A colour coded cleaning system is an important staple in any good commercial cleaning service.
Colour coded cleaning involves using specific coloured cleaning products, such as microfiber cloths and mops, for dedicated tasks or areas. The main goal of this approach is to prevent instances of cross contamination. Other benefits include simplifying cleaner training and reducing uncertainty.
Essentially, every type of business benefits from using different coloured cleaning supplies, particularly medical centres, hotels, restaurants, bars, schools, day care centres and nursing homes. Even your average office environment should always be cleaned using a colour coded system. It’s also a good approach to adopt when cleaning your own home!
In this blog, the commercial cleaning experts from In-Tec take a look at colour coded cleaning in a bit more detail so you can be sure your workplace is being cleaned correctly and thoroughly.
Differentiating colours for specific tasks and areas
While there is no global “colour standard” for commercial cleaning companies to follow, there are some general trends that have emerged.
Here at In-Tec Commercial Cleaning, we use the following colour coded system.
Red - red cleaning products are only used in amenities which represent a high risk for cross contamination and the spread of infection.
Green - green is used in areas where food is prepared and consumed such as kitchens and in employee lunch rooms.
Blue - blue is our dedicated colour for general cleaning tasks, such as wiping down desks, mirrors or glass.
This system helps to ensure that a cloth used to wipe down a toilet is never accidentally used to wipe down a kitchen counter.
Red, green and blue are commonly used colours in commercial cleaning. However, additional colours may also be used, such as yellow and white. These extra colours may be required for very specific or high risk cleaning tasks; such as would be the case in a restaurant/bar or a medical facility.
If you’ve engaged a commercial cleaning company and happen to notice cleaners using the same coloured supplies across different areas in your workplace, ensure this is addressed immediately.
Preventing cross contamination and infection
Germs, bacteria and illness can spread very easily in any sized workplace.
Fundamental to colour coding in the professional cleaning industry is the emphasis on infection control and preventing cross contamination between different areas.
It’s become well known for workplaces to experience outbreaks of various strains of influenza, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella and more due to poor management of cross contamination. Having this occur to your employees, clients and customers would devastate productivity and leave many people feeling sick and miserable when it could have been easily avoided in the first place.
In addition to using a colour coded cleaning system, it’s important for cleaners to be trained in other methods for ensuring infection control. For example, cleaners should always begin with the cleanest areas first and finish with the dirtiest. So when cleaning a bathroom, it would be strategic to start with either the sink or shower and finish with the toilet.
The magic of microfiber
Microfiber is a lint-free synthetic material that has become one of the most preferred cleaning materials used by commercial cleaners. Microfiber cloths and mops are safe on most surfaces from counters, floors, walls and windows to electronics, wood, stainless steel and stone.
Microfiber is constructed with millions of microscopic hooks that attract, absorb and remove all kinds of dirt, dust and bacteria from surfaces. Microfibre cloths and mops actively trap dirt, dust and bacteria until they are washed. So the same cloth or mop head can be used for a longer period of time — in the area of hundreds of washes — when compared to traditional cleaning cloths and mops.
Because microfiber cloths and mop pads are widely available in many colours, sizes and styles, they are particularly ideal for use in a colour coded cleaning system.
Many suppliers of microfiber cleaning products can provide customised posters outlining the specific colour coded program adopted in your workplace. This helps to ensure cleaner training is simplified and uncertainty is reduced.
Need help promoting excellent hygiene standards in your workplace? Talk to In-Tec Commercial Cleaning
If you’re looking for an experienced commercial cleaning company with high attention to detail, get in touch with In-Tec Commercial Cleaning today.
We’re here to help clean your workplace and KEEP it clean for your employees to enjoy.
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