They say cleanliness is next to Godliness, and while I’m not sure the two are so intimately connected – one thing is for certain, cleanliness is important for your image. Not only is a clean workspace important for worker productivity and morale, but it shows your clients that you are serious about your business. One aspect of commercial cleaning is floor cleaning. Though you may not pay a lot of attention to your floors, the reality is they can have a huge impact on the image of your company. Floors take up a great deal of your commercial space, and they’re often one of the most noticeable aspects of your business and there’s more to commercial floor cleaning than meets the eye. So, what do you need to know about commercial floor cleaning?

Benefits

First, let’s talk about some of the clear benefits of maintaining clean commercial floors. As already stated clean floors project an image of professionalism and help to promote worker efficiency. However, you may not be aware of some of the benefits of a regular maintenance program. Over time, commercial floors in offices, warehouses, factories, and everything in between see a lot of traffic, wear, and tear. Regular cleaning not only ensures your floors look great today, but helps maintain the surfaces so they’re durable and attractive for years to come.

Most importantly, regular commercial floor cleaning is a major component of maintaining adequate workplace hygiene. Floors collect dust, dirt, and debris that can be a source of microorganisms known to cause a variety of illnesses. Floor cleaning should not be overlooked when endeavouring to maintain a sanitary workplace.

Professional Cleaning

Now that you understand why you should routinely have your commercial floors cleaned, let’s talk about some of the reasons to hire professional floor cleaners. In fact, commercial floor cleaning is a highly specialized job. There are many different materials utilized in commercial flooring from tile and vinyl to ceramic and concrete, and the cleaning tools and supplies required can vary significantly.

Commercial floor cleaning professionals also have the necessary experience to ensure your entire floor surface is effectively cleaned. For tile floors, cleaning techniques are designed to clean throughout the tile and grout effectively eliminating dirt, mildew, fungus, and bacteria. For vinyl or laminate flooring, floors are cleaned and buff to leave a smooth, shiny finish.

Not only do cleaning supplies vary depending on the type of floor, but commercial floor cleaners will use different techniques depending on the type of business. For example, warehouses that store chemicals or solvents require specialized cleaning in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Regardless of the type of business or the type of flooring in your space, professional commercial cleaners will keep your floors in their best condition so they look like new today and in the future.

Did you know that one in five people suffer from allergies or that allergies cost the health care system billions of dollars every year? Or how about the fact that more than 5 million workdays are lost in North America each year due to hay fever alone? There are even some statistics suggesting that allergies are becoming increasingly common and that the allergy season is being extended due to global warming. As you can see, in order to maintain optimum efficiency, it is incredibly important for employers to keep the workplace allergy free. So what can you do to help mitigate the problems of allergens in the workplace?

A Clean Workplace is a Health Workplace

First and foremost, keeping your office or workplace clean and tidy can significantly reduce the impact of allergens. Dusting and cleaning surfaces helps to eliminate allergens, but you should also be aware of mold and air pollutants that can trigger allergies in employees.

Clean Air is Breathable Air

Many hospitals and health care facilities utilize air purifiers to reduce the impact of allergens in the workplace, and you can apply the same principles to your office or commercial space. Pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens can make their way even indoors and air purifiers can help eliminate the potential negative impact of these allergens. You may also want to keep doors and windows closed to improve air quality, but HEPA filters can be installed to work with HVAC systems to keep air quality at optimal levels.

Nuts are Nuts

Unfortunately, some foods can trigger very severe allergic reactions. If you are aware of an employee with a serious food allergy, you may need to ban those foods from the workplace. You’ll find that many schools in North America ban nuts entirely from school lunches in order to prevent unnecessary and potentially fatal allergic reactions.

Scent Sensitivity is Not Nonsense

In all likelihood, there is at least one person in every work environment that is very sensitive to smell. Perfume, scented soaps, and even scented hand lotion can make that work environment very uncomfortable for these individuals. Even if none of your employees has complained about sensitivity to such products, you should considering a scent-free environment by only using scent-free soap and cleaning products. You should even consider asking employees not to wear perfume or cologne in the office.

Provide Allergy Testing

This might seem like a radical idea, but the fact remains that allergies can significantly compromise productivity while also representing a considerable safety issue for some employees. Nevertheless, preventing allergic reactions is easy if you know which of your employees suffers from allergies and what causes those allergies. Providing allergy testing will help you determine the best course of action for keeping your employees happy and healthy.

Have you been wondering how much janitorial cleaning will cost?  Perhaps you’ve already contacted some commercial cleaning companies only to find the costs vary widely or they’re not willing to quote a cost over the phone.  Indeed, janitorial cleaning is not a one-price-fits-all service; depending on the type of business, the services you require, the size of your space, and a number of other factors, janitorial cleaning costs will fluctuate.  So how can you estimate the cost of cleaning?

How Companies Charge

The first thing to remember is that professional cleaning companies will charge not only based on the services they provide but also the total square footage that needs to be cleaned.  Ultimately, you need to put together a detailed list of the services you require before you’re ready to negotiate a cleaning contract.

Some factors to consider include the frequency of cleaning, the time of day the facility will be cleaned, the types of cleaning that will be required (windows, floors, bathrooms, etc.), the types of cleaning products to be used (for example, standard or environmentally-friendly products), and the supplies required and who provides them (i.e. paper towels, soap, toilet paper).

Also, keep in mind that fully insured and bonded janitors will typically cost more but they also protect you and your business against damage, loss, injury, and other risks.

Average Costs

To be clear, it can be difficult to estimate the costs of cleaning without having specific information about the type of facility, square footage, and cleaning services.  Nevertheless, it is important to have some guidelines so you know whether one company is charging too much or too little.

