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The unravelling pandemic of the COVID-19 Coronavirus is reiterating the importance of hygiene not only at home but also in office spaces.

While Coronavirus is the most recent case, it’s not the only one. There are other conditions like cold and flu that tend to spread quickly in an office setting. While the management has a role to play in keeping the employees safe, most of the weight is on the employees observing proper measures and hygiene when in the office.

Some of the tips you can practice to prevent the spread of germs at the office include:

Wash your hands frequently

Your hands take most of the blame in the spread of germs around the office. Not only do you transfer germs from outside into the office when you touch different places, but the same hands can also pick up the germs from a contaminated surface and introduce them into the body.

As soon as you get to the office, wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap. In case you don’t have access to water and soap, you can use a hand sanitizer.

Work from home if you’re feeling unwell

Most workers will grudgingly come into the office when they are not feeling well to avoid being frowned upon for taking a sick day. However, staying at home is not only good for you, but everyone else at the office.

If you have to go to work, try as much as possible to avoid human contact and also wash your hands frequently to avoid contaminating surfaces and equipment around the office.

Get the flu vaccine

Getting a flu shot might not be the best experience. But it will save you loads of trouble and suffering in the future. The shot doesn’t guarantee that you will never get the flu, but it can protect you from a number of other viruses as well. It also reduces the risk of getting the flu significantly.

Practice proper hygiene

Hygiene is the responsibility of both the management and the employees. The administration should ensure the office space is properly cleaned. It’s also the management’s job to make sure the employees have the right supplies to keep their work desks, phones, and computers cleaner.

Also, ensure the cleaning service pays attention to the communal areas like the kitchens and bathrooms when cleaning. Or why not call our commercial cleaning team in Sheffield.

For the employees, you should wipe down your workspace and the general computer area (even when you’re not sick). These spaces are often a breeding ground for bacteria and germs.

Refrain from touching things

The fewer the things you touch, the lower the chance of spreading or picking up an infection. It might not be easy to do, but it’s highly encouraged that you only touch things when absolutely necessary. If possible, use a wipe to clean the surface or appliance before you touch it.

Final Thoughts

With these few and simple tips, you can arrest the spread of germs in the workplace. This will save you and the other employees a trip to the hospital as well as save the business some money in lost income because of sick days.

COVID-19 Coronavirus was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of how fast it is spreading and the severity of the symptoms.

In a bid to slow down the spread of the viruses, numerous measures have been put in place among them requiring employees to work from home.

In professions where you need a skeleton staff in the office, there are also measures you can take to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and keep your employees safe.

Clean and disinfect the tables, desks, workspaces and other surfaces in the office

Like other coronaviruses that cause the seasonal flu influenza, the novel coronaviruses that brings COVID-19 is susceptible to soap and water, alcohol-based cleaners and bleach. These four items make the basis of your first line of defence against contamination and spread of the virus.

It’s vital to keep all tabletops, office phones and other equipment like printers and keyboards thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Keeping all the workspaces around the office cleaned and disinfected not only kills the viruses but prevents contamination of your employees and your customers.

The walls and the railings

COVID-19 Coronavirus is spread through droplets and touching surfaces contaminated with droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Because of the size of the walls, they make a great landing spot for such droplets.

Railings, on the other hand, are heavily used and for most people, using the railing for support when going up a flight of stairs is second nature.

It’s essential to make sure these surfaces are cleaned and regularly disinfected. The frequency of disinfecting depending on how heavily they are used. However, once every other hour should suffice for office spaces that are not used too frequently.

Provide hand sanitiser and handwashing stations around the office

The virus uses the hands as the primary mode of transport. While it’s possible to contract the virus when an infected person coughs or sneezes and the droplets land on your mouth, nose or eyes, hands are the main channel of contamination used by the virus.

The hands are always touching surfaces and items. This is why continually washing your hands or using a sanitizer when you don’t have water and soap readily available is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of the virus.

Ensure you have plenty of handwashing stations around the office. As an added measure, you can provide the employees with hand sanitisers placed at their desks.

Where possible, have hand sanitizer for your clients and customers when they walk into the office space.

Sensitise the employees

It’s essential to educate the employees on the virus, and the importance of following hygiene guidelines.

Ensure the employees understand why it’s important to sanitise their smartphones, purses, and other items as soon as they get to the office and after every few minutes to avoid contamination.

Conclusion

Using these office cleaning tips, you can reduce the risk of Coronavirus COVID-19 in your office and workspace. Don’t forget to place medical emergency hotlines throughout the office and have employees save them on their phones. In case anyone doesn’t feel well, encourage them to stay at home and call any of the emergency numbers for assistance.

