Commercial flooring is designed to withstand the demands of high traffic, but that does not mean you need to sacrifice style.  When it comes to commercial flooring options, it is possible to get a durable, easily maintained material that is also aesthetically pleasing.  Depending on your business and the volume of traffic your floor receives, you’ll want to carefully select a commercial flooring option that holds up to heavy use while saving you money on maintenance, repairs, and replacement.  So what do you need to know when considering commercial flooring options?

Contrary to popular opinion, not every business will require commercial flooring for high traffic scenarios.  However, if you operate retail stores, sporting facilities, gyms, hotels, restaurants, healthcare offices, or entertainment venues, you most likely need to choose from high traffic commercial flooring options.  High traffic commercial flooring has a few distinct features.  First of all, it’s built to be durable.  Materials used for commercial flooring are chosen for their ability to withstand even the most intense traffic – whether that means the volume of traffic or the demands of that traffic.  For example, consider the traffic in a restaurant compared to a warehouse – while restaurant flooring will receive a high volume of traffic and a warehouse will receive fewer people but more demanding traffic (related to footwear and warehouse machinery), both will need to meet minimum expectations for durability.

Next, commercial flooring should be low-maintenance.  Regardless of the type of flooring – whether commercial or residential, flooring will require regular maintenance.  This includes cleaning, repairs, and occasional replacement.  Commercial flooring is designed not only for durability, but to require minimal maintenance.  And finally, commercial flooring is attractive.  We often associate durable and low-maintenance construction with less visually appealing options.  However, high traffic commercial flooring today is made to be visually appealing so that you don’t sacrifice quality for aesthetic.

Generally, there are 4 main types of commercial flooring options.  Concrete, hardwood, vinyl, and carpet are all materials that are used in commercial flooring.  Each of these commercial flooring options has their own advantages and disadvantages.  Concrete commercial flooring options are great for restaurants and retail spaces because they are durable and easy to maintain, but they can be very aesthetically pleasing because they can be customized with graphics or other finishes.

Hardwood flooring is an increasingly popular commercial flooring option.  These flooring options can be visually stunning and resilient, but they tend to require more maintenance than other commercial options.  Artistic facilities such as dance or museum spaces are ideal for hardwood flooring.

Vinyl flooring is affordable and available in a wide range of styles and colours, but tend to be somewhat less durable than concrete or even hardwood flooring.  Still, depending on your budget you can find some highly durable and easily maintained vinyl flooring options that are a great choice for restaurants and healthcare facilities.

Finally, carpet is a popular commercial flooring option when you want better noise control.  Carpet is durable and comfortable, but requires regular cleaning.  You’ll often find carpet flooring in hotels and offices.

If you’re trying to decide the best commercial flooring option for your business, speak to a flooring expert to ensure you choose an option that meets your needs with respect to durability, maintenance, aesthetic, and budget – of course!

Office maintenance is fundamental when you are running a business.  Not only does a well-maintained office promote productivity and workplace health and safety, but it signals to your current and future clients that you run an organized and efficient operation.  Just take a moment to consider your own reaction when you enter an office or business that is messy, dusty, or disorganized.  Ultimately, if you want to impress, you need to keep your office in tip top condition.  Obviously, there are many different cleaning services to consider, but let’s take a closer look at window cleaning.  How often should you clean your office windows?

Now, there’s no hard and fast, one-size-fits-all answer to this question.  There are many things to consider.  Factors such as the type of business, your geographic location, the size of your office, and of course your budget all come into play.  Are you scheduling indoor or outdoor window cleaning?  Do you regularly host clients or other professionals in your offices?  Where are your windows located?  These all seem like irrelevant questions when all you want is clean windows, but they’re not.

Typically, interior window cleaning is less costly and scheduled more frequently than exterior window cleaning.  A small office with only a few staff that rarely host clients probably has more limited window cleaning needs.  If you have windows within your offices (for example, between private offices and shared office spaces), or your main entry features windows, your cleaning schedule may vary.  Even the geographic location of your offices is important.  Weather, landscaping, or an urban or suburban location are also factors that influence window cleaning frequency.

