We like to equip our cleaning crews with all the tools, equipment and cleaning product they need to get the job done right, and this time of year that means adding extra disinfecting wipes to every crew’s supply stash. We even leave additional bottles for the staff of the buildings we service to utilize during the day to really stay on top of germs and keep the flu from invading their office. The germs really are everywhere and it really is disgusting to think that your illness may be caused from your neighbor’s old sneeze…ick.
Nowadays, kids are taught to sneeze into their elbow so they won’t soon after grab a doorknob with the palm of the hand they recently sneezed into, and adults need to do the same. And it’s not just doorknobs that are hosting these disgusting germs: keyboards, telephones, light switch plates, arm rests, faucet handles, hand rails, toilet flusher handles, microwave and refrigerator handles, candy jar lids, coffee machines… yep, the list is much longer than just that bathroom door handle you’ve been avoiding contact with; so how do we combat all of these germs?
First, send out a memo reminding staff to wash their hands regularly and sneeze into their elbow—sounds simple, but putting it in front of their face with all the dirty facts will only increase awareness and make them rethink the ol’ hand sneeze. Heck, just send them the link to this here blog and your work is done! Next, ask your cleaning crew to disinfect all phones, handrails, light switch plates… all the items mentioned above, and make sure they’re doing so on a weekly basis at least during this time of year. Make disinfecting wipes readily available throughout the office and ask everyone to take the time to wipe things down—possibly even assigning days/areas of the office to people—it takes two minutes and could potentially decrease the total amount of employee sick days by weeks.
Lastly, make it fun—create a silly system that awards those seen sneezing into their elbow, or when someone sneezes, have everyone shout “shoo flu!” instead of “bless you” for a while… these fun reminders will only improve your chances of keeping the germs, and ultimately the flu, out of your office for good!