How to Combat Flu in the Workplace With Smart Cleaning

Cold and flu season hits commercial spaces hard. Between shared desks, high-touch surfaces, and close-quarters collaboration, offices, schools, and retail spaces become prime environments for illness to spread. Without a proactive cleaning and disinfection strategy, you’re facing productivity dips, rising absenteeism, and potential revenue loss.

Preparing for flu in the workplace means more than handing out tissues. It starts with a plan that targets germs at the source, strengthens internal routines, and brings in professional cleaning support where it counts most.

The Impact of Flu in the Workplace

Every year, seasonal influenza affects millions of people in the U.S., leading to tens of thousands of hospitalizations and missed workdays. While personal hygiene plays a role, the environment itself is a key factor in how quickly illness spreads. For example, viruses like influenza can survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours, meaning any high-touch area in your building can become a potential transmission point.

For businesses, the burden of the flu translates into project delays, reduced output, and increased pressure on remaining staff. And in sectors where staffing is tight or physical presence is required, a wave of sick employees can create serious operational challenges.

Beyond productivity, a workplace that feels unclean or neglected during flu season sends the wrong message. Staff may feel undervalued or unsafe, and customers may question the professionalism of your business.

On the other hand, visible efforts to maintain a clean, healthy space reinforce trust and demonstrate that health is a top priority.

Step-by-Step: Preparing Your Space for Cold & Flu Season

Start by scheduling a deep cleaning of your facility before the season begins. This isn’t your average nightly vacuum and wipe-down. A deep clean should cover carpets, air vents, baseboards, restrooms, upholstery, and other overlooked surfaces. Doing this in late summer or early fall sets a strong foundation for the disinfection routines to follow.

Next, take inventory of your hygiene stations. Ensure every entrance, hallway, and shared area is equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers. Restock tissues, soap, and paper towels frequently. If your building uses touchless fixtures, make sure they’re functioning properly.

Once your supplies are in place, shift your focus to cleaning frequency. During flu season, high-touch areas need to be disinfected multiple times a day. This includes elevator buttons, shared desks, and communal kitchen appliances. Be sure that your internal cleaning team or contracted provider is using EPA-registered disinfectants that are effective against flu viruses.

In addition to product usage, cleaning technique matters. Disinfectants must be applied with proper dwell time—the amount of time a surface needs to stay wet in order to kill pathogens. This is a detail that’s often missed when staff are rushed or under-trained.

To keep everyone aligned, review the OSHA recommendations and share them with your facilities team and any cleaning staff.

Priority Areas That Need Extra Attention

Not all parts of your commercial space carry the same risk. Certain zones are especially prone to flu transmission and should receive additional focus during cold and flu season.

Restrooms and Breakrooms

These spaces are some of the most highly trafficked and germ-prone areas in any facility. With shared sinks, soap dispensers, and food storage, they present numerous opportunities for viruses to spread. Restrooms and breakrooms should be disinfected throughout the day and stocked with hygiene essentials at all times.

Shared Equipment and Electronics

Phones, printers, copy machines, touchscreens, and even shared pens are often overlooked in regular cleaning routines. Since flu viruses can survive on plastic and metal surfaces for hours, be sure these tools are disinfected regularly, especially between users.

Lobby Areas and Elevators

These public-facing areas welcome not just staff, but clients, vendors, and delivery personnel. Every person who walks through your doors likely presses elevator buttons, leans on counters, or signs in using shared tools. Keep these areas disinfected and consider placing hand sanitizer stations nearby for added protection.

Desks, Meeting Rooms, and Workstations

The average desk can harbor more bacteria than a toilet seat, especially if it’s shared between shifts or teams. Meeting rooms also see high turnover throughout the day. Encourage employees to wipe down their workspaces, and ensure professional cleaners are targeting these zones after hours.

By focusing on these high-priority areas, you can significantly reduce the risk of flu in the workplace while making your space safer and more comfortable for everyone who uses it.

Looking to maintain a cleaner, safer environment throughout the day? Learn how FTCC’s day porter services keep high-touch areas disinfected and stocked, so your workplace stays flu-ready.

Our Day Porter Services

A Coordinated Effort Between Internal Teams & Professional Services

In-house janitorial staff play a vital role in daily maintenance, but during flu season, they can’t do it all alone. Routine cleaning often focuses on visual cleanliness, not necessarily on infection control. Without the right tools, training, or time, your internal team may struggle to meet the heightened demands of cold and flu season.

This is where professional commercial cleaning services provide essential support. A trained provider brings in flu-season expertise, uses OSHA-aligned techniques, and applies medical-grade disinfectants that meet the standards set by the EPA.

By working in partnership, your cleaning provider can handle the deep disinfecting and high-frequency tasks, while your janitorial crew focuses on routine upkeep. This dual approach ensures that cleaning is proactive, and in high-risk environments, that shift in mindset can make all the difference.

When to Prepare for Flu Season

Flu season doesn’t begin the moment someone sneezes—it starts weeks earlier, as cooler weather arrives and indoor activity increases. That’s why timing is key when building your prevention strategy.

Here’s a suggested preparation timeline to stay ahead of the curve:

Late Summer / Early Fall: Schedule your first deep cleaning, check ventilation systems, and replenish supplies.
September–October: Begin enhanced cleaning protocols, communicate changes to staff, and train teams on flu-season expectations.
November–March: Maintain increased disinfection frequency, monitor illness-related absences, and make adjustments as needed.
April: Debrief and evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how your approach can improve next season.

Preparing early means you’re not scrambling when sickness hits. Instead, you’ll have a proactive plan in place and a safer, healthier workplace because of it.

Create Clean Spaces With Fewer Sick Days

Flu season is inevitable. But widespread illness and avoidable absenteeism in your facility don’t have to be. With a clear plan, the right products, and support from experienced cleaning professionals, you can make a significant difference in the health of your workplace.

Final Touch Commercial Cleaning offers expert guidance and customized cleaning programs to help businesses reduce the spread of flu in the workplace. Whether you operate a school, office building, church, or warehouse, our team is here to help you prepare, protect, and stay productive through every season.