The Best Tips to Clean Your Facility: Business Cleaning Services Near Me
Some properties and facilities are transitioning back to pre-pandemic occupancy levels in commercial environments. Maintaining a workplace setting that is appropriately cleaned, disinfected, and presents a positive image is among the most critical touchpoints.
Professional experts are responding to the Coronavirus and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for maintaining a safe environment. Seasoned professionals with years of experience in commercial cleaning services handling office spaces, corporate offices, retail stores, fitness centers, warehouses, and other settings across all regions of the country are affected.
Survey estimates showed that facility managers were scheduled to implement the following measures to prevent the spread of viruses, bacteria, and other germs:
- 90%: Using visual reminders including signs for tenants and employees regarding hand hygiene, proper distancing, and disinfecting
- 81%: Installation of physical shields, barriers, and partitions to limit the potential spread of COVID-19
- 72%: Implementation of no-touch hand sanitizer units
- 69%: Installing dispensers of disinfecting wipes
- 63%: Deployment of advanced technology and tools such as temperature scanners
Health and safety are overwhelming concerns among commercial real estate managers operating in all types of facilities, with a focus on occupational safety among tenants, customers, visitors, and occupants. Reducing bacteria and viruses will be critical to limiting sick days and the potential spread of infection.
The Basics of Cleaning
Cleaning services must be regularly performed in most commercial settings including offices, industrial facilities, hospitality, manufacturing operations, educational institutions, and more. Commercial cleaning companies must know the best and safest methods for handling carpet and hard floors of various materials.
Another critical element of commercial cleaning involves frequency. For example, surfaces in busy entry areas in retail stores might need cleaning and disinfection each hour. Most carpeted environments will be vacuumed daily and cleaned monthly or quarterly.
Customized Services
Commercial cleaning services today tailor their offerings to reflect the specific needs of the property or facility. Janitorial services customization addresses the requirements of the real estate asset to insure high satisfaction by employees, tenants, and visitors. Examples include frequent deep-cleaning work on high-end finishes, adjusting hours of the cleaning crew, and providing written checklists upon completion of daily tasks.
Types of Commercial Cleaning Services
In addition to regular cleaning services, janitorial services commonly expand their offerings for customers to include key periodic tasks:
- Carpet extraction cleaning
- Stripping, waxing, and reapplication of floor-related coatings
- Parking garage deep-cleaning
- Electrostatic disinfection
- Pressure washing
- Construction clean-up
The Benefits of a Clean Facility
Maintaining a clean property or facility is among the best practices for the prevention of germs, illness, and other pathogens in this covid-19 era. This is of particular importance in common areas and high-traffic areas and surfaces. Examples might include counters in lobbies or reception areas, elevators, restrooms, and door handles.
Aside from the health risks stemming from germs, a correlation exists between a clean workplace and increased employee productivity and ability to focus. For income-producing properties, tenants will demand and expect a clean and safe environment.
Customers will also have positive perceptions of the property if it well-maintained.
What Are the Best Tips to Clean Your Property or Facility?
Janitorial services performed in an efficient and experienced manner lead to positive results. For example, cleaning dust from the upper air vents, overhead lighting, and window ledges should be completed before cleaning floors. This will limit the need to clean desktops, equipment, and floors a second time.
It is important to have a regular schedule for restocking soaps, paper towels, and other products. In most cases, a contracted commercial cleaning company will assume responsibility for replenishing these supplies–when applicable.
Cleaning product selection is important in terms of safety among building occupants and for the environment. Harsh chemicals may release harmful toxins into the air or create dangerous chemical reactions when exposed to other agents. Many leading products are formulated specifically to avoid harming the water supply.
Hire the Right Cleaning Company
Cleaning in commercial workplace settings should be completed according to a predetermined schedule as part of a comprehensive plan. Hiring a qualified commercial cleaning service is a critical element to high-quality property-level service.
Look at the work product and industry history for janitorial services. It will go a long way toward identifying the type of work they perform. Commitment to client service and years of experience are also key attributes successful cleaners must have.
Site Inspections
Frequent walk-through of your property or facility with the janitorial services contractor is key to maintaining the desired cleanliness levels.
These site inspections allow all parties to view cleaning conditions at the same time and discuss required remedial action and timeframes. Like any other business, solid communication between contractual parties enhances front-line results.
Depending on the type of commercial asset and size, the frequency of walk-throughs typically varies from weekly to monthly.
Key Services and Areas to Maintain
While all aspects of commercial janitorial services are important, certain elements are more visible and critical to user satisfaction. Additionally, during this Pandemic, disinfectant measures to reduce the spread of covid-19 are important in the commercial real estate industry.
Maintain Your Floors
Property and facility managers understand that floors can make a first impression. Having dirty floors can negatively impact the way a visitor perceives the overall organization and poses safety risks. Slip-and-fall accidents could have legal and financial consequences and a lack of employee safety can raise worker’s compensation costs.
Commercial tile floors are commonly vinyl composition tiles (VCT), particularly in high-traffic areas. VCT is best cleaned using a neutral cleaner that will not harm the finish, such as by creating dullness. Wax is commonly applied for a sheen and durability.
