It has been said, several times by numerous people over the course of years, that there must be obsessive compulsive factors at play when it comes to how and how often I clean my home. That is the only explanation, according to those I love most, for a weekly housekeeping schedule that divvies the household chores up by day and a seasonal deep cleaning routine that takes the better part of a week to properly execute.
They may have a point. Maintaining a clean home is one thing, while moving every piece of furniture in a room to properly clean behind and beneath it is a whole different animal. However, OCD or not, there are many solid reasons why my hyper-vigilant cleaning schedule isn’t going anywhere. The biggest and most important reason is health.
With 5 cats and a fiance with seasonal allergies it is crucial to keep our home clean and the surfaces as disinfected as possible. This only becomes more important during the winter, also known as flu season.
Everyone knows that with winter comes flu season, but what some might not know is that the influenza in America only seems to be ramping up in severity every year. In fact, the 2012-13 flu season was the most severe in more than a decade, and as a result, working adults missed a combined 230 million work days, while 90 million school days were missed by children affected by flu symptoms. This one season is responsible for decreased productivity at work, a 39% drop in business sales, and comes with a price tag of $225.8 billion a year for businesses whose employees are too sick to make it into work.
Preparing for flu season is a must, so while you’re stocking up on over-the-counter decongestant, sleep aids, tissues, and chicken noodle soup, swing by the cleaning supply aisle. Implementing a deep cleaning schedule for your home at the beginning of every season, especially winter, will have a very real and substantial impact on your health, well-being, family, and paycheck. Don’t know where to start? Get yourself a winter cleaning checklist and follow it.
A vigilant cleaning schedule isn’t just for us everyday families and our homes. Businesses themselves see increased productivity from their employees and more lucrative sales from their customers and clients when attention has been paid to the cleanliness of their surroundings. Disinfecting surfaces with the highest levels of contamination, like computer keyboards, phones, and vending machines, will keep employees healthy throughout the season. Customers have also ranked the cleanliness of a store above value, speed, and convenience.
The infographic below illuminates these findings, detailing the ways in which clean equals green for everyone. And I bet no one would accuse those brick and mortar businesses of having “obsessive compulsive factors at play,” either.
Via: NYC Office Cleaner
That was a good read, I had no idea about this until I read it. I then thought about it and understand how it works, can’t believe that cleanliness had that much effect.
I know that illnesses can cause workplaces some trouble but I didn’t know it was that much. But I’ve found that the less people are in the office, the less productive I am.
Very good infographic; I think a once a week major clean will suffice during the week and light cleaning throughout the week. I think the more organized you get yourself into a routine the easier the chore will seem.