10 Tips to Help You Keep Your Business Clean During Cold and Flu Season
As the cold and flu season approaches, staying healthy is on everyone’s mind. Preventing the spread of germs can be difficult in a work environment, but it isn’t impossible. Here are 10 tips you can use to keep your business clean this cold and flu season.
1. Consider What You’re Cleaning With
You can’t keep your business clean if you aren’t using the right products. Check the ingredients on the bottle and pay attention to the claims the product makes. Look for options that tell you what percentage of germs they kill or what viruses they target.
2. Schedule Extra Cleanings
One of the best things you can do during cold and flu season is clean more regularly. Schedule a few extra cleanings during the winter months. If you don’t normally use a cleaning service, consider hiring one for the winter.
3. Upgrade Your Space
Consider upgrading to hands-free soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and sinks. Lessening the number of surfaces employees touch can help control the spread of illness.
4. Provide More Sanitization Options
Set out extra hand sanitizer for your employees and customers. Be sure to have it highly visible in your high-traffic areas. The more people that see it, the more likely they are to use it.
5. Encourage Sick Leave
The best way to prevent the spread of colds or the flu is to keep sick employees at home. Offering sick leave or remote work options can help keep the rest of your employees healthy.
6. Promote Prevention
Encourage your employees to prevent spreading the flu by getting a flu shot. Offer them an incentive, or make it convenient by scheduling a flu shot day at your facility.
7. Invest in Health Care
Regular doctor visits, vaccinations, and examinations can help prevent illness among your staff. Invest in creating an employee health plan that works for everyone involved. A good health plan keeps your employees on the job, plus it’s a great incentive when you’re hiring.
8. Change Your Air Filters
Your air filters collect a lot of germs throughout the cold and flu season. Having them changed regularly can help lessen the number of germs you and your team members are breathing in.
9. Wipe Down High-Touch Surfaces
Look around your business and note which surfaces get touched most often. Computer keyboards, counters, and door handles, for example, are magnets for germs. Sanitizing such surfaces often will lessen the risk of germs spreading around.
10. Get Everyone Involved
Get your whole team on board with maintaining a clean environment. If everyone is taking the necessary steps, there’s less chance of passing around a nasty bug. Remind everyone to wipe down surfaces and wash their hands often.
Keeping your workplace clean and your staff healthy is crucial all year, but especially during cold and flu season. Use these tips to make the process easier and the season healthier. For additional help, reach out to us at The Night Shift. We have decades of experience in a wide variety of cleaning and janitorial services.