Choosing the Right Commercial Office Cleaning Company

By William Peeples / August 27, 2019

Tips For Choosing the Right Commercial Office Cleaning Company

As a business owner, you can either choose to add a full-time cleaner or hire a commercial cleaning company to clean your office. Despite the fact that these two options have their pros and cons, outsourcing has proven to be the better option. Hiring a professional company that provides commercial cleaning services in your local area is your best bet to maintaining a clean workspace for your employees, customers and clients.

clean office reception area

One of the major benefits of having a clean office is the fact that it makes a favourable impression on customers. Such a company is also ready to work with you on the hours you need their services, the services they offer and the kind of qualifications you would like their employees to have.

If you are planning to look for a commercial cleaning company but don’t know where to start, read on to find out how. So, without further ado, here are 10 tips for finding a good commercial cleaning company that every company out there should know about:

1. Conduct a Thorough Background Check on the Company You Want To Hire

When looking for a good commercial cleaning company, it is good that you ask the right questions. Doing so will help you get the best cleaning services at a pocket-friendly price. Find out how many hours they are available and how many days they work. These can be important questions to ask especially when looking for a company to do the cleaning after your office closes for the day.

Compare the rates charged by different commercial cleaning companies offering the same services. Ask the potential companies about their hiring procedures, employee training or whether they have experienced employees, and whether they can handle multiple projects or tasks.

2. Ask For References

Asking for references will help you find out about the reputation of the cleaning company you want to hire. Ask the company for customer references and find out about customer satisfaction. Also, remember to find out the company’s reputation within the local business community.

Ask the company about who they have worked for before and how they have been rated by their previous clients. If most of the businesses were satisfied with the services offered by the cleaning company, it may be a good idea to consider hiring the company.

3. Find out Whether the Company Has a Liability Insurance

Before hiring a cleaning company, ask for proof of insurance. Also, ask for something that shows that the company is fully licensed. Additionally, ask for general and workers compensation certificates. Choose a cleaning company that hires regular employees and not cash workers since the regular employees carry insurance against liability and injury. This liability will protect you and the cleaner in case of an accident while the cleaner is cleaning your office. Don’t forget to verify a cleaning company’s business license before hiring.

4. Look for a Company That Only Hires Professionals

To achieve this, you should find out how the cleaning company you want to hire hires their employees. Ask about the cleaning company’s hiring procedures and vetting process. This will help you ensure that the team sent to clean your office do their work in a professional manner and know how to clean an office in the best way possible.

It is also a good idea to find out about the company’s employee dress code to make sure that cleaners will show up looking professional and presentable. Most of the cleaners often wear uniforms and have an ID badge. It is good to know about such things before hiring a cleaning company.

5. Find out Whether the Company Has an Established Cleaning Process

Look for a well-established company with experience, a good reputation and the ability to show that they have achieved results for other customers. A commercial cleaning company with an established process is more likely to have an established reputation to back their work, for example, a green cleaning regiment.

6. Ask if the Company Has a Cleaning Checklist for Their Employees

An established cleaning process mostly includes a checklist for the company’s employees. Find out whether the company you want to hire has a standard task-list that should be followed by all the workers to ensure that the job is done well. Find out about the cleaning supplies that the potential cleaning company uses.

You should also find out whether the company knows how to spot and deal with trouble spots like mold and mildew, the kind of products they use, whether or not they use natural cleaning products and whether they have a list of areas to be covered including the halls and stairs, entryway, and kitchen including windows, refrigerator, wastebaskets, and desks.

7. Look for a Local Company

If possible, it may be better to choose a commercial cleaning company with a local office especially local headquarters. This is because of the fact that this ensures that the company will get a crew to you within the shortest time possible whenever you need cleaning services. It is also helpful when you would like to communicate with them in person.

This can be very important considering the fact that face to face relationships are very important. It is also a good idea to consider a commercial cleaning company with local management. If the company you want to hire is part of a franchise, their management could be located in another state and difficult to reach.

8. Ask Whether the Company Has an MSDS List

MSDS stands for Material Data Safety Sheets and are regarded as an important part of the safety process for companies offering commercial cleaning services. Any organization that handles chemicals, regardless of how less dangerous they may be, must keep an MSDS for every substance.

