Posts Tagged ‘commercial cleaning service’

Know Your Office Kitchen and Boardroom Etiquette

Monday, November 30th, 2009

The office kitchen and the boardroom are places that everyone uses.  Your commercial cleaning service may do a nightly cleaning of these rooms but they don’t look after the small personal types of tidying up that need to be done after each and every person uses the space.   There are some simple manners and common courtesies that should be kept in mind by all.  Here are a few to consider.

o    Be considerate.  Everyone is entitled to some space in the fridge and cupboards.  Don’t just cram your lunch into the front spot.  Take the time to arrange your items carefully among others that might already be in there.

o    Identify what belongs to you.  This will help to avoid any misunderstandings in the case of misplaced, discarded or wrongfully eaten food. A half eaten sandwich on a shelf may be something you planned to eat later but another well-meaning colleague might assume it is a leftover from some earlier meeting and toss it away. If it’s yours and you want it, label it so others know!  Likewise, if you come across something unidentified in the fridge, try to find out who it belongs to before deciding to throw it away.

o    Delegate a person in the workplace to be in charge of creating a cleaning schedule for things like dishes etc. that the janitorial services maybe don’t cover or might take care of much later.

o    If your day off or the weekend is approaching, be sure to remove items that belong to you that will spoil during that time.

o    If you drink the last of the coffee in the pot, it is considered polite to make another pot.

o    If you use the microwave to reheat leftovers, be sure to wipe it down if your dish has overflowed or sprayed around the oven.  Spills that are left unattended not only dry hard and become more difficult to remove; they also create an odor for the next person who uses the oven.

o    Crumbs and spills in the kitchen and the boardroom should be swept up as they happen to leave the room neat and tidy for the next person’s use.  Tables and counters should also be wiped down. All empty disposable cups and napkins should be disposed of at the end of meetings.

o    Replace bottled water in the fridge if you use the last of the supply, or arrange to have a new water bottle put on the cooler if you use the last of it.  Likewise, replace the paper cup holder if you use the last one.

These are just a few of the little things that each person can be aware of and do as needed to help make the office a cleaner, healthier place for everyone.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.maintenance-one.com as the original source).

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

Your email:

 

Commercial Carpet Cleaning: Which Type to Choose?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

If your office is carpeted, chances are you will need the help of a commercial cleaning service to get them cleaned.  You may already have this service as part of your cleaning contract, but have you ever questioned how your office carpets are cleaned, and if the methods are safe for you, your colleagues and the environment?

There are basically two types of carpet cleaning: dry cleaning and steam cleaning.  Dry cleaning involves the addition of a cleaning powder deep down into the carpet absorbing dirt particles as it is beaten into the carpet.  The powder is then vacuumed out and the dirt along with it.

Steam cleaning is basically a water extraction method of cleaning.  Cleaners are applied to the carpet via a stream of very hot water and then vacuumed up, extracting dirt at the same time. There are fans of both methods and it’s hard to say which will be right for you. Here are a few of the pros and cons of each to consider.

Vacuuming the powder out of a carpet completely can be difficult.  Particles of the powder may remain in the carpet and move into the air as people walk on the carpet releasing chemicals and toxins that everyone then breathes in.  However, this is a generally a much more cost-effective method of carpet cleaning as the equipment used is much less expensive, but many people question that all of the cleaning compounds can ever be removed by a vacuuming process.

Steam cleaning or hot water extraction seems to be the method most used and preferred by cleaning companies and consumers alike.  Part of the reason for this is that large trucks with exterior motors and pumps can be brought on site to extract the dirty water.  The motors on these machines are much more powerful that those of portable units that can be brought right inside a building, with the end result being less residue left in the carpets. This means fewer toxins remaining behind that can move into the air, and less residue in the carpet that can attract soil and stains, and also less drying time for your busy workplace.

The high temperatures of the hot water used can also be better for destroying bacteria that can lurk in your carpet, providing further support to the theory that steam cleaning, or hot water extraction is the best carpet cleaning method.

Regardless of which method is ultimately used in your office or building, keeping carpets clean is of the utmost importance.  In addition to regular cleanings, daily vacuuming and immediate spot removal are the two best ways to keep office carpet in tip top shape.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.maintenance-one.com as the original source).

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

Your email:

 

How to Hire the Right Commercial Cleaning Services

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Dirty and untidy businesses are noticeable to customers, as well as important clients   How your business presents itself can speak volumes about who the company is, and a lot about the people in charge.  Although it might be time consuming, taking the time to find the right commercial cleaning company for your business will not only save you time and money, but will lead to far fewer headaches down the line.

If you are looking into hiring a commercial cleaning service for your company there might be some factors you want to consider.  Whether you are looking on a bulletin board, the phonebook, the internet, or the newspaper, finding a qualified, professional cleaning service may prove difficult.  But if you know what to look for, and put the time into the search, as you would any important decision, you will end up with the right qualified cleaning company that will help take your business to new levels of professionalism.

There are two types of companies offering janitorial services: large chains, and smaller, privately-owned companies.  Each type of company has its pros and cons.   Large cleaning companies may offer better equipment and usually more efficient services, but sometimes they can be quite expensive.  Smaller commercial cleaning companies, on the other hand, can often be less expensive, may or may not do the same quality work, and sometimes offer more custom services.  To make the best decision for your company, you first need to understand your cleaning needs before contacting any company to find out the best fit.

Another important step in finding a commercial cleaning service is checking references.  This can be a sure-fire way to hear first hand what kind of company this is, and what kind of services they offer.  Make sure when in the evaluation process that you ask for references, and check them out thoroughly.  Another step you can take to protect yourself would be to ask the cleaning company if they offer insurance.  Many commercial cleaning companies offer certified bond insurance, which is insurance money set aside to be used in case of broken, damaged, or lost property of their clients.  Make sure when you’re in the evaluation process that they verify proof of their certified bond insurance.

The final step of the evaluation is finalizing a contract together.  Make sure that everything that you had discussed and agreed upon is in the contract, including how often, and to what extent, they will be rendering their services.  Most importantly, make sure that you make provisions in the contract, to be able to drop the service, if you do not find they have lived up to their end of the bargain.  All in all, this may seem like a complicated process, but after you have found the right company, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that you did everything necessary to hire the right professional cleaning service for your business.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

Your email: