Cleaning Is About More Than Meets the Eye
When it comes to your janitorial service, cleaning is about so much more than just what meets the eye.
In fact, a great deal of what makes cleaning for health so critical is about what you cannot see.
You cannot see the ongoing threat of superbugs, influenza viruses, E. coli, C. difficile, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
You cannot see what germs are left behind if your janitorial company does not follow the dwell times required for germ-killing cleaning products to be effective.
You cannot see the threat to your employees or customers when your cleaning service misuses chemicals that might be toxic.
You cannot see when rags used to clean toilets are then used to wipe desks, creating dangerous cross-contamination issues.
The single biggest obstacle when ensuring your janitorial service is cleaning for health is that you can’t see whether they are doing these things unless you have deep knowledge of the products being used or directly witness bad practices.
You Shouldn’t Have to Micromanage Your Cleaning Service
For most facility managers, following your cleaning team around is counterproductive.
You hired a janitorial service to minimize your involvement in day-to-day cleaning management.
So how can you ensure health is a priority without watching their every move?
You Depend on Your Janitorial Company to Keep You Informed
Cleaning for Health is a central concept within the cleaning industry.
Through high-density living and increased microbe resistance to antibiotics, the role of the cleaning industry in preventing public health disasters has never been more important.
Professional janitorial services understand cleaning for health and have plans to ensure every team member follows these directives.
Your janitorial service should be a key source of information on infection control.
They access peer-reviewed science and guidelines to prevent the spread of microbes and should provide you with accurate, current recommendations.
Are they using this information to build best practices, or phoning it in?
Why Cleaning for Health Isn’t Just for Healthcare Settings
Because of infection risks, cleaning for health is strictly enforced in healthcare settings.
But proper cleaning and disinfecting also applies far beyond healthcare.
Take schools. When schools aren’t properly cleaned for health, absenteeism rises and test scores go down.
There are practical outcomes at stake: cleanliness impacts performance, health, and operational success.
The same applies to offices, retail, transportation, hospitality, and more.
The Basics of Cleaning for Health & What You Should Be Looking For
Start with contact or dwell times.
These times determine how long disinfectants must remain wet on surfaces to kill microbes effectively.
If your janitorial provider doesn’t follow manufacturer-listed contact times, they are putting your team at risk.
Next, consider contamination of cleaning equipment.
Rags and towels used too long, or used across unrelated tasks, spread germs instead of removing them.
Cross-contamination — wiping toilets and then phones, for example — is a major threat.
A professional janitorial provider understands when detergent is enough and when harsher disinfectants are required.
They also understand touch points — areas that see many hands each day.
Finally, many traditional cleaning chemicals contain toxins that put workers and building occupants at risk.
Switching to greener cleaners often improves air quality, reduces staff complaints, and saves money.
Finding a Janitorial Company That Understands Cleaning for Health
If your janitorial provider doesn’t grasp fundamentals like dwell times, touch points, green cleaning, and cross-contamination — you’re not receiving true professional service.
Ask questions. Review training materials. Verify employees understand chemical usage and contamination prevention.
A little vetting upfront prevents major problems later.
To simplify the search, professional organizations can help you shortlist companies already meeting industry standards.
For example, ISSA’s CIMS certification verifies that a company has systems in place to meet cleaning-for-health requirements.
With ISSA CIMS certification, someone else has already asked the tough questions for you.
At the end of the day, you want your facility not just to look clean, but to be clean.
That requires a reputable janitorial service that centers everything on keeping people safe and healthy.