If you need to look up the MSDS on a product you can visit https://www.msdsonline.com/sds-search/

This info is important as it helps determine the reactivity of a chemical with other compounds whether it is flammable and the possible side effects of exposure to the chemical. MSDS are printed in English but if you have bilingual staff, you can ask the company to provide translations. All those who work in the company should have access to MSDS files as they describe the proper safe handling and transportation procedures.

9. Find Out About the Flexibility of the Cleaning Company

A professional cleaning crew will work around your schedule. If you would like your office will host a night meeting, for instance, professional cleaners can reschedule when they come to your office including later in the evening after the night meeting. These professionals are available to work around schedules convenient for their clients. This flexibility can help you save time and money.

10. Does The Cleaning Company Know How To Keep Your Employees Healthy?

Apart from cleaning, a commercial cleaning company can help ensure that your employees stay healthy. Professional cleaners fully understand the concept of hygiene. They can ensure that those areas where workers congregate are sparkling clean. And the good thing is that they know where germs build up.

If there is an employee with cold, a professional cleaner can fight those germs and get rid of them. Therefore, hiring a commercial cleaning company will help you keep your employees healthy as professional cleaners know how to effectively deal with pathogens and bacteria hence preventing the spread of diseases caused by pathogens and bacteria.

Skilled cleaners clean desks, furniture, windows carpet, and computers using specialized cleaning products. They do their job while wearing protective clothing. This attention to detail keeps your employees healthy.

janitor mopping hallway

If you run a business and you are mostly very busy, it is good to focus on your business instead of thinking about things like cleaning your office. Just contact a good commercial cleaning company to come and help you when your office closes for the day. A dirty office can leave negative impressions on your visitors and customers. Therefore, it is good to ensure that your office is always sparkling clean by hiring a good commercial cleaning company.

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Tips for Preventing Infection Using Green Cleaning Methods

Are you interested in finding better ways to clean your home?

Have you been considering switching to green cleaning methods but have worries about getting infections?

If so, you are in luck! There are some great tips waiting right here for you to check out. Once you have, you will be much more confident in your ability to keep yourself and others in your home free from infections.

allergy-infection

First of all, you need to understand that microscopic organisms are a natural part of life. You and everyone else has bacteria all over their bodies. This is completely normal. Many folks think that if they switch from traditional cleaning products to natural ones that their homes will suddenly be overrun with germs and other tiny unwanted organisms.

While it is certainly true that you don’t want mold, mildew and other germs running amok in your home, you need not worry as long as you make smart choices when it comes to caring for the home and yourself.

Another important consideration that folks need to understand when it comes to green cleaning products is that the vast majority of them work to get rid of infectious germs. The only difference is that they do it without doing a bunch of harm to the planet and the people who are using it. If you purchase the products already made, the quality control folks at the company have made sure that the items in your home will be clean once you have used them correctly. By using the natural acids, oils and other parts of plants, these products are able to work efficiently and correctly.

Now, if you are going to prevent infection in your body, you have to make smart choices still. For instance, if you have an open wound on your hand, you should not expose the area directly to a bucket of water being used to clean up a moldy mess. If you do, you are just inviting infection to enter your bloodstream. The fact is that even though green cleaning products are better for you to use, they do have limitations. The reality is that if the water contains microscopic organisms that are still struggling for life, your body makes an excellent escape route for them from the cleaning products and tools that you are using. Therefore, you should always wear gloves.

Look for cleaning items that contain tea tree oil or oils from citrus in them. These will help to combat the germs that are going to be found and will break up grease and other problematic areas. As for the citrus, you also have the benefit of the fragrant scent of lemons, grapefruit and oranges to choose from to make your home smell awesome. Doesn’t that sound much better than the smell of bleach or other harsh products like ammonia?

Make sure to clean and rinse everything thoroughly and frequently. This will reduce the amount of time that microscopic contaminants have to grow and breed in your home. This is particularly true in the bathroom and kitchen of your home, where infectious agents are most likely to breed.

However, that doesn’t mean that you should forget about other areas of your home. Always keep your place clean and fresh, using the best green cleaning methods that you can find. Doing so will improve the quality of the air that you and your family breathe each day along with other health related benefits.

