You contract with a janitorial company so that you can avoid having to deal with micromanaging the cleaning of your facility, right? The goal is for everything to run smoothly and effectively so that you can focus your energy elsewhere. In order for you to be relatively hands off with your commercial cleaning company, they must be experienced, professional and attentive to all the details big and small that go into providing exceptional, affective janitorial services. The janitorial closet can be a fairly good barometer of the level of quality your commercial cleaning company is providing. Is the cleaning closet neat and orderly, a complete mess or somewhere in between?
Is the focus on a well-organized janitorial closet too narrow? We don’t think so. Your janitorial service contractor is fully aware that you can go check the cleaning storage closet at anytime, and as such, if it is consistently left messy and unkempt it means that your cleaning company thinks that you don’t check and is likely treating your facility with about the same level of care. Further, there are specific compliance codes and regulations about the storage of various cleaning supplies that if aren’t followed, can put you and your facility at risk. Sure who hasn’t left something untidy before or even taken a shortcut here or there to get something done quickly, yet a pattern of sloppiness and shortcuts will inevitably lead to poor cleaning services.
Do we really want to have to wonder if the cloth used to clean the toilet was also used to clean our desk? Do we want to settle for a janitorial services company that doesn’t follow the manufacturer’s directions regarding cleaning chemicals? Do we want to partner with a cleaning company that might not be adequately screening their staff? The reality is that short cuts in one area predict short cuts in others. If your commercial cleaning service isn’t consistently following industry best practices, you and your facility are at risk in a host of important ways.
When it comes to dealing with cross contamination, there is a cost effective, common sense method that your janitorial company should be using, a color coordinated rage system. The color-coded rag system uses rags, cloths and towels of varying color for specified areas in order to reduce or eliminate cross-contamination and get a cleaner, healthier work environment. Take, for instance, office cleaning. The rag that was used to clean the restroom should never be used to clean the desk. By color coding rags that can be used in the restroom and those that can be used on the desk, you are never at risk for these types of problems. It is a simple system anyone can follow. If your cleaning service isn’t using this easy to understand, easy to implement visual coding system, they are not doing their part to prevent health risks in your facility.
Unlike some of us tech junkies, your office cleaning company doesn't need brand new state-of-the-art equipment every year to be competitive and to provide a high level or service. However, that doesn't mean that having near antique equipment won’t impact the quality of cleaning in your facility. First, using the right equipment, such as HVAC vacuum cleaners, can help earn LEED points towards improving your green building score. Further, newer vacuum cleaners are often lighter and more efficient saving you both time and money. This is especially beneficial given that janitorial cleaning budgets are as tight as ever. The best commercial cleaning companies recognize that having the right, up-to-date equipment can improve cleaning and efficiency. When you look in your janitorial closet do you see newer equipment that is well maintained or a bunch of broken bits or vacuums and floor cleaning supplies or machines that have seen better days?
Every janitorial or commercial cleaning that you talk to is going to throw the word “green cleaning” at you but do they have a comprehensive program to truly meet your environmental and sustainability goals? What does an actual green cleaning program look like? Is your janitorial company using LEEDs approved equipment and processes? Are they using environmentally sound cleaning solutions and are they using them in the right ways? Are they protecting your building’s occupants from the dangers of cross-contaminations? If your prospective janitorial and commercial cleaning company is really putting their best foot forward on green cleaning practices they should have comprehensive information and evident programs that they can implement in your facility.
One of the best ways to ensure consistency and assure reliability in your facility is to perform regular janitorial inspections, including inspections of the janitorial closet/closets. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, it is a very human thing to do. So, through the use of janitorial inspections, we can help find and address these mistakes quickly before they bloom into larger problems. Your cleaning company can’t address issues you have with them if they are never told what the issues are. Use regular inspections to your advantage to help forge a stronger partnership with your cleaning company.
You can’t use the state of the janitorial closet as a sole gauge of the quality of cleaning and service that you are receiving. However, it can be a major red flag indicating larger problems. If you perform a janitorial inspection and find that the closet is in perfect or near perfect condition, it is likely you can rest assured that your facility is being attended to in the same way. Here at Stathakis, we take advantage of the latest innovations and proven cleaning processes to deliver the highest quality service. We work with our teams to keep janitorial closet clean and organized because we know having the right tools well organized is the optimal starting point. Let us show you how our Southeast Michigan cleaning sets the standard for the industry. Whether you have a simple question or would like a no-obligation quote, give us a call at 1-800-278-1844 or email info@stathakis.com