Rethinking your business cleaning regime

Is it time to rethink your business cleaning regime?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on the cleanliness of business and public premises like never before. The sorts of cleaning techniques that your company has traditionally used may no longer be enough to satisfy safety standards and customer expectations.

In this post, we expand on our infographic ‘Redefining Cleanliness in the Post-pandemic Era’ to provide further information and advice on the different levels and types of cleaning service available.

Getting the basics right

Routine cleaning, which requires only basic supplies and equipment, such as mops, dusters, vacuum cleaners and disinfectant wipes and fluids, plays an important role in keeping your premises clean and fresh. Whether you run a hotel, shop, office or any other commercial environment, your premises might need routine cleaning on a very frequent basis – potentially every day.

Deep cleaning is a more rigorous, in-depth process. It involves thoroughly cleaning all items within a given area, including under and behind equipment and furniture. This task is more strenuous and time-consuming than routine cleaning, and it typically doesn’t need to be done as often. The hygiene standards you might aim for in a deep clean will depend on the environment in question. For example, deep cleaning in a science lab will tend to be carried out more frequently and to a higher standard than deep cleaning in a hotel, which in turn will need more regular, thorough deep cleaning than a warehouse.  

Taking hygiene to the next level

Routine and deep cleaning can go a long way to ensuring your premises meet the required hygiene standards. However, particularly given the extra scrutiny currently being applied to businesses regarding cleanliness – and the potential safety implications of hygiene lapses – you might want to take things a step further.

For example, hygiene cleaning can help to make an already clean environment even safer. Once an area has been cleaned, a spectrum antimicrobial cleansing product can be used on the surfaces for added sanitation, with particular attention being paid to high-frequency touch points such as door handles.

If you know or suspect that your premises have been exposed to contaminants such as COVID-19, you can arrange for a decontamination cleaning service. This involves skilled technicians carrying out a thorough manual cleaning of the affected area while wearing full face masks and other PPE. Taking steps to avoid cross-contamination, the technicians will remove the contaminate and swab/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing may be carried out. At Ideal Response, our air and surface decontamination service uses BioSweep® five-stage photocatalytic technology that provides long-lasting protection against viruses, bacteria and fungi, as well as odour causing compounds.

Highly specialised cleaning services

Depending on the nature of your business premises, you might require highly specialised cleaning services. For example, perhaps you need a data centre to be cleaned without any damage being caused to the precious electrical equipment contained within it, or maybe you need cleaners to access high-level racking or shelving in a warehouse. Keeping these environments clean is essential, but without the right equipment and expertise, this can prove to be difficult and dangerous. To get around this problem, you can enlist specialist teams that have the required know-how and gear to access difficult-to-reach and challenging areas. These teams can use equipment such as mobile elevating work platforms, harnesses, high-level platforms and anti-static equipment to ensure cleaning is carried out safely and effectively.

Another type of service that requires appropriate expertise is trauma cleaning. This refers to the removal of substances like vomit, blood, urine and faeces from the scenes of crimes or accidents. It is crucial to deal with these substances quickly and effectively to avoid posing a risk to the health and safety of employees or members of the public. When trauma cleaning experts arrive, they will make the scene safe as quickly as possible while taking steps to ensure cross-contamination doesn’t occur. After this, they will clean, decontaminate and sanitise the area, before removing any hazardous waste.

You might currently be feeling the pressure when it comes to keeping your premises clean and safe. Knowing which specialist services are available to help you do this will make it easier for you to meet the relevant hygiene standards – and it could give you added peace of mind too.