Are Your Office Cleaners Making You or Your People Sick?
Regardless of how clean and seemingly healthy you and your employees are, the office will always be one of the perfect locations for disease-causing pathogens to spread. A number of people in a small space frequently touching communal objects creates the perfect environment for germs.
Office break rooms, restrooms and other high-traffic areas can easily become hotspots for colds, flu and other illnesses. Of course, colds, flu and stomach bugs exist year-round, but cold weather brings peak flu season as more people spend time indoors spreading germs.
Unless your commercial cleaning company is prepared and performing at a high level, your employee attendance and productivity may suffer.
The best protection against seasonal illness is minimizing transmission and paying close attention to areas that serve as breeding grounds for germs. Is your office cleaning company doing everything possible to keep your workplace healthy?
When Cleaning for Health, What’s Most Critical?
Research has helped explain how disease spreads in workplaces. Studies show that a working adult can touch as many as 25 objects each minute, potentially contaminating surfaces with bacteria and pathogens.
Workplace studies also show that surfaces like keyboards, phones and computer mice often contain more germs than toilet seats.
Professional commercial cleaning companies should understand how illnesses spread and be familiar with terms such as hotspots, touch points and dwell time. They must train teams in safe chemical use and follow best practices that reduce the spread of disease.
See the ISSA infographic on the real cost of poor office cleaning. Workplace absenteeism costs businesses more than $225 billion annually and can reduce productivity by up to 54%.
Touch Points and Why They Matter
Touch points are surfaces that people frequently touch. These areas require special attention during cleaning.
Common touch points include phones, keyboards, door handles, light switches, printers, refrigerator handles, microwave buttons and railings.
Research confirms that the most frequently touched areas are the most likely to spread germs.
If these areas are not cleaned consistently they can become major sources of illness within your office.
Office cleaning companies unfamiliar with proper touch-point cleaning often cause higher illness rates, employee absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Effective office cleaning is not only about how the office looks — it is about how clean and healthy it actually is.
Cold and Flu Season Impacts Productivity
Poor cleaning does not only make your facility look unkempt — it can also make employees sick.
Areas with high bacterial and viral loads increase the likelihood of illness. Proper disinfectants and cleaning methods can significantly reduce this risk.
When hotspots are cleaned frequently and properly, illness-related absenteeism drops and employee productivity increases.
A healthier workplace also improves employee engagement and retention.
Is Your Cleaning Company a Partner Against Disease?
The best commercial cleaning companies clean not only for appearance but for health.
They understand bacterial transmission and know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting.
They also understand dwell time — the time required for disinfectants to remain on surfaces to effectively kill germs.
Cleaning science has advanced significantly. If your cleaning company is not keeping up with these advances, they may be exposing your workplace to unnecessary health risks.
A strong cleaning partner should prioritize employee health, support proper hygiene practices and ensure sick employees stay home.
Partner With the Right Cleaning Company
The best way to maintain a healthy workplace is to partner with a professional and responsive janitorial provider.
At Stathakis, we work with businesses across Southeast Michigan to keep workplaces clean and healthy. We understand the importance of touch points, sanitation and professional staff screening.
To learn how we help Facility Managers maintain effective cleaning services while staying on budget, contact us at (800) 278-1884.
Stathakis proudly serves Southeast Michigan including Ann Arbor, Detroit, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Downriver, Farmington, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Auburn Hills, Novi and Plymouth.
