When it comes to cleaning and janitorial services, in many ways, a school or campus is no different than any other building or facility. Multiple functions make for spaces that get dirty quick. Heavy traffic means these same spaces seem to get dirty again each day requiring ongoing custodial maintenance. While many things are the same, there are specific issues and needs that make cleaning schools completely different from maintaining any other type of facility. What can this mean for you as a Facility Manager? Well, if you hire a commercial cleaning service that is proficient at cleaning but unfamiliar with the specific needs of educational cleaning, you might not get the service and security you and your facility demand. Schools need more from their commercial janitorial services to keep their student and staff safe and to keep their campus running smoothly and in ready to learn condition. So what are the top 10 things you need from your Michigan school cleaning company?
#1 - Security
There is no more central issue right now than school safety. Parents and staff are more focused on who is in and out of their facility than ever. For this reason, the people your school maintenance company employs for your facility is so important. School cleaning companies must carefully screen all individuals entering your campus. That means criminal background checks, drug screening, reference and employment verification and more. A good school cleaning company does what’s required, a great school cleaning company does even more.
#2 - Safety
Security is important but so is safety. What does this really mean? To insure safety, a school cleaning company must use the right products, the right way with the training and know how to protect your school environment. Chemical storage regulations must be understood and followed. Safety must be at the forefront of all decisions regarding caring for your institution.
#3 - Knowledge of Cleaning for Health
Cleaning is about a great deal more than a mop, some rags and a bottle of window cleaner. The best Michigan school cleaning companies understand vital cleaning issues like dwell times and touch points. Dwell times refer to the amount of time a cleaner must sit wet on a surface to effectively kill germs and disinfect. This means that a cursory wipe of a surface
#4 - Best Practices
Whether it comes to state of the art equipment, quality green cleaning products for schools, comprehensive background checks for employees entering your schools—you deserve a school cleaning company committed to their industry’s best practices. Schools are environments that are constantly evolving so you need a Michigan janitorial company that is ready to evolve rather than get stuck in an old and dated way of doing things.
#5 - Flexibility & Responsiveness
School environments are changeable and often unpredictable. With a mix of kids, staff, parents, after-school activities and more one day might look very different from the next. An experienced school cleaning company is ready for anything. Along those same lines, a quality school cleaning company must be able to adapt to your school’s needs with more help when you need it and less when you don’t. With today’s increasingly shrinking school budgets, it is important to be able to staff up or scale back as needed.
#6 - Communication
As you know if you work among kids, we all have a learning curve and your school cleaning company is no different. Communication between you and your school janitorial company is essential if you are to create a partnership focused on keeping your school in its best condition. The best Michigan school cleaning companies must have systems in place to keep your partnership running smoothly and handle your needs as they arise.
#7 - Accountability
When something goes wrong, you need to know who to talk to and you need to work with a cleaning company committed to getting it right. The right Michigan school cleaning company will work with you to identify mistakes or issues and get them fixed before them bloom into on going problems.
#8 - Compliance
Whether it is employee screening procedures, safety data, chemical storage, hiring regulations or insurance, you need a Michigan school janitorial service that is committed to compliance on any and all pertinent regulations. Any cleaning company that cuts corners with these vital regulations will no doubt cut corners in your services over time.
#9 - Attitude
At the end of the day, the most critical component of your school cleaning is that the job is getting done. And yet, how much better is it if the person or people who keep your schools clean are enthusiastic and positive? The best school cleaning companies work hard to find people who are a great fit for your facility.
#10 - Commitment
You don’t want new companies, new teams and different people in and out of your school. A revolving door of new cleaning contractors sends the wrong message to parents and staff. Rather, you want to build a partnership with the right Michigan school cleaning company. Find the right school janitorial company, iron out the kinks at the beginning, communicate and manage your changing needs and you can set you and your facility up for a long, smooth ride.
Finding A School Cleaning Company That Hits the Top Ten
Following the theme of school, when it comes to finding the right Michigan janitorial company, you have to do your homework. Ideally look for a school janitorial company with a Green Cleaning program that can net you effective, consistent results in a safe, environmentally conscious way. Ideally, any great company will have a systemized approach to help make managing school maintenance hassle-free and systems in place to address issues as they arise. On that same note, check for a documented training program that demonstrates a commitment to the best building services. Consider testimonials from other school principals or facility managers or even from other companies you work with like your HVAC contractor or food vendors. You can also utilize professional industry certifications like the CIMS-GB Certification to narrow your list of potential school cleaning companies. If you do your due diligence and thoroughly research prospective school cleaning companies, your educational cleaning is certain to come out on top!