What is Office Cleaning Maintenance?

Commercial cleaning service represent a diverse array of office maintenance tasks, but since every company has its own unique maintenance needs it can be difficult to clearly define office cleaning maintenance.  Imagine operating a small business from a home office and consider cleaning needs compared to major city office building – clearly maintenance tasks are not going to be the same.  So, if you’re curious to know more about professional commercial cleaning, you might start by asking, “what is office cleaning maintenance?”

First, it’s important to understand that cleaning services can be delineated based on the frequency of the cleaning services, the location of the cleaning services, and even the type of facility.  Nevertheless, for the sake of providing a comprehensive introduction to office cleaning maintenance, it is useful to start with a review of typical daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning services while keeping in mind that your unique business needs will impact service delivery.

With respect to daily duties, office cleaning specialists endeavor to maintain your space such that the image of your business is well-represented.  A clean, inviting office free of clutter and dust tells your customers that you care about the work you do.  Moreover, regular cleaning ensures the health and safety of your employees so that they can be more efficient and productive.

Examples of daily cleaning tasks for your office will typically include:

• Removal of garbage and recycling
• Vacuuming carpets and floors
• Mopping and disinfecting floors
• Dusting furniture such as desks, chairs, and tables
• Disinfecting door handles, phones, and other items contacted frequently
• Window cleaning
• Fingerprint removal from surfaces such as glass doors, door frames, or light switches
• Ensuring indoor and outdoor spaces are free of litter and clutter
• Spot cleaning surfaces such as walls and doors

In addition to general office spaces, daily cleaning tasks in the kitchen and washroom are incredibly important to ensure hygiene.  Bathroom and break room surfaces should be disinfected to create the most sanitary environment possible.  Other daily cleaning tasks include but are not limited to:

• Replacing hand towels, soap, and toilet paper
• Removing trash and recycling
• Cleaning mirrors, faucets, and countertops
• Cleaning microwaves, fridges, and other kitchen equipment
• Spot cleaning surfaces such as walls and doors
• Vacuuming and mopping floors
• Disinfecting toilets.

When it comes to less regular cleaning services, it is important to work closely with your cleaning professional to develop a schedule that works for your business.  For example, hard floors should be buffed on a weekly or twice-monthly basis, but this cleaning should be scheduled so as not to interfere with daily operations.  Likewise, vents, exterior window surfaces, and other office fixtures should be regularly attended to, but your unique needs will determine the frequency of cleaning schedules.

Hiring an Office Cleaning Company

Whether you are a new business looking to contract cleaning staff, or you have an existing company and you don’t want to handle the day-to-day management of cleaning duties anymore, hiring an office cleaning company can seem an arduous task.  Fear not!  The keys to hiring a great office cleaning company are not so different than hiring quality contractors from any discipline.  A little research and review up front will help you hire an office cleaning company that serves you, your customers, and your staff effectively and efficiently.

It goes without saying that maintaining a clean office has many benefits for your business, your staff, and most importantly – your customers.  A clean working environment reduces illness, ensures efficient operations, and ultimately establishes the image of your business.  After all, nobody wants to do business with a company that appears disorganized and disheveled.  That being said, it is also important to know that not all offices require the same services, and not all cleaning companies offer the same quality cleaning.

With that in mind, you must first have a very clear understanding of what you need from your office cleaning company.  Professional cleaners offer a wide range of services including:

• Vacuuming
• Mopping
• Carpet and upholstery cleaning
• Dusting
• Window cleaning
• Bathroom and break room cleaning
• Garbage and/or recycling removal
• Hardwood floor maintenance and restoration
• Power washing
• Cleaning and maintenance of outdoor spaces (including parking lots/garages)

And this is just a few of the services many office cleaning companies provide.  So, before you start contacting cleaners, it is important to make a comprehensive list of the services you require so that you can get an accurate quote of cleaning services.  In addition, you should carefully consider the schedule of cleaning services you’ll need – a small office may need garbage removed on a weekly basis whereas larger offices may require daily service.  Each business’ cleaning needs are as unique as the products or services they provide.

