How to Clean Your Office Efficiently

Standard office cleaning procedures are long behind us. The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about cleaning forever. New recommendations, protocols, and guidelines given by the CDC are ever-changing. Still, by following a few simple office cleaning tips and tricks, you can keep your employees and clientele safe in the workplace. Read on for Modern Office’s best coronavirus cleaning advice.

Getting Started

First off on our coronavirus cleaning checklist: Always use gloves when cleaning and/or disinfecting. Disposable latex gloves are widely available, but if latex allergies are an issue, there are non-latex options as well. If possible, use soap and water to clean surfaces first, then finish them off with a disinfectant wipe or spray. As with washing your hands, soap and water on shared spaces remove dirt, grime, and germs, while the disinfectant sanitizes and kills the remainder.

It is extremely important that you educate yourself and your staff on safe ways to keep a clean office, so make sure any products you use are EPA-approved, and never mix chemicals. Using unsafe solutions could be toxic to your environment.

The Next Level

Secondly, create a list of commonly touched surfaces, such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, desks, phones, keyboards, and bathroom toilets, and faucets. These points should be made into a coronavirus cleaning list and sanitized multiple times throughout the day, due to the frequency of use. If your business has PIN pads, keypads, or shopping carts, they should ideally be cleaned between each use.

It’s important to note that different surfaces have different cleaning requirements. If you are using furniture with laminate or antimicrobial surfaces, a standard disinfectant spray should do the trick. If you have soft furniture, such as a couch, launder whatever items you can and use EPA-approved fabric cleaners for a thorough cleaning. COVID-19 prevention isn’t fool-proof, but you can help flatten the curve by continuing to keep shared areas clean.

Deep Cleaning Your Office

If anyone in your office is diagnosed with COVID-19 or comes into contact with someone who has been, a deep and thorough office cleaning is necessary. First off, you must close off the areas in which the person had been working or using furniture. This includes desks, tables, common spaces, bathrooms, water fountains, etc. Open windows and doors if possible and wait 24 hours before cleaning or disinfecting. If waiting 24 hours is not a possibility, just hold off as long as you can. Turn off in-room, on-wall, or window-mounted HVAC units to prevent further circulation of the virus.

Use soap and water followed by a disinfectant on surfaces that are easily cleaned. For soft, porous materials, such as furniture and/or carpet, use EPA-approved cleaners to make sure you’re getting deep into the surfaces. Once all the areas have been thoroughly cleaned, they should be safe to reopen—however, anybody that has been in close contact with the sick individual should remain away from work and quarantine for at least 14 days.

By keeping a clean office, you can help prevent not only COVID-19 but other common maladies as well, such as the common cold or seasonal flu. A healthy work environment can keep you, your employees, and your loved ones safe. Modern Office is here to help as much as we can—may your office stay safe and clean during this pandemic.