For most people, work is stressful and exhausting as it is. The last thing anyone needs to add to their plate is having to deal with unpleasant smells. Unfortunately, not everyone shares the same tact and consideration for their surroundings.
Moreover, failing to maintain good hygiene practices may result in more than frustration; it can cause serious health issues for the surrounding people. Luckily, every issue has its solution, and that goes for unpleasant smells in the workplace as well.
In order to avoid such issues, here are ways to keep your work environment pleasant and healthy.
Allow Ventilation
There’s nothing easier for the smell to accumulate than in a closed room with poor ventilation. Whether it’s a potluck gathering or the normal lunch break, sharing food in an enclosed space will have serious ramifications.
You won’t notice the smell in the heat of the moment, but the same can’t be said for newcomers or those who’ll be using the room after the lunch is over. Likewise, holding a large meeting with plenty of people is bound to make the room feel suffocating and smell of sweat and bodily odors.
The best way to combat this issue is to allow proper ventilation in all the rooms, preferably with a high-velocity exhaust fan. If that is inapplicable, then at least make sure to keep the windows and doors open.
Empty Trash Daily
Chances are, your workspace has its own kitchen area. It’s very easy for the kitchen to be misused, especially if it’s available for everyone to serve themselves and prepare their meals. As a rule of thumb, your daily cleaners should have to empty the kitchen’s trash basket as a priority task on their daily to-do list. In addition to the kitchen, trash cans in the restrooms, office, and meeting rooms should be emptied daily as well.
Ban Leftovers
In case your workplace does have a serve-yourself-kitchen, certain rules have to be imposed for everyone’s sake. One such rule is to ban leftovers in the fridge. It starts with one portion of a meal and, before you know it, the fridge is full of forgotten food items that are quick to go bad. Not only will they be left untouched, thanks to the fungi creeping over them, but no one will think to clean them either.
Use Air Fresheners and Odor Eliminators
In places like restrooms where unpleasant smells are common occurrences, it’s imperative to provide both proper ventilation and air fresheners.
Take care to provide allergy-free air fresheners so you don’t exacerbate the allergy of any employees or customers. Alternatively, the customer relations experts at auto-san.com/ recommend using odor eliminators to keep the air and fresh at all times. Such tools help in eliminating bad odors completely, giving in return a fresh-smelling environment that doesn’t cause any allergy.
Limit Eating and Smoking to Designated Areas
A small degree of organization can go a long way in all business ventures, and the same applies to workplace cleanliness. For starters, you need to limit eating and smoking to their designated areas. No one can be allowed to open their lunch boxes or even snack their way through work.
Drinking coffee and juices may be allowed, only if the smell doesn’t bother the surrounding wor mates. It’s obvious why smoking should only be limited to its designated place as well, which should be a well-ventilated or outdoor area. The same applies to vaping, even if the smell is fruity or pleasant.
Enforce Cleanliness Protocols
The best way to ensure that everyone follows proper workplace conduct is by enforcing these rules as workplace protocols. Unfortunately, not everyone is as aware of their effect on their surroundings as they should be.
You can find an avid gym-worker who comes to work smelling of sweat or another one that puts excess (and suffocating) body fragrances. To avoid any clashes between employees and unpleasant encounters, it’s better to enforce these protocols from the top.
Investigate Before Taking Action
Sometimes, you may get workplace complaints from an employee regarding another individual. Getting a complaint such as a smell of booze can be upsetting, to say the least. However, keep in mind that you need to investigate the claim before acting rashly on it.
Whether it’s a suffocating amount of perfume and fragrances, smelly body odor, or air saturated with the smell of fish, dealing with bad odors is never a pleasant experience. This becomes even worse when you face these situations in the workplace. To avoid such issues and their ramifications, it’s worthwhile to place some good cleanliness protocols and ensure the quality of the air the employees breathe.
