If you are like me, you probably have fond memories of spending time at your grandmum's house, and if you're like me, you probably remember her clean floors, her piping hot dish water, the smell of her starched laundry and more. Many of the secrets our grandmothers used to clean may have been lost, but they are not gone forever. In this blog, I am going to include posts on all kinds of old fashioned cleaning, but I'm also going to explain the best methods for including contemporary cleaning methods in your home. Using this information, I hope you can have a house that has all the charms of old fashioned cleaning alongside of the newest strategies and methods. Thanks for stopping by my corner of the internet!
The lurking health hazards of germ-filled offices
On the surface, it might seem like your office is relatively clean, but lurking out of sight an entire ecosystem of germs could be wreaking havoc with the health and wellbeing of your workforce. Germs spread incredibly fast in a communal office environment. While many people suspect their carpet or air conditioning could be the cause of their daily sneezes, most are surprised to learn the stark reality that an office desk harbours 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.
Where are germs most likely to lurk?
Desks, phones, water cooler taps, printers, office chairs, microwave buttons, keyboards and computer mice are all breeding grounds for microbes. According to a Mens Health, 20 per cent of coffee mugs can carry faecal bacteria – all the more reason to bring your own. There's no doubt that if left unchecked, germ-filled offices will cause many of the sick days that staff take. If left to spread between staff, over time bacteria could easily cripple the productivity of the business from employee absences.
When it comes to germs, sharing is definitely not caring. Here's how to how to stop the germs socialising among staff, and avoid sickness spreading through the workforce.
1. A consistent disinfection routine
It may look clean, but it doesn't mean that it is. A regular cleaning roster ensures that all staff take responsibility for keeping shared work areas hygienic. Sanitising office areas through disinfecting shared surfaces will eliminate 99.9 per cent of microorganisms – but it needs to be performed regularly. Pay regular attention to the phone, printer, keyboards, and door handles as well as surfaces that multiple employees are likely to touch with their hands.
2. Hand sanitiser stations
Provide foam sanitiser dispensers in work bathrooms, and bottles and wipes on desks and in the employee lunch room. Hands have been described as the 'highway' for the transfer of germs around the office and how people contract illness from bacteria as they then touch their mouth, face and eyes. Pay particular attention to fridge handles, seals around doors where mould grows, and kitchen bins and around the sink. Remember to empty bins regularly and empty leftover food in the office fridge.
3. Bi annual commercial cleaning
As well as regular professional cleaning of the office, a more thorough clean of carpets and HVAC systems can maintain a healthy indoor environment with optimum office air quality. Over time ductwork and carpets can collect dust and harbour mould and bacteria that move easily around the office. Professional cleaning of filters, air supply vents and and duct work will reduce the health hazards caused by dirty air conditioning systems. Professional carpet steam cleaning will extract entrenched bacteria, dirt and dust in the carpet and underlay that can easily become airborne, resulting in allergies, asthma, colds and sometimes more serious conditions.
Because germs aren't 'seen' and there's often so much other work to be done in an office, it can be easy to overlook the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in a professional setting. It's no secret however that germs and bacteria spread rapidly, cause illness and lead to a loss of productivity among employees. Properly disinfect your workstations with sanitary protocols and commercial cleaning services.
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