Cleaning is an essential part of keeping any business sanitary and safe. However, it holds even greater importance this year. The more carefully you clean, the simpler it will be to maintain the morale of your team and the public.
It’s easy to overlook cleaning tasks, so it’s a good idea to go in with a clear plan. Setting some strategic goals will guide your whole process. Let’s look at six ways you can start fresh with a cleaner and more organized workplace.
1. Perform a Complete Bleach Wash Down
Bleach is an effective disinfectant trusted by the CDC for a variety of situations.
Before you begin washing down walls with bleach, be sure you have pre-cleaned them to remove organic debris that could interfere with bleach’s active ingredients.
After washing walls with soap and water, you can prepare a diluted bleach solution with one tablespoon of 5%-6% bleach per gallon of water. The bleach solution should always be mixed fresh shortly before cleaning begins. Be sure to wear appropriate boots, gloves, and eye protection.
Thoroughly clean all surfaces, leaving the bleach on the surface for at least ten seconds. You can maximize cleaning power by ensuring bleach is in contact with the surface for two minutes before drying. Never mix your bleach with any other cleaner, and avoid breathing in fumes.
2. Clean and Maintain Key Equipment
If you’re in an industrial environment, now is the best time to clean off stainless steel equipment, piping, and fixtures. These tend to see an irregular cleaning schedule and can fall prey to rust or chemical contamination over time. Even stainless steel must be maintained occasionally to get the best results possible from its anti-rust coating.
Water and mild dish soap are appropriate for most stainless steel. There are many specialty cleaners that can also be effective. Remember that other metals, such as bronze and copper, may have specific cleaning requirements. Bring your equipment offline before cleaning it to avoid hazards posed by electrical charge or operating temperature.
3. Freshen Your Exterior and Interior Walls
New paint makes your business more welcoming for your patrons and employees alike. If you only have the time or budget for one project, exterior walls are usually preferable.
“Curb appeal” matters in business and it never goes out of style. New paint cuts years off a building’s appearance, especially for new customers who are choosing between you and similar companies in your local area.
Exterior painting is also valuable because it can be performed quickly with minimal change to your daily workflow. As long as you select a commercial painting contractor with years of OSHA experience, you can rest assured work will proceed safely.
Interior painting may take more time. An interior paint project is done in phases around your schedule so as not to disrupt your operations. A completed paint project can have a significant impact on team morale, a major driver of productivity.
4. Declutter and Organize Storage Areas
Whether at home or in your workplace, storage areas tend to be the last thing on the cleaning list.
When storage rooms aren’t used regularly, they can become disorganized and even hazardous. Taking time to inventory what you have in storage can save money on supplies and other purchases, especially now – when such buys can be hampered by shortages and slow shipping.
Unlike homes, businesses don’t tend to accumulate useless “junk,” but this is an opportunity to uplevel your storage approach. Get rid of cardboard boxes, which are vulnerable to humidity and pests, and update with filing cabinets or specialized storage systems that are easily labeled.
5. Ensure Exterior Landscaping is Clean and Safe
As we enter the spring, many enterprises are coming out of a month-long lapse in maintenance.
Exterior landscaping can quickly become shabby and might even conceal safety concerns. It’s crucial to get up to date on your exterior before the rainy season sets in and presents even more challenges. Get your grass cut, prune back nearby trees, and get rid of debris.
6. Do a Walk-Through of All Rooms and Areas
Every room in your workplace will harbor some specialized cleaning concerns. Give yourself time to walk through each area and make note of any issues. This also gives you a chance to check on any safety or physical distancing benchmarks you want each area to achieve.
Start with any potential safety concerns and work your way down to aesthetic issues. With a written record, staff in charge of cleaning can manage their time and resources more efficiently.
Spring comes once a year. A structured approach to spring cleaning, however, can yield productivity benefits all year long. Starting with these six tasks ensures you tackle the biggest jobs – and it will naturally help you uncover other issues that should be priorities.
