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Did you know the flu is one of the most common and deadly viruses that exists? As a result of its widespread and deadly nature, and with flu season already here, the need to keep commercial buildings, such as office spaces, schools and health care facilities, free of the viruses’ germs should be a priority.
The flu virus can live on surfaces and remain contagious for upwards of 24 hours – a period that’s more than enough time to devastate a workforce or student body, especially by way of high traffic areas. Common touchpoints like door handles or breakroom counters are prime spots for the flu to propagate and thrive, infecting with ease. By regularly disinfecting these surfaces and other commonly trafficked areas, the flu can be kept at bay in your office, school, store or healthcare facility.
As far as people go, the flu is contagious one day before an individual infected with the influenza virus starts to show symptoms, and up to one week after symptoms become apparent. So, while the flu lasts on surfaces for about a day, it can last in a coworker, student or patient for a full week. With at least 26 percent of Americans still showing up for work when sick, the need for a thoroughly clean building is crucial for maintaining productivity and keeping individuals happy and healthy.
Here’s a few ways to keep the flu at bay in your commercial space:
Cleaning Up After a Sick Coworker (and always keep clean to prevent)
Let’s assume the worst has happened: a coworker or student was told to leave your building, or left of his or her own decision due to showing symptoms of the flu. Before panic sets in, in which your staff starts taking work-from-home days early or wearing sick masks in the office, there are steps you can take to reduce the probability and rate of infection when the flu made its way through your building.
Contact your cleaning company and ask them to thoroughly disinfect the afflicted coworkers’ workspace. Make sure they know what working area to disinfect and sanitize all surfaces, keyboards, phones and other touchpoints that the infected coworker engaged with on a regular basis.
But it is also important to always disinfect shared spaces such as breakrooms and bathrooms to reduce the risk of infection for others. Some heavily trafficked touchpoints that are often overlooked by inexperience cleaning crews include:
- Refrigerator handles
- Microwave buttons
- Water coolers
- Urinal and toilet handles
- Sink faucets and doorknobs
- Air hand dryers and paper towel dispensers
Though disinfection of affected workspaces can be helpful to combating the spread of a single breakout in a commercial building, when a mass outbreak of influenza hits your office or medical practice, it’s crucial to call a commercial cleaning company to thoroughly disinfect your building with the proper material and technique. SD Janitor has plenty experience and knowledge on this type of services.
Disinfecting for Flu Season with Commercial Cleaning
Commercial cleaning companies such us here at SD Janitor can reactively disinfect buildings that have been exposed to outbreaks of the flu, but the best use of a commercial cleaning is engaging with them in advance of an outbreak to prevent one altogether. Engaging a commercial cleaning company to routinely disinfect your building and its common and often overlooked touchpoints can keep your building free of infection all year long.
When a nasty outbreak of the flu has hit your building, call us here at SD Janitor. We use cutting-edge technology to assist with virus remediation. We will cover every conceivable surface and removes germs and bacteria.
We also always disinfect surfaces that are commonly overlooked by staff, or those that are too cumbersome for inexperienced and unprofessional janitorial cleaners. This can include the sanitation of windows, the deep cleaning of carpets, and the disinfection of fan and shelf tops and other high, not-seen surfaces.
Need help protecting your building and staff against the flu this year? Contact us here at SD Janitor. We are a trusted commercial cleaning company here in San Diego for over 10 years. Call for a free consultation today.
