How to Spring Clean: 10 Things To Do To Remove Dust, Dirt, and Grime from Surfaces and Equipment

As winter gives way to spring, business and facility managers have a lot of work to do. Traditionally, springtime brings spring cleaning. This year, with record-breaking RSV outbreaks and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important now more than ever to know how to spring clean your facility. There’s no better way to prepare your business for a new season than with a fresh deep cleaning. 

If you’re wondering how to spring clean your business, we’re here to help you. Here’s exactly what you need to know in order to effectively remove germs, dust, dirt, odors, and grime from every surface in your facility. 

WHAT IS SPRING CLEANING? 

Spring cleaning is when you do a deeper, more thorough cleaning of your business or home. It’s typically done at the start of the Spring season in March or April. Since cooler temperatures typically keep people cooped up indoors for months, dust, gunk, grime, and even bacteria can build up on surfaces and equipment. A thorough and effective spring clean will refresh your facility from top to bottom. 

Changing seasons is a great reminder to complete quarterly tasks like maintenance, equipment repairs, and of course, deep cleaning. While spring cleaning is important, cleanliness and hygiene are a year-round commitment. Deep cleaning should be completed every 2 to 4 months, or once a season.

WHY YOU SHOULD SPRING CLEAN 

Spring cleaning gives your facility or business a much-needed dose of TLC. A display of unpleasant things like odors, fingerprints, oily residue, dirt, dust, grease, and stains, and broken equipment may greet people who enter.

When you know how to spring clean, you can fully eradicate germs, maintain expensive equipment, refresh surfaces that look worn, remove dust and dirt that has accumulated, and eliminate lingering stinky smells. Since you see the same room or visit the same space every day, it’s easy to not notice the less-than-sparkling parts of your facility.

Little things like dirt coating window sills and touch screens covered in greasy or sweaty fingerprints may not catch your eye. Spring cleaning prevents you from missing any areas that need to be kept tidy for the health, safety, and satisfaction of your customers.

HOW TO SPRING CLEAN 

Spring cleaning your facility goes beyond simply cleaning out drawers, decluttering desks, and light cleaning such as sweeping and wiping surfaces. Spring cleaning, or deep cleaning, means you’re disinfecting entire spaces, rooms, and appliances.

Spring cleaning means getting out a toothbrush and removing grime from tiny places that don’t usually get scrubbed. It means spending at least double or triple the amount of time and effort ensuring every space in your facility has been refreshed.

Here are 10 things to do to spring clean your facility and why it matters:

1. Steam Clean Carpets, Upholstery, and Curtains / Drapes

Doing this does the following: 

• Eliminates trapped odors 
• Refreshes appearance and makes your facility look newer
• Removes deep-set stains

2. Wash Windows

Washing windows:

• Removes stubborn smudges and dried-on substances  
• Clears away dust built-up dust that dull your windows
• Makes windows look bright and inviting

3. Clean Vents, Ceiling Fans, and Lights

One task that’s always pushed to the bottom of the list is cleaning vents, ceiling fans, and lights. Don’t skip this step while spring cleaning though, because here’s what can happen: 

• These items are prone to accumulating dust and can blow them into the air, triggering allergies, and breathing problems
• Dust and dirt build-up can give the impression of laziness and uncleanliness to customers
• Caked up dirt in between vents and in the crevices of fans and lights can cause operational problems

4. Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Deep cleaning your kitchen will be worth it when:

• Your refrigerator is safe and free of lingering bacteria like listeria and E. Coli. Do this by removing all food from the fridge and disinfecting shelves and drawers with a disinfectant wipe or liquid disinfectant to kill germs that could cause foodborne illness
• You notice any items that are cracked, broken, or need to be repaired. Discard broken dishes or cooking/ serving ware that could harbor hidden bacteria that could cause sickness
• Stains and debris are removed from these appliances and surfaces to make your kitchen safe and clean: 

– Sinks, microwaves, appliances (toasters, grills, etc.)
– Counters, tables 
– Eating and cooking utensils (knives, forks, cutting boards, etc.) 
– Cabinets and handles

5. Show Your Restrooms Some Love

Deep cleaning your bathroom will: 

• Remove dangerous pathogens that hide in hard-to-clean grooves and crevices in toilets, on stall handles, sinks, and floors
• Kill infections and sicknesses that spread via bodily fluids

6. Disinfect Desks and Office Equipment

Keeping high touch surfaces in offices can:

• Cut down on sick days employees use by reducing the huge number of bacteria lurking on desks and equipment in offices. 
• Keep employees safe from germs that can get them sick
• Minimize the chance of your office suffering an outbreak by bacteria that has been allowed to spread due to a lack of sanitizing and disinfection. Something as simple as deep cleaning and disinfecting phones and keyboards, copy machine buttons, and tables in your lobby can cut down on the spread of illness

7. Don’t Forget About Machinery 

After investing huge sums of money in the best equipment that your facility can provide, it’s important to maintain it with routine repairs/updates and cleaning. Protect your investments by: 

• Using disinfectant wipes that don’t contain these 4 chemicals to remove germs from gym equipment, food processing equipment, and office equipment
• Getting equipment serviced to keep them in good repair so they remain functional

8. Clean and Disinfect Electronics 

Electronic devices like touchscreens, phones, tablets, T.V.’s, and more can be difficult to keep clean. It’s hard to know how to clean them without damaging them. However, disinfecting them daily is important because:

• Electronics are known for being one of the germiest and unsanitary devices in the world
• Electronics tend to be a focal point for customers and should look their best at all times to leave a good impression
• Germs that linger in the air are prone to landing on these surfaces  
• They often frequently come into direct contact with dozens of people

9. Start At The Bottom – Prioritize Floors

You probably have your floors swept or mopped several times each week. But deep cleaning and disinfecting your floors is important because: 

• Floors are incredibly dirty and are exposed to vast amounts of germs via the bottom of shoes, which carry loads of bacteria
• Germs crawling on your floors can easily spread when clients place their personal items like purses or gym bags on them. These items then come into contact with other surfaces like tables, desks, bedding, and other places
• Most germs that cause healthcare-associated infections live on floors

10. Wrap Up Repairs and Maintenance

It’s easy to put small things on a to-do list. You’ll change that light bulb next week. You’ll have that cracked screen replaced soon. You’ll make a note to call someone to repaint the wall where a small hole was knocked in. But, how many of these tasks do you actually get to? Probably not many. Wrapping up repairs and maintenance during your spring cleaning is a simple way to ensure: 

• You don’t forget about any critical repairs that need to be done for client or employee safety. 
• Clients see your facility positively and as a place that is cared for
• Repairs and all maintenance remain easy to track 

HAPPY SPRING CLEANING! 

Use this list as a guide to make sure surfaces, areas/spaces, and equipment in your facility are polished up for the upcoming spring and summer seasons! 

• Disinfecting is incredibly important to consider and plan for as you plan out how to spring clean your business.
• Make spring cleaning easier by getting your staff involved – use checklists and assign tasks to ensure that they get done. 
• Use chemicals that won’t harm your surfaces. It’s worth doing the extra research.
• Make cleaning easy by using easy-to-use products such as wipes EPA-registered to kill bacteria like RSV, the flu, and Coronavirus. 

Happy Spring Cleaning!