Hand gel, soap, and surface cleaner: hygiene in the office and at the counter
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
What do you put at the entrance, what at the checkout and what in the kitchen? A practical guide to hand sanitiser, soap and surface cleaner, with unit prices and advice from the RIVM.
In late September, it's the same in every office: the first colleague comes in coughing, and two weeks later half the team has stayed home at some point. In most workplaces, the same bottle of hand sanitizer that has been there since 2021 is still at the entrance, half-dried up, and nothing else.
This article is not about panic, but about setup. Where do you put what, what works for what, and what does it cost per use if you keep track of it seriously? With the prices of the items we currently have in stock, so you can calculate it yourself.
Start with the sink, not the hand sanitizer
The RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) is clear about this: washing hands with soap and water is the basic standard. On the page about hand washing, it states that disinfecting hands at home is not necessary, as pathogens are sufficiently removed by washing and then drying your hands. Hand sanitizer is intended for situations where you do not have washing facilities and your hands are not visibly or tangibly dirty. The RIVM notes that disinfectants work less effectively on dirty hands. The full explanation can be found at rivm.nl.
Practically translated: first ensure that every restroom and kitchen area has working soap, and only then ensure there is hand sanitizer in places where there is no tap. This saves money and is more effective. A Refillable Soap Dispenser 500 ml costs €9.99 and lasts for years, provided you actually refill it. In workplaces where people wash their hands quickly one after another, the Black Foam Pump Bottle 50 ml - Refillable for €2.99 is a cheap addition: foam spreads faster over your hands than thick gel.
Hand sanitizer: choose the size based on the location
The size determines whether something is actually used. A jerrycan at the reception looks out of place, and a 100-milliliter bottle at the entrance will be empty within a week. Therefore, distribute according to use:
The difference in unit price is greater than you might think. For the 500-milliliter bottle at €4.95, you pay about €0.99 per 100 milliliters. For the 5-liter jerrycan at €14.95, you end up at about €0.30 per 100 milliliters—a third of the price. If you have more than three or four places where hand sanitizer is located, the jerrycan will pay for itself within a few months, provided you save empty bottles to refill instead of throwing them away.
All mentioned bottles are hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol according to the product description. Read the label and instructions for proper use, and ensure that alcohol-based products are kept away from open flames and small children.
Surfaces: it's about the places everyone touches
In the office, there are fewer than you think: door handles, the coffee machine button, the meeting table, the payment terminal, and the stair railing. Wiping these spots daily yields more than cleaning everything once a week.
One practical rule: label what's inside. An unlabeled spray bottle in a shared workspace invites confusion, especially if there are multiple agents in similar bottles.
The small things at the counter
Tissues within reach. A neat-looking box is more likely to stay than a plain package. The Tissue Box Cover Sardines - Jumbo costs €7.95.
Disposable cups for visitors. The Coffee Cups 150ml 100 Pieces for €14.95 are handy for visitors and during busy periods, while permanent staff keep their own mugs. We previously wrote a separate calculation on that consideration.
A fixed place for everything. Place hand sanitizer, cleaner, and tissues together at one visible spot per room. What is in a drawer won't be used.
What you can arrange now
Walk through your workplace once with a notepad. Note for each room whether there is soap, whether the dispenser works, and whether anything is available in places without a tap. Count how many places you want to supply, multiply that by the appropriate size, and order everything at once—including a refill for the cupboard. The months when this is most needed are approaching.
Get started
The items from this article can be found in the collections Hygiene Items, Soap & Dispensers, and Office Supplies. Do you want to know what is possible for a larger building, multiple branches, or a regular delivery? Email your situation to info@verpakkingdeals.nl and we will calculate a proposal for you.
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