8 Hygiene Hacks to Make Your Workplace Healthier
If you are like most people, you somewhat dread heading to work daily, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Aside from wearing a mask, working during the pandemic is stressful as there is the constant threat of contracting the coronavirus. Going to work everyday subjects to you germs, allergens, dirt, grime, and possibly even the coronavirus. However, you can have a clean work environment by following these workplace hygiene hacks that we put together for you.
1. Wash Your Hands With Regularity
Washing your hands several times per day reduces the chances of germs, viruses, bacteria, and other gunk from moving to others. Regular hand-washing also helps create a clean work environment by preventing germs from moving to shared spaces and surfaces that will eventually be touched by coworkers, visitors, and other individuals. Be sure to wash your hands with hot water and antibacterial soap for at least 20-30 seconds. Wash your hands each time you use the bathroom and before touching anything in the office kitchen or workplace break room. If you have the option of drying your hands with a paper towel or a hand air dryer, opt for the paper towels as they are less likely to spread germs throughout the space than a hand air dryer.
Seize the opportunity to use hand sanitizer when it arises. This means it is in your interest to slather on some hand sanitizer when you take a break from work, get up from your desk or have a lull in your workflow. Ideally, your workplace will have touchless automatic hand sanitizer stations on each floor or even each facility’s room. However, at the bare minimum, you should have a jar of hand sanitizer at your desk or other workspaces so you can sanitize your hands whenever desired.
2. Be Open to new Ideas About Workplace Sanitization
The coronavirus has ushered in a new age in which people go to great lengths to prevent spreading this unseen yet uber-nasty virus. If the opportunity arises to do something creative to maintain a clean work environment and to stop the spread of the virus and other particles, embrace that opportunity wholeheartedly. For example, adding sneeze guards or even dividers between cubicles and counter spaces between personnel and customers will prevent germs from moving from one part of your workspace to the next one. Even the addition of antibacterial doormats that are sanitized will help keep your workplace clean and healthy.
3. Wipe Down Work Surfaces Every Couple Hours
Keep some antibacterial wipes by your workspace so you can wipe down surfaces and devices throughout the day. Wipe down your desk, nearby counters, keyboards, mice, tablets, your work phone, and more. If you are worried about using cleaning wipes on your sensitive electronic devices, use the variety specifically designed for cleaning electronics.
4. A Professional Cleaning
The cleanliness of your workplace will always be in question until you have space thoroughly cleaned. Ideally, this cleaning will be performed by professionals who know what they are doing. Levdok Services is here to clean and disinfect the entirety of your office, retail store, or other workspaces/commercial space. Our cleaning plans are tailored to your area, meaning we will take the time necessary to plan and prepare for cleaning your facility precisely as you desire. Click here to learn more about our services.
5. Let the Outdoor Air Inside
Fresh air is comparably clean and lifts the spirit. Keep in mind, both physical health and mental health are essential during the ongoing pandemic. The alternative to letting the outdoor air inside your workspace is to continue recycling indoor air that might be laden with harmful diminutive particles such as allergens, bacteria, viruses, etc. The bottom line is the best indoor air quality is created with a fresh influx of air from the outdoors. So crack open a window from time to time for a refreshing breeze that improves the quality of your workplace’s indoor air and also boosts employee morale.
6. Minimize Shared Workspaces
If possible, eliminate or at least minimize the number of shared workspaces throughout the entirety of your building. Try to give each employee his or her own space within the building. Space out employee workstations so these hard workers can socially distance themselves from one another while in the workplace. If you are short on space, do not hesitate to repurpose the building’s conference rooms and empty offices to make new and roomier spaces for employees to use without forcing them to be within a couple of feet of one another.
7. Clean the Upholstery and Carpet
The upholstery and carpet are often overlooked in the context of stopping the spread of germs. However, these spaces are pretty important, especially when it comes to keeping employees healthy. Office chairs, carpet, and other upholstery are prime breeding grounds for germs and bacteria to grow. Each of these items should be cleaned once per week at a bare minimum. Ideally, a hot steam extraction will be performed at the end of each workday to eliminate bacteria, dust, allergens, germs, and viruses embedded within the carpet and furniture. For more information on how to remove stains from a carpet, please refer to this article.
Windows interior is also overlooked when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting the workplace. For that reason, we have put together seven tips for cleaning the interior of your office windows.
8. Communicate About Employee Sickness
Some hardworking employees will refuse to admit they are sick as they fear losing their job. However, it is in everyone’s interest for unhappy employees to remain at home. By doing so, they will recover faster and help to maintain a clean work environment. If you suspect one of your coworkers is sick and has the potential to infect others in the building, report that sickness to your supervisor. At the very worst, the employee should be allowed to work from home not to spread the virus to others. Keep in mind; it merely takes a single sneeze or cough to transmit a disease to a coworker who passes it on to another employee, a customer, and so on. Fail to act, and you just might end up with the entirety of your office falling ill.