Another common flooring material is concrete, which might have a sealant coat that is cleaned with a mop and neutral cleaner. After application, allow the cleaner to remain on the surface for several minutes to break down dirt or grease. Pressure washing is often performed to deep-clean.
Hardwood floors are used in lower-traffic areas, but due to the susceptibility to damage, they should be treated with a protective sealant. The cleaning agent is applied with a mop according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Carpet Cleaning
Carpeting should be checked for stains each day, as treating them quickly is important. Regular vacuuming is critical for preventing stains and most cleaning teams have a chemical spot solution that is applied.
Carpet cleaning extraction involves spraying the carpeting with a cleaning solution and vacuuming the dislodged dirt and debris utilizing self-contained equipment. This method is generally considered to be the safest and the most effective method to clean carpet surfaces
Cleaning and maintenance of carpeting must be done following the manufacturer’s specifications.
Facilities that make a significant investment in carpeting should maintain and protect their asset. A qualified commercial cleaning service will maximize the useful life of carpeting to extend replacement until capital expenditure budgets allow for such.
Restrooms
Restrooms are utilized by all building employees, tenants daily and often by visitors. Due to their high frequency of usage, combined with potential areas of pathogen spread, such as doors, sinks, toilet flush handles, and soap dispensers, effective cleaning, and disinfection is an absolute must.
Although commercial cleaners understand how to properly clean public restrooms, that is not enough. The frequency in which cleaners attend to restrooms must be sufficient to properly maintain them and re-stock supplies. Cleaning demands may change, depending on the property type, throughout the day.
While there are countless cleaning chemicals to effectively clean restrooms, the commercial cleaning service should utilize top-line products from brand-name manufacturers to maximize cleaning and disinfecting quality.
Disinfect Surfaces and Electrostatic Disinfection
The latest CDC guidelines explain how COVID-19 and other viruses may exist on various surfaces. Having contact with bacteria, viruses and other harmful pathogens can easily spread illness among occupants.
Electrostatic disinfection involves spraying positively charged disinfecting solutions to electromagnetically stick to the targeted surface, visible area, and touchpoint through an electrode inside the sprayer nozzle.
Advantages include the speed of application, 360-degree coverage, and, when properly performed, uniform application of a disinfectant.
How To Create A Scope of Work That Works
Creating a viable cleaning schedule also entails the frequency and details of required work. Scopes of work are essential to match commercial real estate ownership objectives with the requirements of commercial cleaners.
Scopes of work are also utilized to obtain pricing from cleaning companies and are often incorporated into service contract documents as an exhibit.
Set Your Budget
Property and facility managers have budgets they must adhere to and monitor. Janitorial services typically entail a large portion of expense line items. Budgets, quite frankly, will dictate the level of janitorial services the building can receive.
When finalizing your janitorial budget, remember you almost always get what you pay for.
Develop Frequency of Tasks
When compiling a scope of work, commercial real estate managers should develop a checklist of their must-haves, want to have, and desires of cleaning functions. Once the cleaning tasks have been established, the next steps include developing frequencies for each.
While many tasks are to be completed daily – or in some cases, multiple times a day – others are placed on a periodic schedule. For example, tile floors are generally moped daily but stripped and re-waxed quarterly.
Cleaning Specifications
The last key component in a scope of work is to outline cleaning requirements, as required. Some tasks do not need detail as they are self-explanatory. An example would be to refill restroom soap dispensers.
Additional requirements, however, are sometimes crucial and should be properly spelled out in the scope of work. Rather than simply requiring companies to mop restroom floors, a more effective specification would be to mop restroom flooring utilizing microfiber mop and germicidal cleaning approved by the client.
Remember that while enhanced specifications appear advantageous, they must coincide with the janitorial service’s budget.
How to Hire the Best Commercial Cleaning Company Near You
When searching for a commercial cleaning company, look to identify a firm that values service delivery and partnering with clients. There are so many variables that comprise a quality janitorial services company.
Inquire about training programs, background screening for new hires, and management oversight protocols. How do they retain good employees? How often are their managers expected to be on-site? How do they communicate with clients and anticipated frequency?
Once you narrow down potential cleaning companies, check to ensure they are fully certified and insured. Request a Certificate of Insurance to view their coverages and policy limits.
Commercial cleaners offer free estimates so take advantage and see how pricing compares to their direct competitors. Qualified, interested cleaning companies will ask questions and make recommendations.
Lastly, as for references, preferably from prior and current customers operating in similar environments to yours. Develop your reference contacts from industry sources.
Leading Provider of Commercial Cleaning and Facility Maintenance Services
Servi-Tek Facility Solutions has been providing superior full-service cleaning, janitorial, and facility maintenance and engineering services for commercial clients for many years.
We understand that a “one-size-fits-all” approach will not create excellent results; therefore, we commit to customized and comprehensive services is critical in today’s highly competitive, cost-conscious, and safety-oriented commercial real estate environment.
Our corporate culture focuses on our valued employees and clients, as well as constant service-delivery enhancement.
We encourage you to speak with one of our representatives to schedule a consultation.
