Flu is on the Rise: Keep Christmas Healthier with a Smarter Wipes Strategy

Flu and seasonal bugs always hit harder in winter — and at Christmas, busy workplaces can become a perfect place for germs to spread. More people indoors, more shared spaces, and more social contact means one “minor sniffle” can quickly turn into a wave of sick days.

The reassuring part is that a few sensible, visible hygiene habits can make a real difference. And one of the most practical (and easiest to adopt) is a strong surface-wiping routine, supported by ready-to-use wet wipes and proper wipes dispensers.

Why flu spreads quickly at this time of year

Flu and similar viruses spread mainly through:

Close contact (coughing, sneezing, breathing in shared indoor air)

Hands and surfaces (touch a contaminated surface → touch your face)

In the workplace, “high-touch” areas do most of the damage:

• Door handles, push plates, lift buttons
• Shared desks and hot-desking areas
• Meeting rooms (tables, remote controls, chair arms)
• Kitchen points (kettle handle, fridge door, microwave buttons)
• Shared devices (phones, scanners, tablets)

That’s why a targeted wipes approach is so effective: it tackles transmission at the points where people actually interact.

Christmas precautions that actually work (without overcomplicating things)

1) Make “wipe-down moments” part of the day

Instead of relying on one big clean, build in small wipe-down habits:

• At the start and end of shifts
• Before and after meetings
• Between hot-desk users
• After using shared equipment
• After lunch breaks in kitchens

These quick routines are easy to follow — especially when wipes are right there in a dispenser.

2) Keep wipes visible, not hidden

People don’t go hunting for hygiene products. Place wipes dispensers where decisions happen:

• Reception/entrances
• Outside meeting rooms
• Hot-desking zones
• Kitchens and break areas
• Near shared devices and printers
• Staff rooms and back-of-house points

Convenience drives compliance. Visibility drives consistency.

3) Support hand hygiene alongside surface hygiene

Handwashing is still vital, but surface hygiene fills the gaps when people are moving fast — especially in shared spaces. If someone sanitises their hands but then grabs a contaminated fridge handle, the risk returns. Wipes help cut that chain.

4) Encourage common-sense sick guidance

A practical reminder helps reduce spread:

• If you feel unwell, stay home where possible
• If you must be onsite, keep distance and be extra strict with wiping high-touch areas
• Don’t “hero it out” in the office right before Christmas — it often leads to longer absences across teams

How to reduce sick days: a “safe approach” your employees will actually follow

If you want fewer absences, focus on habits your team can maintain even when it’s busy.

Create a simple workplace hygiene standard

For example:

• High-touch points wiped 2–4 times daily (depending on footfall)
• Meeting rooms wiped between sessions
• Hot desks wiped at each changeover
• Shared devices wiped after use

This keeps the approach predictable, measurable, and fair across teams.

Assign ownership (without making it awkward)

The smoothest model is:

• Cleaning teams handle scheduled cleaning
• Staff handle quick “before/after use” wipes where appropriate

That shared responsibility keeps standards high without dumping the burden on one group.

Why Wet Wipes + Wipes Dispensers are a great winter workplace solution

Wet wipes help because they’re:

• Fast (no mixing, no cloths, no waste)
• Consistent (same method, every time)
• Portable (easy to place in “problem areas”)
• Practical for shared environments (hot desks, meeting rooms, communal kit)

But the real game-changer is the dispenser.

The dispenser advantage

A proper wipes dispenser helps you:

• Control usage and reduce waste (people take what they need, not a handful)
• Keep wipes protected and moist for longer
• Improve hygiene presentation (clean, professional, always-ready)
• Encourage routine behaviour through visibility and placement

Sustainability matters: why wipes dispensers are the smarter choice

When hygiene needs rise, sustainability can get overlooked — but it shouldn’t. Wipes dispensers support a more sustainable hygiene set-up because they can:

• Reduce single-use packaging compared with multiple smaller wipe packs spread around a workplace
• Help prevent overuse, thanks to controlled dispensing
• Cut down product spoilage (wipes drying out and being binned) by protecting wipes and keeping them usable

In short: dispensers help you run a more efficient, lower-waste wipes programme — which is better for the business and better for the environment.

As always, the overall sustainability profile depends on the specific wipes and how they’re used — but dispenser-led systems are a strong step towards reducing unnecessary waste.

How our products can help this Christmas

At The Hygiene Company, we focus on practical workplace hygiene solutions built for busy environments — especially during high-risk seasons like winter.

Our Wet Wipes and Wipes Dispensers can help you:

• Maintain cleaner shared spaces throughout the day
• Encourage employees to wipe down key touchpoints easily
• Reduce the risk of viruses spreading through surfaces
• Support a more sustainable routine through controlled, protected dispensing

A quick festive checklist for employers

• Put wipes dispensers at entrances, meeting rooms, hot desks, kitchens, shared equipment
• Set a basic wipe-down routine (between meetings, between desk users, start/end of day)
• Increase touchpoint cleaning frequency during December
• Remind teams: stay home if ill, and avoid spreading bugs right before Christmas