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How Dirty Floors Can Spread Infection

When disinfecting an office space, most people focus on high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, and the like. But don’t forget about the floors! Dirty floors can be a major source of bacteria and virus transmission, causing infection to spread among staff, customers, and visitors.

This is especially true in healthcare facilities, but it is also the case in office buildings, retail stores, childcare centers, warehouses, and any other high-traffic space where different people regularly come and go. Therefore, it’s important for building owners, facility managers, and janitorial decisionmakers to recognize the importance of keeping flooring clean.

dirty floors in a clinic
photo credit: @fr3nks accessed 11/30/22 via CC0

How Dirty Floors Raise Risk of Infection

Germs spread on floors the same way they spread on any other surface: by people. When bacteria lands on flooring, it is easily picked up by the shoes of people coming in and out of that room. Then, germs are transferred to other parts of the building, and so on.

Four Tips to Minimize Infection Risk from Dirty Floors

1. Choose Nonporous Flooring

When installing new flooring in your business, choose a seamless flooring material that is sealed with an impermeable coating. Grouted flooring and unsealed concrete are porous and more difficult to clean effectively, trapping and spreading dirt and bacteria.

Read: Tips for Cleaning Tile and Stone Floors

In addition, healthcare facilities and veterinary clinics should consider installing a chemical-resistant flooring. This will help to protect floors against harsh cleaning chemicals, thereby improving their longevity.

2. Clean Up Spills ASAP

Whether you’re dealing with a biohazard or a simple coffee spill, it’s important to clean up any messes immediately. This will help to contain any infection risk while protecting the flooring from lasting damage.

Read: 5 Tips for Improving Hygiene in Office Buildings

3. Monitor Floor Conditions

Regularly check flooring for cracking, peeling, or other issues. Breaches in protective floor coating can attract bacteria and pose a safety risk.

4. Clean Floors Frequently

Regular floor cleaning is essential to maintaining a healthy, safe work environment, no matter the nature of your business. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning for a free estimate on any business janitorial needs!

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Minneapolis commercial cleaning company. We provide janitor services for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, industrial buildings, and more. We also provide floor stripping and waxing, construction cleanup, and office disinfection services. ROC Commercial Cleaning is an experienced and reputable Minnesota corporate cleaning service provider – no job is too big or too small!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-581-2776 for your free, no-obligation estimate.

Source: Cleaning & Maintenance Management, “5 Steps for Boosting Infection Control Through Floor Maintenance”

The Most Common Germ Hotspots in Office Buildings

As cold and flu season begins, facility managers should be aware of the most common germ hotspots in their buildings. Ensure those touchpoints are properly and regularly cleaned to avoid employee illnesses and absences.

Here are a few of the germiest places in a typical office, according to WebMD.

office germ hotspots
photo credit: @@cottonbro accessed 10/21/22 via CC0

Common Germ Hotspots in Workplaces and Office Buildings

Elevator Buttons

In busy condo and apartment buildings and high-rise office buildings, elevator buttons are touched frequently. Keep hand sanitizer close by to minimize germs.

Door Handles

Like elevator buttons, door handles are touched frequently. They have a larger surface area, however, and are touched for a longer period. In addition to encouraging hand hygiene, make sure door handles are wiped down and sanitized frequently.

How to Use Disinfectants Safely
woman cleaning office sink

Coffee Maker and Coffee Pot

Bacteria thrives inside the dark, damp interior of a coffee maker, especially when it isn’t cleaned regularly (which is the case in many offices). Further, the handle of the coffee pot is touched by many different employees, but often overlooked during cleaning.

Break Room Sink

Office sinks are a hotspot for bacteria and germs – especially the handle. Ensure both are cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Desktops

Ready for an uncomfortable fact? Desktops have about 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. This is because toilet seats are cleaned regularly – but when was the last time you deep cleaned your desktop? Keyboards and telephones are also common germ hotspots. Ensure that employees have the knowledge and supplies they need to clean their workspaces regularly.

5 Tips for Improving Hygiene in Office Spaces

ROC Cleaning can help you avoid the flu! We provide daily cleaning services for office buildings, retail stores, fitness centers, places of worship, and apartment buildings. Don’t wait until your employees or customers get sick – contact us today!

