Office cleaning should be a daily ritual, whether you work at a large or small office space. Spending time working, or even just sharing an entire day with others at work, means exchanging much more than just blank paper and ideas. Think about how quickly diseases spread, and learn why it is imperative to maintain a high level of hygiene in the office.

Fighting virus and bacteria: The invisible war

Communicable diseases are conditions caused by either virus or bacteria. These microscopic organisms are easily transmitted by external contact from person to person, by doing things we do not even think about such as:

• sharing drinking cups (even after we wash them)
• eating in common areas
• using the bathroom
• touching handles/door knobs
• sharing tools such as pencils/pen
• swapping or switching keyboards/laptops
• inadvertently touching infected areas

Sometimes even air can be a conduit of microorganisms. Sharing a work space means consistent exposure to potential illness. The only solution is the age-old practice of “keeping it clean.”

Infection hotspots

Develop an office cleaning plan that includes the top four areas of highest traffic in the office:

• kitchen or lounge
  The common kitchen area is a hotspot of bacteria, especially when there are cooking tools and utensils that will inevitably need upkeep and cleaning on a daily basis. These are, namely
  • microwave units
  • hotplates
  • stoves (if a regular kitchen)
  • refrigerators, coolers, or mini fridges
  • hot pots and tea pots
  • coffee makers

  Office cleaning should be done as periodically as possible. The more things are left without cleaning, the more bacteria will build up. Still, aside from keeping common areas clean, also be sure to place awareness posters around. Include a list of the most common diseases, and how washing hands and tools makes all the difference.

• meeting roomsThe cleaning routine should also include wiping down tables, spraying chairs (especially when they are trimmed with cloth) with antibacterial spray, and keeping the floors swept and vacuumed. Food crumbs, trash, and body fluids transmitted during the day through sneezing, coughing or talking foster more disease-causing germs. Also, keeping areas clean keeps creepy crawling bugs away.
• bathroomsUndoubtedly, this area is the top spot of potential disease for all the obvious reasons. The best way to keep bathrooms clean in an office cleaning plan is by making everyone accountable for the state of the office bathrooms, aside from your regular cleaning team. Employees should learn that all necessary tools and detergents will be available for them to take care of any incidents or accidents there. Most importantly, keep the area stocked with antibacterial soap, sprays, disinfectants, gloves, and hand dryer or sanitizers.
• Office toolsKeyboards should be wiped, sanitized with spray, or wiped before and after using. It may sound like a rigorous process, but once everyone understands the value of a clean working space, people will surely start buying into it.

  It is not impossible to achieve an optimal space to work that is clean and as germ-free as possible. It will eventually help us focus on what really matters.