Keep safe and get in touch with our commercial cleaning team in Sheffield.

The novel coronavirus is changing life as we know it. Businesses are grinding to a standstill, and the work from home model is now more popular than ever. However, some employees can’t enjoy the benefit of working at home and the businesses are still functional.

There are steps you can take to prepare for the Coronavirus at work and reduce the risk of contamination and infection by the virus at the workplace. Keep in mind that these tips should be practised regularly and frequently to be effective.

Scrub down, sanitize and disinfect

Have the cleaning crew thoroughly clean the office space. The cleaning and disinfecting should include the floors, the walls, surfaces like tabletops and work desks, appliances like telephones, computers, and even microwaves.

Like other Coronavirus, this novel Coronavirus is affected by soap and water, UV rays, bleach and alcohol-based cleaners. You can use either of these to disinfect all surfaces and appliances around the office.

Educate and communicate

You don’t have to wait until you have a case in your office to talk to your employees on the steps and precautions to take to prevent the spread of novel Coronavirus.

Providing your employees with the relevant information sooner allows them to observe the precautions properly and with the seriousness it deserves. It’s essential to communicate any updates continually and have reminders all over the office.

Over and above the precautions, it’s also essential to inform your employees of the necessary steps to take in case they suspect they might be infected.

Provide hand sanitizer at the entrance and work stations

To prevent potential contamination from the outside environment, provide an alcohol-based sanitizer at the main entrance, at every other entrance and exit within the workplace as well as at the employees’ workstation.

Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer limits the transfer of the virus by making the surface of your hands inhabitable or destroying the virus in case you had already touched a contaminated surface.

It’s important to ensure you have supervision at the entrances to make sure everyone coming into the office uses the hand sanitizer.

Rearrange the workplace

You don’t necessarily have to remodel, but you should rearrange the workstations so that employees are at least one meter from each other. This limits direct contamination from the airborne cough droplets.

Rearranging the office space will also reduce congestion and improve airflow quality, both of which play a significant role in preventing the spread of the virus and improving the safety of the workers.

Having to rearrange might mean getting additional space or having non-essential staff working from home. While this might come at a cost, it is a step worth taking.

The Takeaway

Business in fields like restaurants and fast-food chains might have to offer services for as long as possible. In such cases, it’s vital to prepare for the Coronavirus at work to prevent exposing the employees as well as your customers.

These tips provide you with a decent plan of action that you and your employees can take to provide a clean and safer work environment.

Keep safe and get in touch with our commercial cleaning team in Sheffield.

Have you ever sipped wine that has turned? If you haven’t, don’t. Once wine turns, it goes from being sweet and delectable to sour – just like the vinegar you have in the pantry. With that, let’s take a step back to the wine creation process.

When wine is being made, sugars from grains or fruits are converted to alcohol. This process is called fermentation. Once the bottle is sealed and then reopened the second type of fermentation occurs. But this time, the alcohol turns into acetic acid which is the main component of vinegar.

Now vinegar is useful for many reasons including cooking and cleaning. Different types of vinegar have different levels of acetic acid and water. Distilled white vinegar has 5% acidity, while champagne vinegar has 6% acidity. Distilled white vinegar is commonly used for general cleanings. But from time to time, 6% of acidity is required to get the job done – case in point when disinfecting the surfaces in a restroom.

With that said, below are the benefits of using vinegar as a cleaning product.

Disinfectant properties

The fact that vinegar has a low pH (2.0), it is not a conducive environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. As such, it’s the perfect cleaning solution for all surfaces in your home. To get an idea of how effective it is on this front, consider how well it protects pickles from mould and bacteria.

According to studies conducted, a 10% solution of malt vinegar is effective in killing Human Influenza the A/H1N1 just like commercial wipes are. Also, a study highlighted in the Journal of Environmental Health in 1997 proved that the undiluted vinegar worked just as well as regular bleach in killing E. coli from sponges and surface.

Loosens mineral deposits

Since it has a high pH, vinegar is excellent in loosening mineral deposits including rust and lime. It can also dissolve alkaline deposits like soap scum. Because of these abilities, it is great for kitchen and bathroom cleaning. The vinegar also cuts through grease stuck on cooktops, ovens, grills and stoves and strips off wax buildup on wooden floors.

In the process of cleaning, it does a great job of deodorising and getting rid of bathroom and kitchen odours. And what’s more, vinegar is excellent in removing stains including tea and coffee from cups, coffee makers, and kitchen sinks.

It is biodegradable

Since it is a natural product, it is biodegradable and can be used to clean cars, cleaning the exterior windows and wiping down all patio furniture. It will not contaminate the water system.

