Fall brings changing leaves, chillier weather, and an increase in cold and flu symptoms. Many consider the fall months as cold and flu season. Working or attending school with many people only increases your chances of illness. All it takes is for one person to come into work with a cold to spread their illness to everyone else in the office. This fall, remember these illness prevention tips.
Keep hand sanitizer at your desk
The most effective method for preventing the spread of illness and germs is by washing your hands. It can be difficult to remember to wash your hands when handling common areas like keyboards, office doors, and communicate tables. However, these areas carry germs, just as workplace bathrooms do. In fact, nearly one third of respondents believe their keyboard and phone are the dirtiest items in their office, yet less than 10% clean these items often. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk and use it frequently.
Stay at home when sick
When illness symptoms are at their worst, it is important to stay at home. Too many people push through their illness to attend work or school. The problem with this, however, is that the illness then spreads and reduces overall productivity in the office. It is usually better to stay at home and prevent the spread of the illness symptoms. If you must come into work, make sure you are covering your mouth and be careful not to touch your face and then the community work areas.
Regularly clean your personal workspace
Surprisingly, a dirty desk can harbor 400 times more bacteria than a typical toilet seat. You would not leave a toilet seat dirty, so why leave your desk space dirty? It is important to keep a clean and germ free workspace to prevent the spread of illness. Use microfiber cleaning technology for a thorough cleaning and know when advanced cleaning services are needed. Microfiber cleaning technology allows you to get the deepest parts of your office. Leaving the smallest areas untouched can quickly spread the illness to the already cleaned areas.
Schedule a regular cleaning service
Your office can never be too clean. In addition to individual employees keeping up with their own workspaces, hiring janitorial services can help to keep the rest of the office clean and germ free. Take some time to choose business cleaning services that meet your office cleaning needs. According to a 2015, Q2 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, 31% believed the custodial, specifically office cleaning services, did not meet their needs. Consider what your specific office’s cleaning needs are and then pick a cleaning company that meets those needs.
For example, you might prefer microfiber cleaning technology. Not all commercial cleaning businesses will offer microfiber cleaning technology. The most common cleaning concern is the specific cleaning products that are used. Many people have sensitivities to harsh cleaning chemicals. Some believe that these strong cleaning chemicals are actually worse than not cleaning the area. If you are concerned about the type of cleaning products used in the office workspace, consider finding a cleaning company that offers green janitorial services. This means that they only use natural cleaning products.
Work offices can be a quick way to spread germs and illness. A single person with flu symptoms can quickly spread the germs to every other employee in the office. You can reduce your chances of illness in the coming illness season by keeping hand sanitizer at your desk, regularly cleaning your personal workspace, knowing when to stay at home, and scheduling professional janitorial cleaning services.