Take the time to keep your home clean and it will look great, along with your wellness, making it a winning idea!

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A Few Tips From an Experienced Cleaner

A Few Tips From an Experienced Cleaner

As the owner of a cleaning business in Canada and with many acquaintances who are cleaning business owners in the U.S., I know a lot concerning spring cleaning around here and actually have numerous commercial cleaning contracts in Ontario. That being said, this area has many unique characteristics, but you might want to read the entire article and learn a bit more about cleaning in general.

Spring Cleaning In No Time

mop-caddymop-caddyThe first thing you should do to get this dreadful task done is actually plan or schedule a day just for spring cleaning. The greater part of individuals these days are particularly involved with their family, friends, work and play and it can be truly hard to discover time to do the work. Why not get the whole family involved by assigning certain tasks to each member. Then you provide an incentive like a pizza party or a movie after the job is done. Then again, these days, many people are just too busy. Both the husband and wife may both work and there is just no time for such a gruelling task, you might consider hiring a cleaning company to come in and do one big spring clean for you. If you’re moving to a new home or apartment, you might find some other helpful cleaning tips here.

Getting Professional Help

professional-cleanerWho said you can’t get some help? The cost may actually be low compared to the value of time that you can spend doing something more important. In the event that you live in a very large home, ensure you get some assistance, you may want to have help on a weekly schedule. Ask relatives to bail you out with cleaning, and on the off chance that you live all alone, you may have a good special friend that will give you a hand at it. You might then consider trading help. they help you clean yours and you, in return, help them with theirs. Here’s another thought, in the event that you don’t have enough time, why not just go ahead and have someone in to do the difficult tasks that you don’t have time for, and take care of the minor cleaning yourself.

Moving Furniture Around To All The Get Dust

Ok – here’s a tip, don’t be lazy – move the furniture when your vacuuming. Built up dirt under furniture can actually become embedded and locked in when affected by high humidity in the home and then even harder to get out later. Also, I should add, that that can have a negative impact on your general health, and that it is vital to ensure that you clean everything in your home on some level of regular basis. Be careful moving around furniture as well, you don’t want to injure your back or pull a muscle, ask a family member to help.

The Tools

cleaning-toolsWell, if you don’t have the right tools for the job, it goes without saying, that you will probably do a poor job. Before you begin on the actual cleaning day schedules, ensure that you make a list and grab everything you think you will need at the store so that you’re prepared. The worst thing is to see an area you aren’t able to address because you don’t have the right tool, equipment, or cleaner, and then say. “Oh, I’ll get that spot next time around”. Chances are good you will never get to it.

 

 

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Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Made Easy

 

When it comes to carpet and upholstery cleaning, prevention is going to be your best option. You need proper maintenance  to reduce wear and tear. These tips can save you money on professional services.

The easiest way to keep your carpet clean is by not allowing shoes to be worn indoors. Obviously, you don’t have this luxury in every scenario. Floor mats are another great way to extend the life of your carpet. Long hallway rugs should be used in high traffic areas. These should be cleaned more frequently to prevent staining around the edges. There are many commercial carpet cleaners you can rent at such locations such as Home Depot or Lowes. The Rug Doctor is the most popular on the market. It is easy to use and works very well.

Once you have your steam cleaner you are ready to begin. Start at the farthest corner and work backward toward the door so you don’t go back over any already cleaned areas. Identify any problem areas and add spot remover where needed. You are going to want to make sure to use even strokes to ensure one part of your carpet doesn’t get overly saturated. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on cleaning products. This mixture works great and can save you some cash: Start with liquid laundry detergent and pre-mix it in a separate jug. Add the soap to a gallon of water.

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Carpet

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pet-odor-removal

pet-odor-removal

pet-odor-removal

The hotter the water, the better it will penetrate. You’ll want to make sure it is well diluted. Add a cup of your diluted soapy water to your hot water. Then add about 2/3 cup of bleach. If you have very dark color carpets, you should use less. Now that you have a mix, you should vacuum and pre-spot any stains. Open your windows to avoid an overpowering bleach odor. Ceiling fans should also be left on to help assist in drying. Diluted detergent is low foaming; this means you won’t have too much foam to deal with. After the first pass, you should empty the reservoir. Also use a strainer when dumping the used water down your drain. This will prevent any plumbing issues.

