When it comes to office cleaning services, business owners typically follow one of two paths.  Either they hire and manage in-house cleaning staff or they outsource their cleaning services to a professional office cleaning company.  While there are pros and cons of each of these options, the fact of the matter is regular maintenance and cleaning of an office space is an integral part of running a successful business.  Not only does a well-maintained and clean office tell your staff that you respect their health and safety, but it tells your customers that you respect their business.  So then, what are the benefits of hiring an office cleaning company in Vancouver?

Though hiring and managing your cleaning staff may seem like an economical approach, many business owners overlook the hidden costs of cleaning operations.  Professional cleaning companies in Vancouver not only provide trained cleaning professionals, they already have all the cleaning equipment and supplies required to thoroughly clean your office space.  Additionally, the human resources costs associated with managing a cleaning staff are not insignificant, especially when you lack the specific skills and experienced required to provide effective cleaning services.  As such, it is always recommended to work with a professional office cleaning company for the cleaning and maintenance services you need for your office.

Indeed, the primary benefit of hiring an office cleaning company in Vancouver is the knowledge and experience that professionals bring to the table.  From best practices for cleaning different surfaces and disinfecting high use areas such as kitchens and bathrooms to proper waste disposal techniques and everything in between, professional office cleaners build their reputation on efficient and effective cleaning services that support the health and safety of your office, your staff, and your clientele.

Additionally, by outsourcing your office cleaning you can actually gain a lot of flexibility in the cleaning services you receive.  Simply put – office cleaning companies must have all the necessary supplies to effectively clean a variety of offices regardless of their size or business model.  As such, through working with professional cleaners you access a broad scope of cleaning services without investing in all the equipment and supplies necessary for the job.

Finally, when working with professional cleaners, you are often assured more accountability in the cleaning provided.  When tasked with managing your own cleaning staff it can be difficult to identify a point person when cleaning services are inadequate.  On the other hand, when you hire an office cleaning company in Vancouver, your contract indicates the cleaning required and any failure to provide those services can be addressed directly with the cleaning company who will be responsible for follow-up.  Ultimately, working with professional cleaners can save you time and money that is better directed toward helping your business grow.

Operating costs are obviously at the forefront of any business owner’s mind.  Whatever you spend on running the business is money coming out of the business, so you want to spend wisely.  So, when it comes to budgeting for commercial cleaning services, a lot of managers and owners are looking for ways to cut costs while maintaining cleanliness.  At the end of the day, what’s right for you and your business is the best way to develop a budget for any services; and yet, without knowing the typical costs said services, it can be very difficult to budget appropriately.  With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what you can expect when budgeting for commercial cleaning services.

One Size Fits All?

The most important thing you need to remember about commercial cleaning services is that there is not a one size fits all solution for cleaning costs that applies to every business.  Depending on the type of business you are running, the size of your commercial space, the equipment and furniture in that space, and other aspects of your day-to-day operations, commercial cleaning services costs can vary widely.  Always reach out to potential commercial cleaning companies and get quotes that are based on your specific cleaning needs.  By comparing the quotes of various companies, you should be able to get a good idea of what costs are reasonable in your geographic region.

But What Does It Cost?

Alright, alright…you want to know what commercial cleaning is going to cost, and we want to give you answers.  But first, you need to ask yourself a few questions.  First, how frequently do you need your commercial space cleaned?  Do you require weekly cleaning, monthly cleaning, or more frequent?  For example, a day care or doctor’s office will need to be cleaned more frequently, and this is obviously going to impact cleaning costs.  Likewise, your total square footage will have an impact on costs.  Even the number of bathrooms in your facility or areas that see a lot of traffic (such as kitchens and reception) will impact cleaning frequency and cost.  Nevertheless, a good estimate for budgeting commercial cleaning services would be somewhere in the vicinity of $2 per square foot per year.

Still, remember that the size of your company, your number of employees, whether you provide cleaning supplies and equipment, and even the types of surfaces that require regular cleaning are going to impact your commercial cleaning budget.  The only way to get a definitive estimate of your budget for commercial cleaning services is to first identify your explicit cleaning needs and then get a quote (or quotes) from potential commercial cleaning companies in your area.

We live in the era of environmental consciousness.  From the cars we drive to the food we eat, we regularly make choices based on the impact we will have on the environment.  Equally important to our personal life choices environmental effects are our business choices.  That’s why so many business owners, operations managers, and cleaning specialists are turning to ecologically responsible solutions for businesses.  When it comes to natural and eco-friendly cleaning products for the office, there are a wide range of options that cover all your cleaning needs from all-purpose cleaners to bathroom supplies and everything in between.  In this article, we’ll review some of the top names in natural and eco-friendly cleaning products that are a great choice for your office.

If you are looking for organic hand soap, Method offers an ethically sourced, LEED certified product that is delivered in recycled packaging.  Initially introduced to the market in 2001, Method provides a sustainable hand soap solution that id manufactured in a cruelty-free manner using renewable energy and ships via a biodiesel program.  Method also offers cleaners and detergents to suit a variety of cleaning needs.

Seventh Generation is another major player in the eco-friendly cleaning business.  Using sustainable sourcing and recycled packaging, Seventh Generation products include detergents, cleaners, and wipes.  Their products have been on the market for nearly three decades and their values are focused on maintaining a clean and healthy environment for healthier people and a healthier future.

Refillable products from Common Good are biodegradable, use 100% essential oils and are likewise sustainably sourced.  Because they use refillable packaging, your environmental impact is minimized.  They offer a line of products that include all-purpose cleaners, hand soaps, and even dish soap for your office kitchen.

