We Work Hard So Our Dogs Can Have Nice Things
No one likes leaving their dog at home! Stop saying goodbye to your fur baby and start bringing them to work – there are a surprising number of benefits to having a pet-friendly workplace! These include improved office morale and communication, reduced absenteeism, stress, and negativity and a more healthy work-life balance. Dogs in the workplace are a win-win-win for your facility… you, your employees and all pets involved will be happier than ever!
So let’s assume you’re ready to open your doors to dogs… how can you maintain your facility’s cleanliness amongst your new furry friends? We’ve gathered the best tips and tricks for keeping your pet-friendly workplace clean and safe for both you and your employees, just keep reading to learn more!
Establish Pet Policies
Before you can allow dogs to roam around, you have to establish some rules to maintain order in the office. Make it clear that all dogs must be properly house-trained, up-to-date on vaccinations, and friendly with both people and other pets. Well-behaved, sociable dogs are a must! Employees should also be expected to keep their dogs clean, groomed, and flea and tick-free. This will ensure that your facility remains a calm and comfortable place for your employees and their dogs.
Designate Pet-Friendly Areas
Use signage to designate areas where dogs are (or aren’t) welcome. Dogs are all-around fun for the workplace, but some spaces (especially food preparation/kitchen areas) aren’t a great place for dogs. Establish clear boundaries as to where pets are allowed to ensure the safety and cleanliness of your facility.
Some fun pet-friendly areas to have in your workplace might be a feeding/watering station, a nap corner with plush dog beds, or a play area filled with all the dogs’ favorite toys!
Keep Office Air Clean
Maintaining the quality and cleanliness of the air in your facility is crucial to keeping everyone that walks through the door healthy. Pollutants, bacteria, dust, and debris constantly circulate through the air and can be heightened by the presence of dogs in the workplace. Keep your indoor environment clean and safe through the use of an air filter or purifier to remove these dangers from the air.
Tip: We highly recommend the Synexis Biodefense System, which uses Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP™) to fight viruses, bacteria, and mold in the air (and on surfaces…bonus!).
Provide Cleaning Supplies and Solutions
Encourage employees to clean up after their pets by providing all of the necessary cleaning supplies to do so! Consider placing cleaning stations around the workplace; you’ll need spot cleaners (especially if your facility has carpet), disinfectant wipes and cleaning sprays, rubber gloves, and plastic disposable bags! Our favorite cleaning product is the GVX Pet & Odor. The best thing about this product is the ingredients! GVX utilizes pharmaceutical-grade Australian Tea Tree Oil as the main component for its cleaning and odor-removing prowess. It is designed for pet stains that anyone can use to remove. Also, it is very important to vacuum the surfaces with a CRI approved vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. For larger clean ups and deep cleans, leave that to us!
Deep Clean your Workplace
Every workplace needs a good deep cleaning every so often… with dogs in the office, thorough cleaning procedures become even more important!
If your facility has carpet, regular carpet cleaning is crucial to maintaining the health of your business. It’s not just for appearances, carpet is the largest “air filter” in your facility, gathering chemical and biological pollutants including pesticides, dust mites and fungi. Without consistent cleaning to get rid of these pollutants, they remain instead in your air, posing a risk of illness to you and your employees! We recommend a sustainable carpet care program to maintain your facility’s indoor health. Our system lifts the fiber (digging out pet hair), sanitizes and deodorizes. When cleaning a facility that allows pets, DPM takes it a step further by providing extra sanitization when necessary with our SaniClean process.
With dogs in the picture, the surfaces in your facility will also require some extra attention to ensure the cleanliness of your business. Consider using a surface protection system to not only get rid of harmful viruses, mold, bacteria, and mildew, but to keep them from coming back. This makes the maintenance of your facility much easier, as this system protects your surfaces for up to 3 months.
Inviting pets into the workplace is the perfect way to liven it up and create a better work environment! Try our tips and tricks to handle your pet-friendly space like a pro – keeping it clean and safe will take some planning but is more than worth your time! Let’s talk about your office pets!