Dirt and bacteria are invisible. This means it could be anywhere and transferred everywhere. It could be from your shoes, clothes, and even your handkerchief. And with a simple touch, it could be transferred to places you touch the most.    

The pandemic has brought out the importance of effective cleaning and disinfection especially in high-touch places. In urban environments, it is important more than ever to be mindful of the surfaces we touch, not only for our safety but also for the people around us. 

When thinking of high-touch places in an office, handrails and elevators come to mind. These places are highly touched as they are one of the first places someone is likely to see when they enter the workplace. With consistent use and touch, it is most likely that oils, dead skin cells, and hand dirt could build-up without us noticing it. This brings us to the importance of regular cleaning. 

For every office owner, it is important not to overlook the cleaning of handrails and elevators. With this in mind, we created a checklist that would help you maintain the cleanliness of handrails and elevators for you, your clients, and your employees. 

Elevator Cleaning

Cleaning the elevator is an important routine task to ensure the safety and efficiency of the elevator. Having it cleaned properly on a regular basis will ensure the safety of the passengers as elevators are high traffic areas and are prone to bacteria and virus build-up. 

 Preparation

• Wear disposable gloves and an apron for cleaning. Also, use protection for your eyes and nose. After use, store it double-bagged in a secure place for 72 hours before throwing it away with the regular garbage. This will reduce the risk of passing the infection to other places. 
• Prepare cleaning materials suited for the material of the elevator. 
  • Use a damp cloth for cleaning color coated and stainless steel surfaces. 
  • Use cleaning products that are for commercial use to clean mirrors. 
  • Avoid using a sponge as it may damage electrical parts like the pushbuttons. 
• Ensure that the electrical power is switched off. 
• Isolate the place so you can safely clean the elevator without having to worry about obstruction. Put signage that would notify users to avoid using it while cleaning and maintenance are ongoing. 

Cleaning

• Clean the elevator starting from the inside going outside. Start from top to bottom to prevent clean surfaces from being exposed again by dirt and bacteria. Clean light bulbs, mirrors, and walls before proceeding to floor cleaning.  
• Use non-corrosive cleaning materials. This will prevent lingering smells.
• Pay attention to highly touched areas and surfaces like the grab-rails, pushbuttons, and door handles.  Use antibacterial cleaning products.
• Avoid spraying directly to control panels or any electrical parts, as the liquid will seep inside and damage the electrical components. 
• Avoid using harsh cleaning materials for stainless steel and color-coated surfaces. These surfaces are sensitive and might be damaged with harsh chemicals. For shiny results, you may use drops of baby oil. 
• If you own a retail business it is possible that a lot of people come and go to your office. Shoes, trolleys, and even a wheelchair can transfer all sorts of dirt and bacteria. We recommend that you don’t skip floor cleaning.   
• Sweep the sills of dust and debris. It can hoard germs and bacteria and will give your elevator doors trouble. Disinfect it after. 
• Ask a professional cleaning provider to clean the elevator pit area. This will ensure that your elevator is clean, inside and out. 
• Remember to keep your hands away from your face. Wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning.  
• Wipe the push buttons with a cloth sprayed with disinfectant as often as possible. It will limit any possibility of germs and bacteria from spreading. 

Handrail Cleaning

Wooden handrails can develop a sticky texture if left uncleaned. This is from dirty hands, body oils, and wrong cleaning products.  

Cleaning handrails is easy and may only take a few minutes of your time.  

• Use baby wipes to clean handrails. It is as effective in removing sticky residue from the handrail as it is in removing sticky materials from children. Apply pressure while wiping in long strokes to remove the sticky residue. 
• Mix equal portions of vinegar and water. Put it in a spray bottle and spray it in the handrails if the baby wipes have not removed all the sticky residue. It is a safe solution to use for wooden handrails. 
• Repeat the process as necessary until all residue is removed. Don’t miss any patches of dirt or residue. 
• Wipe the handrails with a damp cloth to remove the remaining residue or vinegar solution. 

Summary

During this pandemic, we are reminded of the importance of cleaning and disinfecting. High-touch places like handrails and elevators are great places to start with as these places are prone to bacteria and viruses. 

Having clean and disinfected handrails and elevators is a big step in making sure that your workplace is a safe place to work in. With the simple hacks, we gave you an idea of how you can keep it clean and safe. 

If cleaning is not for you, you can always hire a cleaning company. Cleaning companies provide commercial cleaning services that will take care of all your cleaning needs. 

If you have any inquiries, contact us. We will make sure to provide a professional to answer all your questions about cleaning– because it’s important to make your surroundings clean for everyone’s safety.