While it is essential to maintain a clean space, hallways should be highly prioritized. Since these locations have the most movement, they can get dirty and unsanitary quite quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to create and follow a proper cleaning routine. By doing so, you can better ensure the health and safety of those who walk the halls.
This article will outline the hallway cleaning checklist you need to follow.
A Checklist to Thoroughly Clean Your Hallway: Things You’ll Need
To start, you will need a plethora of cleaning supplies. Each item will differ in price and usability. For example, certain products can be inexpensive and easy to use. Alternatively, others are more expensive and will require greater skill levels. That said, assigning these tasks to more experienced employees or trained cleaning professionals would be best.
In addition, all employees must understand proper cleaning equipment handling procedures. Certain items may include harmful chemicals and ingredients. If misused, employees can get injured. So, for absolute safety, you must emphasize the importance of instructions and handling procedures.
When cleaning, you will need a damp cloth, preferably microfiber, as it will not scratch or damage surfaces and materials. In addition, to wash the floors, you will require a mop and bucket. Furthermore, it is best to have warm soapy water.
Moreover, you may need specific cleaning solutions for different surfaces. Before you purchase any cleaning solution, ensure it is suitable for the surface you are applying it to. Typical hallway cleaning solutions include floor and window products.
Additionally, you will need a disinfectant solution. Also, a vacuum cleaner is required. Trash bags are also needed to throw away garbage or unneeded items. Lastly, gloves are essential to protect those on cleaning duty. If strong solutions are used, masks may also be helpful.
How to Clean Your Hallway
For any commercial space, hallways are high-risk areas. In addition to employees, potential customers are walking through. This makes these locations highly susceptible to viruses and germs. If kept unsanitary, you may notice a sharp decline in employee morale and customer retention.
Understandably, this is something you should want to avoid. Therefore, it is essential to maintain thorough cleaning procedures. Although several tasks have multiple steps, they are all necessary and beneficial.
Prior to cleaning, it is important to declutter and remove any trash. Unneeded items can become obstacles during cleaning as they can impede progress. In addition, an open and unmessy space is better to walk through. So, before you start to clean, throw away all the garbage.
Furthermore, large items may require more work to clean around. Therefore, temporarily move them to a different location for a more easeful cleaning experience. Yes, it is an additional task, but it helps ensure a more thorough and effective cleaning progress.
Afterward, it may be best to tackle the most crucial task, which is cleaning the floor. A hallway floor is walked upon by dozens of individuals daily. Around the clock, it accumulates a litany of shoe marks. They can contain a significant amount of dirt and debris and can become scuffed over time. So, in order to maintain a well-kept floor, make sure to wash it regularly correctly.
Then, you must clean the windows using an appropriate solution. Following the instructions will ensure that dirt, dust, and smudge marks will be removed. Speaking of dust, you should dust off all surfaces. In addition to maintaining cleanliness, removing dust can be great for preventing allergies.
To continue, you must clean all light fixtures and light switches.
Finally, you should vacuum all carpets. If they are filthy or have not been cleaned in a while, apply a cleaning solution. This will leave the carpet looking good as new.
While a company can perform these tasks by itself, a commercial janitorial company with trained cleaning professionals can ensure more effective results with greater efficiency.
The Hallway Cleaning Procedures Checklist
We all forget about things. We may try our hardest to remember every detail, but we will inevitably forget something. This also holds true for hallway cleaning. There can be times when you or an employee forget about a cleaning task. Along with not being fully sanitary, this will add extra cleaning time in the future.
That said, you can avoid this by creating a cleaning checklist. You can write down all the required cleaning tasks, their frequency level, and necessary materials. Furthermore, there can be small boxes for employees to check off, ensuring the task is completed.
Typically, the more thorough a cleaning checklist is, the better. An entryway cleaning checklist detailed with steps and instructions tends to have greater results.
