During the winter months, people naturally spend a little more time indoors. During the work week, it’s less tempting to go out for lunch or take a midday walk break in the cold. The windows and doors are closed, not allowing for fresh air to make its way through the building. Furthermore, people are coming in and out and their winter boots are bringing snow, salt and other debris into the facility with them. All of these factors mean that during the snowy season, employees are exposed to more dust than usual. And unfortunately, dust can make its way to every surface, including floors, ceiling fans, light fixtures, hard-to-reach corners, and of course, desks.
As a result, symptoms like itchy eyes, runny noses and headaches that are often times attributed to the effects of “flu season,” can actually be caused by inadequate ventilation and by dust and dirt. Additionally, dust particles harbor bacteria, leaving your staff and guests at risk of infection. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency1, poor winter indoor air quality can aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma and increase a person’s risk of developing pneumonia and other upper respiratory problems.
Poor indoor air quality can also be costly to a business. There are the medical expenses of sick workers that need to be covered and poor indoor air quality can also increase absences and significantly decrease worker productivity.2
While eliminating the dreaded common cold is not something that can be controlled, there are solutions available for keeping workspaces clean and employees as healthy as possible.
A comprehensive and effective disinfection plan starts with dust, dirt and sand removal. In an effort to keep dust and other debris from moving to different areas, you can utilize a dust sheet to clean surfaces. For example, the proprietary fibers and adhesive of 3M™ Easy Trap™ Sweep & Dust Sheets don’t simply move the dust around, they trap it and hold onto it. In fact, they trap up to 800% more dirt, dust and sand than conventional flat-fringed cotton dust mops or the professional version of a common household sweeping dust cloth brand. So, every surface passes the “white glove” test.
Additionally, the reversible and disposable dust sheets work on nearly every surface and support your sustainability initiatives with a minimum of 60% recycled content in every sheet. The product packaging is also made from a minimum of 65% total recycled content, where a minimum 35% of the total recycled content comes from post-consumer waste.
3M Easy Trap Sweep & Dust Sheets are also perfect for a variety of facilities — including schools, hotels, hospitals, gyms and so many others — and can be used with virtually any flat mop or duster to clean nearly every surface.
1: https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality
2: https://hbr.org/2017/03/research-stale-office-air-is-making-
you-less-productive
