These next couple months are two of the busiest and germiest months of the year. Why? Holidays and flu season. People who are sick with the flu or cold are still walking around to grocery and gift shop, infecting everyone else. Not to mention the extra people who are out more than normal, each spreading different types of germs. Whether it’s the flu or not, germs are nasty and need to be eliminated.

Where are the Germiest Areas?

Germs are everywhere in the world, especially on shopping carts. Carts are among one of the most germ-covered items people come in contact with. They’re among toilet seats, door handles, and ATM keypads. They’re dirty, and as a store owner, you have the responsibility to keep those carts from growing so many germs that they create a new disease. The two areas of a shopping cart that are the dirtiest are the handles and the child fold-out seat. The second someone touches a shopping cart handle, they acquire the germs from everyone’s else’s day. When people place their produce items or other small items in the fold-out seat, they’re placing their stuff where a leaky diaper may have been sitting only moments ago. Even though there are germs everywhere and they can never be completely eliminated, they can be maintained at a safer level.

Why Is Sanitizing Important?

You may be thinking, sanitizing carts are for germophobes. True, they are the only ones who take a moment before shopping to sanitize their cart, but everyone is affected by those germs whether they have an aversion to them or not. So why sanitize to get rid of germs? Because germs can cause illnesses, and in some cases, death. Imagine one person who sneezes, then immediately puts their germy hand on the shopping cart handle. Those germs won’t stop spreading to every person who grabs that cart throughout the rest of the day. The truth is, most people don’t wash their hands. Some even think splashing water over their skin for a few seconds is washing. It’s not. And even if they do wash their hands thoroughly, they will end up touching enough others’ germ-infested things between washing their hands and touching a shopping cart. Those germs start at the bathroom door. Or even a car door, steering wheel, restaurant menu, phone, keys—anything you have ever touched when your hands weren’t 100 percent clean. So germs are everywhere. What will you do about them?

How Can the Issue be Solved?

The first solution to shopping cart germs is to provide sanitation wipes for customers when they enter your store. And secondly, you should regularly sanitize your carts throughout the day, especially during this busier season. If you can’t find the time to sanitize the entire cart, at least thoroughly clean the handles, fold-out seat, and anywhere else you think customers might touch constantly throughout their shopping trip.

By sanitizing your shopping carts, you can help maintain a cleaner and healthier environment for your customers. Even though many of them will not even notice that you cleaned the carts, they would have noticed if you hadn’t when they come down with the flu after visiting your store. Germs can never be completely gotten rid of, but every little bit helps. Save your customers’ holiday season by sanitizing the surfaces they’ll be hanging on to throughout your store.

Good L Corporation delivers innovative shopping cart and basket solutions for retailers on a global scale. From a fleet of new custom carts to launch your store opening to replacement baskets that supplement your existing shop supply, Good L Corp can configure the right carryall strategy to boost your retail business. Let’s get started! Contact us today for a no-pressure sales quote.