The idea of commercial janitorial service may seem simple and straightforward, but unless you have the right company, you may be wasting money or – worse – not adequately caring for your facility. So how do you figure out exactly what type of cleaning services your business needs? Take a page from the pros and put together a cleaning service checklist as a guideline.
The Importance of Having a Janitorial Checklist
Like any critical business process or procedure, determining the right level of commercial cleaning services for you is most successfully achieved by following a formula. Depending on the size of your office or facility and its use, you may need some services performed weekly, others monthly, and some only on an as-needed or annualized basis. You clean your office for two key reasons: the health, comfort, and productivity of your employees; and the appearance of your office and how it represents your business. You, as a business owner or facilities manager, hold the insight to these answers.
Establishing Your Office Cleaning Schedule
You can search online for a weekly or daily office cleaning checklist template, or you can create your own quickly and easily. Start by breaking your office down into its geographic components and listing them out. Do you have an office kitchen? Private restrooms? Include your lobby or reception area, conference room, server room, cubicle/bullpen area, private offices, and common space. Then, for each, identify the basic parts that will require attention and how often. For example, restrooms, floors, kitchen, and trash receptacles probably need daily service. Dusting and interior glass cleaning may only need to be done once or twice a week.
Deep Cleaning (Periodic) Checklists
Most companies, unless engaged in activities that generate an unusual level of dirt or debris, only need some services on a periodic basis. Items such as washing walls and baseboards or stripping or steam cleaning floors may only require quarterly or semi-annual performance.
Once you have determined which cleaning services your company needs, and how often you need them, you will be prepared to solicit cost proposals from local office cleaning service companies. Check references and online reviews and remember: the lowest bid is not necessarily the best bid.
Providing them with your checklist will allow the cleaning service to understand your needs and to quickly provide a pricing structure for services. It may also be helpful to post your restroom cleaning checklist as well as your weekly office cleaning checklist in a location where your employees and customers can see them. This will prove your commitment to keeping the office neat and sanitary and making it a place that both will enjoy coming to.
