Some spaces in your property may require more cleaning than you think! Most often, these are high-touch, high-traffic areas that people contact, or frequent for long periods of time. Most of these spaces exist in schools, offices, workplaces, and other public facilities. Without consistent cleaning, these locations can see increased transmission of illnesses like cold and flu, resulting in missed work time for employees and a poor experience for customers. Cleaning and disinfecting these high-volume areas on a regular basis is vital to your business, as it offers more protection to visitors, and helps ensure the safety of your employees.

Defining High-Touch Surfaces

What is a “High-Touch” surface? High-touch means a surface that multiple people come into contact with on a daily basis. Some examples of high-touch areas are:

• Doorknobs, handles, push plates, stair railings, light switches, elevator buttons and banisters.
• Communal surfaces like water coolers, vending machines, water fountains, coffee stations, tables, and desks.
• Surfaces in restroom facilities such as flush handles, toilet paper dispensers, faucets, toilets, and hand dryers.
• Communal kitchen areas, such as refrigerator handles, microwaves, coffee makers, counters, and cupboards.
• Shared equipment, such as remote controls, phones, thermostats, copy machines, printers, security devices and delivery crates.

These areas can be contaminated with bacteria and pathogens left by others with each repeated contact. It is especially important to regularly clean these areas in a post-Covid time, as your patrons are more aware then ever of the importance of cleanliness in an establishment.

Cleaning High-Touch Surfaces

High-touch surface cleaning is different from regular cleaning, as it often requires different equipment, chemicals, and practices. Your in-house team might not have these skills. Additionally, you might not have the time to train your in-house team on these practices. That’s why we recommend finding a commercial cleaning service provider to help manage your janitorial needs.

MasterCorp is one such provider, put unlike most competitors, we are a full-service solution to your janitorial problems. We not only clean, but also recruit and train a team of experts for the job you need. We also have our own proprietary cleaning processes developed and can modify any of our service plans to fit the needs of your business and operations.

We provide services to a number of different locations, including multi-tenant office buildings, government facilities, industrial warehouses, commercial and retail centers, educational facilities, and specialized medical facilities.

Tips and Checks for High-Touch Cleaning

As experts in our field, we have tips and suggestions for cleaning high-touch areas readily available for you! Check out our recommendations.

• Door handles and push plates– Spray cleaning solution directly onto the handle, then wipe thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.

• Light switches– Spray cleaning solution directly onto a microfiber cloth, wipe the switch or plate thoroughly.

• Remotes– Remove batteries and lightly wet a microfiber cloth with a cleaning solution and rub thoroughly across all the buttons and surfaces. Dry the remote completely before reinserting batteries.

• Computers and Accessories– Unplug and turn off all parts. Use a lint-free cloth or cotton swab to apply a little rubbing alcohol. Dry thoroughly before turning anything back on.

• Office/Cubical Furniture– Spray microfiber cloth with cleaning solution and wipe down surfaces of chairs, keyboards, desks, and phones.

• Kitchen Areas– Spray with an appropriate cleaning solution and use a microfiber cloth to remove stains and wipe down counters, handles, and appliances.

Final Thoughts

High-touch surfaces can be tricky to clean, and often get overlooked during everyday cleaning. However, they are crucial in avoiding the risk of disease transmission. It’s important for your customers and employees to pay attention to potential high-touch surfaces and include them in a regular cleaning routine.

Remember, just because a product is a disinfectant, does not mean it is appropriate for high-touch cleaning. Avoid antibacterial or antimicrobial products on every surface all the time, not only is this ineffective to the cleanliness of the surface, but it can also sometimes encourage the growth of highly resistant bacteria that can be even more dangerous to health.

If you don’t have a dedicated cleaning crew or if your in-house team isn’t trained in high-touch cleaning procedures, it might be time to outsource a janitorial cleaning vendor. MasterCorp has been in the commercial services cleaning game for years, and at this point, there is nothing we can’t handle. Contact us and let us help you!