As temperatures drop across Edmonton and people spend more time indoors, flu and cold viruses spread fastest through exactly the places your team touches every day — door handles, shared keyboards, break room counters, and washroom fixtures. A once-a-week wipe-down that was fine in July isn't enough once flu season sets in. Here's how Edmonton businesses can adjust their cleaning routine for the months ahead without overhauling their entire program.
Why Flu Season Cleaning Is Different
Cold and flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces for up to 24 to 48 hours, which means a single infected visitor or employee can leave a trail of contamination that lasts well past their visit. Regular cleaning removes visible dirt and dust, but it doesn't reliably kill viruses and bacteria the way disinfecting does. Flu season cleaning protocols shift the focus from appearance to actually reducing the germ load on the surfaces people touch most, and they increase how often that happens.
High-Touch Surfaces That Need Extra Attention
- Door handles, push plates, and stairwell railings
- Light switches and elevator buttons
- Shared desks, keyboards, phones, and touchscreens
- Break room counters, fridge handles, microwave buttons, and coffee stations
- Washroom faucet handles, stall locks, and dispenser buttons
- Reception counters, pens, and clipboards used by visitors
These surfaces get touched dozens or hundreds of times a day, often by different people in quick succession, which makes them the fastest route for a virus to move through a workplace.
How Often Should You Disinfect During Flu Season
Most Edmonton offices and commercial spaces do well moving high-touch surfaces to a daily disinfecting schedule from October through March, with an extra midday pass in reception areas, washrooms, and break rooms if the space sees heavy foot traffic. Clinics, gyms, and retail locations — anywhere the public cycles through quickly — usually benefit from disinfecting high-touch points two to three times a day during peak flu weeks, not just once at close.
Choosing the Right Disinfectant
Not every cleaning product that smells like it's working actually kills viruses. Look for a hospital-grade disinfectant with a Health Canada Drug Identification Number (DIN) on the label, and follow the labeled contact or "dwell" time — most products need to stay visibly wet on a surface for several minutes to actually disinfect, not just be wiped on and off in one pass. A professional cleaning team will rotate the right product for each surface: something gentler for electronics and touchscreens, and a stronger hospital-grade disinfectant for washrooms and high-traffic hard surfaces.
Building a Flu Season Cleaning Plan for Your Edmonton Business
A good flu season plan doesn't mean cleaning everything more — it means being more deliberate about what gets disinfected, how often, and with what product. For most offices, that looks like layering a daily high-touch disinfecting pass on top of the existing cleaning schedule, stocking hand sanitizer at entrances and shared equipment, and making sure washrooms are checked more than once a day rather than just at the standard visit. Restaurants, clinics, and gyms — anywhere with a steady flow of different people — benefit from an even tighter rotation through the busiest hours of the day.
It's also worth communicating the plan to staff. Employees are more likely to use hand sanitizer stations and wipe down their own workstations when they know a broader flu season protocol is in place, which reinforces whatever your cleaning team is doing on their scheduled visits.
Eco-Friendly Options Without Cutting Corners
Some Edmonton businesses want to limit harsh chemical odours in occupied spaces, especially in clinics, schools-adjacent facilities, or offices with employees sensitive to strong scents. The good news is that a lower-odour or plant-based disinfectant can still carry a Health Canada DIN and meet the same kill-time standards as a stronger-smelling product — it just needs to be chosen deliberately rather than grabbed off a shelf. A cleaning provider who offers eco-friendly products on request can usually match flu season protection with a gentler-smelling result, which matters if your space sees clients or patients throughout the day.
Protect Your Team This Flu Season
365 Days Services Inc provides commercial and office cleaning with flexible flu season disinfecting add-ons for businesses across Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont, and Stony Plain. Whether you need a one-time deep disinfecting service or a standing high-touch cleaning schedule through the winter, we'll build a plan around your space and your team.