Month: November 2021

Airports move huge numbers of people every day, and travel peaks around holidays. All of those travelers share the same restrooms, seating areas, counters and handrails. As a result, airport cleaning has a direct effect on how passengers feel about their trip.

Here is why it deserves priority, and what a strong plan includes. Many of the same lessons also apply to any facility with heavy public traffic.

Why Airport Cleaning Matters

First, travelers judge a facility quickly. A clean restroom or gate area makes a stressful trip a little easier. In addition, shared surfaces are touched by many people in a short time. Therefore, regular cleaning and disinfection of those surfaces help keep them sanitary.

Airport Cleaning Starts With High Touch Areas

Some areas need more attention than others:

  • Restrooms, including faucets, dispensers and stall hardware.
  • Ticket counters, kiosks and check in screens.
  • Seating areas and armrests at gates.
  • Handrails, elevator buttons and door handles.
  • Food court tables and nearby floors.

Keep Restrooms Ready Around the Clock

Restrooms in busy facilities need frequent checks, not just a nightly clean. In particular, keeping soap and paper towels stocked supports handwashing. For more, read about restroom high touch surfaces.

Plan Airport Cleaning for Peak Travel

Holiday travel brings more people, more trash and more spills. So increase staffing and cleaning frequency during peak periods. Meanwhile, schedule deep cleaning for quieter hours when fewer travelers are present.

Do Not Overlook Floors

Floors in busy facilities take a beating from luggage wheels, carts and foot traffic. Therefore, regular sweeping, mopping and vacuuming, along with planned floor care, protect both appearance and safety.

Consistency Beats Occasional Deep Cleaning

Above all, a consistent schedule matters more than an occasional big effort. Clear routines, trained crews and regular inspections keep standards steady from one day to the next. In addition, a quick way for staff and travelers to report a spill or a messy restroom helps crews respond before small problems grow. As a result, the facility stays presentable even on the busiest days of the year.

How WOW! Supports High Traffic Facilities

WOW! Facility Services provides janitorial, day porter, floor care and disinfection services for busy facilities across our service area. Every program starts with a facility assessment. Then we build a customized scope of work around your building. Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important areas in airport cleaning?
Restrooms, ticket counters, seating areas, handrails and food courts, because travelers use them constantly.

How should cleaning change during peak travel?
Increase staffing and frequency in busy areas, and move deep cleaning to quieter hours.

Do these airport cleaning lessons apply to other buildings?
Yes. Any facility with heavy public traffic benefits from frequent restroom checks, attention to high touch surfaces and planned floor care.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

Keep Busy Facilities Clean

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.

Electrostatic sprayers became popular in many facilities in recent years. They can help crews cover large or complex areas with disinfectant. However, electrostatic disinfection only works when it is part of a proper cleaning process and the product is approved for that use.

Here is what electrostatic disinfection is, when it helps and how to do it right.

What Electrostatic Disinfection Is

An electrostatic sprayer gives disinfectant droplets an electrical charge as they leave the nozzle. As a result, the charged droplets are drawn to surfaces and can help reach the sides and undersides of objects. In practice, this can make it easier to treat areas with many surfaces, such as classrooms, gyms or seating areas.

Electrostatic Disinfection Starts With the Label

Not every disinfectant can be used in an electrostatic sprayer. According to the EPA, if a product’s label does not include directions for electrostatic spraying, the agency has not reviewed data on its safety and effectiveness for that use. Therefore, use only products whose labels include electrostatic directions, and follow them exactly.

Clean Before You Disinfect

No sprayer replaces cleaning. The CDC advises cleaning surfaces before you disinfect, because dirt can keep disinfectants from working well. For more on the steps, see our guide to sanitizing and disinfecting.

Electrostatic Disinfection and Contact Time

Disinfectants need time to work. In addition, the surface should stay wet for the full contact time on the label. Electrostatic disinfection still has to meet that requirement.

Protect the Crew and the Occupants

Crews should wear the protective equipment the label requires. Likewise, schedule spraying when spaces are empty, and follow label directions on when people can return.

When Electrostatic Disinfection Makes Sense

Electrostatic disinfection is a tool, not a routine for every surface. For example, it can help after an illness outbreak or in large areas with many touch points. Meanwhile, everyday high touch surfaces are often best handled with regular cleaning and wiping.

How WOW! Approaches Disinfection

WOW! Facility Services trains every team member on cleaning methods, equipment handling and chemical usage. Our Elevated Clean program includes integrated disinfection and high touch surface programs. Every program starts with a facility assessment, and then we build a customized scope of work around your building. Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any disinfectant be used in an electrostatic sprayer?
No. Use only products whose labels include directions for electrostatic application, and follow those directions exactly.

Does electrostatic disinfection replace cleaning?
No. Surfaces still need cleaning first, because dirt can keep disinfectants from working well.

When is electrostatic disinfection most useful?
Generally, it helps most in large areas with many surfaces, or after an illness outbreak, using a product labeled for electrostatic application.

Who should operate electrostatic sprayers?
Trained crews who know the product label, the required protective equipment and when people can safely return to the space.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

Disinfect the Right Way

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.