6 Tips for Keeping Your Store Clean During the Holidays

Believe it or not, the holidays will be upon us soon, which means your store will have an influx of visitors (yay!) and an increase in mud, snow, slush and other cold weather debris (boo!). To ensure your shoppers have a positive and safe experience, your store must remain clean and dry during the upcoming winter months. Follow these tips to streamline your cleaning program during the holiday rush:

1. Plan for time off. The holidays are a time for people to spend time with friends and loved ones, which generally means time off from work. Communicate and plan around time off with your staff early to ensure your cleaning needs are covered during the busy holiday season. If required, work with a staffing agency to hire temporary cleaning staff to cover the holidays. The last thing you want to slip (pun intended) is your cleaning program when your store is packed with shoppers.
   
   
2. Proactive prevention. The mats at the entrance of your store take a beating in the winter months. If they become over saturated with snow or slush, they can become a sloppy mess, which then gets dragged through your store. Make sure you have a schedule for rotating matting (even increasing rotation for the winter months) so your customers have a clean, dry place to wipe their shoes before entering the store. This not only helps prevent slips, but can also keep your store looking cleaner, longer.
   
   
3. Get a tune up. Your floor scrubber is going to be working overtime through the holiday season, so be sure the proper maintenance has been performed and before holiday shopping ramps up. Schedule a planned maintenance appointment well ahead of the rush so there’s one less thing to worry about during the holidays. 
   
   Did you know that 99 percent of consumers say poor cleanliness negatively impacts their perception of a business?
   
   
4. Have spares. In the middle of scrubbing the floor the night before a busy Saturday the week before Christmas, the last thing you need is for your squeegee to be leaving water on the floor or your scrub brush to be worn down. To ensure you won’t be left with a half-cleaned floor and to minimize stress, order an extra set of squeegees and brushes ahead of the holiday rush.
   
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5. Don’t forget about your carpet. While keeping hard floor safe to prevent slip and fall accidents is critical, keeping any carpet in your store clean is also important, as it will likely collect a lot of the wetness and dirt being brought into your store by wet shoes and boots. Using an efficient carpet extractor can help keep your carpets dry and maintain their appearance when foot traffic is high. 
   
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6. Focus on clean. When the store is busy, it can be nearly impossible for one person, whether it’s the manager or an employee, to keep tabs on everything in the store. Designating employees to keep an eye on specific areas of the store and spot-clean as needed holds everyone accountable for maintaining appearance and ensures that spills or excess water around the entrance are taken care of in a timely manner.

While keeping your store clean is just a small portion of your busy holiday shopping season, it is a critical piece in keeping shoppers safe and happy. Studies show that customers will leave for a competitor over dirty floors, but preventative action and employee accountability can help your floors stay sparkling clean over the coming months.

Download our Guide to Retail Shine for even more information on keeping your retail store clean.