Security and trust are important with any cleaning or janitorial company. But nowhere do security and trust matter more than in our schools.
School safety is paramount. Having a janitorial service you can trust on your campus brings peace of mind for everyone involved. It also means one less worry for you as a Facilities Manager.
So how do you determine if your current janitorial company is worthy of your trust?
And if you’re searching for a new school cleaning service, how can you tell if they’re doing what it takes to keep students, staff, and facilities safe?
What Safety and Security Issue Matters Most With School Cleaning?
First, let’s identify the issues that matter most when it comes to school cleaning.
The single most significant safety and security issue is personnel. Who cleans your school is more important than any other element of cleaning.
Sure, how they clean and what they use matters. But if you have a janitorial team that hasn’t been properly screened, background checked, and drug tested, your students may be at risk.
The scary part is you can’t assume a cleaning company has done the work. You have to verify and be certain.
That includes confirming they’ve done the steps required for carefully vetting employees.
Are You Sure Your Janitorial Company Is Doing Enough to Get the Right People in Your Facility?
Finding, qualifying, screening, and training the right candidate to work in a school is not easy.
In fact, it can be so challenging that far too many janitorial companies take shortcuts and eventually declare “good enough.”
But is “good enough” what you want for your students and staff? Of course it isn’t.
The best cleaning companies understand that when they do the work upfront to find very good people, every other element of service becomes easier to manage.
Good people do good work. And good work makes for happy customers.
How the Best School Cleaning Companies Build Strong Teams
What do the best school cleaning companies do to find the best people? They focus on multiple layers of recruiting, retention, and verification.
- They attract stronger candidates because current employees like the work enough to refer others.
- They offer competitive pay, benefits, and incentives that help retain the best performers.
- They use strong screening processes to protect your campus and reduce risk.
- They rely on expert training, systems, and supervision to stay consistent day after day.
Strong screening often includes both state and nationwide background checks, drug testing, reference checks, employment verification, and sometimes even personality testing.
The Right Cleaning Company Helps Keep Kids Healthy by Cleaning for Health
Once you confirm your school cleaning service is committed to hiring the right people, the next step is making sure they clean in a way that protects health.
Cleaning for health isn’t just about making a school look clean. It’s about limiting the spread of infectious disease like colds, viruses, and the flu.
Cleaning for health can reduce absenteeism and help students stay present and ready to learn.
Your janitorial service should also understand “touch points.” These are high-contact surfaces like door handles, sink handles, pencil sharpeners, and computer components.
They may not look dirty, but detailed cleaning in these areas can impact student health in a big way.
Does your current cleaning provider truly understand this part of cleaning for health?
Thorough Training and Green Cleaners Can Add an Extra Layer of Protection
Cleaners are only as good as their training. If your janitorial service skimps on training, you may not be getting the level of clean you need.
If a janitor doesn’t know how to use cleaning products correctly, the cleaning may be inadequate and chemical safety issues can follow.
What cleaners are being used matters. How they’re stored and disposed of matters too.
The best janitorial services train their teams thoroughly because they understand that skipping training is an avoidable risk.
Can We Afford a Janitorial Company This Good?
You might be thinking this all sounds great… and expensive.
Many Facility Managers assume better service is out of their price range. But that’s not always true.
Often, the most experienced janitorial companies are the ones that know how to get the most cleaning from tight budgets.
They understand how to price services realistically and how to structure programs for value.
On the other hand, a low-price bid with no clear outline of what work will actually be done is a warning sign.
The lowest price can signal:
- A company that says anything to win the business
- An inexperienced provider that later adds fees or asks for more money
- A bid that was underpriced, leading to service decline over time
The best school cleaning companies will help you customize a plan that fits your budget while covering the areas that matter most.
Can I Find a Janitorial Provider That Offers Trust, Value, and a Solid Cleaning Job?
Now you know what matters most when it comes to safety, security, and health in your school. But how do you find the right provider?
Do your upfront work, and the rest becomes far more straightforward.
Start with references. Ask for at least five, but ten is even better.
You can also ask for:
- Past client references
- Customers who switched providers
- Patterns of lost accounts (and why)
Some schools change vendors due to budgets or mandates, so even good companies may lose accounts.
But repeated losses due to safety, security, or performance issues are a major red flag.
Ask a prospective provider how they screen and train staff. Then ask them to show you the process.
If a company can’t clearly explain how they qualify employees, that’s a warning sign.
The most consistent providers have systems that make quality manageable, and they should be able to share that information.
Is There a Way to “Go to the Head of the Class” When Shopping Janitorial Companies?
Yes. Professional certifications can help you narrow your list quickly.
CIMS certification can identify providers most likely to deliver on their promises and prioritize school safety.
CIMS is a certification process for the janitorial and cleaning industry. It evaluates a company’s ability to:
- Estimate and bid jobs properly
- Recruit, screen, and train strong employees
- Maintain documented training programs
- Meet regulatory requirements
- Commit to safety and continuous improvement
- Communicate effectively with customers
Companies that lack these capabilities are often mismanaged or inefficient. Over time, they tend to cut corners. That can create safety and health issues in a school environment.
Choosing a provider that is CIMS certified reduces the chances of getting stuck with a company that simply doesn’t get it.
Finding a great janitorial service that understands safety, health, value, and reliability is absolutely possible.
And when you use certifications like CIMS as part of your search, it becomes not only possible, but far more likely.
Nothing is more important than children’s health and safety. As a Facility Manager, you play a key role in making sure the school day is safe and secure.
Find the right janitorial partner, and you can ensure consistent, high-quality service for your campus.