When it comes to weather, if you are situated in a climate with a lot of rain or a rainy season, you’ll likely require more frequent exterior window cleanings during this season.  Some business owners choose to regularly schedule window cleanings and then increase that schedule or add cleanings whenever weather plays a bigger role.  If you’re considering landscaping, factors such as surrounding trees can impact cleaning schedules.  For example, birds and insects can definitely leave their mark, so you may need to have your office windows cleaned more frequently.  Likewise, windows on an office on a busy urban street with high traffic is likely to get dirtier faster than windows on a quiet street.

Ideally, you want to work with a professional cleaning company that can help you develop an office window cleaning schedule that works for you and your business.  When you collaborate with professionals, you can trust that you’ll get effective window cleaning services that allow you to keep your office in its best possible condition.  And ultimately, this is good business for your business.

Janitorial services, cleaning services – they are pretty much the same thing, right?  Wrong! There are distinct differences between janitorial and cleaning companies, though some professionals offer both types of services.  If you’re wondering about the difference, you’ve come to the right place.  We’ll take a look at the some of the details of these differences, but in general you might expect commercial cleaning companies to provide more specialized cleaning services than a janitorial company.

First things first, let’s talk a bit about janitorial services.  Typically, you might want to seek janitorial companies if you are looking for standard office cleaning tasks.  Maintaining a clean and hygienic office environment can contribute to healthier workplaces, fewer lost days to illness, increased productivity, and even improved morale.  Plus, a clean office helps you make a good impression on your clientele.  Janitorial companies exist to provide your essential cleaning services – trash removal, dusting, surface cleaning, and regular cleaning tasks.

A few of the services offered by professional janitorial companies include

• Trash removal
• Vacuuming
• Floor mopping and dusting
• Wiping surfaces
• Bathroom sanitation
• Kitchen cleaning
• Break room cleaning

Ultimately, you might consider janitorial services as the light office cleaning tasks that need to be done daily or weekly to keep your office in good order.  Janitorial services help to eliminate germs and maintain basic cleanliness, and they are offered on a regular schedule that is determined based on your own needs and standards.

Alternatively, commercial cleaning companies tackle the more serious cleaning tasks.  You might consider commercial cleaning as the heavy office cleaning tasks.  Just as you wouldn’t need to shampoo your carpets at home every week, you don’t need your janitorial services to include weekly office carpet shampooing.  Instead, these kinds of cleaning duties fall into the realm of commercial cleaning.  While the services are equally important, they are not scheduled as frequently, and they require more specialized skills and equipment.

A few of the services offered by professional commercial cleaning companies include

• Carpet shampooing
• Tile and grout cleaning
• Furniture cleaning
• Window washing
• Exterior power washing
• Site cleaning

Your commercial cleaning needs are likely to be as unique as your janitorial needs, so these cleaning tasks also need to be negotiated with your provider.  You want to pay careful attention to the scope of the commercial cleaning tasks and their impact on your business to ensure they’re scheduled to have a minimal impact on your day-to-day operations.  You’ll also want to consider the chemicals or equipment that is involved in commercial cleaning to ensure the overall health and safety of your staff and customers.

No matter your cleaning needs, working with qualified professionals can ensure that you develop an affordable and effective cleaning schedule that is right for your business.

Whether or not you are aware, you are being judged by the cleanliness of your workplace.  It may be that coworkers are judging the condition of your personal office, or clients are evaluating your business by the state of your offices – a clean office signifies diligence, efficiency, and hard work.  Additionally, a clean office is a productive office as a well-organized work space is easier to navigate in addition to the impact of regular sanitation on improved health among staff members.  The following tips for a clean office are designed to be implemented by all levels of staff from cleaners to executives.  Let’s have a closer look.