Do a second run using the mix of hot water, laundry detergent, and bleach. Always clean the machine by rinsing the reservoir completely out. You’ll be amazed at how much better your carpet looks when you are done. If you insist on using store-bought solutions try to only use chemicals that are 100% biodegradable, and only pick ones that say they include oxidizers with enzymes. A good citrus product can assist in spot removal.

To learn more about various procedures used in carpet cleaning, you may also be interested in the: Five Types of Carpet Cleaning

The 6 best carpet cleaning machines (in my opinion)

carpet-cleaning-machine

The Bissell home carpet cleaning machines

• Have a combination of forward and reverses transmission.
• The brushes are powerful.
• Made from eco-friendly materials.
• Bissell spot cleaner can be used to help maintain your carpet.
• Automatic mode.
• The spiral brush is great at removing stains.

Dyson vacuums

• Never loses suction
• Works great on pet hair

Hoover SteamVac

• 12-amp motor and clean search feature
• 2-speed brush control

Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner

• Strong suction and handheld motorized brush
• Retractable extension handle

Hoover Extract fh50220

• This unit provides heated carpet dryer assistance.
• Auto conversion tools

Bissell Pro Heat 2x Premier

• Great for high traffic areas.
• Includes heated carpet drying technology

Upholstery

Many people don’t realize how important it is to have their upholstery professionally clean. Just imagine if you wore the same shirt for 6 months. Think of all the particles, dead skin, oils that build up. Neutral-based cleaners should be used.

Equipment checklist

• Cleaning tools
• Vacuum
• Horsehair brush
• 2qt. sprayer
• Citrus spotters
• Solvent bar
• Neutral cleaner
• Drop cloth
• Terry cloth towel

Upholstery cleaning checklist

• Make sure the fabric has no burns, rips or tears.
• Identify the material. Is it a natural fiber or man-made?
• Dust very well with your brush
• Run the vacuum over it to remove any excess dirt that is not attached.
• Spray any cleaning material on lightly, misting evenly
• Use your brush to cleanse

Most upholstery has a cleaning code which can be found on the label. It should tell you what your upholstery is made of and what you can use to clean it. The cleaning codes are as follows:

• W: Agents that have a water base or foam may be used. Distilled water is required – don’t use city tap water as it may contain chlorine.
• S: Only mild cleaning solvents, that contain no water, should be used. No water can be used and dry cleaning is not recommended on all parts. This code is usually found on man-made materials such as polyester and nylon
• WS: Water-based agents, foam, mild cleaning solvents. that contain no water, may be used. No tap water can be used. Distilled water only. This code means you have a blend of natural and man-made materials.
• X: Clean only with a light brushing or vacuum. Never use water. This is very rare, usually on drapes or curtains.

If all this seems a little too much to tackle on your own, you can always hire a professional

When you follow these carpet and upholstery cleaning tips you are guaranteed to cut down on wear and tear and keep your home or office smelling clean.

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Start Your Own Cleaning Business for Under 500.00

Vital Acquisitions for Beginning your own Cleaning Company.

One of the best aspects of this industry is you can start your own business for well under a thousand bucks and some sweat equity.

After a number of years of experience with numerous entrepreneurs, I have actually seen that those that begin with the least cash are normally a lot more effective in the future. Those with accessibility to a lot of cash usually head down the wrong path. They invest too much money and time on points that do not create any type of earnings, like creating a logo design and business cards. These are fabricated self-confidence boosters, some individuals assume they should be an “actual company.” Do you recognize when you end up being an actual company? When somebody pays you for a great job or solution to their problem. Up until after that, you are simply a man with a plan. Being hungry to make sales get you focused on what really counts. Some larger cleaning companies offer start-up & coaching help for new cleaning business owners. King Kleen, a commercial cleaning business in Kingston Ontario, for example, has a program called Kleen Buddies. This is a small franchise type of training to train new and existing sub-contractors in the residential cleaning niche. Their goal is to next work with those contractors and supply them lead contracts.

