Grocery store cleaning has always been necessary, but it has taken on an even more prominent role in modern times. Find out how to maintain stores to keep customers and employees safe.
How to Maintain Stores to Make Them Feel Safe
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, going to the grocery store was one of the most routine shopping experiences of daily life. Since then, many people are asking, “Are grocery stores safe?” The cautious relationship between a retail environment and customers has left many stores wondering what they can do to create a safe environment.
Luckily, by offering customers a store environment that is clean and by following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, you can improve the customer experience and alleviate fears. Sometimes the small things catch the attention of someone grocery shopping more than larger tasks.
Offering hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes near entrances and exits for people to wipe down their hands, carts, and products help people feel safe for retail stores to be open. Making sure your employees are wearing a mask creates a safer environment. Keeping areas near the entrance free of cigarette butts, chewed gum, and trash will positively impact customer experiences. Having areas of the store where lines form marked with social distancing markers show people you’re taking the time to prevent the spread of germs.
Professional Grocery Store Cleaning Services
With many grocery store staff being overwhelmed with tasks like stocking shelves and gathering goods for delivery services, maintaining a clean retail environment for customers can be difficult.
General Cleaning Services
Regularly dusting, mopping, and sweeping a grocery store not only makes it safer, it’s also noticeable. Keeping shelves dust-free lets customers know the store is being taken care of. It also helps improve indoor air quality. With less dust present, those in your store are less likely to sneeze or cough, lowering the risk of germs being spread.
Sweeping and mopping the floors keep them clean and free of areas with accumulated debris or slippery substances. This type of maintenance also helps extend the service life of your floors.
High-Touch Point Cleaning Services
Grocery stores have areas that are visited more frequently than others. The handles in the freezer department are a great example of a high-touch point. Making sure these are being cleaned and sanitized are critical in grocery store cleaning. The Centers for Disease Control recommends high-touch point cleaning services in areas such as:
- Entry and exit points
- Freezer and cooler handles
- Check stands
- Grocery carts
- Countertops
- Keyboards
Trash Removal
Trash removal plays a large role in making people feel grocery stores are safe to enter. Keeping trash cans free of overflowing garbage and foul odors is essential. Having trash cans conveniently located for people to throw away disinfecting wipes and disposable masks, and routinely emptying them, will create peace of mind for those walking through the store.
Restroom Cleaning
Few retail environments can cause a negative impact on customers, like a dirty bathroom. With increased calls to wash your hands, people are visiting restrooms more often. Frequently cleaning bathrooms can reduce the possibility of cross-contamination and remove germs before they spread.
Sanitation Services
Properly cleaning and sanitizing your store’s food preparation areas is crucial to maintaining health and safety for customers and employees. Deli and bakery departments need cleansing to prevent food contamination. Sanitation services make your store a safer place to be.
Grocery Store Cleaning Should Include Floors
You may not immediately notice bright shining floors when you walk in, but you will see dirty, smudged ones. Scrubbing and buffing floors cleans them and leaves them with a professional shine. Heavy foot traffic areas significantly benefit from regular cleaning. Revive neglected floors with commercial stripping and waxing services. The stripping process removes dirt, debris, and worn down layers of wax to make them look new again. Then a fresh layer of wax can be applied to protect the new look.
Concrete floors also require maintenance to look their best. In times of inclement weather, floors can become filthy and slippery. Wet floors present a higher risk for slips and falls. Keep floors safe and looking their best with proper concrete maintenance.
Carlson Building Maintenance Knows Grocery Store Cleaning
For more than 60 years, Carlson has been cleaning large retail buildings. We know the importance of a clean and healthy appearance and want you to experience the benefits. Contact us today to learn more about our grocery store cleaning services.