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Minneapolis commercial cleaning company. We provide janitorial services for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, industrial buildings, and more. We also provide floor stripping and waxing, construction cleanup, and office disinfection services. ROC Commercial Cleaning is a trusted Minnesota corporate cleaning service provider – no job is too big or too small!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-581-2776 for your free, no-obligation estimate.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Commercial Cleaning Practices

The pandemic made us all more aware of sanitation and raised our expectations of cleanliness in public settings. So, as more workers return to offices and workplaces, it’s important for building owners and managers to prioritize hygiene, for the health and satisfaction of employees. This is just one way that COVID-19 impacted commercial cleaning practices. Here, we’ll discuss a few others.

How COVID-19 Changed Commercial Cleaning Practices

COVID-19 impact on commercial cleaning practices
photo credit: @matilda-wormwood accessed 9/13/22 via CC0

The Link Between Cleanliness, Health and Safety

People no longer view an unclean space as just an oversight or omission. Now, when visitors, customers or even employees encounter a dirty space, their view of the business changes, and they’re less likely to return. With these higher stakes, it’s a good idea to hire a skilled and reliable commercial cleaning company to keep your business clean and sanitary.

Read: How to Maintain a Clean Restroom

Protocols, Equipment and Signage

Employees now expect visual indications of cleanliness. This includes signage that details cleaning processes, express communication about protocols and requirements, and more advanced cleaning technology. For example, in a recent survey, more than half of respondents stated that they preferred touchless paper towel dispensers.

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Greater Focus on Sanitation

In the same survey, 56 percent of respondents said they clean and sanitize their workspaces more frequently than they did before the pandemic. Employees don’t just want a clean workplace: they want it to be regularly sanitized and disinfected.

Read: What Do Employees Want? A Clean Work Environment.

How has the pandemic changed your company’s commercial cleaning practices and needs? If you need help keeping up with new and additional demands, contact ROC Commercial Cleaning today. We’re here to help!

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Minneapolis commercial cleaning company. We provide janitorial commercial cleaning for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, car dealerships, salons, retail stores, industrial buildings, office disinfection services, onetime services, and more. We also provide construction cleanup during and after construction projects of all sizes. No office cleaning job is too big or too small!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-249-7576 for your free, no-obligation estimate.

Source: CleanLink, “Targeting Hygiene in Cleaning Practices”

How to Maintain a Clean Restroom

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our expectations of cleanliness in both public and private settings. If customers encounter a dirty restroom in a store, salon, or small business, they won’t just be dissatisfied with their experience. They may be unlikely to return at all, out of a fear for their health. It’s more important than ever for your organization to maintain a clean restroom.

If you’re struggling to keep a clean restroom, give ROC Cleaning a call. We provide commercial restroom cleaning daily, weekly, or on any schedule that works for you. Let ROC help your business maintain its reputation, keep employees happy, and protect the bottom line.

Read: What do Employees Want? A Clean Work Environment.

In addition to regular bathroom cleaning services, here are a few ways to keep your restrooms clean every day, for every customer.

How To Keep a Commercial Restroom Clean

tips for a clean restroom

Switch to Touchless Fixtures

By changing toilets, faucets, soap dispensers, and towel dispensers to touchless models, you will reduce points of contact and the spread of germs. Many businesses are also moving away from air dryers in favor of paper towels.

If you decide to add touchless fixtures and dispensers, choose options that allow staff to easily see when items need to be refilled, and to refill them easily. You could even invest in smart technology that sends an alert when something needs attention.

Perform More Frequent Checks

Even if employees aren’t tasked with cleaning the restroom, you’ll want to assign staff to perform restroom checks frequently throughout the day. Make sure the bathrooms stay free of clutter, that dispensers are full, and that there are no major issues.

Read: Tips for Safe Disinfectant Use Between Cleanings

Empty Garbage Cans Often

Bacteria, such as E. coli and Listeria, thrive in garbage cans. Empty them frequently to keep bacteria – along with odors and visual messiness – at bay.

Don’t spend your valuable time cleaning the restroom! Call Pete to schedule your free consultation today.

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Twin Cities janitorial service. We provide contract cleaning for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, auto dealerships, salons, retail stores, industrial buildings, office disinfection services, and more. We also provide construction cleanup during and after construction projects of all sizes. No cleaning job is too big or too small for our experienced cleaning teams!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-249-7576 for your free, no-obligation estimate.

Source: CMM Online, “Restoring Restroom Confidence”

5 Tips for Improving Hygiene and Reducing Operating Costs

Improving office cleanliness is always good practice. Even if your office is professionally cleaned on a regular basis, keeping up with good hygiene practices between those cleaning is a must. Not only does it boost morale and productivity, but it can also reduce operating costs. 

