3 ways businesses can meet customers’ hygiene expectations post COVID-19

Following the global COVID-19 pandemic, organisations have had to respond to a major shift in customer behaviour. For example, customers are a lot savvier and more demanding with hygiene and safety measures and employees expect to be involved in decisions about their wellbeing. 

 So, what can businesses do to maintain a safe work environment for employees and customers in a post-COVID world?

1. Ensure a high level of hygiene

Researchers at the University of Bristol in England assessed the airborne survival of bacteria in droplets from coughs and sneezes. They determined the average sneeze or cough can send around 100,000 contagious germs into the air at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.

Contaminated hands, meanwhile, can transfer viruses to fourteen other surfaces¹ and, every minute, a working adult might touch as many as thirty objects that may be contaminated by bacteria or viruses, causing infectious diseases.² This makes stopping the journey of the germ, by reducing cross-contamination, crucial.

Disinfecting common touchpoints, surfaces, equipment and floors with solutions that can kill up to 99.99% of bacteria and viruses can help cut the germ’s journey short. Sprays and surface wipes can be quick and easy solutions to disinfect surfaces and kill pathogens for up to 24 hours, mitigating the risk of cross-contamination from surfaces.

Door handles can also be common bacteria hotspots as they’re frequently touched, but regularly wiping down several of them multiple times a day can be laborious. Door handle covers can be a suitable solution to provide an extra, hygienically clean barrier between hands and dirty door handles. They prevent individuals from depositing and picking up viruses whenever they encounter a door handle. 

Our Initial HygienicTouch door handles use silver ion technology to kill 99.99% of bacteria that’s been trasferred to the handle by contaminated hands. 

But, dirty hands aren’t the only culprit. Microorganisms can also be carried into buildings with people’s feet and if you think about the footfall you can get on a single day on your premises, you’ll quickly realise this can threaten good hygiene. 

One way to counteract this spread of microorganisms is with floor mats that absorb and capture microorganisms before they’re carried through the building. They prevent moisture, dirt and microorganisms in their tracks and help you to maintain a positive brand image and reputation. 

Our Initial serviced floor mats offer a highly protective barrier and capture up to 80% of microorganisms before they spread through the building. The floor mats can reduce your cleaning costs and minimise the risk of trips with their anti-slip surface. 

2. Provide hand hygiene solutions

Hand washing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself, your staff and your customers. While the song a person sings while washing their hands might change from one person to the next, the responsibility for clean hands doesn’t just sit with the individual. Satisfactory washroom conditions and educating people about efficient hand hygiene are also necessary.

It’s been proven that cleaner, more hygienic facilities encourage better habits among staff, and that’s precisely why employers need to consider investing in them. 

Our innovative hand washing and hand hygiene solutions will minimise the risk of cross-infection.

1. No-touch soap dispensers reduce the chance of picking up pathogens and our antibacterial soap can kill 99.99% of bacteria.
2. Drying hands properly can reduce bacterial transmission by up to 99%. With paper towel and no-touch paper-roll dispensers available, our range of solutions covers any business needs.

Hand sanitisers are a great way to stop germs from spreading. Our formulation is proven to be 99.99% effective against viruses.

3. Ensure a disinfection programme is in place

Using a surface disinfectant that can protect from contamination for 24 hours, our highly trained technicians clean all the key touchpoints and surfaces in the building. For rapid disinfection of larger areas, they use ultra-low volume (ULV) disinfection fogging, reaching areas that may be difficult to access using manual cleaning methods.

Any business that requires vehicles will also need to ensure their people and those that depend on their services are protected. Our transport disinfection services, such as touchpoint cleaning, internal fogging and spray and wipe down, have been designed to reduce cross-contamination and reassure staff, customers and visitors that your vehicles have the highest hygiene standards in place.

Safer, healthier and more hygienic: the new world

Rentokil can help your business adjust to the new normal and keep your employees and customers safe. We have solutions and services that help mitigate risks, maintain high hygiene standards to reduce germ transmission, eliminate pest issues and ensure your premises remain pest-free.

What are you waiting for? Get in touch and we’ll send in the experts to survey your building at an appropriate time to provide recommendations on keeping your business protected and arrange safeguards for the future.