CONTRACT CLEANING
A Fresh Approach
Cross-contamination is a serious problem, particularly in a workplace environment. However, Zesty Clean, a domestic and small business cleaning company based in London, offer their top tips on how cleaners can help eradicate cross-contamination in the workplace and beyond.
We love to talk about cleaning – there are so many important topics to discuss – but one area that is of particular interest to us is helping small businesses keep clean and avoid cross-contamination. Unlike large enterprises with big budgets, small businesses have to be very prudent with every penny they spend. Professional office cleaning struggles to make it in the budget, although it is absolutely critical for employee and customer health and well-being.
Oftentimes office staff do the cleaning themselves – squeezing cleaning tasks into an already busy day. This can be a pragmatic solution to tight budgets, but is it a false economy? Is your office getting as clean as it should and are you protecting yourself from cross-contamination?
We encounter cross-contamination hazards everyday and want to help people identify these hazards and provide tips for avoiding them, as many may be unaware of the seriousness of this issue. So what measures can a small business take to minimise the spread of microbes?
Here are some
things to consider: Are your cleaning supplies clean? At home we may be quite prudent but in the office environment there may not be the same level of attention paid unless
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someone is assigned responsibility. A cleaning service will focus on this for you, helping you to get the right supplies and manage them properly.
Every time you clean with a cloth that has been used before, you pass on the bacteria from the previous clean and spread them all around your surfaces. The surface might look clean but there are a lot of bacteria lurking on those oft-used cloths. Anti-bacterial sprays are effective but if you want to re-use your cloths, wash them after each clean. Disposable anti-bacterial wipes are a great solution if you don’t have a washing machine on site.
Are you separating your supplies? Depending on your office set up many people may access the cleaning cupboard. It is advisable to colour code and label your cleaning equipment or at least keep things separated so that no one uses the toilet cleaning gloves accidentally in the staff kitchen.
Do you have an equipment cleaning and maintenance schedule? Cross-contamination is also one of the reasons we advise our clients to have a maintenance schedule for their cleaning equipment, like vacuums, and to keep their equipment clean following the manufacturer’s instructions. Not only does it help avoid cross- contamination but it also helps keep your equipment in good condition.
Proper maintenance can be time consuming, however. A possible option is to ask your cleaner to clean your equipment for you as part of their regular routine. You might read the instructions beforehand to make sure you understand how it works and then walk through them with your cleaner so you are both on the same page about how you want your equipment cared for.
Here at Zesty, we recommend that you either launder cleaning cloths after each use, or use disposable ones. We also suggest that you label your cleaning supplies, especially gloves, and refresh frequently, rather than waiting for your cloths, mops, sponges and gloves to look old and nasty. We also recommend that you keep a well-maintained, orderly cleaning cupboard, and create a cleaning and maintenance schedule for equipment such as vacuum cleaners.
Small businesses are dynamic, high- energy environments. There’s no reason why they can’t also be clean environments free from the hazards of cross-contamination. With a bit of organisation, and a modest budget spent on a professional service, the benefits of a clean, hygienic office will surely outweigh the expenses.
www.zesty-clean.com
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
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