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What Are High Touch Surfaces?

High touch surfaces can be defined as any surface or item that is touched frequently by employees, clients, and visitors during the course of their activities. As such surfaces and objects are used by several different people, they become channels through which germs can spread.

Examples of high touch surfaces within an office setting include:

• Doorknobs, push plates, and elevator buttons
• Switches and controls panels
• Kitchen equipment like fridge doors, microwave switches, and coffee machines
• Items in conference rooms, like remotes and touch screens
• Items used at workstations, including computers, keyboards, and phones
• Items in restrooms, like faucets and stall latches

The Special Environmental Conditions in Abu Dhabi Offices

Running an office in Abu Dhabi poses some special environmental conditions. Due to the hot environment, all buildings use closed, loop air conditioners to stay cool. Closed loop air conditioners are energy-efficient but they can reuse indoor air if not managed carefully. 

Additionally, since employees work inside all day avoiding the hot environment, there is continuous occupancy in the offices. With the change in humidity and dust depending on the season, the indoor environment can become a home for pollutants and microbes. Germs that get into the office can stay alive and infect other employees by touching surfaces.

Direct Impact on Health and Efficiency of Employees

If high-touch surfaces are ignored, the result will have direct impact on your bottom line. It is likely for employees to get infected with ordinary illnesses, such as cold, flu or stomach infections from germs which were left behind by colleagues using shared coffee machine buttons or meeting room door handles. This means:

• Increased employee absences and sick leaves  
• Presenteeism - when employees attend work but function at a subpar level because of their illness  
• Decreased morale of employees and satisfaction from workplace  
• Impression of being unconsidered in terms of safety at workplace from management  

On the contrary, good hygiene management sends signal to your employees that you care about their health and well-being.

Standard Cleaning vs. Specialized Sanitization 

Organizations tend to depend on ordinary janitorial practices such as emptying bins and cleaning off any visible dust, thinking that the office is thoroughly clean. Ordinary cleaning practices will move the dust rather than remove the microscopic germs that may be present.  High-contact surfaces need intervention through use of hospital grade disinfectants, proper dwell time, and more advanced methods of application. This is where the assistance of a reputable cleaning service provider in Abu Dhabi is vital for businesses.  When looking at cleaning options, the scope is divided into focus areas and results:

• Routine Cleaning: Focuses on visible dirt, floor and ordinary trash removal. Result is simple cleanliness and tidiness.

• Targeted Sanitizing: Focuses on high contact surfaces like door handles, switches and shared electronics. Result is significant reduction in pathogen spread and germ load.

• Total Clean: Focuses on structural cleaning, vents, hidden crevices and cracks. Result is pure, healthy ecosystem.

Benefits of Professional Disinfection Services in Abu Dhabi

Professional Disinfection Services in Abu Dhabi will help ensure that critical spaces receive proper disinfections through both chemical and physical processes which work together to destroy difficult pathogens. Cleaning experts use professional and approved cleaning agents to eliminate all types of germs without causing any smell of chemicals and damaging office electronic equipment.

Furthermore, complementing everyday cleaning with deep cleaning services in abu dhabi will help clean all hidden spaces and upholstery of visitors’ chairs.

Maintaining Office Hygiene on a Daily Basis Best Practices 

Although working with professionals yields top-notch cleanliness standards, promoting best practices in an office on a daily basis helps achieve this goal as well. Here are some recommendations to be considered by companies:

• Install automatic dispensers with sanitizers in each entrance to the building and near shared pantry areas. 
• Offer disinfecting wipes on every floor enabling people to disinfect their personal items such as keyboards and mice. 
• Promote clean desk policies, which will not only make employees' workspace more efficient but will also help sanitation teams carry out their work effectively. 
• Teach employees about good hand hygiene and the importance of sanitizing shared meeting rooms equipment.

An impeccable office is not only the statement of today’s competition-ridden world; it is also an investment in the well-being and health of your employees. The surfaces in high traffic areas need special attention that cannot be achieved merely through wiping.

CleanPro knows the specific demands of modern offices in the UAE. Be it regular maintenance or special treatment that you need, our team will provide you with the best solutions according to your schedule. Give a boost to your office environment, take care of your employees and feel the peace of mind with the professionalism of CleanPro. Contact us to create a special hygiene program for your Abu Dhabi office.