Cleaning's 'new normal'
Robert Scott looks at cleaning considerations for retail and leisure and how we can learn lessons from essential retailers that have already implemented new cleaning regimes.
As lockdown restrictions continue to lift and the retail and leisure sectors encourage footfall, there’s a requirement for businesses to take measures to keep the public safe and help combat COVID-19’s spread.
How to handle touchpoints
Increased cleaning frequency has been a failsafe approach for many businesses, and it isn’t just janitorial staff that are tasked with cleaning responsibilities anymore: staff across all departments are being asked to do their bit to keep their working environment clean, such as keeping common touchpoint areas clean as they go.
Tracy Kirkpatrick, Regional Sales Manager at Robert Scott, explained: “Businesses should increase cleaning frequency of common touchpoints areas which can experience high volumes of human interaction, therefore easily transmitting and spreading viruses. These touchpoints often include handrails, door handles, lifts and escalators, push plates, sinks, tables, vending machines and more.”
For the hospitality sector, consideration should go into common guest touchpoint areas such as tableware, chairs, condiments and menus, which should be disinfected after each customer use.
Additionally, the UK government’s guidelines for shops and stores advise businesses to encourage customers not to touch stock. The guidelines state, ‘Limiting customer handling of merchandise, for example, through different display methods, new signage or rotation, or cleaning of high-touch stock with your usual cleaning products’.
A sustainable way forward
It’s an undeniable fact that the industry is a direct contributor to issues that threaten the future of our planet, such as plastic waste. However, as COVID-19 took hold, demand for single-use and disposable products soared, in a bid to reduce cross-contamination.
While necessary for high-risk environments such as hospitals and care homes, and in the event of a possible virus outbreak, retail and leisure businesses should consider a more sustainable approach with reusable products that can be safely washed and reused, reducing waste for daily cleaning regimes.
Hygienic and cost-saving products, such as reusable microfibre cloths and mop pads, can be used multiple times if washed at the correct temperatures above 60°C after each use. Microfibre offers a cost-effective alternative to blue roll, which is a one-time use product and is far less effective.
Retailers leading the way
While many businesses were required to close their doors in March, essential retailers were on the frontlines ensuring the public had access to food and necessary household goods.
58 | LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY
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This meant supermarkets and smaller stores had to quickly introduce new health and safety measures to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Supermarkets also had to increase transparency and communication to customers, with some leading brands publishing COVID-19 risk assessments stating their commitment to maintaining a safe, clean environment and clearly outlining the actions they are taking to keep their promise. In most cases, this includes an increase in the frequency and rate of cleaning.
However, in order to improve efficiencies and provide ease for end-users taking on additional cleaning duties – and even working longer hours – retailers should consider introducing multipurpose cleaning tools.
One such tool is the Duop Reach: a multi-functional, extendable cleaning tool featuring a unique, ergonomic ball and socket joint, making manual cleaning strain-free for users. The handle helps to clean hard to reach surfaces, and also remove the head for targeted handheld cleaning – ideal for areas with multiple surface heights and materials, often found in retail and leisure facilities.
The Duop Reach can be used on walls, windows, floors, units and more, meaning end-users won’t have to switch tools and can simply swap out the replaceable microfibre pad to avoid cross-contamination.
With a robust cleaning system in place, together we can help protect the public and keep the UK hygienically clean.
www.robert-scott.co.uk
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