An agile approach to cleaning and wellbeing

These days, flexible working has become a fundamental part of the modern workplace and the practice of agile working is being increasingly embraced and continuously evolving. By its very nature, agile working means that the traditional methods of cleaning are now obsolete and the reality for FMs is that the flexibility and fluidity of the agile working style is placing more demands on the FM function and in particular cleaning, than ever before. 

Daily detox "no longer sufficient"

The agile workforce no longer simply walks to the same desk, day in day out and so the sense of attachment to a single area and its cleanliness no longer applies. People often work from home, from cafes and across different areas in the building – many of which also have a multifunctional use. A space which is used for a meeting first thing in the day, may later on be utilised as a breakout space or hot desk, so when it comes to cleaning requirements, a daily detox is no longer sufficient to ensure the health and wellbeing of multiple users and more stringent and frequent measures are necessary. Every person who passes through an agile working environment quite literally leaves their footprint, handprint and fingerprints….

To support the agile working platform, health and wellbeing are a key focus and with the constant movement of people from one area to another, this increases the risk of spreading disease. This means that the cleaning regime can no longer be fixed as before and it is changing by the minute, not by the day. Using traditional cleaning, everything would be picked up in the morning or during a core clean in the evening when areas can be shut off, and a concerted effort is made to decontaminate and sanitise a work area. However, in an agile working environment, that is neither practical nor safe. 

The agile workplace has also helped to refocus businesses’ health and wellbeing in the workplace, and FMs are perfectly placed to assist. Where a traditional journey to your office chair may involve “standard touchpoints” in the building namely reception, turnstile, lift, coffee machine and then a dedicated desk, the agile working environment needs to cater for the wellbeing of the individual, where their journey can take them to a seat by the window or a breakout area in reception instead. The key touchpoints are changing and so is the manner in which the customer journey is tracked accordingly, in order to know where and when to resource when it comes to cleanliness. 

Chemical-free environments

It’s not just about the frequency agile spaces are cleaned in terms of how we now clean to support wellbeing in the workplace, it is also about the products selected with clients looking towards a chemical-free environment. The use of ultramicrofibre technology followed by swab testing can demonstrate that using only water has the same effects as chemical use. Likewise the use of aqueous ozone, water electrolysis and enzyme based products is allowing FMs to provide a genuine hazardous-free cleaning solution, ensuring a healthier environment for both workers and the cleaners themselves. 

As FMs it is vital that we understand not only the space, but how people actually use it on a daily basis. This is the first step to successfully delivering FM in an agile space and to ensuring a best in class service. Ultimately by working in partnership with all stakeholders from the client to the building user and supply chain – we can help reduce the risk of spread of disease, promote a healthier working environment and ultimately drive more efficiency.

However the feelings of wellbeing are not only related to health and cleanliness, they are also about workers feeling they have the autonomy to choose where and how they want to work – which marries with the agile way of working perfectly. As FMs we can influence how people feel about the spaces they choose by ensuring they are well ordered, well maintained and sparkling clean.