Tis the season to be jolly, but it is also the season to assess your facility’s cleaning systems and make sure that they are working as effectively as possible. Many facilities see a significant increase in traffic during the holiday season, such as movie theaters or shopping malls.
However, even if you aren’t one of these facilities that see a surge in traffic during the holidays, you might have a surprising upturn in traffic due to the fact that it’s colder, and therefore people are spending more time indoors. That means more germs, more dirt, more mess, and more work for your staff.

That’s why we thought this would be a good time for facility managers to assess their overall cleaning systems and make sure that they are working for those who rely on your facility. We’ve put together a few simple ways that you can greatly improve cleaning with minimal effort.

1. Pay extra attention to sanitizing and cleaning touch points during flu season.

More so than any other time of the year, our facilities need to be diligent regarding sanitizing public areas, especially bathrooms, to keep visitors safe. 

Some of the most important areas to keep clean are touch points, the areas of a facility or home that get touched with hands the most. These touch points can include anything from door handles and locks, to light switches, and drawer handles.

2. Take an end-of-the-year roundup.

Sometimes the simplest changes in our facilities can make everyone’s job easier. The end of the year is a good time to make these assessments so that you can have a fresh start at the beginning of the new year.

What changes can you make to keep your space clean? To find out, it might be helpful to bring in a consultant, or even a friend or colleague in another department to ask what might be added to improve processes or cleaning in your building.

Another idea might be to survey employees in your facility to find out if there are any cleaning needs that are not currently being met. They might have a different perspective that can offer some insight. Some examples of things that might improve a facility include:

• Installing more trash cans. This inexpensive one-time purchase can vastly improve the cleanliness of your facility and make your staff’s job easier. Try any of our commercial trash cans and lids suitable for a wide variety of industries.
• Upgrading or replacing floor mats. Several months ago, we published an article about the importance of high-quality floor mats to keep your space safe and clean. Floor mats have several different purposes. You may be using floor mats to make staff safer and more comfortable, or to keep dirt and mud trapped near the entryway instead of being tracked into your space. Either way, now is a good time to ensure that you are using the right kind of floor mats for your desired goal. Floor mats also need to be replaced on a regular basis in order to remain effective.
• Toilet and paper towel dispensers. One of the most neglected areas of your facility restroom may very well be the toilet paper and paper towel dispensers. Assessing their effectiveness and contribution to trash in your bathrooms might be a quick way to save your staff time and your facility money this Christmas season. Changing to a less expensive brand of paper towels, for example, could potentially save you thousands of dollars each year. Check out Worldwide Janitor’s selection of dispensers and paper towels to find one that might work best for you.

3. Spring cleaning? Consider a mid-winter cleaning too.

Spring is a long ways off. To make that dreaded deep spring cleaning easier, it might be worth considering having a mid-winter deep clean. There are a few reasons why this might work for your facility.

First, it’s well into winter, but a long time until spring. At this point, we are a couple of months into the cooler weather (more for some locations). Rather than letting that dirt and bacteria accumulate for a few more months, a deep clean can do wonders to save your staff time, energy, and money in the long run.

4. Look down at the floor. What do you see?

Whether wood, tile, or vinyl, chances are your floors probably require some routine maintenance from time to time. This holiday season, start a log to keep track of floor maintenance and train your staff to maintain floors when the time comes. Check out Worldwide Janitor’s selection of floor treatments to find one that’s right for you.

This holiday season, get a head start on cleaning rather than getting behind. Being proactive about cleaning now will mean happier guests and a cleaner space. Even more than that, it will save you time and money in the long run! 

What suggestions do you have to keep facilities safe and clean this holiday season?