They say cleanliness is next to Godliness, and while I’m not sure the two are so intimately connected – one thing is for certain, cleanliness is important for your image. Not only is a clean workspace important for worker productivity and morale, but it shows your clients that you are serious about your business. One aspect of commercial cleaning is floor cleaning. Though you may not pay a lot of attention to your floors, the reality is they can have a huge impact on the image of your company. Floors take up a great deal of your commercial space, and they’re often one of the most noticeable aspects of your business and there’s more to commercial floor cleaning than meets the eye. So, what do you need to know about commercial floor cleaning?

Benefits

First, let’s talk about some of the clear benefits of maintaining clean commercial floors. As already stated clean floors project an image of professionalism and help to promote worker efficiency. However, you may not be aware of some of the benefits of a regular maintenance program. Over time, commercial floors in offices, warehouses, factories, and everything in between see a lot of traffic, wear, and tear. Regular cleaning not only ensures your floors look great today, but helps maintain the surfaces so they’re durable and attractive for years to come.

Most importantly, regular commercial floor cleaning is a major component of maintaining adequate workplace hygiene. Floors collect dust, dirt, and debris that can be a source of microorganisms known to cause a variety of illnesses. Floor cleaning should not be overlooked when endeavouring to maintain a sanitary workplace.

Professional Cleaning

Now that you understand why you should routinely have your commercial floors cleaned, let’s talk about some of the reasons to hire professional floor cleaners. In fact, commercial floor cleaning is a highly specialized job. There are many different materials utilized in commercial flooring from tile and vinyl to ceramic and concrete, and the cleaning tools and supplies required can vary significantly.

Commercial floor cleaning professionals also have the necessary experience to ensure your entire floor surface is effectively cleaned. For tile floors, cleaning techniques are designed to clean throughout the tile and grout effectively eliminating dirt, mildew, fungus, and bacteria. For vinyl or laminate flooring, floors are cleaned and buff to leave a smooth, shiny finish.

Not only do cleaning supplies vary depending on the type of floor, but commercial floor cleaners will use different techniques depending on the type of business. For example, warehouses that store chemicals or solvents require specialized cleaning in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Regardless of the type of business or the type of flooring in your space, professional commercial cleaners will keep your floors in their best condition so they look like new today and in the future.

If you are looking for janitorial services in Vancouver, BC, it should come as no surprise that there are a wide variety of options available to you. As the third largest metropolitan centre in Canada, Vancouver is home to a wide range of businesses that range in size from independently operated businesses out of a home office to large, multi-national corporations. Regardless of the size of your business, if you greet clients in your office or have staff that work out of your office, cleanliness is an important part of your success.

First, let’s talk briefly about why you want to hire a professional janitorial company. One of the main reasons to contract your cleaning services to experts is to maintain an organized and efficient office. Employees are considerably more productive if their working environment is clean. Not only does a tidy environment encourage efficient work, but it can also reduce time lost to illness or injury. Furthermore, clean offices are incredibly important when it comes to making a good impression on current or potential clients. Whether you accept it or not, your customers will judge your business based on the appearance of your offices. Imagine you walked into a business that was dusty and disheveled – how would that impact your opinion of that company? In a competitive business market like Vancouver, you cannot afford to lose customers because a disorganized office reflects a disorganized company.

So what should you look for in your janitorial services? There are a wide variety of businesses in Vancouver – some operate out of corporate offices while others conduct most of their day-to-day operations from a warehouse or factory. There is not a simple janitorial solution that applies to every business. You want to work with a Vancouver-based janitorial company that can meet your company’s needs. Some of the services you’d need in a warehouse will not be required in a health-care setting, and vice versa. Ultimately, you want to find a cleaning company that will provide the services you need on a schedule that works for your business.

Indeed, flexibility is one of the key features of an excellent janitorial company. As such, before you interview potential cleaners, you should make a comprehensive list of the cleaning services you require.

• Cleaning and vacuuming carpets
• Washing and buffing floors
• Sanitizing bathrooms and kitchens
• Window cleaning
• Trash and recycling removal
• Industrial cleaning services

These are just a very few examples of the types of cleaning you may require. Depending on the size of your company and the number of staff members you employ, your cleaning needs can vary significantly. Search for a Vancouver cleaning company that can offer the services you need, when you need them, and at a cost that suits your budget.

Did you know that one in five people suffer from allergies or that allergies cost the health care system billions of dollars every year? Or how about the fact that more than 5 million workdays are lost in North America each year due to hay fever alone? There are even some statistics suggesting that allergies are becoming increasingly common and that the allergy season is being extended due to global warming. As you can see, in order to maintain optimum efficiency, it is incredibly important for employers to keep the workplace allergy free. So what can you do to help mitigate the problems of allergens in the workplace?

A Clean Workplace is a Health Workplace

First and foremost, keeping your office or workplace clean and tidy can significantly reduce the impact of allergens. Dusting and cleaning surfaces helps to eliminate allergens, but you should also be aware of mold and air pollutants that can trigger allergies in employees.

Clean Air is Breathable Air

Many hospitals and health care facilities utilize air purifiers to reduce the impact of allergens in the workplace, and you can apply the same principles to your office or commercial space. Pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens can make their way even indoors and air purifiers can help eliminate the potential negative impact of these allergens. You may also want to keep doors and windows closed to improve air quality, but HEPA filters can be installed to work with HVAC systems to keep air quality at optimal levels.

