It’s Earth Day tomorrow. Do you know what cleaning chemicals or methods of cleaning are being used to clean your office workspace? How about the stores you like to shop at? If you live in a strata or apartment, do you know what is being used to clean the place you call home?

In honor of Earth Day, and in a continuous effort to further the green cleaning cause, why not ask? It might even make you healthier, as well as the planet.

This author is not necessarily advocating a return to cleaning our surroundings with vinegar and baking powder but it would help all concerned if we could continue to curtail the flow of phosphate based cleaning agents into our waterways.

If you’ve read our blog in the past, you will know that Cleantech uses Eco Logo green cleaning agents wherever possible and we have eliminated bleach from the majority of our daily operations. We use the most up to date green cleaning tools and procedures to ensure our sites are clean but also cleaned in a manner that is socially responsible. Our cleaning service personnel appreciate this and so do our clients.

Why not ask your provider what they use and how they use it?

According to CCH Incorporated (a company that produces electronic and print products for the tax, legal, securities, insurance, human resources, health care, and small business markets) unscheduled absenteeism can cost up to an average of $602 per employee, per year.  Considering most employers offer on average 5 sick days per year, this means that each sick day costs more than $120.  This cost does not include indirect costs such as overtime pay for other employees, hiring temps, missed deadlines, lost sales, sinking morale and lower productivity. Indirect costs can add up to 25 percent to the direct costs, according to Employee Benefit News and HR News stretching the cost of a sick day to more that $150! http://humanresources.about.com/od/laborrelations/a/sickleaveabuse.htm

It has been overwhelmingly documented in the wake of the HINI pandemic that a properly cleaned office space results in fewer sick employees.  Thorough cleaning hinders the spread of vectors via touch points on office surfaces such as door handles and other commonly touched surfaces.

Having read the statements above, it is easy to make a case that a properly cleaned office space will save the operation money over the course of a year.  The next time you put your office cleaning services out for tender, think twice before accepting the lowest bid.   Remember that if by spending an extra $100 dollars per month, and you prevent even one employee sick day per month, you are saving $50.

I write to tell you that at two recent Annual General Meetings which took place last week not only the strata councils for both buildings but the owners present at these meetings gave Cleantech, the cleaners and Sharon Best a round of applause, expressing their happiness in changing to Cleantech.

I also must mention that many owners have commented on Sharon’s attendance and they were certain she was very much in charge of the cleaning for these buildings and that she was doing a very good job of directing the cleaners.

Keep up the good work !

August 20th, 2009 | Cleaning Services

Every workplace is different. Some are in offices, some in factories and some in shops. But wherever the workplace is, it must be fresh and clean at all times. Good cleaning solutions will help in all workplaces, but they won’t be the same in every one.  Some require a comprehensive service twice a day, every day. Others may only need an efficient clean twice a week. Finding out which one is suitable for the needs of the business you work for will enable you to get the best results.

Consider the footfall.  A shop experiences perhaps hundreds of people passing through each day. In contrast a small office could have three or four staff members using it.  As such their cleaning requirements are very different. More time and tasks will be involved in the former, which will require a professional team every day. In the latter example one or two cleaners would suffice. An effective cleaning solution may require just two visits a week.

Consider Health and Safety.  Some workplaces have very specific cleaning requirements. It is not enough for the workplace to be clean and fresh. It must meet all the legal requirements for that business. Food factories and similar outlets are a good example.  In this example a cleaning company offering a wide range of efficient solutions will be required. An understanding of Health and Safety and how this can impact the workplace is essential. Advanced cleaning solutions are not offered by every company. Ensure the right choice is made to get the results you need.

Consider different areas of the workplace.  Not all parts of the workplace need to be spruced up at the same intervals. For example, the bathrooms will need to be refreshed and sanitized every day. But offices, which are only occasionally used, can be cleaned and polished just once or twice a week.

Discuss your requirements with an expert company with a flexible approach. No two businesses are the same. A professional office cleaning service will understand your needs and provide the right services at the right intervals.

Consider the right company for the job

Just as no two businesses are the same, neither are the cleaning professionals. The best company will enhance your workspace and bring it to life. A refreshing workspace can make all the difference to your working life.  Look for a combination of experience, understanding and knowledge that will serve all businesses differently. Commercial cleaners vary in the services they provide. You need a company whose professionalism is as refreshing as the results they leave behind.  If they can cater to your needs and understand them, you have the makings of a good partnership for the future. Their expertise will enhance and bring out the best in your workplace, whether it is a factory, shop, small office or skyscraper.

Scanning the web we found this article, written by an Australian cleaning company, explaining the reason for hiring a large, experienced cleaning company.  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Are you in a position where you need to think about hiring some cleaners to make sure all your needs are taken care of? If you are then it pays not to think too small.

Most people tend to think about cleaning in terms of the minimum that needs doing on a daily basis. For example, washrooms might need a quick clean; offices may need a quick once over to keep them tidy; and depending on where you work you may have other regular tasks that need doing as well.

Notice the word ‘regular’ in that last sentence. Office cleaning may be a regular job, but what about all the things that need doing only every now and then? These are quite often the things that get forgotten, and there is no guarantee that a small cleaning company will be able to meet all your needs in this respect.

When it comes to larger commercial cleaning contractors they will have more experience with a wider range of tasks and requirements. They will have dealt with many more businesses and outfits than smaller companies, and will be more prepared to take on whatever tasks you need to have done.

As such you will find it much more versatile to have a company like this taking care of all your cleaning needs. Every company and business grows and changes over time, and there is no guarantee that what you require now in the way of a cleaning service will still be adequate at some point in the future.

You can probably see where this will lead. Just imagine that you choose a small company to get started with. You don’t see the need for using anyone bigger simply because a small company can do everything you ask of them.

But over time your business grows and you find that you now have more jobs that need doing. You may even expand into new premises, or simply extend the existing building or premises you are using. So you ask your cleaning company to add these extra duties onto your current requirements, so that the standards are kept high and everything is kept clean and tidy.

But they cannot do so.

Their company is too small a concern to make this happen, and so you are left with the job of finding someone new to take on your cleaning tasks.

Can you see how inconvenient this would be? The truth is that such a process can take valuable time, and all the while you are trying to find someone, those jobs aren’t getting done.

But if you go for a larger company to start with, you can grow with them. You know they will always be able to accommodate any changes in what has to be done. That can really take the pressure off as the company you choose can be relied upon, both in the short and the long term.

So think about it now – could your existing company do this for you?