Helpful Tips for Cleaning Businesses During Covid

tips cleaning businesses during covid-19 pandemic commercial cleaners coronavirus

Did you know that the average office desk is home to 400 times the number of germs on an average toilet seat? In fact, each workspace in an office building contains tens of thousands of bacteria. And that number grows exponentially the more people you have working in your office. 

This is why cleaning businesses is so important, both in the age of COVID-19 and in a typical pandemic-free workday. Taking time to ensure that your office is clean will protect not only you and your employees but your customers as well. 

That said, cleaning an entire office can be quite the task, and if you aren't familiar with cleaning a business, you might not know where to start. Don't worry, we've got you covered! 

Listed below is a cleaning business checklist to help you and those who work in and visit your business stay safe and healthy. 

Gather Your Supplies 

Your first step to a clean office is to gather all of the supplies you'll need to get there. You likely already have a few cleaning products around the office, but to truly get the deep clean you're looking for, you might need a few things. 

Here's a list of the essentials for cleaning businesses: 

• Baking soda 
• Vinegar 
• Bucket 
• Broom and dustpan 
• Dish soap 
• Disinfecting wipes 
• Duster 
• Floor cleaner 
• Window cleaner 
• Gloves 
• Disinfectant spray 
• Microfiber cloths 
• Paper towels 
• Sponges 
• Mop 
• Toilet cleaner 
• Trash bags 

Now, keep in mind that many store-bought cleaners contain a wide variety of chemicals. If you're at all concerned about bringing potentially harmful substances into your office, you have a couple of options. 

First, remember that the combination of baking soda and vinegar will clean just about anything. Your other option is to look into purchasing green cleaning products. These are made with the health of both the environment and your office staff in mind. 

Create a Cleaning Schedule 

If you're using a commercial cleaning business to help you keep your office clean, it's a good idea to create a list of services you'd like to be completed during their visit. 

On the other hand, if you're cleaning your office yourself, you'll need to create a more extensive cleaning schedule. It should include everything on your cleaning to-do list, broken down into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly tasks. 

It's important to stay on top of your tasks as they pop up. If you get behind, you'll not only be giving yourself more work but you'll be putting yourself and your employees at risk as well. 

Keep Your Office Garbage-Free 

The simplest step to take in terms of keeping your office clean is to ensure that all trash is removed at the end of each day. If you work alone or with a small group, you can handle this task alone. For larger offices, remind your employees that their workspaces should be clear of all trash before they leave for the day. 

Take a moment or two to check the bathrooms, the break room, and the lobby at the end of the workday, discarding any trash you find along the way. Cleaning and disinfecting your garbage can once a week is also a great way to prevent the build-up of bacteria and odors. 

Declutter the Entire Office 

Clutter is terrible for productivity and should be kept out of the office regardless. But if you need more of a reason to stay organized, remind yourself that clutter makes the entire cleaning process more difficult. 

Remove all of the items from shelves, desks, and drawers. Wipe down the surfaces, then begin putting the items back. 

The trick, however, is to not throw everything back where it was. Instead, get rid of what you can first by making two piles: keep and discard. 

When you're finished, take your keep pile and sort it into categories. You should be able to store most things on shelves or inside labeled bins. 

Dust and Vacuum 

One of the most important things to remember when cleaning is to work from top to bottom. The last thing you want to do is clean your floors only to send mounds of dust falling onto them from your shelves. 

Dust the highest places, such as the tops of bookshelves and the corners of ceilings, first. Then work your way down until you've arrived at the floor. At this point, you're ready to vacuum. 

Don't forget to vacuum your office and customers' chairs as well! 

Disinfect Everything 

Once all of your surfaces are free of dust, you can use a disinfectant spray to remove the lingering germs. At each work station, disinfect the desk surface, mouse, phone, keyboard, computer monitor, and armrests. 

If you have upholstered office chairs, use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and essential oils (for fragrance) to disinfect the fabric and remove any stains. 

You'll also need to disinfect all bathrooms, the office kitchen, and the break room if you have one. Leave nothing untouched, every surface in every room should be wiped down. 

The last step in cleaning businesses is to mop the floors. This should be done last and, ideally, after working hours to keep your floors fresh and lower the risk of a slip and fall accident. 

Use These Tips for Cleaning Businesses to Stay Healthy and Safe 

Even when the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, cleaning businesses will still be important. Whether you take a few minutes a day to clean your office yourself or bring in business cleaning services to help you, keep your business organized, clean, and disinfected. 

Cleaning your workplace will help to protect you, your employees, and your customers from all sorts of illnesses, from the flu to the common cold, or a potential future pandemic infectious diseases. 

Looking for more tips and tricks for improving your business practices? Be sure to check out our blog for insights on how to launch cleaning businesses or benefits of sterilizing your workplace.

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