Spring is finally here and all that sunshine and nice weather is finally giving us that extra oomph of motivation we need. Whether or not you’ve been in a seasonal slump, spring is a great time to clean house mentally, physically, and emotionally. A clean space can provide you with the clarity and peace of mind you need to make this upcoming busy season your best one yet. If you’re not sure where to start, check out these. 5 ways you can make the most out of your spring cleaning sessions!
Deep Clean
Starting the busy season with a clean slate (literally and figuratively) will help keep you focused on what matters most. Deep cleaning can be daunting as we often let certain areas fall to the wayside more so than others. To make deep cleaning more manageable, break down what needs to be done into small tasks. Survey your facility and make notes of what needs to be cleaned, how it needs to be cleaned, and if the cleaning will require more than one staff member.
Once you have an accurate assessment of all that needs to be deep cleaned, you can start assigning and delegating tasks to staff members. Deep cleaning is all about utilizing the philosophy, teamwork makes the dream work! And, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. A great leader gets involved and doesn’t shy away from undesirable work.
Sanitize All Enclosures
During the slower season, you may not be using all of your enclosures and as a result, they may be sitting there empty. While they may seem clean after several months of inactivity, the reality is that germs and bacteria love to travel. There is no harm, and it is highly encouraged, to go ahead and give all of your enclosures a deep sanitizing clean.
Sanitizing enclosures ensures that germs, bacteria, and illnesses like canine flu and kennel cough do not spread. Canine flu can close a facility for 2-4 weeks depending on how large of an outbreak occurs. As a result, your facility could lose anywhere between $10,000-$80,000. You can learn more about canine flu and how to stay protected against income loss and liability here.
Sanitize Common Areas
While you’re already on a sanitizing kick, don’t forget to deeply sanitize common areas. Common areas include:
- Front desk
- Retail space
- Employee break room
- Anywhere hands/touch is exchanged frequently
Sanitizing common areas should be a part of your deep clean but should also be an essential part of your daily and weekly cleaning routines. As we mentioned above, canine flu and kennel cough occurs frequently and is spread rapidly. Additionally, common illnesses like the flu, cold, and even Covid-19 still carry high rates of transmission and can cause closures and liability issues.
Ditch Any Old Papers
Those important papers you swore you needed but haven’t looked at since? Yeah, it’s time to toss them. Or, at the very least, file them appropriately. When going through your papers, ask yourself if you’ll need this piece of paper in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, if the answer is yes, file the paper in an appropriate and easy-to-find space. If the answer is no, then let it go! It can be hard to know what to keep and what to toss but it is extremely important so that you can go into the busy season with a clear space and a clear, clutter-free mind.
Clean Up Your Email Lists
We’re all victims of subscribing to too many email lists. Whether you were trying to save a few dollars or thought you’d genuinely benefit from subscribing, the fact of the matter is that you haven’t opened an email from them in a long time. So, it’s time to say goodbye. You can go through your inbox and manually unsubscribe or you can use an app like UnrollMe. This busy season, don’t miss out on an important email because your inbox is overflowing.