Next, do your research on cleaning competitors.  You want to identify a few potential cleaners that can show an established record of successful cleaning service in your community.  Ask yourself, how long has this company been in business?  Can they provide references?  Do they have experience cleaning for businesses that are similar to my own?  And, what are the typical costs for their services?  Collect as much information as you can about different cleaners so that you can make the most informed choice possible.

Finally, always make sure that your potential cleaning contractor is fully insured.  They need to have adequate liability insurance and their employees also need to be properly insured in case of injury at work.  This is one aspect of hiring an office cleaning company that many business owners overlook, but you don’t want to be holding the bag if something goes seriously wrong with your cleaning company.

The commercial cleaning industry is one that many of us take for granted.  We enter offices and retail spaces and we spend little time (if any) considering how these spaces get clean.  The commercial cleaning industry is everywhere at the same time it is nowhere.  These cleaning services seem to be completed silently, even when we are witness to the services provided we rarely pay attention to the routines.  It’s interesting when you really start to consider those industries that do the unsung work, of which commercial cleaning is one.  For example, have you ever considered commercial cleaning etiquette?

That’s right, there’s an etiquette to commercial cleaning.  These are not necessarily hard and fast rules about how cleaning services are provided, but professional cleaning companies take pride in offering exceptional services, so it shouldn’t be so surprising that they have procedures guiding how the work is done.  At its core, the etiquette of commercial cleaning services ensures quality cleaning in a way that minimizes impact on the stakeholders involved.

What does that mean, to limit the impact on involved stakeholders?  First and foremost, commercial cleaning companies will want to arrange a regular cleaning schedule.  What time of the day is your office or business likely to be least disrupted by cleaning services?  Or, what services can be provided at which times of the day to maintain a clean and efficient workplace?  Shared spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and breakrooms will likely need to be cleaned on a daily basis, and sometimes even throughout the day depending on the number of people using the facility.  These services are often provided outside office hours so that staff and customers are not affected except to benefit from clean shared spaces.

Another way that commercial cleaning etiquette helps to maintain a positive impact on stakeholders is the prioritizing of cleaning tasks.  Workflow and traffic will often dictate how these tasks are prioritized.  A small office will have different demands than a large office, but priority cleaning areas tend to be washrooms, break rooms, reception, waiting rooms, and conference rooms.  With respect to workflow, how do your day-to-day operations impact your cleaning needs?  Do you have a lot of recycling or do you need garbage emptied more frequently?  Identifying priority cleaning services will help commercial cleaning companies provided the services you need on the schedule you need them.  There’s no cookie cutter approach to prioritizing these services.

Finally, commercial cleaning etiquette demands safety awareness.  Not only should cleaning supplies and equipment be properly stored, labeled, and maintained to ensure safety of cleaners and other staff, but cleaning services must be provided in a safe manner.  For example, adequate signage (perhaps for wet floors or hazardous spills) is important for proper health and safety.

Knowing commercial cleaning etiquette is important for the cleaning company as well as their clients.  When both parties are mindful of cleaning protocols, they are more likely to forge a successful working relationship.

Office cleaning and housing cleaning are one in the same, aren’t they?  If you think about it, you’re cleaning floors, windows, surfaces, kitchens, and bathrooms for each so you could be forgiven for assuming the cleaning processes are pretty much the same.  They aren’t.  In fact, when residential cleaning companies try to expand into the office cleaning business without doing due diligence, the proprietors are often rudely awakened.  Sure, cleaning is cleaning, but there is a very different approach to office cleaning than house cleaning.

So what’s the difference between cleaning office spaces and houses?  Let’s take a closer look.

Time

One of the main factors that differentiates residential and commercial cleaning contracts is actually just the time of day that the cleaning is done.  For the most part, home cleaning services are provided during the day when homeowners are at work, whereas office cleaning services are provided in the evening when staff are at home.  In both cases, the goal is to minimize distractions for the client.  However, one factor you may not realize is it costs more to hire cleaners to work evening hours than to hire cleaners to work day hours.

