Why Cleanliness is Important in the Workplace

Think of the impression your facility would make if customers came through the door and found an unclean, unkempt facility. At worst, they might decide to do business elsewhere. At best, your reputation could take a hit.

Now, think about how cleanliness impacts employee morale and performance. Employees come to the workplace far more often than customers and dirty floors and surfaces can downgrade their desire to give it their all. Unclean workplace environments can also drive good employees to seek work elsewhere as it reflects a company’s lack of interest in employee morale, health and job satisfaction.

A recent survey puts a fine point on the importance of a clean workplace. The survey found that 86% of office employees regard cleanliness as the most important aspect of a good work environment. The study also found that even though facility managers rank cleaning quality as their top concern, they allocate only around 18% of their time toward enhancing cleaning efficiency and standards.

Maintaining a clean workplace can also reduce slips, trips and falls that can lead to employees taking unexpected time off from work. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), slips, trips and falls are among the top three causes of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses, accounting for 33% of all preventable nonfatal injuries.

Keep the workplace clean with Autonomous Mobile Robots

While all workplaces need to maintain a high standard of clean, floors in retail stores and restaurants are especially susceptible to getting dirty fast. That’s because customers and employees continually tread on them during operating hours. The retail industry also suffers from persistent labor shortages, forcing staff to do more with fewer workers. With more tasks to handle, employees may neglect floor cleaning—which doesn’t reflect well on the establishment or employee morale and productivity.

One of the ways to juggle customer service needs while keeping the workplace clean is adding autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to the cleaning crew. It has become increasingly common to see these robotic cleaning systems working alongside human cleaners—handling repetitive tasks like floor cleaning. 

AMRs are specifically designed to work safely and efficiently alongside employees so they can focus on other high-value tasks. Robotic floor cleaning systems help address labor challenges, drive efficiencies and maintain a high standard of cleaning.

Sustainable cleaning practices: an increasing draw for employees

According to a 2022 IBM survey, employees are increasingly interested in working for companies that have environmentally sustainable practices. In fact, two out of three survey respondents said they are more willing to apply for (67%) and accept (68%) jobs from organizations they consider to be environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, the survey found that one in three of the 16,000 respondents indicated would accept a lower salary to work for sustainable or socially responsible organizations.

To that end, organizations can choose to integrate Tennant’s ec-H2O NanoClean® technology with our AMR floor cleaners. The ec-H2O NanoClean technology electrically converts water into an innovative, detergent-free solution that cleans effectively, saves money and reduces environmental impact compared to daily floor cleaning chemicals.

Our ec-H2O NanoClean solution is certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) to improve floor traction—reducing the risk of slip and fall accidents. According to a third-party study by EcoForm™, ec-H2O NanoClean also significantly reduces the environmental impact of cleaning operations in seven key categories: energy, CO2 emissions, ozone, smog, acid, eutrophication, and particulates.

Effective cleaning solution: modern, mechanized mops

The traditional mop-and-bucket approach to cleaning is clearly in need of an upgrade. It doesn’t effectively clean floors and increases the likelihood of slip and fall accidents, creating a potentially unsafe environment for employees.

Today’s mechanized mops offer the maneuverability of a mop with the cleaning performance of a walk-behind floor scrubber. For retail and other work spaces, the i-mop® family of mechanized mops comes in a variety of models and sizes to accommodate cleaning of restrooms, behind check-out counters and other tight spaces.

These mechanized mops remove more surface soils than traditional mop and bucket cleaning and reduce the risk of slip and fall injuries with improved cleaning performance versus manual mopping. Operators can fill, empty and re-fill tanks virtually anywhere—not just slop sinks. Lightweight and equipped with wheels, the i-mop can be easily transported between different areas, levels and buildings.

Step up to modern cleaning

The impact of providing a clean workplace can’t be overstated. Studies show that employees who feel good about their workplace are more likely to stay. Having a clean, tidy workplace also helps employees be more productive. As employees consider their options for choosing a workplace today, presenting a clean, safe and healthy environment—along with demonstrating environmentally sustainable practices—can help organizations stand out.

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