Health Matters: Tips On Cleaning Your Offices After Lockdown

The Coronavirus pandemic came right out of the blue and was something that nobody was expecting;  it has also turned our everyday lives around. Many of us have been furloughed, or worse have lost our jobs, and we have been confined to our homes and locked down for extended periods of time. Thankfully, it seems that the lockdown period has ended, but this has meant that we have had to change the way we do things in order to face the realities of the virus. As we are heading back to work and to our offices it is crucial that we clean them in such a way that all employees are safe and shielded from potentially catching the virus.

 

Here we are going to take a look at how to clean your office after lockdown. 

Clean more often

In the past it was common that our offices would be cleaned once a week, or at most twice a week, however, this is a thing of the past. Because the risk of infection is so great it is now vital that all offices are cleaned on a daily basis. Science has proven that the virus can stay alive on many surfaces for 3-4 days so to eliminate the risk it is vital that regular cleaning is carried out. All employees need to be made aware of their own responsibilities to share the workload and the economic burden this extra cleaning will bring.

For example, windows are often overlooked, but cleaning and maintaining them makes a big difference. Simply wiping windows down with a damp cloth is not enough. If you want your windows to look spotless and gleam, you need professional tools, equipment, and accessories. Having a neat and well-maintained facade attracts more customers, and knowing how a business is kept meticulously clean will keep them coming back.

 

Use disposable cleaning gear

As we previously discussed the Coronavirus can stay alive on many surfaces for extended periods so it is absolutely vital that you use disposable cleaning gear in the office otherwise you could very easily transport the virus from one location to another. Obviously, you will be using antivirus alcohol-based gels, but nevertheless, when going from room to room you should use fresh new cloths and towels to eliminate any possibility of cross-contamination.

 

Hire professionals

Sometimes in crowded offices with many people coming and going, it can be difficult to ensure that the cleaning is carried out as thoroughly as possible by your own teams, for example by using the right vacuum cleaner, so for the sake of your employee’s safety, it is advisable to hire a contract cleaning team who will be well versed with the realities of the virus. If this is beyond your budget it is worth visiting a website that can give you advice on the best products to use in order to eliminate the risks that the virus brings. We all know how dangerous it can be so it is essential that you do the right thing by your employees, and ensure that their workspace is virus-free.

 

Be preventative

Cleaning isn’t simply about actually cleaning, it is also about preventing surfaces from becoming dirty in the first place, and this applies during the Coronavirus pandemic more than at any other time. Make sure that you screen all employees on their entry into the office every day by checking their temperature and asking them to declare if they have any symptoms. By doing this, you will be eliminating anyone that could be carrying the virus. Obviously, there are asymptomatic people, but at least you are doing your best to mitigate the spread of the virus in the office, from those that are showing possible symptoms.

 

Get rid of hand driers

Toilets are one area where the virus can easily spread and they also happen to be one of the hardest places to keep clean. One thing that is absolutely vital is that all hand driers are turned off or removed. The very nature of waving your wet hands around a piece of blowing metal means that the virus can easily cling to the hand drier itself, ready to latch on to the next user. Introduce paper towels instead and ensure that these are thrown away into an appropriate safe container after every use.

 

Pay attention to shared spaces

Shared spaces in the office are going to be the places where the virus is most likely to spread. If the desks in your office are shared by different employees on different days then it is absolutely crucial that they are thoroughly cleaned after every use. In kitchens, there should be no shared cutlery or crockery. Each employee should bring to work their lunch premade, and making hot drinks should be out of bounds. Your employees will need to bring in their own thermos flask for that morning cuppa. It may sound draconian but if we want to beat the virus once and for all, then these measures are needed.

 

As we have discovered, the way that you need to go about cleaning your office has changed dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. Cleaning now needs to happen on a daily basis and after any individual uses any item in the office. Ensure that all employees are well versed in the requirements and make sure disposable cleaning products are used and virus spreaders such as hand driers are turned off. If we all pull together then the sooner we can return to normality and can get back to our previous lives.