Expertise

Residential cleaning staff must pay attention to every detail.  Homes often have more items that require cleaning – mantle pieces feature knickknacks, photos, and other items.  Office surfaces are usually clear of clutter and somewhat easier to keep clean.  Office cleaners therefore can work more quickly, though they do bring specialized skills you wouldn’t expect of home cleaners.  For example, large office buildings may feature specialized flooring that requires unique equipment to clean.  Similarly, traffic in office spaces means that it especially important to disinfect surfaces, kitchens, and bathrooms to maintain proper hygiene.  A family of four in that sense is easier to clean up after.

The Space

Another factor that differentiates office and house cleaning is the space in which cleaners work.  Cleaning in a person’s home requires special attention to the person’s privacy.  Not only must your staff be more rigorously vetted to ensure you can put the client’s mind at ease, but you are also more likely to have increased client interaction in the residential cleaning business.  This requires enhanced customer service skills – making the customer happy in the home cleaning business brings unique challenges and also rewards.  Home cleaners often build stronger relationships with their clients and they get to learn their needs and wants in a more intimate way.  Of course, this also means that home cleaners must be especially vigilant when it comes to confidentiality.  You’ll know more about a family and their comings and goings than you’re likely to learn about office staff or business owners.

As you can see, not only is cleaning offices different from cleaning homes, there are also interpersonal factors that differentiate office and house cleaning.  To move from one industry to the other is not as straightforward as one might think.

Offices need to be clean – it doesn’t matter what kind of office you have.  You may be the manager of a small real estate firm, a family medical centre, legal offices, or anything in between.  No matter your business or market, having a clean office tells your employees and your customers that you are professional and organized and ultimately considerate of the health and wellness of the key stakeholders in your business.  So, what should you expect from your office cleaning staff members or contractor?  What is considered standard office cleaning etiquette?  Let’s take a closer look.

Established Schedules

Your office cleaning contractor or professional should follow an agreed-upon schedule.  Regularly scheduled cleaning not only ensures that your offices are well-maintained, but it puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to quality control.  If your recycling and garbage are always emptied on a Friday afternoon, then you know there is a problem if the job has not be done come Monday morning.  Likewise, regular schedules hold your cleaning professional accountable to your cleaning contract.

Prioritize your Cleaning Requirements

Some jobs need to be done on a daily basis, and some jobs can be done less regularly.  For example, you want to make sure your bathrooms are sanitized every day, whereas the office kitchen’s refrigerator can be cleaned on a less regular schedule.  Carefully consider your priority cleaning needs and make sure you communicate these needs to your cleaning professionals.  When you sign a cleaning contract, you should expect the high priority jobs to be specified along with your scheduling expectations.

Another factor to consider is high-flow areas or common touch points of your office.  Especially if you have a lot of outside visitors or high staffing levels, you want common areas to be regularly disinfected to reduce the spread of germs and ultimately reduce lost productivity due to employee illness.

Identifiable Staff

If your cleaning staff works during regular business hours, you should expect that they are wearing uniforms or other clothing items that makes them easily identifiable.  Nametags, lanyards, or specifically coloured shirts and/or pants will help make them stand out so that they can be held accountable to their work.

Common Consideration

Again, if your cleaning staff works during regular business hours, you should expect that their work tasks to not interfere with business-as-usual.  Running loud cleaning equipment such as vacuum cleaners or buffers should not happen during peak hours.  These activities should be held for hours when your office is closed; or, if you run a 24/7 operation, you should explicitly negotiate a time for these tasks.

Safety First!

Finally, your cleaning staff should demonstrate awareness of standard health and safety protocols.  Non-hazardous cleaning materials or appropriately labeled materials should be used.  Wet floors should be marked to prevent slips and falls.  And cleaners should be aware of the needs and safety of other staff members.