As the owner or manager of a building, you have many responsibilities. Among them is maintaining the cleanliness of your building to keep the occupants safe and healthy. High-touch surfaces, such as handrails and door handles, are obviously in need of cleaning. However, another frequently used area of your building is also in need of regular cleaning: the trash chute.
Assuming the Trash Chute Doesn’t Need Cleaned
The trash chute is one of the least visible parts of your building, but don’t let it drop to the bottom of your cleaning priority list. The trash chute serves only to convey trash to its collection area. You may assume that this means the trash chute is clean, since it should only be used with bagged trash. However, you must take into account that some building residents will toss unbagged trash down the chute as well as for the fact that some trash bags may rip as they are placed in the chute. Even if the visible portions of the trash chute are clean, trash or debris on the interior walls of the trash chute can cause foul odors in addition to harboring dangerous bacteria and other pathogens.
Any Cleaner Works
Not every cleaner is a disinfectant, though it can be easy to slip into assuming that your cleaners are also disinfecting. You need to be certain that the cleaners you have selected have disinfectant ingredients. In the midst of this pandemic, it is also important to know if the cleaners you use are EPA approved to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This list is maintained by the EPA and is regularly updated to reflect new products on the market.
Even after the pandemic passes, though, you should be careful to choose disinfecting cleaners. Trash chutes can harbor bacteria and pathogens which, left unchecked, can infect your building’s occupants. Therefore, your choice of cleaning products will remain important for years to come.
Using the Wrong Cleaning Service (or None at All)
A cleaning service without COVID training or experience, or one with a bad reputation, could cost you. Carefully research any cleaning service you are considering. Check reviews, ask for references, and get specific about their training and experience in mitigating COVID-19 exposure.
Possibly even worse than hiring inexperienced cleaners is allowing your employees to do the cleaning on their own. Untrained employees working in other areas of the business may forget, take shortcuts, or otherwise unintentionally cause issues in your building.
Hire a Professional
If you want to keep your building clean, safe, and healthy, hire a professional to clean your trash chutes and other high concern areas. Look for professionals with documented experience in COVID-19 cleaning and trash chute cleaning to ensure the best results for your building. Most importantly, do not wait for an issue to arise before hiring a cleaning service. Contact the experts at Fresh Focus today to schedule a demonstration.