Ecos is a family owned and operated green cleaning product manufacturer that has been in the business for 50 years.  Their manufacturing and shipping process is carbon neutral and they rely on 100% renewable energy to make their cleaning products.  Additionally, Ecos is Zero Waste Platinum Certified so you can rest easy knowing your cleaning products are less likely to leave a lasting mark on the environment.  Once again, Ecos offers all-purpose cleaner in addition to a variety of cleaning products suitable for eco-friendly office sanitation.

Finally, Better Life is a game changer in the natural cleaning industry.  They offer a line of biodegradable products that are manufactured using solar energy and delivered in recycled packaging.  Not only do they offer a fantastic all-purpose cleaner, but they have a variety of products to cover all your office cleaning needs including floor cleaner, glass cleaner, and kitchen and bathroom cleaner.

Turning to natural and eco-friendly cleaning products for the office cleaning is a responsible and healthy approach to maintaining the health of your employees today and in the future.  If you’re dedicated to minimizing your environmental impact, consider working with a cleaning company that uses green cleaning products as much as possible in their office cleaning routines.

Choosing the right office flooring not only depends on a keen eye for style but an awareness of functionality as well.  Not all types of flooring are appropriate for every office – so if you want to be sure to choose flooring that works for your space, you have to think beyond aesthetics.  There is a wide range of flooring options for commercial and business spaces, and you want to know what the pros and cons of the main flooring materials before choosing the best flooring for your office.

Materials

Not all flooring materials are created equally.  It’s important to consider factors such as durability, cost, maintenance, and style when choosing your office flooring.  First, let’s take a quick look at the most common office flooring materials:

• Carpet
• Carpet tiles
• Ceramic tiles
• Hardwood
• Laminate
• Stone
• Rubber

Each of these materials has benefits and drawbacks.

Carpet and Carpet Tiles

Carpet is affordable, stylish, and provides exceptional sound protection.  The surface is comfortable to walk on making it a great choice for offices or workspaces where staff are required to spend a lot of time on their feet.  Moreover, carpet is versatile with respect to style – it comes in a variety of colours and designs.  Still, carpet must be regularly maintained.  In most offices, it should be vacuumed daily and will need to be shampooed on a regular basis as well.

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic is attractive and tough – it makes an excellent choice for busy offices that see a lot of traffic.  Though it can stain, it tends to be relatively easy to maintain and restore.  However, ceramic tiles are somewhat more expensive than other flooring options.

Hardwood

Durable, easy to maintain, and stylish – hardwood flooring is a very popular office flooring option nowadays.  It can be made from a variety of types of wood from bamboo to oak, and nothing quite compares to the elegant appearance of hardwood.  Over time, hardwood does lose its luster and will likely require refinishing which can be costly.

Laminate

Laminate is another affordable flooring option that can mimic the look of most types of flooring including hardwood, tile, and stone.  Like carpet, it must be cleaned and maintained regularly, and its durability won’t compare to surfaces such as ceramic tile.

Stone

Stone flooring is increasingly popular in modern office designs.  If you’re looking for contemporary style and durability, stone flooring definitely stands out.  Though it is somewhat prone to staining, natural stone can be sealed to prevent stains.

Rubber

One of the best materials in high traffic offices, rubber flooring is easily maintained and cleaned, durable, water resistant, and even prevents slipping.  Like carpet, it provides added comfort for offices with staff that must stand or walk a lot throughout the day.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider in choosing the right flooring for your office.  Speak to a flooring expert to clarify your needs and you’ll be sure to find the right fit for you.

Working in a shared office can be a real nightmare for those of us who value neat, tidy, and sanitary spaces.  There’s really no way to control the effort coworkers will put into maintaining a clean office, which is why most business owners turn to professional cleaners and their staff to keep offices ship shape.  From keyboard to bathrooms, there are many germ-ridden places in your office…but what are the dirtiest spots you may never have considered?

Shared Equipment

You’ve probably peered into office keyboards and seen hidden crumbs, hair, and other signs that this piece of equipment is rather unsanitary.  Now imagine what you can’t see and recognize that for the most part, a keyboard is not a shared piece of equipment.  Equipment such as your photocopier can also be very dirty – in fact, when it comes to germs, the start button on a copier is among the dirtiest places in your office.  One sanitation study found that the start button may measure more than a billion colony forming units in a square inch whereas your average toilet seat has just over 3000.

Even shared kitchen appliances can be very germy.  The coffee pot handle, for example may have up to 110,000 colony forming units in a square inch and many of these microorganisms have been found to be antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  Whether this is simply because of the sheer number of people using the coffee pot, or the likelihood that those people are not washing their hands frequently enough, you’d have to imagine that other components of the office kitchen are equally germ-ridden.

Elevator buttons are likewise germ-infested.  You may have noticed that in many healthcare environments, administrators have taken to encouraging pressing buttons with elbows rather than fingers, and you’ll often find hand sanitizer dispensers next to elevator call buttons – consider using the hand sanitizer before or after (or even both) you enter or exit an elevator.

Workstations

We’ve already acknowledged that keyboards are messy, and given how much time your hand spends on a mouse, this too is a dirty component of your workstation.  But you may not have realized that even your desktop can be infested with bacteria.  Wiping keyboards, mouses, and desktops with anti-bacterial wipes can help cut down on the germs at your workstation.

The Kitchen

So, you’ve learned that the coffee pot in the kitchen is a germaphobe’s nightmare, but the single dirtiest place in your office kitchen?  Well, that’s the kitchen faucet.  Additionally, drains and the sinks themselves can have very high microbe counts making the kitchen sink often the dirties spot in a shared workspace.

So, what can you do to make your workplace more sanitary?  First and foremost, wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of bacteria.  But also, as an employer or business owner, invest in regularly scheduled office cleaning to maintain the hygiene of your office and the health of your staff.