What are the health benefits of a clean workplace?

Bio contaminants, also known as biological contaminants or biological pollutants, encompass a variety of particles that range from the small to the microscopic. They include dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, and are regularly found on all surfaces.

 

These particles trigger different reactions in humans, and even these reactions come in varying degrees. Allergies from pollen affect huge portions of the population while leaving others seemingly unaffected. That doesn’t mean one should ignore cleaning pollen altogether; those affected by allergies and asthma can affect those around them.

 

That can be the least of one’s worries when it comes to sickness spread in offices, factories, schools and other workplaces. Bacteria, viruses, and germs can linger in the air and on surfaces for days if the conditions are ideal for them. Once they get a person ill, it can create instant stress and the loss of time and money as they recover. Given the option, many people would prefer avoiding sickness altogether.

 

Cleaning for health allows us to remove these bio contaminants, oftentimes before they become a lasting problem. While we can’t stop people coming into work sneezing, we can take care of anything that tries to stay as well as work with you to set up disinfection stations to take care of any sudden surprises.

 

Other bio contaminants and their potential effects would also be addressed with proper cleaning. Removing food and mold prevents uninvited pests and potential damage. Dust buildup can be stopped with routine dusting. Even the seemingly small things, like proper trash removal and wiping the tables, can do a tremendous amount.

 

There are also more visible effects of cleaning; an environment that is cleaned for health will also look nice as well.

 

Mental Health and the Workplace

There are many mental health benefits that come from a physically clean environment as well. Some of them seem obvious; being less stressed because you’re less likely to get sick is expected. There are additional benefits that, while harder to establish a correlation, often go hand in hand.

 

First, it is essential to understand the potential negative effects a messy environment has on your mental health. A visible mess, at best, can be a distraction, and at worse a source of stress. These both develop from a similar starting point: your mind has trouble focusing if it sees more than one issue to solve. In some cases, the mess reminds you of all the things that need to be done, and you start working on that chore list in your head. In other cases, you are overwhelmed by the things you haven’t done, and all of those unfinished tasks become additional stressors.

 

A clean environment, on the other hand, helps you focus on the task at hand. The removal of messes also removes their ability to divert your attention. With more attention and time devoted to your wok, the quicker tasks can be done and often with better quality. Additionally, knowing where everything is and isn’t can reduce other stresses. (It will also save you time having to search for things later.)

 

Pandemic Cleaning and Our Health

During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning has taken on a new meaning in relation to our health. It has also heightened what we currently know about clean offices and workspaces and how they affect our physical and mental health.

 

Cleaning to a detailed level has never been more important than it has been now. Because COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus, our detailed cleaning has taken a high priority. Office, school, and facility cleaning have to be done well, as they are some places where multiple people gather. Contact surfaces and clean air have taken the highest priority during this time, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

 

Mental health has drastically been affected by the pandemic and cleaning as well. Many people are concerned about catching the virus and spreading it to loved ones. Even a simple trip to a grocery store now involves cleaning and quarantining your groceries. With the additional mental health effects of lockdowns, many people are struggling with keeping their mental health up.

 

Unfortunately, fatigue with cleaning does not mean that we can just give up on it. Vigilance, even during the tough times, allows us to prioritize our health when we need it the most.

 

How Much Should I Clean?

What does this ultimately mean? Everyone has different tolerances for messes, and cleaning does not solve every problem.

 

Our recommendation is to always clean for the sake of your health. In every case, we want to cover at least your physical health. Bio contaminants are always a hindrance and can make any situation worse. Eliminating sickness and the stress of worrying about sickness can go a long way. This includes dusting, taking out the trash, and using sanitizers and disinfectants.

 

Of course, the pandemic does change our usual parameters. We still highly recommend cleaning for health. However, during these times it is important to be more vigilant with cleaning. Keeping on top of the latest news can help us gauge where our cleaning needs to be and help us figure how to get there.

 

Need Help?

Janitronics works year-round to make sure environments are both clean and healthy. We offer a variety of services and products to help you whenever you need.

 

To reach out to us, use our contact form here.