Any parent with small children can tell you that teaching them to clean up after themselves takes time. Adults with teenagers and young adult children will tell you the process takes years! So why do we spend some much time and effort teaching children cleaning habits from a young age? Because it works!
A study from the University of Minnesota found that giving children household chores at a young age helps them build a lasting sense of mastery, responsibility, and self-reliance. This study followed over 80 children throughout their life. The ones who started doing chores earlier, around ages 3-4, had better relationships with others and better academic and career success. So obviously, teaching children cleaning habits young works.
So what does teaching children cleaning habits have to do with keeping your business clean? Well, that’s where we come in with some advice. A large part of keeping your business clean is asking your employees to adopt cleaning habits. We aren’t advocating treating your employees like children, but we can learn some valuable tricks from how experts recommend teaching children to adopt clean practices. Here are three we recommend trying in the workplace.
- Start early. We’ve established that kids who learn to clean from a younger age tend to do better in life. Our theory is that business owners who expect clean habits and standards from their employees as soon as they are hired will be more successful at encouraging clean working habits. You could do this by creating a cleaning code for employees to follow as soon as they are hired, teaching cleaning tasks that you expect employees to follow immediately, and establishing personal cleanliness standards (i.e., maintaining your office space, etc.).
- Teach your employees why your cleanliness standards matter. Children who understand how germs and bacteria travel can better grasp the importance of cleaning. Apply this same rule in the workplace. Train your employees on specific cleaning threats your business may face, so they understand why your cleaning standards are so high.
- Set cleaning times each day. We all thrive better when we have routines to follow. Set aside time each day to complete essential cleaning tasks, such as sweeping before opening or wiping down high-touch areas. If your employees feel that they have the time to complete their cleaning tasks, they will be more willing to complete the work instead of being expected to do it whenever they can find the time.
Even if you hire commercial cleaning professionals like us, you still have to expect your employees to adopt some cleaning habits and tasks in the workplace. Unfortunately, not everyone has the exact cleanliness expectations, so your role as the boss is to communicate the expectations for your employees to follow. These tips may help make the process a little easier over time!
