Your Guide to Spring Cleaning Inside & Outside your Store + Printable Checklist
After a long winter, many pack away the mittens and break out the rubber gloves for spring cleaning. And while spring cleaning is a common task in the home, it doesn’t hurt to adopt that seasonal tradition for your retail store.
I’ve worked in retail for over ten years, and so while I know store owners and employees engage in daily recovery and cleanup, there are areas of the retail space that need a little extra love this time of year.
Therefore, here you will find a comprehensive guide to spring cleaning your retail store along with a FREE, printable checklist for your convenience. This guide includes everything from the outside to the inside of your store. So, keep reading for more insight and don’t forget to print the list!
Outside of the Store
Before a customer enters the inside of your store, they assess the outside. Now’s the time to spruce up the outside of your building. Just make sure to check with your landlord before making any major adjustments.
-
Parking lot
How’s your parking lot holding up after the winter? Do you need to repaint the parking lines? Fill in any major potholes? Replace any lights?
-
Landscape
Check for areas of the landscape where maintenance is needed. Also, check your sidewalks and walkways for major cracks which may cause customers to trip. And don’t forget to get rid of any trash hiding in the bushes.
-
Signage
How is your store’s sign holding up? Does it need to be cleaned? Adjusted? Replaced?
-
Dumpster/ Garbage
Don’t forget the back of your building! Does your dumpster reek? Those odors can linger around your store’s building and make their way inside. Hose down your garbage containers and eliminate odors.
The Building Itself
You should also check for any winter damage or physical wear and tear of the building itself. If you are unable to make the necessary cleanups yourself, make sure you contact your landlord or look into professional assistance.
-
Windows
Give the windows a detailed wash and shine inside, and out and check to see if any need replacing. Make sure to remove any old tape or window cling residue you may have from past sales or holiday decorations.
-
Doors
Give your doors and knobs the same thorough cleaning as the windows.
-
Awnings
Check your shop awnings and take care of any necessary cleaning or touchups.
-
Gutters
Remove any build-up in the gutters.
-
Paint
How’s your building’s paint job? Dull? Faded? Chipping in certain areas? Paint where needed.
-
Pressure wash
Is this something your building desperately needs after a long winter?
-
Smoke Detector
Check/replace the batteries in your smoke detector and alarm system.
Inside of the Store/ Store Floor
The store floor is where your business really needs to shine (both literally and figuratively). It’s where the customers spend their time, so even though retailers regularly recover the floor before closing, I recommend going the extra mile in these areas below.
-
The Floor
Again, I know you regularly sweep, mop, vacuum, etc. your store’s floor. But, how is the integrity of the floor itself? Do you have any cracked tiles or rip/fraying carpet? Could your floor use a coat of polish or some buffing? Maybe a strip wax?
-
Floor Displays
Detail clean your floor displays including ones you may have up by the registers. Often customers drop things behind them, underneath them, and/or spill and leave mystery gunk which isn’t always obvious right away. So, make sure you don’t have an old Starbucks cup rotting behind a grid or shelving unit and wipe them down thoroughly.
-
Light fixtures
Give them a good dusting and replace any bulbs if needed.
-
Ceiling
Make sure water isn’t leaking through the roof on rainy days. Assess your ceiling to make sure there aren’t any cracks or breakage and clean any cobwebs.
-
Air Vents
If it’s been a few years since you’ve cleaned out your heating and cooling vents, you may want to hire a professional company.
-
Queue
If you have other display fixtures set up in a queue where people line up at checkout, now’s your time to wipe those down too and dump out anything that may be hiding in them as well. Also if you sell candy/drink/food near the registers, remove anything that’s expired.
Cash Registers
When it comes to the registers and the space they occupy, make sure they’re neat and tidy. Here are the key areas to deep clean.
-
Registers
Dust behind registers, wipe down their sides and underneath them. Disinfect keypads, touchpads, scanners, and monitors.
-
Cash Trays
Clean out any gunk or dirt in the trays.
-
Countertop
Thoroughly wipe down and disinfect the register counters.
-
Miscellaneous Clutter
Get rid of old receipts and coupons floating around your registers. Remove anything that doesn’t belong or isn’t selling up at the front.
Restrooms
Yes, restrooms are regularly maintained as well, but how’s the integrity of your restroom holding up?
-
Walls and Doors
Do these need fresh paint too? Maybe a deep cleaning? Or both!
-
Sink
Now is the time to reseal grout around any sinks if necessary.
-
Pipes
How are your pipes holding up after the winter? Check to make sure nothing is leaking or spraying and that all plumbing is running smoothly.
-
Toiletry Supplies
When was the last time you placed a giant order for toilet paper and soap? Maybe you’re running low on everyday bathroom cleaning supplies? Look into having these items scheduled to be ordered automatically, if you haven’t already.
BONUS TIP:
Use a mobile shelf truck or cart to store bathroom supplies for easy transport from stockroom to bathroom.
BONUS TIP:
Stockroom
So, the stockroom may be for employee’s eyes only, but an organized one makes working a lot easier. Make sure you address the following potentially problematic areas of the stockroom as well.
-
Shelves
Now’s the time to purge those shelves! Get rid of what you don’t need, don’t be afraid to let go of inventory that is damaged, isn’t selling, or expired. If it’s taking up and wasting space, it needs to go. Wipe your shelves down too and check for mold. Re-organize if necessary.
-
Fixtures
Throw out any old or broken fixtures and shelving accessories you store in your backroom, and order new if needed.
-
Utility Carts
Replace or repair any broken utility carts or mobile units used to transport or pack-out freight/inventory.
-
Receiving Area
Has your receiving area become a safety hazard? Declutter and make sure you have a clean path. Get rid of any garbage lingering around.
-
Stockroom Labels
It’s easy for stockroom labels to get knocked off with time and activity, so make sure you replace missing labels.
Office
It’s easy to neglect the upkeep of your store’s office when you’re super busy managing everything else, but it’s time to give your office the deep cleaning it deserves.
-
Paper
Toss out paper clutter and clean out filing cabinets.
-
Computer
Dust off the physical machine. Then, clean up any digital clutter you may have on your desktop and empty your deleted email folder.
-
Desk
Give your desk a thorough cleaning. Wipe all office storage down and disinfect, including your desk chair, keyboard, and mouse.
Happy Spring Cleaning
So there you have it! The ultimate guide to spring cleaning your retail store. Keep in mind that spring cleaning your store is no small undertaking. Plan to tackle certain areas at a time, don’t forget to utilize your staff.
I hope this checklist helps you in your spring cleaning journey. Let me know if there are any certain areas I left out and feel free to share photos of your spring cleaning adventure and the outcome on our Facebook page.
Omega Products specializes in commercial organization solutions so if you need any assistance in purchasing shelving units, stockroom fixtures, or storage products to help you clean up your retail store, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Omega is a proud supplier of high-quality shelving and storage units to retail stores across the country and has assisted boutiques, supermarkets, and corporate retailers globally.