It’s affordable

You cannot get a cheaper eco-friendly cleaning product like vinegar. For less than a dollar for a cup, vinegar is eco-friendly and will come in handy for cleaning any surface Also, you can save more on vinegar if you purchase in bulk.

Shelf life

Vinegar can last for 3 ½ years. But even if this expiration date passes, you don’t lose. When vinegar goes bad, it changes aesthetically. But even then, it’s safe to use. But don’t kid yourself, a large bottle of white vinegar will not last that long – you will find many uses for it around the house.

Conclusion

Vinegar is a true lifesaver. It can bail you out of cleaning situations you thought to be impossible. For instance, if you combine baking soda and vinegar, you can get rid of the stubborn red wine stains on your carpet and clothing.

House cleaning is enjoyable for some individuals and can be tiring for others. But whether you enjoy it or not, house cleaning is essential and has numerous health benefits. To help you enjoy cleaning below is a quick list of fun facts on cleaning.

1. On average, 20% of men do daily housework compared to 51%

The stereotype that women are cleaner than men has been around for ages. Men are portrayed as messy people while women toe the line between compulsive and obsessive neat freaks. Women generally love living in clean spaces while men are comfortable in spaces they can fart without judgement. On average, women spend about 2.6 hours cleaning while men spend 2 hours. This is not a huge difference but all the same, it shows women have a liking for cleanliness than men.

2. 47% of couples living together argue about cleanliness

The only surprising thing about this statistic is the fact that it’s not higher. Many couples argue about cleaning a lot. After all, cleaning is a chore very few people (if any), like. Couples living together argue about who should clean what, how often to clean, how one should clean and many other things.

3. Exemplary cleanliness

If you are looking for some inspiration to clean, turn to Switzerland. According to a 2018 report, it was ranked the cleanest country in the world but the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EP accounts for factors like water sanitation and air pollution.

Why not also read: Get Your Own Comprehensive Office Cleaning Checklist

Though Switzerland is the cleanest country, the title of the cleanest city in the world goes to Calgary, Canada. And this is despite Calgary having a large population of 1.3 + million people.

4. The kitchen sink is dirtier than the toilet

This might come as a shock to many but, unfortunately, it’s true. It should serve as an eye-opener for those who think cleaning the kitchen sink can wait. Because the kitchen sink is dirtier, it also means that it packs more germs than the toilet.

Also, in the office, people unanimously agree that the toilet seat has more germs than any other surface. But this isn’t true either. As it turns out, most of the germs are found on office desks – on the office phone, and the computer keyboard. These surfaces contain 400 times more germs and bacteria than the toilet seats. But still, people clean the toilet seats every time they visit the restroom and handle the office phone and computer keyboard without a care in the world.

5. Natural cleaners

Nature has offered several cleaning agents and disinfectants. And the beauty of it is that they are so efficient in removing stains than some manufactured cleaning products. For instance, tomato ketchup can be used to remove stains an also polished tarnished brass. It can also be used to remove rust stains from your fabric.

Lemons also come in handy as bleaching agents and disinfectants. And on the other hand, bananas are great for polishing shoes and silver items. Last but not least, vinegar is a perfect surface cleaning agent.

Conclusion

And there you have it – some fun facts that can help to get you excited about cleaning your home. Remember, if you don’t have the time for it, you can always hire a professional cleaning company to handle it for you.

Spring cleaning has gained so much popularity in the recent past, mostly because people understand the benefits that accompany spring cleaning. But unfortunately, this is not the case for winter cleaning. And actually, very few people know the benefits of winter cleaning. Luckily, it’s something you can earn in a few minutes and implement it in your home immediately.

Cleaning your house during winter will ensure some appliances in your homework efficiently and help you save money you’d have spent on energy bills. Moreover, winter cleaning will give you a reason to be active around the house instead of lazing in front of the fireplace.

Below are the ten winter cleaning tips.

1. Replace air filters

The HVAC filters should be replaced once every three months to ensure the air in the house is clean and fresh. Cleaning out the air ducts also ensures there’s a steady flow of air in the house and gets rid of allergens that might have been trapped in the house and caused health problems during the year.

2. Empty the vents

Over time, lint builds up in the dryer vents. These are a fire hazard during dry winter. Get rid of lint that has accumulated over time by pulling out your dryer vent from the wall, disconnecting the pipe and cleaning it thoroughly. Use a vacuum to remove the lint.

3. Clean the space behind the fridge

Every year, you should pull the refrigerator from the wall and clean the floor, wall and refrigerator coils. Dirty refrigerator coils reduce efficiency and cause a spike in energy bills. Also, if they are not cleaned, the dirty coils will reduce the appliance’s lifespan. But before you clean or conduct any maintenance, ensure the refrigerator is off.

