Between October and March, influenza, norovirus, and respiratory infections circulate through commercial buildings with predictable regularity. The cleaning program that keeps your facility looking good during summer may not be doing enough to protect occupant health during these months. A targeted seasonal adjustment can meaningfully reduce illness transmission and the absenteeism that comes with it.
Why routine cleaning falls short during flu season
Standard nightly cleaning focuses on appearance: vacuuming, trash removal, surface wiping, and restroom service. These tasks keep a building presentable, but they do not specifically target the pathways through which respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses spread. Influenza virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours. Norovirus can persist for days or even weeks on certain materials.
During flu season, every door handle, elevator button, and shared piece of equipment becomes a potential transfer point. A single infected person touching a conference room door handle before a meeting can expose everyone who enters that room for hours afterward. Routine cleaning may not reach that handle until the evening shift, leaving an entire business day of exposure.
High-touch surface disinfection needs to increase
The most effective seasonal adjustment is increasing the frequency of high-touch surface disinfection. During flu season, critical touch points should be disinfected at least twice daily rather than once during the nightly cleaning. These surfaces include door handles and push plates, elevator call buttons and panels, stairwell railings, shared kitchen and breakroom equipment, copier and printer controls, and light switches in common areas.
Adding a daytime disinfection pass to your cleaning program ensures these surfaces are treated during peak occupancy, when transmission risk is highest. This can be handled by a daytime porter or through a scheduled mid-day service visit.
Disinfectant selection and dwell time matter
Not all disinfectants are effective against all viruses. During flu season, your cleaning program should use EPA-registered disinfectants with specific claims against influenza A and B, norovirus, and common cold viruses. The product label lists exactly which organisms the disinfectant is effective against and the required dwell time for each.
Dwell time is the period the surface must remain visibly wet with the disinfectant to achieve the kill rate stated on the label. For most commercial disinfectants, this ranges from two to ten minutes. If crews spray and immediately wipe, the disinfectant has no time to work and the surface remains contaminated despite appearing clean.
Supplementing with hand hygiene stations
Cleaning alone cannot stop illness transmission. Placing alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers at building entrances, elevator lobbies, breakrooms, and conference rooms gives occupants a practical way to reduce the viral load on their hands between handwashing opportunities. Facility managers should ensure dispensers are checked and refilled daily during flu season, as empty dispensers quickly become invisible to occupants who stop checking them.
How Delta manages this
Delta Janitorial Systems implements a formal seasonal enhancement protocol for every client facility from October through March. This includes increased high-touch surface disinfection frequency, verified dwell times using EPA-registered products with documented viral kill claims, and daytime service options for buildings that need mid-day coverage. Our Zero-Deviation Cleaning System ensures these seasonal adjustments are executed consistently across every visit, not left to individual judgment.
We also consult with facility managers on hand sanitizer placement, signage, and supply management to support a comprehensive approach to illness prevention. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee and month-to-month terms mean our performance is measured in real results, not contract obligations. Call (972) 261-9800 or email officemgr@deltajanitorial.com to discuss seasonal adjustments for your facility.