Sierra-vacuum-for-cleanmingVacuum Cleaner 100.00

You will certainly require an excellent vacuum to get started. Does it have to be first-rate? Yes. Ultimately you will certainly need to purchase a first class vacuum machine, like the ProTeam Sierra ®. But also for those of you starting on a somewhat smaller budget, you should be able to find a quality upright cylinder vacuum cleaner at your local outlet for less than 100.00. This an essential tool for cleaning carpets and upholstery on furniture.

Cleaning Products 100.00

Here’s another area where you can cut a few corners. There is almost no difference between name brand products and less costly glass cleaners. Toilet cleaners are basically all the same. You could save some money using cheaper products that are good quality such as, Bar Keepers Buddy or Comet in sinks and toilets. One of their small inexpensive containers will certainly clean up numerous commodes and can be also used on kitchen sinks.

Top Quality Clothes and Sham’s 50.00.

Microfiber is the best medium for cleaning. It cleans and dusts much more effectively, efficiently and makes you look like an expert. It will surely save you money as they are washable and re-usable as opposed to spending money on paper towels and other less resilient fabrics. Do buy cheap bathroom, flooring, stainless-steel, and also your all-purpose cleaners. These are the items that will give you the most appealing results to the client. You typically want things to sparkle and shine.  A moist towel and a quality all purpose spray will certainly finish the job well. $50 will buy you 25-50 quality shams.

Small Tools 50.00.

Microfiber towels and scouring pads, containers, spray bottles, buckets, and a small caddie Carrier.

Advertising and Promotion 100.00.

Vistaprint has some great prices for business cards. Pin 5 to 10 of them anywhere you can like grocery stores and small businesses. Offer them to your family and friends. Blog post cost-free ads on Craigs List. You could even design and print your own flyers and deliver yourself in your neighborhood.

Misc 100.00.

Legislation differs depending on where you live but you will want to register your business with your state or province, as well as have some cash left for transportation. Generally, there is no need to have to invest a whole lot for legal costs.  You can also get help at your local business center.

Your local library may also have multiple publications that are a terrific area to begin and nowadays, you can learn mostly everything online by watching YouTube videos.

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Getting Ready for Moving Day – the Big Clean

I was an owner of a cleaning business for quite some time. I learned so much about every aspect of a home that I could easily give lessons or teach a subject on home economics! All jokes aside, I’ve decided to share my knowledge that stems from my business experience with you today. Here are a few things I’ve learned that might help you before a big move.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that might help you with cleaning and organizing a before a big move.

Do The Job Once.

cleaning-tipsThere’s no reason for cleaning your home before you start packing. There’ll be a whole other mess to clean up after the house is empty and the truck is loaded. In the event that you’re a clean freak and just have to do something, go ahead and clean things up. Just remember that you’re going to have to repeat the entire process all over again so you might as well wait and do it all just once.

Don’t Make More Work for Yourself

You might not be moving just yet but planning to move in the near future. If you’re in the need of new furniture or appliances, it might be wise to hold off on the new purchase until just before you move. This way you can have things delivered directly to your new address. I mean, why would you make more work for yourself by getting things delivered to the old house and then pay to have them moved again into the new. Throw out anything you no longer want or need and wipe items as you pack so you can unpack and place them with less effort at the new house, in their newly decided locations.

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Take Time to Rest, and Stay Positive

I know there’s a lot to think about before moving, but don’t stress yourself out. Stay positive and try not to over think things since it will only tire stress you out more. Of course, any type of change is stressful, but just knowing that can help you take extra time to relax and focus during this important period in your life. Don’t try to get everything done in a day.

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If I have learned anything from owning my own cleaning business, it is that people who are meticulous in cleaning small things up as they go through their day, generally have a lot less work to do when they have to do a big clean.

So it goes without saying if you develop a ‘clean as you go’ habit you’ll make things a whole lot easier on yourself and your home will stay generally tidy all the time. You might also find out you don’t lose things as much, like car keys and homework. If you need to get organized there are numerous types and styles of storage cabinets and containers you can find at your neighborhood hardware store or Home Depot. If things did get out of hand or you need some extra help, check your directory for a list of local cleaning companies a few weeks before moving day and get some prices and referrals. This way you can have time to select the right company, and that means one more thing off your plate. You might also consider having them service your new home as well if the previous owner left it below par.


I’m no longer in the cleaning business but have enjoyed writing and I hope this has helped you if you’re planning a move.

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