The Importance Of Cleaning High-touch Surfaces For Better Hygiene

By Author: jacks
Total Articles: 9
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Introduction: A Hidden Culprit in Plain Sight

It was a bright Monday morning at GreenTech Solutions, the kind of day when productivity feels almost contagious. Employees arrived with steaming coffee cups, chatting cheerfully as they settled at their desks. The floors sparkled, a testament to the floor sweepers industrial machines the cleaning crew used every night. The plush carpets—meticulously maintained by commercial carpet extractors—added a sense of warmth and professionalism to the office space.

But hidden amidst the spotless surfaces was a silent intruder. By Wednesday, the office was buzzing with whispers: "So-and-so caught a nasty bug." "Three people called in sick." Within days, the cheerful vibe was replaced by empty desks and muted sneezes. It wasn’t the air-conditioning or a contagious meeting. It was the unnoticed and uncleaned high-touch surfaces: the communal printer, door handles, elevator buttons, and even breakroom counters.

This story isn’t unique. ...
... It happens in offices, homes, schools, and public spaces daily. These high-touch surfaces often serve as breeding grounds for germs, making their regular cleaning essential—not just for aesthetics, but for health and safety.

Why High-Touch Surfaces Are Germ Hotspots

What Are High-Touch Surfaces?

High-touch surfaces are precisely what they sound like: areas frequently touched by multiple people throughout the day. Think about door handles, light switches, remote controls, keyboards, and countertops. While these objects help keep our daily lives running smoothly, they can also harbor a surprising number of germs.

The Numbers Tell a Disturbing Story

A study from the University of Arizona revealed that an average office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.

Another study found that 60% of shared water cooler buttons tested positive for harmful bacteria.

High-touch surfaces in public places, like ATM keypads or shopping cart handles, can harbor bacteria and viruses that survive for hours to days, depending on the material.

These statistics underscore the importance of cleaning these surfaces regularly and effectively.

Understanding the Science of Germ Survival

How Long Do Germs Survive on Surfaces?

Pathogens like bacteria and viruses can persist on surfaces for varying lengths of time:

Plastic: Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 can survive for up to 72 hours.

Stainless Steel: Bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus can linger for 48 hours.

Cardboard: Pathogens can remain active for about 24 hours.

The material and environment play a critical role. Non-porous surfaces like glass and metal are particularly good at hosting germs.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

When we talk about cleaning, it’s important to distinguish it from disinfecting:

Cleaning: Removes dirt, grime, and some germs but doesn’t necessarily kill them.

Disinfecting: Uses chemicals to kill germs on a surface, significantly reducing the risk of infection.

The ideal practice is to clean surfaces first to remove visible debris and then disinfect them to neutralize pathogens.

The High-Stakes Cost of Overlooking Hygiene

Neglecting to clean high-touch surfaces has serious consequences:

Increased Illnesses: In offices, dirty surfaces can lead to a surge in employee sick days. According to the CDC, 80% of common infections are spread by touch.

Economic Losses: For businesses, absenteeism due to poor hygiene can result in lost productivity and revenue.

Health Crises in Public Spaces: Schools, hospitals, and restaurants can face devastating outbreaks when hygiene is overlooked. Norovirus outbreaks, for example, can cost thousands of dollars in lost revenue and cleanup expenses.

Cleaning in Action: Best Practices for High-Touch Surfaces

At Home

High-touch surfaces in homes include kitchen counters, refrigerator handles, light switches, and remote controls. For example, the kitchen faucet alone can harbor 44 times more bacteria than a bathroom sink, according to NSF International.

Best Practices:

Wipe down high-touch surfaces daily with household cleaners.

Use a disinfectant spray on remotes and light switches weekly.

Deep-clean carpets with commercial carpet extractors every few months to remove embedded allergens and bacteria.

In Offices

Shared workspaces are germ magnets. From keyboards to water cooler buttons, these areas can quickly become sources of illness if not cleaned regularly.

Best Practices:

Wipe down communal areas like printers, doorknobs, and breakroom tables daily.

Equip cleaning staff with floor sweepers industrial to ensure floors remain free from dust and allergens.

Provide employees with sanitizing wipes to clean personal desks and keyboards.

Commercial Spaces

For high-traffic areas like shopping malls, gyms, and restaurants, hygiene is a matter of public trust.

Best Practices:

Clean high-touch surfaces multiple times a day using EPA-approved disinfectants.

Invest in professional cleaning equipment like commercial carpet extractors to deep-clean carpets in waiting areas or lobbies.

Regularly sanitize shopping carts, ATM machines, and elevator buttons.

Healthcare Settings

Hospitals and clinics are particularly vulnerable to the spread of infections through high-touch surfaces like bed rails, IV stands, and medical equipment.

Best Practices:

Implement strict cleaning schedules, targeting high-touch areas after every patient.

Use hospital-grade disinfectants.

Employ specialized floor sweepers industrial for rapid and effective floor cleaning in high-traffic zones.

Building a Sustainable Cleaning Routine

To maintain hygiene effectively, follow these steps:

Identify High-Touch Areas: Create a list of surfaces frequently touched in your environment.

Select Proper Cleaning Agents: Use products approved by health authorities to kill bacteria and viruses effectively.

Invest in Advanced Cleaning Tools: Tools like floor sweepers industrial and commercial carpet extractors improve efficiency and ensure a deeper clean.

Establish Regular Cleaning Schedules: High-touch surfaces should be cleaned daily in busy spaces and weekly in less-used areas.

Educate and Train Staff: Whether at home or work, ensure everyone understands the importance of cleaning high-touch surfaces.

How Advanced Tools Make a Difference

Floor Sweepers Industrial

These machines are game-changers for maintaining hygiene in large spaces. They are designed to:

Quickly clean expansive areas like warehouses, hospitals, or gyms.

Reduce dust, allergens, and microbial load on floors.

Commercial Carpet Extractors

Carpets can trap allergens, bacteria, and even mold. Extractors offer:

Deep-cleaning capabilities to remove embedded dirt.

Improved air quality by reducing allergens like dust mites.

Both tools significantly reduce cleaning time and provide superior results compared to manual methods.

Real-Life Impact: The Ripple Effect of Cleanliness

As of the year 2021, the school district of Florida adopted strict measures concerning cleaning procedures by paying special attention to the surfaces that people frequently touch. These included professionals cleaning carpets with commercial carpet extractors and deep cleaning of desks and doorknobs on a daily basis. After a year, the absenteeism of students fell by 35%, and the number of sick leave days for staff also declined drastically. 

This case illustrates exemplarily how making hygiene a priority not only comes with better health for the people but also economically intelligent in the long term.

Conclusion: A Healthier Tomorrow Starts Today

While it may appear that wiping down high-touch surfaces is merely a small task, its importance is great. Regardless of the task, whether it is a homeowner doing basic maintenance by cleaning the countertops, a facility manager who utilizes industrial equipment such as floor sweepers to ensure that the floors remain clean, or a business purchasing industrial equipment such as commercial carpet extractors, every task counts.

These efforts do not only keep clean areas but also develop clean areas for people to live and work in and perform healthy practices, which should be the focus of such cleaning tasks in the first place.