5 Tips for Improving Hygiene and Reducing Operating Costs

Here are 5 tips for improving hygiene within your office or facility. (Courtesy of CMM)

Hygiene

1. Change consumables

Soap dispensers come in a couple of different forms. The best option in terms of hygiene is a “closed” soap dispenser. This type of dispenser includes a hygienically sealed nozzle and reservoir.

Using a closed system can reduce the number of bacteria that contaminate the soap. It may also help to use foam dispensers as well, as these cause less of a mess.

Paper towels are also another relatively low-cost option to reduce the number of bacteria after handwashing. Either white or brown paper towels are recommended.

2. Install automated, touchless dispensers and fixtures

Manually operated paper towels, soap, and water fixtures can be troublesome when trying to practice good hygiene. Users may wash their hands and touch the faucet after with wet hands, causing unwanted bacteria to grow and spread.

Automated, touchless dispensers can be applied to water faucets, paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, and even flush valves. Implementing these not only saves you from unnecessary bacteria, but may also decrease operating costs. This is because these devices only produce enough to get the job done, reducing usage and waste.

Read: Tips for Safe Disinfectant Use Between Cleanings

3. Implement smart restroom technology

Smart restroom technologies are no longer systems of the future. They’re becoming the standard for modern restroom maintenance. Smart restroom technology prompts office cleaners to regularly sanitize touch points throughout, such as doorknobs, stalls, and toilet paper dispensers.

Product waste is also reduced with the use of these systems. They regulate the amount that is flushed and let cleaners know when they’re empty so there is no overfilling.

4. Provide proper training

Having updated fixtures and technologies is important, but it doesn’t mean much if proper techniques and practices aren’t being followed. Teaching employees about safe hygiene practices within the office or facility will drastically reduce the misuse of cleaning technology.

Either onboarding training, self-learning videos, or putting small instructional signs around may be good options to help increase the knowledge of safe hygiene practices.

5. Find the right partners

Look for a product distributor that tailors its goods toward your company’s needs. Providing the necessary information to effectively use cleaning systems and technologies is essential. In addition, look for a reliable commercial cleaner who will help you maintain a clean work environment.

Having good hygiene within your office or facility is important. Automated fixtures and technologies can improve hygiene, health, productivity and employee satisfaction.

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Twin Cities janitorial service. We provide contract cleaning for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, auto dealerships, salons, retail stores, industrial buildings, office disinfection services, and more. We also provide construction cleanup during and after construction projects of all sizes. No cleaning job is too big or too small for our experienced cleaning teams!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-581-2776 for your free, no-obligation estimate.

Tips for Safe Disinfectant Use Between Cleanings

No matter how frequently your office is professionally cleaned, there will come times when your staff has to do some cleaning. Whether there’s an accident, a spill, or things just get too dirty, it’s a good idea to have disinfectant products on hand. And it’s also important that you and your team know how to safely use those disinfectants.

We’re sharing a few tips from the EPA on how to use disinfectants safely and effectively. Do you need professional janitorial services to keep your office clean? Give ROC Cleaning a call!

How to Use Disinfectant Products Safely and Effectively

disinfectant
photo credit: @towfiqu999999 accessed 12/16/21 via CC0
  1. Make Sure the Product is EPA-Approved: The EPA’s List N includes all disinfectants that are approved to kill viruses, including COVID-19.
  2. Read All Directions: Check the product’s use sites and surface types to see where it can safely be used.
  3. Pre-Clean: If the surface is visibly dirty, wash it with soap and water before using the disinfectant product.
  4. Follow Contact Time Instructions: Disinfectants must usually be left on a surface for a set period of time in order to be fully effective. Make sure to read and follow time instructions accurately.
  5. Wear Gloves: Always protect your hands when using disinfectant products.
  6. Wash Your Hands: Even though you wore gloves, it’s important to wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning.
  7. Keep Products Locked Up: Make sure all disinfectant products are stored safely and securely, especially if children or vulnerable adults frequent the building.

Ready for a cleaner and more sanitary office? Call Pete at 651-581-2776 to get started.

ROC Commercial Cleaning is your trusted Twin Cities janitorial service. We provide contract cleaning for office buildings, medical and veterinary clinics, auto dealerships, salons and retail stores, industrial buildings and more. We also provide construction cleanup during and after construction projects of all sizes. No cleaning job is too big or too small for our experienced cleaning teams!

Get off the cleaning rollercoaster. Contact ROC Commercial Cleaning at 612-581-2776 for your free, no-obligation estimate.