Illnesses can wreak havoc on businesses and according to WebMD, many employees end up missing between one to six workdays every year due to becoming sick. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to ensure that your workplace is as germ-free as possible to help prevent the spread of illnesses. However, there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting that you need to know.
Cleaning Vs. Disinfecting
When it comes to keeping your workplace free from germs and illnesses, simply cleaning the space isn’t enough. Using household cleaning devices doesn’t kill germs and bacteria that can still be lingering on surfaces. Although this can make a space look clean, it won’t actually remove any germs.
Similarly, sanitizing a space can remove some germs, but it won’t destroy bacteria and viruses. The only way to ensure that your workplace is as germ-free as possible is to disinfect surfaces to completely destroy the bacteria and viruses that can survive on the surface. Disinfecting hard and non-porous surfaces is one of the best ways to reduce the spread of germs and keep your workplace healthy all throughout the flu season and beyond.
Why Disinfecting Matters
Disinfecting using products that have been approved by the EPA is the only thing that can reliably kill viruses that can otherwise be spread by touch. The main difference between these disinfectants and standard sanitizers is that they can kill both viruses and bacteria, while sanitizers only mitigate the bacteria.
A disinfecting service in your office can help keep your surfaces cleaner and reduce the risk of spreading both bacteria and viruses that could otherwise spread throughout your workplace and result in numerous people needing to call out sick. This can ramp productivity and result in a lot of losses that could otherwise have been prevented.
When Do You Need to Disinfect?
Disinfecting is best done as a preventive measure even if everyone in your office appears to be in good health. Using a disinfecting service like ours, well before anyone begins falling ill is one of the best ways to ensure that viruses cannot spread throughout your workplace as easily.
Preferably, you should encourage all employees to wipe down their spaces with disinfectant wipes after each workday, in addition to having a disinfecting service come and disinfect all other commonly touched surfaces. By doing this you can help prevent the spread of any viruses more readily and ensure that fewer people are at risk of falling ill at your workplace.
If you currently don’t have a plan for disinfecting your workplace this flu season, consider how bringing in a disinfecting service can benefit you, as well as encouraging all employees to disinfect their spaces, so that the entire office can stay safe and healthy.