The cleaning industry is a competitive market place that can be difficult for janitorial companies not only with respect to how they serve their customers but how they operate their business.  From marketing their business to employing effective, qualified staff, there are a number of ever-changing challenges for contract janitorial companies.  Success rests on a company’s ability to navigate the top 5 challenges for contract janitorial companies.

Marketing

Back in the day…ok, maybe WAY back in the day, janitorial companies could rely on relatively simple marketing campaigns to attract new business.  In the early days, flyers or cold calls might offer a great opportunity to reach new customers, and eventually email marketing campaigns allowed for even broader exposure.  But as consumers are savvier and the internet provides a wealth of information, business owners can research potential cleaning companies independently.  The need for a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes exposure online and in local media is increasingly crucial.

The World Wide Web

Directly related to marketing is the changing nature of the World Wide Web.  We all use Google – likely on a daily basis, so it’s important to have an idea of how Google operates.  Unfortunately, Google is always changing its algorithm in order to improve the user experience.  This means the way consumers find businesses are changing and janitorial contractors need to keep abreast with Google rules and regulations to ensure customers can find them.

Economy

Since 2008, the economy in North America has been on tenuous ground.  Many cleaning budgets have been cut significantly meaning there are fewer contracts available.  Janitorial companies need to be aware of economic changes so they can effectively plan for profitability.  Similarly, changes in taxes can have a significant impact on costs for business owners of janitorial companies and their customers.

Staffing

Related to economic changes are staffing considerations.  Some provinces, including British Columbia are planning minimum wage increases which will likely affect the bottom line of janitorial companies.  As the economy improves, contract cleaning companies can afford to hire more staff, but the cost of increasing staff is not only impacted by wage increases.  New staff need training which is time-consuming and sometimes expensive.

Uncertainty

Many of the challenges listed above contribute to a single, over-riding problem faced by all manner of contractor – uncertainty.  It can be difficult to predict changes in the economy or even the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.  As such, perhaps uncertainty is the main challenge faced by janitorial companies today.  Nevertheless, even uncertainty can be managed through careful business planning.  Janitorial companies should work closely with a qualified marketing firm in order to promote business development, but they must also budget effectively while providing excellent service in order to maintain their current accounts.

Kids are filthy. I know it’s not a popular sentiment among parents, but that’s only because it’s true.  They don’t think to stop and wash their hands whenever they touch something dirty; in fact, they may choose to writhe around uncontrollably in dirt just for the heck of it.  They sneeze without covering their mouths and they wipe their noses on their hands and clothes.  It’s really no stretch of the imagination to describe them as walking Petri dishes.

So then, when you drop your kid off at the local daycare, how often do you think “how clean is this place?”  You’re not alone.  When we choose a daycare, we obviously want to know about the quality of care our children will receive, the type of activities and toys they can access, and other information about the environment the daycare provides.  Part of that environment is cleanliness.  But how can you evaluate the cleanliness of a daycare or how can you even ask about it?

Let’s consider a few facts, when it comes to pre-school aged children:

• They spend a lot of time on the floor.
• They have frequent contact between their hands and mouths.  In fact, they have frequent contact with their mouths and just about everything.
• Children in daycares share everything from toys and snacks to colds and flues.
• Children’s immune systems are still developing.

So given this information, how well or frequently your child’s daycare is cleaned should be an important question for any parent. Certainly, you’re not going to prevent every sickness and it’s actually important for your children to get sick sometimes in order to strengthen their immune systems. But more serious illnesses can often be prevented by proper hygiene at home and in the daycare.

Before choosing a daycare, feel free to ask about their cleaning routine. In fact, it’s not excessive to expect that toys, surfaces, and floors are cleaned on a daily basis. You probably want to have some information about what kind of cleaning supplies they are using, especially since many commercial cleaners are actually toxic to children and pets. And finally, you can even take some steps to ensure your child keeps clean by teaching him or her about proper hand washing techniques.

Nevertheless, always look for a daycare that works with a commercial cleaning company that specializes in cleaning daycares. They’ll often have the experience to know how to keep toys and play areas free of disease-causing germs but also the equipment and supplies to do the cleaning safely. After all, kids are filthy, but if the environment in which they spend most of their time is clean, then you don’t need to worry so much about what they might pick up.

There is probably no other industry where cleanliness is more important than healthcare.  Whether you are talking about hospitals, doctor’s offices, care homes, or hospices, cleanliness in healthcare is incredibly important in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease between patients, family, and healthcare workers.  Indeed, professional cleaning in the healthcare setting is more than just maintaining an image, it is a central factor guiding the health and safety of all individuals using the facilities.

So then, it should come as no surprise that selecting professional cleaners for your healthcare facility takes special consideration.  Your average cleaning company may be well equipped to handle the day-to-day tasks of a basic office or commercial facility, but what kinds of cleaning tasks are required in a healthcare facility?  Indeed, there are strict guidelines in place that outline environmental infection control protocols in healthcare facilities associated with preventing infections associated with air, water, and other environmental elements.  From ventilation systems to water systems, dust-control, laundry, and equipment sterilization – there are a wide variety of cleaning factors to consider in the healthcare facility that just do not come up in an office-based setting.

As such, your commercial cleaning companies working in the healthcare industry need to have specific cleaning and disinfection experience and must be specially trained to minimize health risks.  They may need to have training for using specialized equipment and protection and to handle hazard assessments and other infection control program processes.

Ultimately, standard protocols for infection control including routine cleaning are paramount in maintaining a safe and clean hospital environment.  Surfaces, floors, furniture, and equipment must be disinfected using hot water and neutral detergent solutions on a daily basis across all department of the facility.  Office areas even need to be thoroughly cleaned in order to remove microorganisms that may cause harm to patients, visitors, and healthcare workers.

Sometimes, advanced cleaning technologies are called for.  Cleaning and disinfecting on a routine basis is just the starting point for combating infection, but germs appear to be becoming more resistant.  Some studies are even suggesting that current cleaning technologies may take a toll on the health (especially respiratory health) of cleaning staff, patients, and healthcare workers.  In other words, there are always new and safer cleaning methods being developed to ensure a sanitary environment without imposing risks on the people using the facilities.

Clearly, keeping healthcare facilities clean and free of toxins and infectious agents is of paramount concern.  More importantly, to ensure quality cleaning it is always important to work with a commercial cleaning company that has proven experience working in the healthcare industry.  Not only is this important for patients and healthcare workers, but it is increasingly becoming clear that it’s equally important for the cleaning staff as well.