Your Personal Work Station

No matter how thorough your cleaning staff, the likelihood that your personal work station will be cleaned from top to bottom is low.  Items such as keyboards, calculators, and telephones will normally get a superficial wipe down, at best.  Still, these are some of the items that are most commonly used and therefore often carry the most germs.  A thorough cleaning removes dirt and debris and reduces your exposure to germs and airborne allergens.  Start with an air duster to remove debris from spaces and crevices and finish up by wiping surfaces with a disinfectant wipe.

When it comes to cleaning screens and monitors, you’ll need to find the right products for the job.  Antibacterial wipes are not effective for computer monitors or device screens; yet, it’s also important to keep these items dust free to reduce your exposure to allergens.  A damp microfiber cloth or cleaning products specifically designed for device monitors are ideal.  In a pinch, you can use paper towel lightly dampened with warm water to remove dust from your displays.

Finally, cleaning staff will likely wipe desk and work surfaces, but they likely will not move your personal or work items to do a thorough wiping.  If you need to keep files or other items on your desk, remember to take some time weekly to wipe these surfaces on your own.  Otherwise, remove all items from your desktop at the end of the day so that cleaning staff can do the job right.

In the Kitchen

The work kitchen is always difficult to maintain, especially in busy offices.  One tip is to set up a cleaning roster where different teams are responsible for different tasks each week.  For example, assign one team to clean the microwave and one to clean the coffee maker and rotate these jobs weekly.  You should also schedule a rest week where that team has no responsibilities.  And speaking of the microwave, consider investing in a cover for foods to eliminate the impact of splashes inside the microwave.  And of course, always encourage staff members to clean up after themselves!

Regular office cleaning offers many benefits.  Not only does a clean office promote efficiency and productivity, but it ensures the health and safety of your employees while also providing your customers with a great impression of your business.  That being said, commercial cleaning is a highly specialized industry that requires industry expertise relating to cleaning practices, equipment, and even scheduling.  Many business owners prefer to outsource their office cleaning services, but why?

You may not realize it but outsourcing cleaning services is an important strategic decision in a couple of ways.  First and foremost, hiring professional cleaning companies can actually save you money, but it is also important to hire a company that provides quality services.  Moreover, not all companies will require the same cleaning services, so outsourcing to a company that will work with you to meet your unique needs is necessary.  At the end of the day, there are many great reasons to outsource your commercial cleaning services – let’s have a closer look.

Effective Cleaning

The cleanliness of your office space should always be the main priority for your cleaning company.  Ensuring that your office environment is hygienic and well-maintained is the hallmark of reputable cleaning professionals.  To this end, commercial cleaning companies hire and train staff effectively not only with respect to cleaning practices but also the products and equipment that are specialized to different cleaning tasks.

Personal Qualifications

Not only are cleaning specialists highly trained professionals, they often represent a personality-type that is borderline obsessive about cleaning.  Applying industry expertise is fine, but you also want your cleaning staff to be attentive to detail and dedicated to doing the job right.  Reputable cleaning companies employ professionals who not only know how but also when to clean areas such as carpets, floors, furniture, glass, washrooms, shared work or break spaces, equipment, and more.

Adaptability

Outsourcing your cleaning services allows you to define your cleaning services precisely.  You can choose a company that will work with your schedule, but they will also provide customized services that speak to your unique company needs.  This flexibility allows you to keep your cleaning costs manageable while also alleviating the burden of inspecting and refining your cleaning protocols.  After all, when working with the professionals, they can adapt to your cleaning needs, but they can also help you to understand what those needs are.

Quality

Maintaining a standard of cleanliness is important for obvious reasons – worker safety and customer satisfaction sitting among the top of any list.  A clean office is one that represents the epitome of professionalism wherein a company is clearly dedicated to the health of their staff and the image of their business.  Outsourcing office cleaning services to a professional janitorial firm ensures you maintain the highest minimum standards of cleanliness.