The Art Of Cleaning Office Break Rooms

cleaning and maintenance of office break rooms

A lot of people think that break rooms are just there to benefit the employees since it serves as a place to gather, relax, and bond together to strengthen their relationships after hours of sitting in front of their office desks and trying to meet deadlines. In reality, break rooms actually benefit the employer more. Break rooms can boost employee productivity by up to 80% which means more work is done, and more benefits can be obtained. However, that is not the case for messy break rooms because it doesn’t really inspire positive performance.

The real question now would probably be, why would you want to spend money and time looking for a professional cleaning company to clean your breakrooms when you could just ask your employees to clean in as they go?

Break rooms always experience high traffic of people trying to loosen up before continuing their work whether by catching up with coworkers, having a cup of coffee, or eating their packed snacks. But, did you know that break rooms are one of the most common hot spots for germ growth? Hence, simply asking your employees to clean as they go would only remove physical dirt allowing various microorganisms to grow that may cause an outbreak in the office. That’s why looking for office cleaning services is crucial.

Cleaning Needs of Office Break Rooms

Offices started adapting the work-from-home setup since the pandemic started for health purposes. So, hiring office cleaning services at that time is not really needed. However, the trend is slowly shifting to the hybrid working setup where employees are required to report to the office in person for a number of working days. And to get you started we’ve listed a few break room cleaning needs that need to know before shirting to the hybrid working setup.

Clean Your Appliances Everyday

Did you know that 48% of workplace germs are found on microwave door handles, 26% on refrigerator door handles, 23% on water fountain levers, and 21% on vending machine buttons? Thus, break rooms are considered a great place for germ growth and a place that helps viruses to spread quickly. However, every germ problem has a solution. The act of cleaning and disinfecting these appliances daily would drastically decrease the number of germs found inside your break rooms. Avoid using liquid-based disinfectants since they might cause damage to the appliance.

Use Disposable Towels Instead of Germ-Filled Sponges

Sponges and reusable towels are prone to germ growth especially if they are damp and left there to air dry. Imagine this germ-filled sponge being wiped everywhere with the purpose of removing germs, but you aren’t achieving this purpose. That’s why it’s recommended to use disposable towels instead of reusable ones in the office. Doing so would allow you to achieve an effective cleaning routine that saves you that time and effort.

Empty Trash Bins When Full and Replace the Liners

No matter how busy the office may be, ensuring that all trash bins are always thrown out whenever full and replaced with new ones is a must. Letting a full trash bin sit inside the break rooms for hours would not only allow a foul smell to circulate around but also creates an environment for germs and bacteria to grow and increase in number.

Vacuum and Mop Floor

Floors can be considered as the most highly touched surface in any building since it comes into contact with various shoes from different people every second of the day. Moreover, floors are major channels that allow different types of dirt, and microorganisms to spread around the entire office. That’s why vacuuming and mopping them regularly is crucial in ensuring the overall cleanliness of your office.

Get Office Carpets and Mats Cleaned

effective cleaning of office mats and carpets

Carpets and mats are similar to floors since they are placed on top of it. They are also highly touched however, they are more likely to accumulate dirt and allow mold, germ, and bacteria to grow. Moreover, they are tougher to clean compared to floors. That’s why making sure you clean them regularly is crucial. Once you neglect cleaning them it would be tougher to remove all the build-up dirt on them. Many office cleaning services specialize in this type of cleaning, so seeking their help would be beneficial.

Properly Store Food Inside the Fridge

Properly storing food inside a fridge is the best way to avoid any cross-contamination from happening. Since your employees have different food preferences and food cultures, there ought to be a diversity of food inside your office fridge. The more food stored inside your fridge the more easily contaminants can spread from one food to another. The most common way to store food is to ensure that raw food and cooked food are separated from one another. We all know that raw food has various bacteria that might contaminate cooked food and eventually cause problems such as stomach pain.

Immediately Throw Away Rotting Food 

Neglected snacks, extra birthday cake, condiments from the previous summer’s team building— food that isn’t discarded in an opportune manner can get rotten and cause smells, not to mention serious diseases. Make it an office rule to throw any personal food before the end of the week. This promotes responsibility and hygiene altogether. Various spices and dressings ought to be discarded two months after being opened. Doing so would allow you to avoid any foul smell in your office fridge. Furthermore, asking your employees to label their food with dates would allow you and the others to know if the food should be discarded already or not.

Wipe down wooden furniture

Wooden furniture makes your break room more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. That’s why most businesses have hopped on this latest trend to keep increasing their employees’ positive performance. However, wood is porous, so it absorbs liquids and allows marks to be left on it. It’s crucial to immediately wipe any spilled liquid on it to avoid this from happening. Furthermore, deep cleaning them once or twice every month would make them look new every time. Start by wiping them with warm water and white vinegar solution, then use warm water to rinse the solution off. Remember don’t allow it to air dry because all that water would seep right back.


Need some help getting all the crumbs, crusts, and cobwebs out of your office break rooms around Connecticut (Fairfield, Hartford, and Litchfield County)? Burgos Cleaning is a professional cleaning company that specialized in various office cleaning services. We ensure that your office would be in top condition after our services, creating a comfortable working environment for your employees. Contact us now to avail the best commercial cleaning services in town!