This Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season covers exactly what to clean, how often, and why, so your business stays open and your staff stay healthy through winter.
TL;DR
A Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season matters because offices need more cleaning in winter, not less. Sealed buildings and closed windows mean cold and flu viruses spread up to 3x faster between June and August, and businesses that increase cleaning frequency during this period report 20-30% fewer staff sick days. With the average sick day costing a Melbourne business $340 or more, a flu season cleaning checklist covering high-touch surfaces, shared kitchens, restrooms, carpets, and air quality pays for itself. This guide breaks down exactly what to clean, how often, and why — based on SM&MN Cleaning's winter cleaning programs across South East Melbourne.
Why Melbourne Offices Get Sicker in Winter
Cold and flu season hits Melbourne offices harder than most people realise. Once the temperature drops, windows stay shut, heating systems recirculate the same air all day, and dozens of people share the same desks, kitchen surfaces, and door handles for eight hours straight. That combination is exactly how viruses spread fastest indoors.
The numbers back this up. Germs and flu viruses can spread up to 3x faster in sealed Melbourne offices during the June to August period compared to warmer months. Businesses that step up their cleaning routine during this window typically see a 20-30% reduction in staff illness, and given that a single sick day costs a Melbourne business $340 or more once you factor in lost productivity and cover, that's not a small saving.
A standard weekly clean that was sufficient in summer often isn't enough once flu season hits. This Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season sets out exactly what a thorough office cleaning service should cover, and how the frequency needs to change.
What Should Be on a Winter Office Cleaning Checklist?
A Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season should cover every surface and area that multiple people touch in a day, not just the visible mess. The core categories are high-touch surfaces, shared kitchen and breakroom areas, restrooms, floors and carpets, and air quality.
Here's the full breakdown:
High-touch surfaces (clean daily during flu season)
- Door handles and push plates, including bathroom and fire doors
- Light switches and lift buttons
- Desk surfaces, keyboards, mice, and phones
- Shared printers, photocopiers, and scanner panels
- Meeting room tables and chair arms
- Handrails on stairs
Shared kitchen and breakroom areas (daily)
- Kitchen benchtops and sinks
- Microwave handles, buttons, and interior
- Fridge door handles and interior shelves (weekly deep wipe)
- Kettle and coffee machine touchpoints
- Cupboard and drawer handles
Restrooms (daily, multiple times for high-traffic offices)
- Toilet seats, flush buttons, and cubicle locks
- Tap handles and soap dispensers
- Hand dryer buttons or paper towel dispensers
- Floors, particularly around basins and entry points
Floors and carpets (weekly to fortnightly)
- Vacuuming high-traffic walkways and entry mats, which trap moisture and bacteria tracked in from wet weather
- Steam cleaning carpets monthly during winter to remove dust mites and bacteria that build up faster in damp conditions
- Mopping hard floors with disinfectant, not just water
Air quality and ventilation
- Wiping down air conditioning vents and filters where accessible
- Encouraging brief window airing during breaks when weather allows
- Checking that bins are emptied daily so organic waste isn't sitting in a sealed room overnight
How Often Should an Office Be Cleaned During Flu Season?
Office cleaning frequency should increase from a standard weekly or twice-weekly service to daily cleaning of high-touch points during flu season, even if a full deep clean still happens weekly. The areas that need the biggest jump in frequency are door handles, kitchen surfaces, and restrooms, since these are touched by almost every person in the building, often multiple times a day.
A practical winter schedule looks like this:
|
Area |
Summer frequency |
Winter (flu season) frequency |
|
High-touch surfaces (handles, switches, desks) |
2-3x per week |
Daily |
|
Kitchen & breakroom |
2-3x per week |
Daily |
|
Restrooms |
Daily |
Daily, with extra checks at peak times |
|
Carpets |
Monthly vacuum |
Weekly vacuum, monthly steam clean |
|
Hard floors |
Weekly mop |
2-3x per week |
|
Window and glass |
Fortnightly |
Fortnightly |
If your office runs a hybrid or rotating roster, it's worth scheduling the deep clean for the day before your busiest in-office day, so staff walk into the cleanest possible environment when the most people are present.
Why Aren't Standard Cleaning Products Enough in Winter?
Standard all-purpose cleaning products are designed to remove visible dirt and dust, but they aren't always formulated to break down the specific viruses and bacteria that spread during flu season. Hospital-grade disinfectants are built to kill a broader range of pathogens, including the cold and flu viruses that survive on hard surfaces for hours.
