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.

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.