Keep Cleanliness Top of Mind in 2023

Throughout 2023, retailers and facility managers should do their part to help minimize the spread of germs. The common cold and flu viruses spike through February and can linger through the spring, making now a critical time to continue boosting hygiene practices in facilities. It’s important to show care toward building occupants by helping provide a clean and healthy environment.

Familiarize Yourself with High-Touch Surfaces

High-touch surfaces include any item or surface in your facility that is touched and used frequently by numerous employees and guests. It is helpful to ensure that these surfaces are cleaned and sanitized regularly, and it is especially important during a time of year when viruses and illnesses are spreading more rapidly. The frequency at which your facility should be cleaned depends on how many occupants enter the building each day. CDC guidelines suggest sanitizing and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at least once a day.

Common high-touch surfaces to consider sanitizing regularly include shopping carts, door handles, stair railings, shelves, retail point-of-sale (POS) devices, elevator buttons and public restroom fixtures. Remember that each surface disinfectant has different contact time recommendations to be most effective, as well as specific surfaces that they can be used on. Many disinfectants need to be used on pre-cleaned areas, so ensure your cleaning team is well-trained on proper product application and usage.

Implement an Effective Hand Hygiene System

One way to show facility occupants that their health is a top priority is by equipping your restrooms with an effective hand hygiene system.

This can include installing and properly maintaining hand sanitizer stations in high-traffic areas of your facility. SC Johnson Professional’s QuickView™ Transparent Manual Dispensers offer an efficient solution to hand sanitation with transparent sides that are visible from any angle or distance. This enables your cleaning team to easily tell when a product is low and should be replaced.

It is also important to regularly restock hand hygiene supplies in your facility’s restrooms, such as soap and paper towels. Installing touchless hand hygiene systems such as SC Johnson Professional’s TouchFREE Ultra Dispensers allow facility occupants to wash their hands while minimizing touchpoints. Adding proper handwashing technique signage to your facility's public restrooms can also help promote hand hygiene practices.

Try a New Approach

Take an adjusted approach to the shopping experience during cold and flu season and beyond to help minimize the number of touchpoints consumers experience at your facility. Consider offering contactless shopping, such as curbside pickup, to minimize the number of guests shopping at one time. Curbside pickup became popular among many retail stores and restaurants in recent years. This solution allows customers to still enjoy the instant gratification of in-store shopping without having to physically enter the store and be a potential risk to others if they are not feeling well.

QR codes are another tool utilized by facilities to reduce the number of guests touching commonly shared items that create a potential risk for germ transmission. Solutions such as restaurant menus, cashless payment, business cards and much more can all become touchless now, helping keep guests and employees healthy.

Optimize Hygiene Training and Consider Outsourcing

Take extra precaution to create a clean environment for customers by optimizing cleaning protocols and hygiene training this season. If employees are overwhelmed by the influx of shoppers, consider consulting a professional cleaning service to properly clean your facility on a routine basis. This not only ensures that your facility is cleaned exceptionally well, but it can allow staff time to focus on serving customers rather than cleaning tasks.

Spread Joy, Not Germs

When shoppers and your employees feel better in your business, everyone’s shopping experience goes more smoothly. Do not let cold and flu season or the risk of spreading germs throughout the year stand in the way of having a successful 2023. Itis never too late to implement an effective hand hygiene system and high-touch cleaning program.

For more information, visit www.scjp.com.