Do you work in one of the lucky offices that allows pets? What better way to spend your workday than with your furry friend by your side! However, with those pets comes a lot more responsibility, especially in a COVID landscape. How can you keep your pet-friendly office clean and safe for all?
Check out this list of cleaning tips to ensure your office remains a safe and healthy work environment for your staff, customers, and furry friends.
Pet-Friendly Office Cleaning Tips
Having pets in the workspace can be a blessing and a curse, as it requires vigilance on the part of the owners involved. Here are a few pet-friendly office tips to keep your space clean and human-friendly, too!
- Owner Responsibility: The number one way to keep your pet-friendly office clean is through owner accountability. Pet owners must be vigilant when it comes to pet behaviors and bathroom trips. Any accidents or problems should be taken care of immediately to ensure the space stays clean and productive.
- Accessible Cleaning Tools: Accidents are bound to happen. From puppy piddles to furry friends knocking over drinks, it’s important to have the right cleaning tools on hand for in-the-moment problems. Ensuring the office has the right cleaners for pet urine and spot cleaners for larger accidents is key, along with the right training on how to use these products effectively. Keep poop bags stocked and access to items like paper towels close by.
- Pet-Free Zones: Places like the kitchens/breakrooms and rooms with valuable equipment/furniture should be deemed pet-free zones. This rule protects the assets of the company and ensures people stay safe when it comes to food/order prep.
- Flooring Choices: If your office is pet-friendly and aims to stay that way, the right flooring can make pet traffic and accidents a breeze. If possible, removing carpeting and replacing it with a flooring that can withstand spills and paws is the right move for easier cleanup and overall wear and tear. There are also great carpet choices that are built to resist stains and liquids, but this could be a costly choice. If this option isn’t possible, make carpeted areas pet-free zones to keep cleaning costs down, reduce allergy issues, and leave your office smelling heavenly.
- Waste Management: Having animals in the office all day means they need to use the restroom just like we do. Therefore, it’s important to note how and where waste will be disposed to ensure negating odors and health hazards.
- Pet Food: Following the concept of pet-free zones, you may want to consider a space where pets can eat to reduce spills and smells around the office. Consider a space where easy cleanup is possible and trash is nearby.
- Daily/Weekly Cleaning: Most offices have a cleaning service of some kind, but when it comes to a pet-friendly office, the space may need more care than a typical cleaning checklist. Be sure to involve your commercial cleaning company in your choices, as they may need to expand their web of care.
Maintaining a Pet-Friendly Office
While the tips mentioned above are important for keeping your pet-friendly office clean, the first step to ensuring a safe space is to create guidelines and hold your employees to them. Determine guidelines such as days, times, and areas, pets are allowed on site, along with the consequence for repeated negative pet behaviors.
It might feel difficult to enforce these rules, but when it comes to the office setting, the work and the comfort of others must come first.
If you have a pet-friendly office, you don’t have to struggle with pet problems alone. Reach out to Advanced Cleaning Service in Cookeville and let them help you with your office cleaning needs. From nightly cleaning options to monthly deep cleans, ACS can take care of your office, so you can focus on your work, your customers, and your furry friends!