This matters because flu and cold viruses can live on surfaces like desks, door handles, and keyboards for anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the surface type. A surface that looks clean can still be carrying live virus particles if it's only been wiped with a standard spray.
SM&MN Cleaning uses eco-friendly, hospital-grade disinfection products across its Melbourne office cleaning services, which means surfaces are genuinely sanitised, not just wiped, while still being safe for staff to be around all day. This is a standard part of how the team approaches winter cleaning for offices across South East Melbourne, including Dandenong, Bayside, Casey, Glen Eira, Kingston, Monash, and the Mornington Peninsula.
What Does Flu Season Cleaning Cost a Melbourne Business?
Increasing cleaning frequency during winter typically costs less than the productivity loss from even one or two extra sick days a month. Following a Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season is far cheaper than the alternative: with the average Melbourne sick day costing a business $340 or more in lost output and cover arrangements, a team of 15-20 people losing just two extra sick days each over a flu season can easily run into thousands of dollars in hidden cost.
A flexible winter cleaning plan from SM&MN Cleaning is built around your team size, floor space, and how often your office is occupied, rather than a flat one-size-fits-all rate. Because SM&MN beats any written quote by 5%, businesses already paying for a cleaning service elsewhere can usually upgrade their winter coverage without increasing their existing budget. You can request a free quote and get a response within 24 hours.
Should You Use the Same Cleaner Every Visit During Flu Season?
Yes. Using the same dedicated cleaner for every visit means they already know your office layout, your highest-traffic zones, and which areas need extra attention, rather than relearning the space each time. This consistency matters more during flu season, when missed high-touch points are exactly what allow germs to keep circulating.
SM&MN Cleaning assigns the same cleaner to each Melbourne office on an ongoing basis, whether the service is weekly, fortnightly, or daily during peak flu season. That cleaner becomes familiar with your specific risk areas, whether that's a shared kitchen used by 40 staff or a reception desk handling constant foot traffic.
Office Winter Cleaning Checklist FAQs
Q: How much faster do germs really spread in a Melbourne office during winter? A: Sealed buildings, closed windows, and shared heating systems mean cold and flu viruses can spread up to 3x faster in Melbourne offices between June and August compared to warmer months, since there's less fresh air exchange and more time spent in close indoor contact.
Q: Can better office cleaning actually reduce staff sick days? A: Yes. Businesses that increase the frequency of high-touch surface cleaning during flu season typically see a 20-30% reduction in staff illness, since most cold and flu transmission in offices happens through contaminated surfaces rather than the air alone.
Q: What's the single most important area to clean more often in winter? A: High-touch surfaces — door handles, light switches, shared keyboards, kitchen taps, and lift buttons — since these are touched by nearly everyone in the building multiple times a day and are the main way viruses spread between staff.
Q: Do carpets need extra attention during flu season? A: Yes. Carpets trap moisture, dust mites, and bacteria faster in winter due to wet shoes and closed-window humidity. A weekly vacuum plus a monthly steam clean removes far more buildup than a standard monthly vacuum alone.
Q: Is hospital-grade disinfectant necessary for a normal office, or just for clinics? A: It's useful for any office during flu season, not just medical facilities. Hospital-grade disinfectant kills a broader range of viruses and bacteria than standard all-purpose cleaning sprays, which matters when dozens of people are sharing the same surfaces every day.
Q: How quickly can I get a winter cleaning quote for my Melbourne office? A: SM&MN Cleaning provides a free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours, and beats any other written quote by 5%, so businesses already paying for cleaning elsewhere can usually upgrade their winter coverage without increasing their budget.
Get Your Office Ready for Flu Season
A Melbourne office cleaning checklist for flu season comes down to frequency and the right products applied to the surfaces people actually touch every day: door handles, desks, kitchens, restrooms, and carpets. Increasing cleaning frequency through June, July, and August is one of the most cost-effective ways a Melbourne business can reduce staff sick days and the $340+ per-day cost that comes with them.
SM&MN Cleaning builds flexible winter deep cleaning plans for offices across South East Melbourne, using the same dedicated cleaner, hospital-grade eco-friendly products, and a 5% price-beat guarantee on any written quote. Learn more about SM&MN Cleaning, or get a free winter cleaning quote and call 1300 142 715 to get your office covered before flu season peaks.