Highly Touched Surface Areas
First, you must focus on high-touch surface areas. These are locations with the most significant amount of skin contact. Therefore, they contain the highest amount of germs, viruses, and bacteria. If they are not adequately maintained, anyone who touches them is more prone to getting sick.
Common high-touch surfaces found in hallways are doorknobs and lightswitches. In addition, certain hallways may have framed pictures, elevator buttons, or lamps. These are also areas individuals can come into contact with.
All high-touch surfaces in commercial hallways should be properly cleaned once a day. Crowded locations with high amounts of movement may require multiple cleanings. A simple disinfectant wipe will be effective. If you notice a large number of individuals touching items, make sure to wipe those surfaces once they leave.
Disinfecting Procedures
It is important to note the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing. While they may seem similar, each has a different thoroughness level.
Cleaning removes visible dirt and debris from a surface. It can remove some germs, but only to a satisfactory level.
When you disinfect areas, you will eliminate all harmful viruses, germs, and bacteria.
Lastly, sterilizing will kill all living microorganisms from the surface. For most commercial spaces, this will be optional. However, it is commonly done in medical facilities.
Typically, it is best to use a high-level chemical disinfectant. Since they contain stronger and harsher ingredients, they tend to be more effective. Alternatively, you can opt for an alcohol-based solution. You should avoid rubbing alcohol, as it will not eliminate all viruses and bacteria. In general, you should purchase a cleaning solution that contains 70% isopropyl alcohol.
When using the product, make sure you follow all instructions. In addition, you may want to wear safety gloves. Moreover, each disinfectant solution will require different exposure times. After allowing the necessary exposure time, wipe with a clean damp cloth.
Floor Cleaning
As previously stated, properly cleaning hallway floors is mandatory. Before you start mopping, make sure you are using the right cleaning solution. Certain products may permanently damage or discolor your floor. In particular, you should avoid using vinegar or steam cleaners. Once you have the right product, vacuum the floor. This will remove all visible dirt and debris.
Furthermore, it will increase the effectiveness of the cleaner. Now, you may start to clean the floor. You should dampen the mop and thoroughly clean it with hot water and solution. If you take your time, you will notice greater results. Moreover, you should focus on edges as they can have substantial dirt buildup.
Lastly, allow the floor to dry completely. By placing wet floor signs around the area, you can also protect employees and customers from dangerous slips.
Final Inspection
The last part of the cleaning process is the final inspection. This can be made easier with an entryway cleaning checklist. After all, tasks are not effective if they are completed improperly.
You must thoroughly check and examine all major areas of the hallway. In particular, you must ensure that the floor and all high-touch surfaces are adequately cleaned and disinfected respectively.
If you are wearing any protective equipment during the inspection, make sure to remove them afterward properly. Once you confirm that all cleaning tasks were completed correctly, safely store the cleaning products away.
Get Professionals to Deep Clean Your Hallway
A professional company will be able to provide proper and effective cleaning services. While it may be more expensive upfront, it is absolutely worth it. You will not have to purchase cleaning supplies since the company will bring their own.
In addition, you can rest assured that they are suitable for the task, providing high-quality services. Also, trained cleaning professionals clearly understand safety procedures, so there is minimal risk of injury. Finally, tasks will be completed thoroughly as professionals are trained and qualified.
Learn More with Dallas Janitorial
At Dallas Janitorial, we understand the importance of a clean hallway. Therefore, we would love to help you maintain sanitary walkways. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 214-778-3689.
FAQs on Cleaning Hallways
How long does it take to clean a hallway?
The amount of time it takes to clean a hallway properly is based on the size of the location and the number of cleaners. An average hallway can be washed in an hour. However, larger spaces may require more time. In addition, it may take extra time to disinfect areas properly.
How much does it cost to get my hallway cleaned?
Again, it will depend on the size of the hallway. However, you can receive a free quote online from Dallas Janitorial. This can provide an accurate cost estimation. Furthermore, quotes will be based on the required frequency level.