4. Declutter

Organisation is critical especially during winter since you’ll be spending most of your time indoors. Usually, more clutter means more dusty and dirty items. If possible, consider getting seasonal storage for things like your swimming gear.

Why not also read: What is Spring Cleaning?

5. Clean your kitchen

Winter is the ideal time to dust your cabinets and drawers and to clean and organize your pantry. Throw away expired foods and damaged tools. Since you can open your window during winter, cleaning out your kitchen will help reduce the cooking odours. And while you are cleaning the kitchen, remember to flush out your sinks.

6. Steam furniture and carpets

Winter comes with snow, cold and mud. And though steam cleaning at this time might sound like a bad idea, we insist you don’t give the stains time to settle. Address the stains while they are fresh as they will be easier to remove.

7. Wash the windows

Cleaning your windows will help to brighten your living space. This alone will help fight off the winter blues. As you clean the windows, use specific window treatment products for efficient results.

8. Sweep the chimney

Keeping the chimney clean is imperative. It helps in reducing the risk of a chimney fire and ensures the air in your home is fresh. Though you can handle the cleaning yourself, it’s best if you hire a professional cleaning service to prevent creating a mess in the process.

9. Degrease and clean the oven

Winter comes with many holidays. These holidays translate into a lot of baking and cooking. And such, the oven is turned into a sticky mess. When you clean the oven, you prevent fires, smoking and foul food odours.

10. Hire a professional cleaner

Unfortunately, not all of us have the time to follow the above winter cleaning tips. But this doesn’t mean you leave your house in a mess. You have the option of hiring a professional commercial cleaning company to handle all the cleaning as you attend to other obligations.

Over the years, technology has evolved for the better. It has changed the way we perceive things and how we get things done. In most areas of our lives, it has simplified processes. One of the latest innovation that has made our lives easier is the invention of pure water window cleaning.

If you are hearing of this term for the first time, you must have a lot of questions running through your mind. For instance, isn’t the water we drink from the taps pure? How about bottled water that we love so much? Rainwater? Unfortunately, none of the above is pure water.

Water has no smell, no colour, and no taste. When it rains, condensed water drops from heavy clouds and wets your windows. But after the rain stops and the water dries, the windows are left with unsightly stains. The marks are exhaust fume and dust particles, minerals, and pollen from trees.

Why not also read: Removing Limescale from the Toilet

Before this invention, you would have to use soapy water to clean your windows, rinse the soap with lots of water and wipe the window with a cloth. It’s a tiring process that you don’t have to undergo because of the new invention pure water window cleaning.

How pure water window cleaning works

Step one

NASA created the basic technology. It was later introduced to other industries and modified for different purposes. To get pure water, tap water is passed through a filtration process. The filtration process includes carbon filters and sediment, reverse osmosis membranes and deionizing resin. The latter process yield water in a pure state. This means that it’s only water without minerals and impurities.

Step two

When the water has been purified, it’s ready for cleaning. But the pure water alone is not enough to rid the window of white marks from the dirt and debris. The window is scrubbed to loosen the particles. The scrubbing process starts with agitating the window with brushes made for the task. Once the particles are loose, pure water is shot at the window through the brush. And since the water particles had been deionized, they attract loose dirt.

Step three

The window is rinsed, and the dirt solution is washed off, leaving nothing behind aside from pure water. After the pure water is given time to dry. After a few minutes, the window is dry and is crystal clear. The same is true for the frames and sills.

Advantages of pure window cleaning

Being a new age cleaning technology, it has numerous benefits including:

• Health safety – during the cleaning process, chemicals are used.
• Property safe – since no detergents are used to clean the window frames and sills, they don’t get damaged.
• Environmentally friendly – the process has no harmful effects on trees, plants and your garden.
• Spotless results – the process doesn’t leave streaks or marks behind. This cuts down on cleaning time.

Pure water cleaning is, indeed an upgrade. The process is effective and cuts down on time spent cleaning. If you are interested in the cleaning, call a professional high cleaning service to handle the project for you.

So you’ve finished cleaning your home, or office, and now it is time to store the cleaning chemicals until the next cleaning session. While you might be tempted to store them under your bathroom cabinet or sink, these are not the safest places. Do not forget that while the cleaning products are safe to use, they can be dangerous when mishandled or when exposed to the wrong elements. Because of this, you should put some thought in where you’ll store the cleaning supplies. OCCO services have the ultimate guide Where Should Cleaning Chemicals Be Stored?

