Just in time for spring, National Cleaning Week begins each year on the fourth Sunday in March – providing a unique opportunity to celebrate cleanliness, honor frontline cleaning professionals, and raise awareness for cleaning initiatives in facilities management and beyond.
ISSA – the leading trade association for the cleaning industry – first organized the event to advocate for the cleaning industry, its professionals, and charitable causes with health and safety at their center.
Today, National Cleaning Week is celebrated by a cross-section of industry partners with special programming, educational events, and charitable giving.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the event has taken on new relevance and attracted the attention of groups outside of ISSA’s regular audience.
“The pandemic has demonstrated the essential role that frontline cleaning professionals, manufacturers, and distributors play in keeping people safe and healthy,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “We are excited that so many organizations and governors are supporting National Cleaning Week this year and helping raise awareness of the importance of clean and healthy spaces.”
As attitudes about cleanliness have shifted over the course of the past two years, so too has the focus of National Cleaning Week and other cleaning initiatives.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to stress the importance of cleaning and disinfecting to protect public health at this late stage of the pandemic.
After all, the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, when combined with proper hand hygiene, reduce virus concentrations by 85.4 percent, according to the CDC.
Facilities management leaders have adjusted accordingly by placing more emphasis on cleaning to ensure health and safety, versus cleaning simply to maintain good appearances.
This shift has required facility managers to implement major changes to their overall cleaning strategy, processes, and procedures.
Pre-COVID-19, disinfection typically focused on surfaces in restrooms and other common areas. But disinfection is now being prioritized facility-wide, along with indoor air quality and control.
Many facilities have also invested in high-performance equipment and EPA-approved chemicals to maximize cleanliness and help fight viruses like the flu and COVID-19.
And finally, facilities are educating employees and customers on their cleaning initiatives and encouraging healthy habits to contribute to overall sanitation.
On this front, National Cleaning Week serves as a great reminder to both facilities managers and visitors to remain committed to cleanliness and vigilant in their practices.
Flagship Facility Services has redefined what it means to be clean with PUREClean – a cleaning methodology developed to protect the health and safety of your employees and guests.
The PUREClean approach requires refocusing your cleaning efforts on high-impact areas of your facilities, disinfecting all surfaces with the right equipment and chemicals, educating both staff and visitors on your cleaning initiatives, and adapting to change as needed.
By deploying smart technology in coordination with PUREClean, Flagship is helping clients in the aviation space meet changing passenger expectations.
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