Protect Your Employees from Allergies With a Clean Office!

Allergies are the number two reason that people are absent from work. The average employee who suffers with allergies misses one hour per week annually, that is 52 hours per year absent. That is a tremendous amount of off time just because of allergies, not including any illness or personal days. For an employer that is a very large concern, if you consider that many of your employees could suffer from allergies and there are specific seasons that are worse, so you could expect to have more than one employee taking time off at that same time.

What can an employer do to help reduce missed work for their employees who suffer from allergies? Keeping your office cleaned regularly and having scheduled deep cleaning with allergy specific cleaning ordered could make a big difference in the quality of air in your workplace. Indoor air quality is typically worse than smog filled outdoor air. It can wreak havoc with allergy sufferers.

So what do you need to clean in your office to help reduce allergens that make your employees suffer?

• Monthly cleaning of air conditioning and heating ducts prevent airborne allergens and germs
• HEPA vacuums with proper allergen filters reduce allergens in the carpets
• Reduction of dust is a huge issue. Use microfiber clothes to remove dust, so it is not just pushed around and stirred up into the air and they will not scratch surfaces
• Any pillows used for seating, or cushions should be laundered regularly
• Stuffed animals on desks should be avoided or regularly cleaned
• Use duster to clean electronics and remove dust that gathers in places that you cannot reach
• Provide lint and pet hair rollers for employees to remove pet hair and lint from clothing
• Try to keep windows closed during high pollen times
• Have a high quality air filtration air filtering system
• Clean with pure, natural and chemical free cleaners that do not have toxins and allergen causing chemicals
• Air fresheners also contain VOCs, avoid nearly all forms of air fresheners
• Encourage your employees to get allergen testing so they know and understand their triggers
• Proper allergy medication can help many sufferers without drowsiness
• Inspect for and prevent areas that can grow mold, use pure vinegar to kill mold, bleach does not kill mold and is dangerous to everyone breathing the fumes
• Control pests, cockroaches and other pests can carry allergen triggers. Do not use chemical baits and traps that could irritate also

One of the biggest things to keep in mind when you start an allergen cleaning routine or plan, toxic chemicals in cleaners and pest controls are one of the worst triggers of allergies and respiratory issues. The very toxic cleaning materials are layered over each other as different surfaces are cleaned, and air fresheners are used. This use of toxic chemicals in several forms can affect many employees at the same time because there are many triggers. Green cleaning is the newest rage with many professional cleaning services, but you need to inspect and ensure that the products they use really are chemical and allergen free.

You will want to enlist the input and help of everyone in the office to set up an allergy cleaning plan. Each employee needs to do their part to make it a success. It is not a huge thing to take on, just a shift to a new more healthy way of cleaning and being aware of allergens.