Nuts are Nuts

Unfortunately, some foods can trigger very severe allergic reactions. If you are aware of an employee with a serious food allergy, you may need to ban those foods from the workplace. You’ll find that many schools in North America ban nuts entirely from school lunches in order to prevent unnecessary and potentially fatal allergic reactions.

Scent Sensitivity is Not Nonsense

In all likelihood, there is at least one person in every work environment that is very sensitive to smell. Perfume, scented soaps, and even scented hand lotion can make that work environment very uncomfortable for these individuals. Even if none of your employees has complained about sensitivity to such products, you should considering a scent-free environment by only using scent-free soap and cleaning products. You should even consider asking employees not to wear perfume or cologne in the office.

Provide Allergy Testing

This might seem like a radical idea, but the fact remains that allergies can significantly compromise productivity while also representing a considerable safety issue for some employees. Nevertheless, preventing allergic reactions is easy if you know which of your employees suffers from allergies and what causes those allergies. Providing allergy testing will help you determine the best course of action for keeping your employees happy and healthy.

Have you been wondering how much janitorial cleaning will cost?  Perhaps you’ve already contacted some commercial cleaning companies only to find the costs vary widely or they’re not willing to quote a cost over the phone.  Indeed, janitorial cleaning is not a one-price-fits-all service; depending on the type of business, the services you require, the size of your space, and a number of other factors, janitorial cleaning costs will fluctuate.  So how can you estimate the cost of cleaning?

How Companies Charge

The first thing to remember is that professional cleaning companies will charge not only based on the services they provide but also the total square footage that needs to be cleaned.  Ultimately, you need to put together a detailed list of the services you require before you’re ready to negotiate a cleaning contract.

Some factors to consider include the frequency of cleaning, the time of day the facility will be cleaned, the types of cleaning that will be required (windows, floors, bathrooms, etc.), the types of cleaning products to be used (for example, standard or environmentally-friendly products), and the supplies required and who provides them (i.e. paper towels, soap, toilet paper).

Also, keep in mind that fully insured and bonded janitors will typically cost more but they also protect you and your business against damage, loss, injury, and other risks.

Average Costs

To be clear, it can be difficult to estimate the costs of cleaning without having specific information about the type of facility, square footage, and cleaning services.  Nevertheless, it is important to have some guidelines so you know whether one company is charging too much or too little.

So, for small offices that range in size from 1000 to 2000 square feet, a typical light cleaning cost will be around $40 per visit.  Clearly, this is not expensive so you shouldn’t expect more than trash removal, vacuuming, and dusting.

As you increase services, the cost of cleaning will also increase.  Expect to pay an extra $20 or $30 per visit to clean a small bathroom including restocking hand towels, toilet paper, and soap as well as washing floors, surfaces, and toilets.  However, this increased cost is not likely to include the cost of supplies, so you’ll have to factor that into your budget.

With respect to larger offices, expect to pay more.  Also, for added services such as floor washing, waxing, or steam-cleaning, kitchen cleaning, and window cleaning, costs will rise by at least $0.50 per square foot.

Negotiate

As you can see, cleaning costs will depend on a wide range of factors so you need to carefully negotiate your janitorial contract.  Make sure to get quotes from a number of professionals and always include all the cleaning duties you require as well as the frequency of cleaning and the time of day you want the cleaning done.

Properly maintaining your carpets involves a regular cleaning schedule.  Not only should you vacuum your carpets frequently (most carpet cleaning experts recommend vacuuming at least on a weekly basis), but they should also be steam cleaned regularly.  But what exactly does “regularly” mean?  How often should you clean your carpets?

This is actually a very common question, to which there isn’t really a defined answer.  For new carpets, you should be mindful of the conditions in your warranty.  Most carpet warranties require that carpets are professionally cleaned at least every 12 to 18 months in order to keep the warranty valid.  But, once the warranty has run out, there are many factors to consider when determining how frequently you need to clean your carpets.

Some homeowners make the false mistake of thinking darker coloured carpets need to be cleaned less frequently, but this is simply not true.  On the contrary, because visible signs of soiling are not always obvious on darker-coloured carpets, you likely want to clean these carpets more frequently in order to reduce dust and allergens in your home.  So what factors do you need to consider?

Manufacturers Rrecommendations

First and foremost, consider your manufacturers recommendations with respect to frequency of cleaning.  While they’ll usually suggest relatively frequent cleaning, their recommendations are typically based at least in part on the type of fabric used in the carpets.  Ultimately, it’s important to note that regular steam cleaning will help increase the life expectancy of your carpets.  Standard recommendations suggest cleaning at least every 2 years.

Traffic

Do you have pets or young children?  Is the carpeted area in a heavy traffic room or a low-use room?  Not only are carpets that are subjected to heavy traffic more likely to become stained, they’ll also accumulate more dirt and dust that may or may not be visible.  If your carpets are located in high-traffic areas, consider cleaning them more frequently.  Obviously, you can spot clean stains between cleanings, but annual or biannual cleanings in high traffic areas are recommended for rooms that see a lot of action.

Cleanliness

The final consideration you should make when deciding how often to clean your carpets is daily maintenance.  If you vacuum your carpets regularly, have a “no shoe” policy, or if you don’t have pets, you can probably schedule carpet cleanings less frequently (i.e. every two or three years).  However, if you avoid vacuuming like the plague, you probably want to schedule yearly cleanings in order to keep your carpets in their best condition.

Remember, more frequent cleaning is not a problem and many carpet cleaning experts will recommend annual cleanings.  This not only improves the life expectancy of your carpets and keeps them looking great, but also lends to a more hygienic home environment.