Theater Cleaning: Know These High Touchpoint Areas

Thanks to COVID-19, theater cleaning is no longer what it used to be according to our imaginations and that post-blockbuster movie theater mess stereotype. We’ve all seen it in person after a movie, perhaps even contributed to it, and if you haven’t, then ironically there’s a good chance you’ve seen it in a movie scene or on a TV show – popcorn littering the floor and aisles, empty soda cups, brown cardboard trays with tortilla chip crumbs and stale queso, candy wrappers and more.

It’s not just the garbage that needs cleaning anymore. What the garbage implies is that movie goers walked around, sat in seats, touched arm rests, exposed their surroundings to their own breath, saliva, and possibly even their tears, all of which we’ve come to learn may easily carry airborne viruses and other dangerous contaminants. To mitigate risk of exposure of these things to yourself, your employees, and your customers, you need a detailed cleaning guide, and a detailed cleaning guide should focus on high touchpoint areas. Here are the high touchpoint areas to know about when cleaning your theater:

Entrance & Lobby

The quality of your theater on the inside starts and ends with its entrance and lobby. Many theaters have converted to digital ticket stands, making cleaning easier and quicker. If not, make sure your high touchpoint list includes anything and everything that people touch when in the queue to buy tickets. Other than that, remember to clean all doors, door handles, touchscreens, benches and/or chairs and their armrests, and even movie posters (which children love to touch and climb).

Concession Area

The concession area is perhaps one of the most important areas to focus on when generating a list of high touchpoint areas that need to be cleaned within your overall theater cleaning checklist. This is because the preparation and service of food is involved, and the consumption of food is one of the most common ways that viruses, germs, bacteria, and other contaminants are spread.

High touchpoint areas include snack racks, line partitions, countertops, registers and digital payment terminals, touchscreens, refrigerator doors and handles, condiment bar surfaces and containers, and other such surfaces and fixtures. People tend to lean when waiting and thinking, so make sure you clean any pillars, benches, and other temporary rest areas.

Auditoriums

It may be useful to think about your own theater visits when creating a list of auditorium high touchpoint areas. Door handles, railings, seat tops, seats backs, seat cushions, and arm rests should all be included on the list of high touchpoint areas.

Washrooms

Theater washrooms aren’t much different than other public restrooms, so the high touchpoint areas are pretty much the same. Make sure to clean the door handles, paper towel and toilet paper dispensers and covers, stall door handles, toilet and urinal flush handles, light switches, and other such touchpoints.