Store in a cool, dry and clean area

Most (if not all) cleaning chemicals come with the label ‘store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.’ You’ve seen this label before but probably ignored it as just another random directive. You see cleaning products are made by mixing different chemicals. Manufacturers know all too well the dangers of exposing these chemicals to extreme conditions. They also know most consumers don’t follow the directions and as such, design the cleaning formulas in a way that there is some lee-way. But this doesn’t mean that you can disregard the directive. You are safer when you store the cleaning chemical in a cool and dry space to avoid accidents and sudden dangerous reactions.

Original containers

You should store the cleaning chemicals in containers they come in. And in case you are in the business of mixing cleaning chemicals for domestic use, ensure you get new and clean bottles and containers. You should also label them to prevent confusion.

It’s important to note that different chemicals react differently. As such, unless you are a chemist and understand the possible reactions, you should always follow the manufacturers’ instructions to a T.

Safe storage

Children are curious beings. And at times their curiosity gets in the way of their safety. Everything they come across is a new opportunity to learn something new. And while this is a good thing, it should be in a controlled environment. You don’t want your child playing with items that could harm him.

Why not also read: Benefits of Vinegar for Cleaning

And because of this, it is essential to store your cleaning supplies in spots that are out of reach of your children and your pets. In this case, you can consider locked storage or higher storage.

Cleaning caddies

If the cleaning chemicals come in large containers that are cumbersome to carry around the house whenever you need to clean, consider storying the cleaning products in caddies instead. Luckily, cleaning caddies designed for cleaning are available. The idea of using caddies is to create smaller and manageable cleaning kits for different rooms in your home. The cleaning caddies can store any cleaning chemical and be stored in any room you please provided you follow the rules for storing chemicals.

With the cleaning caddies, the only thing you need to carry into any room as you clean is the floor care tools and products.

Conclusion

Storing cleaning chemicals as outlined above increases the safety in your home and ensures no accidents occur. Also, with proper storage, cleaning chemicals retain their strength for longer.

If finding the right cleaning schedule for your office is proving difficult, you should know, you’re not alone. There are several factors you need to consider when trying to figure out how often your office needs cleaning.

The right cleaning frequency will ensure your office is always clean, and you don’t spend too much time cleaning that your work starts to pile up.

Size of the office

Size doesn’t refer to the total area covered by the office alone. It also considers the number of employees in the office.

The more the employees you have in the office, the higher the cleaning frequency should be. Offices that have partitions like a kitchen and breakroom require higher hygiene standards, and therefore the cleaning frequency is much higher. Also, common rooms like bathrooms tend to get dirty faster. Consider having these cleaned more often than the office.

The purpose of your office

The purpose of the office also dictates how often you should have it cleaned. If your office handles a lot of your clients, cleanliness is paramount. The area should be always spotless to impress your clients.

If the office doesn’t receive many visits, you have the leeway to slack a little. You can clean the office occasionally. However, you never know when a customer will want to drop by. So, you must keep things in order.

Check out our latest blog: Improving Workplace Productivity With A Clean Office.

The area of the office being cleaned

Different areas around the office depending on the location and environment will pick up dirt at different rates. Knowing what needs cleaning at what time is vital. It will save you time while improving the comfort and overall hygiene of your office.

• Restrooms – For safety and hygiene reasons, clean the restrooms every day. In addition to cleaning, restock supplies like toilet paper and paper towels and make sure the sinks and mirrors are properly cleaned and sanitised.
• Break rooms and kitchens – Leftovers, spills, and dirty dishes make these areas a petri-dish for bacterial growth. Daily cleaning and sanitising are vital. The appliances, countertops, faucets and handles should be wiped down and disinfected regularly.
• Floors – If you have carpets on the floors, they should be vacuumed every night. Over the weekend, the carpets should be cleaned. Hardwood floors must be mopped nightly. In rainy or snowy weather, the floors should be mopped more often to keep up with the grime being dragged in.
• Employees working areas – Employees should be tasked to keep their working areas clean and neat. However, once in a while, you should have professionals come and give the work areas a good rub down and disinfect equipment like phones, computer keyboards, and the mouse. This can help reduce the spread of illnesses in the office and cut back on the number of employees taking sick leave.
• Lobbies – You want to give your clients the best first impression. There are no two ways about it. The lobby has to be kept in pristine condition and that means regular cleaning and wipe down of all the surfaces and furniture.

Knowing when your office needs cleaning is vital. With a proper cleaning schedule, you can mitigate such risks and ensure your office is always looking its best for you, your clients and your employees.

Here at OCCO Cleaning Services, we provide Office Cleaning Services, as well as Factory & Warehouse Cleaning Services, and Clinical Cleaning Services.