Studies show that the office is a ‘dirt trap’. You won’t believe some of the dirtiest items can all be found in the office – these include microwaves, taps, door knobs, computer keyboards and fridge doors.
This is especially of concern given the popularity of open-plan, shared-desk and co-working workplaces. Workers in a shared workspace have a 62 per cent higher incidence of sickness absence than those in private or shared cellular offices.
Etiquette in shared-desk workplaces requires employees to clean down their workstation and equipment when they finish using it. However, fewer than half of employees comply.
Unfortunately, human beings are influenced by our peers and our environment. Not everyone lives as pigs at home but sometimes in a work environment they can easily be influenced by status quo. For example, if no one in the office bothers to throw out their expired yoghurt or rotting sandwich in the fridge, the fridge is likely to stay dirty and contaminated all the time. While your staff may keep the inside of their fridge very clean at home. At work, they will feel just like everyone else – it is not their responsibility.
Impact of a dirty, messy workplace
Numerous studies have shown that a dirty and messy office is bad for health and safety.
Office surfaces, walls and floors are harbingers for harmful bacteria and germs. With so many people working together in a confined space up to 8 hours a day, it is easy for human to human infection to occur.
Sick staff equates to absenteeism which in turns becomes a cost for the business. You have to hire replacement staff. You have to pay more medical insurance premiums. Project deadlines are not met. Things grind to a halt.
Dirty offices also pose a safety risk for employees. Dirt and grime on carpets left untreated will result in carpet fibres packing. The carpet becomes threadbare and slippery. Staff can trip and fall. You don’t want to even think about the cost and reputation damage that can cause to your business.
Finally, a dirty office is a terrible look for the business image. No customers want to buy from a place that can get its cleaning sorted out. Social media can become a nightmare for your reputation. Imagine a customer posting a not so flattering photograph of your dirty office on Instagram or Facebook? A thread starts about your unhygienic conditions. It goes viral.
What businesses can do
Not all communicable infections have vaccines, so overcoming the problem of dirty workspaces may be the only way to minimise human to human infection in the office.
Hand hygiene is a simple but effective way to minimise infection risk. Provide wipes for employees to wipe down equipment, keyboards and telephones they have used.
Reduce the use of items that can cross-contaminate for example do not use shared coffee mugs in the office. Settle for disposable and recyclable paper cups instead. Avoid cloth towels in bathrooms and kitchens unless these are regularly maintained by your commercial cleaner. Use paper kitchen and hand towels instead.
Staff who have a contagious illness should seek a doctor’s advice and take time off if they are unwell. It is counterproductive to show up to work unwell and infect your colleagues.
How commercial cleaning can help your business
No matter what type of business you have or what size office space you use, it is going to have to be cleaned properly. While you can get the staff to do their share of the cleaning, you must bear in mind that you did not hire them to be cleaners.
So the best way around this is to hire a commercial cleaning company in Sydney to help your business get on top of your cleaning and sanitising.
Office equipment cleaning
Nothing propagates viruses quicker than a dirty computer mouse, a keyboard or telephone. Common equipment like printers and copiers are also hotspots for germs and viruses.
Keeping these free of viruses is important for the health of the staff and customers. Office cleaners can keep these clean and germ-free by wiping and sanitising them on a daily basis.
Office appliance cleaning
Office appliances like fridges, microwaves, electric kettle and so forth are used and touched dozens of times in a day. They, too, have to be wiped and sanitised properly by the commercial cleaners.
Office carpet cleaning
You don’t notice it but the carpet in your office can be easily dirtied. All kinds of contaminant can find their way to the carpet – soil and grit from shoes, food crumbs, coffee spills, hair, pet dander and more. The list is endless.
Carpets have to be vacuumed every day. Professional cleaning companies have high-powered vacuums with HEPA filters that can suck up all the surface dirt, dust and grime.
Carpet steam cleaning is compulsory because it removes harmful bacteria and germs from carpets. The best steam cleaning is one that is done by a professional carpet cleaner. A commercial cleaning company has the right high-powered equipment to remove even the most stubborn bacteria from your office carpet.
Toilets and bathroom cleaning
The community bathroom is full of germs. Cleaning toilet bowls, urinals, sinks, shelves, walls and doors will be a significant aspect of keeping the office hygienic and maintaining a good customer experience. The experienced office-cleaning contractors will use the best office cleaning services available to make the bathrooms as clean as possible.
Commercial cleaning for the office
A commercial cleaning company can handle a comprehensive range of cleaning services for the office. Instead of doing it on your own, save the time and money by hiring a commercial cleaning company in Sydney to take care of all your office cleaning. Call DryTech Commercial cleaning today for a free office cleaning quote.
Commercial cleaning companies like DryTech can also do specialised cleaning like end-of-lease cleaning, water damage cleaning and restoration, and stain removal and protection services.
DryTech Commercial Cleaning is one of Sydney’s best commercial cleaning companies. For more information about our wide range of services or a free quote call: 02 9161 1621 or email: [email protected]