Top 5 Public Spaces Where Disinfecting Wipes Make the Biggest Impact

The hidden disconnect between how we use buildings and how we maintain them

Public and shared spaces require close attention. Shared spaces can be considered any combination of restrooms, break rooms, lobbies, elevators, and conference rooms. They are frequently occupied throughout the day, and in the absence of a day-portering function, there is often little to no ownership of them until the cleaning shift arrives to perform its duties, typically when the building is significantly unoccupied. As a result, building occupants spend more time in shared spaces than cleaning staff do.

Interestingly, this highlights a subtle mismatch between how buildings are used and how cleaning is organized. Whether people realize it or not, what happens on the main floor of a facility directly affects what happens on the third floor. How traffic moves through the building, what dirt and debris people track in on their shoes, and the pathogens shed by a lone building occupant who comes to work while fighting off a cold all contribute to the facility's ecosystem. It’s why I frequently point out that the highest-performing cleaning operations treat cleaning as a systematic, daily endeavor rather than merely addressing symptoms. Put differently, cleaning is an interconnected endeavor, and shared spaces require close attention.

How BSCs, custodial and facility managers can help direct ownership

Without clear ownership of outcomes, small issues accumulate until they become visible to everyone. Closing that gap means supporting shared spaces between cleaning shifts by taking ownership of the spaces they use. High-touch surfaces such as door handles, fixtures, light switches, tabletops and touchscreens with visible residue can be addressed promptly. Of course, this leaves a significant question mark: Who owns it?

Here’s a rough breakdown of who owns cleaning responsibilities in most facilities:

• Building occupants: Break room and conference areas after use, personal workspaces including desks, screens, keyboards and phones.
• Day porters: Policing spills, high traffic/high use areas, touching-up restrooms and refilling paper supplies throughout the day.
• Daily cleaners: The daily routine cleaning of the building when it is significantly unoccupied. This includes removing trash and cleaning horizontal surfaces above the floor; on the floor cleaning; deep cleaning of each restroom; and cleaning of common areas, first impression areas, vertical surfaces; and any other custom requirements specific to the facility.

This is where ready-to-use (RTU) disinfecting wipes are particularly useful. When integrated into established routines and made readily available and visible in shared spaces, wipes provide a quick, effective solution for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. They are intuitive tools that can be strategically placed throughout the facility, and the only requirement for proper use is reading the directions for use.

Here are the top 5 uses for RTU wipes in facilities:

1. Day porter touch-up of high-touch surfaces such as door handles in entryways and reception countertops, and for disinfecting surfaces after cleaning up bodily fluid spills.
2. Day porter disinfection of high-risk surfaces like sink faucet handles in break rooms and restrooms, toilet and urinal flush handles and valves.
3. Building occupants quickly wiping down break rooms and conference rooms.
4. Building occupants using disinfecting wipes to quickly clean their personal spaces and sanitizing wipes to kill bacteria on their electronic devices.
5. Cleaning shift custodians handling vertical objects or high-touch surfaces where sprays are not advised (such as light switches and kitchen appliances).

Providing RTU disinfecting wipes and sharing responsibilities improves building cleanliness and may reduce complaints

Because shared spaces sit at the intersection of traffic, behavior and perception, their condition affects more than the rooms themselves. When these spaces are maintained consistently throughout the day, the entire facility benefits. Trust improves. Complaints decrease. The indoor environment functions more predictably as a connected system. Shared spaces do not require perfection. They require attention that matches how they are used. When ownership, routines, and the appropriate tools come together, shared spaces cease to be problem areas and instead support the health, comfort and confidence of everyone who uses them.