Keep your clients on track for winter with prevention cleaning

ISSA's Keith Baker looks at the positive role the cleaning industry can play in the upcoming winter months, when people are more likely to fall ill Wrap up warm or you'll catch your death.' The words of our mothers always come back to us at this time of year.

Unfortunately, we usually remember them when we are already in bed, surrounded by tissues and trying to recover from a nasty bout of the flu.

Yet the evidence that we are more likely to get sick during the winter months is more than merely anecdotal. There is no definitive explanation for this increase in illness, but the general consensus among medical professionals and researchers alike is simple - during the cold winter, we are more likely to remain indoors, with the windows shut and the heaters on full.

Poor ventilation, a closed air system and being in the presence of others, in workplaces or on public transport, for extended periods of time increases the rate of infection.

Don't give germs a hand Illnesses such as colds, flu, and Norovirus (aka the 'winter vomiting bug') are likely to rear their ugly heads again in the months to come.

Highly contagious germs can spread through contact with the hands of the infected, as well as contaminated food and drink. Furthermore, many germs can survive for days on surfaces and objects, and the consequences to our health can be heavy. Norovirus, for example, affects between 600,000 and 1 million people in the UK every year.

Here at ISSA, we believe that prevention cleaning should be the first line of defence when battling against illness this winter. While antibiotics can treat many illnesses, they cannot cure everything - Norovirus included. ISSA's Pandemic Planning Toolkit helps member cleaning companies and their employees counter the spread of such illnesses through preventative cleaning practices.

By maintaining clean, healthy environments, cleaners will become the 'hidden heroes,' taking precautionary measures in the face of harmful germs. The Pandemic Planning Toolkit offers many tools - including checklists, guides and interactive videos - to help educate employees about preventative cleaning and using the most hygienic practices when working in the industry.

It is vital that cleaning companies stress to businesses that cleaning is not an 'added' expense that should be cut, which is an ever present risk in these times of economic uncertainty. Rather, it should be acknowledged that cleaning is a crucial and necessary investment in healthier employees - last year, a report published claimed that sick days cost UK businesses £32 billion a year.

Qualify cleaning costs Emphasising the value of cleaning is needed to secure the necessary buy-in from upper-level decision makers. ISSA has a range of member-only tools exclusively designed to provide tangible proof of the importance of investment in cleaning.

The Value of Clean Calculator allows customers to quantify the total value of effective cleaning to their organisation. Similarly, leavebehind Value of Clean Cards and the Power of Clean Video are both easy ways to quickly educate customers regarding the full value of proper cleaning in areas they might currently overlook.

It is safe to say people will get sick this winter. However, with effective and thorough cleaning practices and the right tools to hand, our industry can help ensure that wherever possible, 'wrapping up warm' will be the most of anyone's winter worries.