do not have expertise in this area. Partnering with professional commercial cleaners ensures you have peace of mind when it comes to your premises’ level of cleaning. You can work with your chosen partner to arrange a schedule for cleaning sessions and ensure they match the requirements of your operating hours. Penn Jersey provide commercial cleaning services for businesses across West Philadelphia. Our service provision includes full janitorial contracts as well as daily, weekly and scheduled cleans for some clients. We also offer deep cleaning and specialized services such as pressure washing and wooden floor polishing to ensure the premises not only deliver the highest levels of hygiene, they’re also fantastic to look at.

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