So, for small offices that range in size from 1000 to 2000 square feet, a typical light cleaning cost will be around $40 per visit.  Clearly, this is not expensive so you shouldn’t expect more than trash removal, vacuuming, and dusting.

As you increase services, the cost of cleaning will also increase.  Expect to pay an extra $20 or $30 per visit to clean a small bathroom including restocking hand towels, toilet paper, and soap as well as washing floors, surfaces, and toilets.  However, this increased cost is not likely to include the cost of supplies, so you’ll have to factor that into your budget.

With respect to larger offices, expect to pay more.  Also, for added services such as floor washing, waxing, or steam-cleaning, kitchen cleaning, and window cleaning, costs will rise by at least $0.50 per square foot.

Negotiate

As you can see, cleaning costs will depend on a wide range of factors so you need to carefully negotiate your janitorial contract.  Make sure to get quotes from a number of professionals and always include all the cleaning duties you require as well as the frequency of cleaning and the time of day you want the cleaning done.

Under the umbrella of commercial cleaning you’ll find professionals offering services for a wide range of businesses from office and industrial cleaning to retail cleaning.  If you are looking for retail cleaning services, you’re sure to find a number of contractors that can tailor their cleaning to your company’s needs.  Regardless of the types of cleaning services you require, working with a professional helps to ensure your retail space reflects the quality and excellence you’d like your company to demonstrate.

When it comes to retail cleaning services, you might be surprised to learn that cleaning companies offer everything from post-construction cleanup and emergency cleaning to floor and surface cleaning, bathroom cleaning, and even parking lot services.  Ultimately, as a retail business owner, your job is to identify some the most important cleaning tasks for your business and then tailor a cleaning contract with a professional cleaning company.  Some of the tasks that might be necessary for your retail business include:

• Regular cleaning and disinfecting of bathrooms
• Window cleaning
• Pressure washing exterior building surfaces and/or sidewalks
• Replacing light bulbs and cleaning light fixtures
• Washing walls and product shelves

Still, you might be wondering why you would hire a professional cleaning company for your retail space rather than paying your own employees to do it.  There are a number of important reasons to contract retail cleaning services to a specialized company.  First and foremost, research shows that employees are more productive when their duties are focused, but also when they work in a clean environment.  This means your employees should focus on the retail side of your business, but should also be working in a clean store.  Similarly, whereas you would need to train each of your employees in proper cleaning techniques, expert cleaners would already have all the training they need.

Another reason to hire professional retail cleaners is that they have the expertise to get the job done right.  Not only do contract cleaners have all the supplies and equipment they’ll need to effectively and thoroughly clean your retail space, but they’ll also be accountable for the job they do.  In general, companies offering professional retail cleaning services will get the job done more thoroughly and faster than your store employees.

When it comes time to choosing retail cleaners for your business, always conduct a thorough search.  You could speak with other retail business owners in your area about where they source their cleaning services, but you should always create a shortlist of candidates before making a final decision.  Ask each candidate for a list of references and make sure to speak with them about which types of cleaning tasks you require.  When you check references, make sure that the cleaning company has worked in a similar space and fulfilled similar cleaning tasks.

From restaurants and offices to hospitals and care facilities, the commercial cleaning business represents a diverse industry that requires an extensive amount of knowledge about a wide range of environments.  Another one of these environments that you may not often consider is your local gym or fitness facility.  Gym cleanliness is especially important because of the risk of contact with germs.  In fact, just a few years ago MRSA outbreaks throughout North America highlighted the importance of keeping gym and workout equipment clean.

In this article, we’ll outline a comprehensive fitness facility cleaning checklist, but first, let’s discuss some of the top concerns that customers have about gym cleanliness.  The most common concerns included unpleasant odours, unsanitary equipment, messy or dirty washrooms and change rooms, floor and carpet stains, unclean surfaces, and the lack of products for wiping down equipment after use.  Now, let’s look at each of these concerns more closely and you’ll see a fitness facility cleaning checklist start to take shape.

Odours

Gym odours can be difficult to eradicate, and commercial cleaners must focus on the source of the odour.  Gym equipment, lockers, benches, and other surfaces including floors and walls need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.  Sinks, toilets, showers, and drains must also be thoroughly cleaned to prevent the spread of bacteria and to eliminate odours.

Unsanitary Equipment

In recent years, gyms and fitness centres have tried to address the risk of bacterial outbreaks by installing paper towels and sanitizing sprays throughout their facilities.  This gives customers the opportunity to wipe down and sanitize equipment immediately after use, but commercial cleaners should also clean equipment on a daily basis at a minimum.

Washrooms, Change Rooms, and Locker Rooms

Fitness centres are shared facilities that must be maintained in order to ensure customer satisfaction.  Washrooms, change rooms, and locker rooms must be cleaned thoroughly.  This involves cleaning floors, walls, and other surfaces including mirrors, counters, and benches.  Toilets, sinks, and shower stalls must be sanitized regularly throughout the day.

General Cleaning

Finally, as is the case with any public space, care must be taken to clean floors and walls and remove any stubborn stains.  Surfaces throughout the fitness facility must be wiped to ensure they are free of dust and other debris.  Moreover, gym owners or managers should ensure to install paper towels and sanitizing spray throughout the facility and to encourage patrons to wipe down equipment after use.  These cleaning stations must be kept adequately stocked so that customers can easily clean their equipment.

Remember, keeping your fitness facility clean and sanitary is about much more than the appearance of your gym.  Indeed, the health and safety of your patrons and staff alike will rely on proper gym cleaning procedures.