There’s no doubt that pets bring more energy and social interaction to offices. But they also bring responsibility for some added cleaning considerations. Here are tips to keep in mind.

Cleaning the Office

• Be sure your employees, facilities and/or custodial team members use pet-safe cleaning products and have protocols in place for frequent cleaning — at least weekly for all common areas and multiple times per year for carpet and upholstery deep cleaning.
• Make sure cleaning products are stored out of the reach of curious pets.
• Ensure trash, recycling and compost bins have secure lids or are not accessible by pets and are emptied regularly.
• Have mats in entrance areas where pets and people might bring in dirt, mud or water, and consider a paw-cleaning station to prevent muddy or wet floor surfaces that could contribute to slips or falls.
• Consider adding air purifiers to help reduce dust and debris in the air. Opening windows can be helpful too if they have screens to keep pets safe.
• Be cautious with fragrance. Essential oils and liquid potpourri can be dangerous for pets. Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic. Always keep these items out of pets’ reach.

Cleaning Pet Items

• Educate about the importance of cleaning pet bowls, too, to stop the spread of germs. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are better than plastic, since plastic can get scratches that harbor bacteria. Plastic also can be chewed, with pieces breaking off and becoming a choking or health hazard.
• Encourage employees to clean their pet accessories too — you may want to set standards for beds, blankets or toys to make sure they are periodically taken home and washed.

Cleaning Resources

• Display a resource number of QR code for questions or when cleaning assistance is needed.
• Have cleaning kits available where employees can find paper towels, waste bags and pet-safe cleaners to handle unexpected accidents.
• Add hand-held or easy-to-access vacuums and lint rollers so employees can maintain their work areas and remove fur as needed.

Sample items for employee-use cleaning kits:

Stock a few cleaning kits in handy places around your office to help when employees need
to do a touch up. Includes items like:

• Lint rollers
• Paper or hand towels
• Pet-safe multi-surface cleaner
• Enzyme-based pet stain remover and odor reducer
• Vacuum or hand vac
• Broom and dustpan
• Pet waste bags
• Hand sanitizer
• Simple instructions on how to appropriately clean up pet-related messes from surfaces in your space (e.g., carpet, tile, etc.)

Want more tips? Check out the PETS WORK AT WORK™ Toolkit for info about how to start and maintain a successful pet-friendly workplace program.