In our last article we asked whether you had checked the cleaning cupboard on your business premises, while providing some information and advice about cleaning products. In this article, we are going to talk about cleaning equipment: The essentials, the dangers of cross contamination, colour coding, and the importance of checking and maintaining equipment regularly.
In order to make sure that cleaning practices are completed properly and hygienically, with a minimum risk of cross contamination, it is important that firstly, your cleaners understand the science behind cleaning.
It isn’t as simple as turning up to clean your business premises with a mop and bucket in hand!
Much like chefs need to know about food hygiene and the dangers of meat juices leaking on to salad leaves, our cleaners at Crystal Clean Service undergo thorough training to understand the safe and hygienic use of:
Moreover, our cleaning staff receive ongoing support and training and are kept up to date with changes in the industry and best practice.
This is to ensure that safety and hygiene standards are maintained at a high level.
What cleaning equipment is required? – This sounds like such a simple question, doesn’t it?
But, just like our last article highlighted that many cleaning cupboards on commercial premises have too many cleaning products; by the same token, an abundance of cleaning equipment can easily be mixed up and used in other areas, risking cross contamination and the health of those working on the premises.
All cleaning equipment should be checked regularly for quality, cleanliness, and safety, both by the cleaner using it and their direct line manager or supervisor.
The cleaning of cleaning equipment may sound a little over the top, but even not changing the filter or bag of a vacuum cleaner often enough, can result in dirt particles being redistributed in the air or to other areas when it is in use.
Commercial cleaners like Crystal Clean Service have their own equipment, which they will maintain and store.
Cleaning accessories such as wet/dry cloths, mops and dusters will be scheduled for regular cleaning and sanitising, so that the highest possible standards of hygiene are upheld.
In addition, different cleaning equipment will be used for different areas to prevent cross contamination.
Equipment for each area will be stored separately, either in different sections of the same cupboard or in completely different cupboards or storerooms to reduce the risk of spreading germs from one area to another.
You wouldn’t like to think that the cloth used for cleaning your desk had also been used in the washroom, would you?
What is cross contamination?
We are sure that you will have heard of cross contamination, but what is it and why should you be worried about it?
Cross contamination happens when germs or bacteria are moved from one area to another, where there is potential for causing harm to individuals.
It is, therefore, of paramount importance that the risk of it occurring on commercial or industrial premises is extremely low in order to protect the health of everyone who may come into that area.
It may not just be employees but could also be members of the public or children.
If cleaners are not vigilant enough, or do not understand the dangers of cross contamination, bacteria or germs could be easily transferred from washroom to office to kitchen to reception.
It is essential that cleaners are thoroughly trained to understand these dangers and know how to minimise the risk of cross contamination occurring to ensure a healthy workplace, with fewer instances of sickness.
One of the golden rules for cleaning properly is to work from the cleanest area to the dirtiest, which will greatly reduce the risk of cross contamination.
The importance of colour coding
Cleaning equipment can pose the biggest risk of cross contamination, so commercial cleaning companies will use a colour coding system to ensure that equipment is not used in more than one area.
By sticking to colour coding for equipment, cleaners can avoid using the same equipment for cleaning different areas/surfaces/rooms, no matter who used it last.
At Crystal Clean Service, all our cleaning staff have undergone thorough training so that they understand how colour coding works across the following equipment:
- Cleaning cloths, both wet and dry
- Buckets and mops (both mop heads and handles can be colour coded if required)
- All brooms and brushes
- Dustpans and brushes
Other items such as rubber gloves can also be colour coded if and when required, as can cleaning processes to ensure regular cleaning of all surfaces and areas.
The British Institute of Cleaning Science’s (BICSc) colour coding guidelines are:
Yellow for clinical areas
Green for kitchens, food preparation areas, and surfaces and catering equipment
Blue is used for more general cleaning areas such as offices, corridors, classrooms, and reception areas.
Red is used for toilets and washrooms
These colours can vary from time to time for example, in hospitals, where a different system is employed, but the main focus is always the same: To keep the equipment used to clean different types of area, separate.
It is extremely important that cleaners monitor the system, schedule cleaning, and maintenance of the equipment regularly.
When ordering new or replacement items, attention should be paid to their storage to avoid multiple items being in use at the same time.
Have you checked the equipment in your cleaning cupboard against our list?
Any do you have too few or too many items?
Are they all stored together in one cupboard, or are items separated by areas?
If you don’t like what you have found or would like to talk to us about your cleaning requirements, contact Crystal Clean Service or call us on 0114 4010 550 to find out how we can help.
If you are thinking about hiring a professional commercial cleaning company for your business premises, it is worthwhile checking whether they use colour coding for their cleaning equipment.
Commercial cleaning companies like Crystal Clean Service will not only ensure that cleaning equipment is colour coded and stored separately, but they will also make sure that cleaning staff are fully aware of how the system works and the dangers of cross contamination.
