Whether you go to the shops regularly or on an as-needs basis, store cleanliness plays a major role in impressions and overall retail experience for many people. No matter what products or services you offer, if your retail cleaning is lacking, it can drive people away from visiting and purchasing products from your store.
The community has had higher cleaning expectations for common areas such as retail spaces since the COVID-19 pandemic began, as high levels of cleanliness are essential for the health and well-being of the community.
Top Tips For Store Cleaning
There is a multitude of techniques to use when implementing your store cleaning protocol. No matter what our needs are, the majority of these techniques will prove to be beneficial in your retail store.
De-clutter
When beginning to de-clutter your shelves or products in your service area, it may be beneficial to view your products from the view of your customers. Shelving and displays throughout retail stores and shopping centres play a large role in the marketing and impression your store has on a customer. When products are organised well, it makes the shopping experience simple and stress-free for the customer.
Dusting
Dust can build up extremely quickly within a retail store or shopping centre. Shelves and countertops are the first places to collect dust, which is why it is important to regularly and consistently dust these areas to ensure dust does not build up and create a health hazard.
Floor cleaning
The floors in a shopping centre and retail store gain a high volume of foot traffic, which leads to both tiles and carpets becoming dirty reasonably quickly. Vacuuming and mopping these areas frequently depending on traffic will ensure your floors stay speaking clean and free from dirt and grime.
Window cleaning
It is relatively easy for fingerprints and smudges to appear on your glass and any mirroring in shopping centres and retail stores. One of the most important aspects of store cleaning is cleaning windows and mirrors with a microfiber cloth to ensure they are streak free and sparkling clean.
Retail Cleaning Checklist
Have you been searching for a full-proof store cleaning checklist? This checklist has been created to cover the most common areas that require a planned cleaning protocol to keep up with community hygiene standards and provide a great impression to all customers, employees and visitors.
Entrances and exits
The entrances and exits of retail stores often collect dirt from many people constantly walking in and out. Due to this, regularly vacuuming and mopping (if tiled) these areas are important to keep on top of any dirt and possible spillages, alongside sweeping and removing any rubbish found on the floor. Disinfecting and sanitising high touch points such as door handles is important to incorporate into the daily cleaning protocols.
If your entrance and exit have signs, cleaning and dusting these signs may be beneficial to ensure they appear presentable to visitors. Along with this, cleaning any windows will be helpful as this will assist customers in viewing your store, leaving a great first impression and a higher likelihood of them wanting to enter.
Shop floor
One of the main aspects of retail store cleaning is the shop floor. Unfortunately, spillages are pretty common on shop floors, especially within grocery stores. It is essential for spillages to be cleaned up appropriately as soon as possible to avoid injuries to customers and employees. When a spillage occurs and it is being cleaned up, utilising a sign advising people of the possible wet flooring is important to avoid people accidentally falling over.
Along with this, dusting and wiping your shelves is important for the health of customers and employees, as well as ensuring your products are not impacted by dust or dirt build-up. Wiping down any display cabinets will help your customers easily, whilst also preventing the build-up of dirt and grime from people touching the glass.
Checkout area
It is vital for your checkout area to be clean and spotless for both hygiene reasons and for sale purposes! The checkout area is where you make your final sale, meaning it is important to have a clean space to market your products effectively and leave a great final impression. In your checkout areas, it is important to dust and wipe over all surfaces with a disinfectant spray as these are considered high touch point areas.
Organising any items that permanently stay at your checkout is beneficial both for marketing purposes and to ensure they are not collecting dust. Emptying any rubbish bins kept in this area on a daily basis is important for organisational purposes and to avoid the build-up of rubbish which may potentially overflow and lead to an insect infestation.
Bathrooms
No matter whether you have bathrooms within specific retail stores for staff members or there are public bathrooms within a shopping centre, it is important for bathrooms to be cleaned regularly with disinfectant products. Cleaning the bathrooms may include services such as emptying rubbish bins, refilling items such as hand soap and toilet paper, cleaning toilets, disinfecting basins, mopping floors, sanitising handles, cleaning mirrors and unclogging drains.
Stairways and lifts
Over time, stairways can experience a build-up of dirt due to a large number of people using them on a daily basis. When cleaning stairways and lifts, it can be useful to mop or vacuum the flooring, wipe down and disinfect buttons and handrails, dust bannisters and clean the glass and other surfaces.
Shopping trolleys and baskets
With the high use of shopping trolleys and shopping baskets, it is rapid and easy for their handles to build up germs and bacteria, easily transferring to the next person who touches these surfaces. This is why it is vital to sanitise and disinfect shopping trolleys and baskets, specifically their handles and high touch points regularly throughout the day to avoid germs.
In between thorough cleans, providing disinfectant wipes where your shopping trolleys and baskets are stored is a great way to encourage shoppers to sanitise and wipe down the handles of their trolley or basket before they begin their shopping, as an extra precaution.
Storerooms
Often, the storeroom or backroom of a retail store is last on the priority of cleaning as the shop floor takes priority. It is important to clean out the air vents in your storeroom to prevent the build-up of dust which could cause allergy issues for people if left long-term. Dusting any shelves or fixtures in the storeroom will remove further dust, as well as vacuuming and wiping over any surfaces and handles.
Staff breakroom
In some circumstances, a staff breakroom includes a kitchen. In a kitchen, it is important to disinfect surfaces, and high touchpoints, clean and clear out the fridge regularly, clean shared utensils or cookware as well as clean appliances such as a microwave. General cleaning protocols should be implemented such as vacuuming and mopping the floors as required.
The Importance of Retail Store Cleaning
In-depth store cleaning plays a large role in hygiene making it important for the communities safety and well-being. Every store will benefit from regular cleaning protocols to ensure their premises are kept safe and clean for all visitors and workers. Standard cleaning protocols should be undertaken daily, meeting expectations of sanitising and disinfecting high touch points which is essential for removing bacteria and preventing infection.
More News