How to Reduce Allergies in the Workplace

Reduce the impact of allergens in your office by following a few simple steps to help keep employees healthy and happy.

• Allergy Triggers
• Clutter - the common culprit
• Carpets - vacuum and shampoo often
• Blinds - get rid of them
• Choose natural Cleaners
• Little things can make a big impact​

A lackluster cleaning routine can leave workplaces dusty and wreaking havoc on the health of employees and visitors. Dealing with allergies at work can often be difficult as dust and other allergens can aggravate asthma and cause wheezing, sneezing, and eye irritation. Allergies can impact workplace productivity, increase sick days, and make employees miserable.
 
Ensuring that your office environment is as clean as possible is an essential part of keeping staff, clients, and other visitors as healthy and comfortable as possible. 

Allergy Triggers
One of the most common causes of allergens found indoors is dust mites, which are often the cause of coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes. Dust mites can get trapped and flourish in carpets, blinds, and upholstered furniture like chairs and couches.
 
Clutter - The Common Culprit
Not only is clutter a dust magnet, it also takes longer to clean "around" clutter and it is harder to do so properly. Reduce clutter in your office so cleaning is a snap, which will also help keep your space dust-free.
 
Carpets - Vacuum and Shampoo Often
Next on our allergy hit list are floors. Experts have found floors and clutter hold the most dust and allergens.
Make sure your cleaning crew is vacuuming as regularly as possible. Commercial cleaning companies should be using high-quality vacuums that have HEPA filters so that dust and debris are not redistributed.

Professional carpet cleaning is highly recommended as this will clean the accumulated dust, stubborn stains, and microorganisms thriving within your carpet.

Blinds - Get Rid of Them
Horizontal or slate-style window blinds serve two functions – they filter light and collect dust. Blinds can be difficult and inconvenient to clean. Consider replacing slate or panel blinds with roller blinds to keep your office as allergy-free as possible.

If you are going to hang curtains, select cotton or synthetic fabric that can be washed and rehung. If you find that replacing or removing problematic blinds is not possible, make sure that the cleaning staff is cleaning the blinds on a regular basis.
 
Choose Natural Cleaners
When using certain cleaning products in an effort to combat allergies, we can unknowingly trigger symptoms such as watery eyes, sneezing, and wheezing. When at all possible, use natural cleaning products that work well but do not cause irritation. When it comes to cleaners, lean toward unscented options as they still work great. 
Avoid cleaners that contain ingredients like:
 

1. Ammonia
2. Bleach
3. Formaldehyde
4. D-limonene
5. Triclosan
6. Sodium laurel sulphate
7. Sodium hypochlorite

 
Little Things that Can Make a Big Impact
Below is a checklist of other steps that you and your employees can take to help make everyone comfortable.
 

1. Make sure offices are well ventilated.
2. Encourage employees to regularly clean their work area (all hard surfaces) daily with a disinfectant wipe or microfiber cloth.
3. Run a dehumidifier to reduce the risk of mold growth.
4. Use HEPA air filters in the office and change them regularly.
5. Review building maintenance routines for best cleaning practices.
6. Repair water damage to reduce/inhibit mold growth.
7. Remove carpet and other absorbent materials that might collect allergens.
8. Minimize office plants and make sure the ones you have are cared for properly.

 
By implementing these steps, you can help reduce allergy triggers and make your workspace a more comfortable environment for asthma and allergy sufferers.
  
Contact Us
We know that maintaining a rigorous cleaning routine while running a business is not easy, but that's where we can help. PSCS offers a wide variety of services to keep your office clean and allergy-free.
 
Reach out to Peach State Cleaning Solutions by giving us a call at 678-468-3229 or contact us online.