Do you start sneezing and feeling itchy whenever you're in the office? Perhaps some of your employees have been complaining of similar symptoms. Chances are, there are allergens in the building that are causing your reactions. Allergens like dust and mold spores often linger in office buildings when certain areas are not cleaned as often or as thoroughly as they should be. Here's a look at some places where those allergens might be hiding out.

In the carpet.

Even if your cleaning staff vacuums regularly, allergens may still be lingering in the carpet. Some vacuum cleaners don't capture the smallest of particles. Ask your cleaning company to upgrade to vacuums with HEPA filters. HEPA stands for "high efficiency particulate matter," and these filters will capture the smallest of mold spores and pollen particles.

You should also have the carpet professionally steam cleaned to remove the deeper, ground-in allergens that the vacuum cleaner can't capture. Having an entire office carpet steam cleaned can be quite the endeavor since it requires moving furniture and waiting for the space to dry, so make sure to hire a professional service, like Ewaka Professional Cleaning Services, to do this. It may be a good idea to also try scheduling this for a long weekend, or have your employees work remotely for a few days while the carpet is cleaned.

In the window treatments.

If the windows in your office open, chances are good that your window treatments are covered in pollen and other allergens that have blown in through the windows. Whenever a slight breeze blows by, perhaps even from someone walking by the window treatments, these particles become dislodged and blow into the air for you to inhale.

If you have solid window treatments like shades or blinds, have your cleaning service wipe them down thoroughly – and then add this task to their monthly cleaning routine. If you have drapes or other fabric window treatments, sending them off to be dry cleaned is worth the cost. Most cannot be safely laundered.

On papers and files.

Often, the cleaning staff will avoid cleaning materials like papers and files on shelves because they don't want to interfere with someone's private materials. So, the dust tends to build up on these items. To ensure they get cleaned, send out an email asking all employees to remove their files and stacks of papers from their shelves and dust them off. Have the cleaning staff vacuum the next day to capture dust that has fallen to the ground. Repeat this strategy about once a month to keep things clean.

Share