COMMERCIAL BUILDING CLEANING
There are specific cleaning solutions for each type of dirt and spill. Commercial cleaning addresses cleaning needs outside the home, but there are various types of commercial cleaning services, ranging from vacuuming offices to handling hazardous waste. Here’s everything you need to know about what commercial cleaning really is and what commercial cleaners actually do
Commercial vs. residential services
Cleaners work in private homes, holiday apartments and similar places. They perform the typical household cleaning tasks we are all familiar with – vacuuming floors, cleaning bathrooms and showers, dusting and basic disinfection. Household cleaners will keep your home spotless and radiant.
Commercial cleaners work in commercial and manufacturing settings to provide cleaning services on a larger scale or to deal with the types of mess you wouldn’t normally find in your home. They are usually cleaning specialists for a specific industry or type of space and can be proficient in a variety of cleaning standards and methods.
Why special cleaners are needed
Harmful materials
Hazardous materials can be anything from used needles in a doctor’s office to nuclear waste from power plants. It is important that industries and establishments that routinely handle hazardous materials have their own cleaning and sanitation protocols followed by trained commercial cleaners. This protects everyone and ensures proper disposal of any biohazards or other hazardous materials.
Health standard
Food processing plants, kitchens and medical facilities are just some of the commercial areas subject to special hygiene regulations. To protect workers in these locations and the public who enter them or come into contact with their products, these locations must be cleaned by experts who understand the regulations to be followed. This can involve using specific cleaning solutions or sticking to harsh protocols all the time.
Super solution
Commercial cleaning sometimes requires stronger cleaning solutions. Most household bleaches are no stronger than 6%, but commercial or industrial cleaners are much higher. These cleaners often need to be diluted with precise measurements to be safe to use. Therefore, training is required to ensure safety at all times.
Commercial Cleaning Machine
At home, probably the biggest cleaning device you use is a vacuum cleaner. This is rare in a commercial setting where floor scrubbers, carpet vacuums, steam cleaning systems, and line-specific tools and equipment are common. These machines are expensive to purchase and repair, so training in their use is necessary to avoid accidental damage to the machine or property being cleaned.
Reputation management
Even businesses that are not regulated by specific cleaning and sanitation standards can still choose to hire commercial cleaners to enhance their reputation. Working in a clean, fresh environment leads to a more pleasant experience and makes employees and visitors healthier and happier.
Cleaning services for offices and businesses
Commercial cleaning that is most similar to household cleaning is the office and small business cleaning. Often these workplaces are similar to the home in terms of the materials and furniture used, which means that cleaning methods are usually the same for both. An office kitchen is no different than an eat-in kitchen, and office rugs may be more durable than home rugs, but function the same.
Commercial office cleaning services include large cleaning tasks performed on a regular basis throughout the year rather than routine cleaning. Washing carpets, cleaning and disinfecting workstations and desks, steam cleaning furniture, and disinfecting kitchens and bathrooms are common commercial cleaning tasks in office environments. Offices also employ commercial cleaners after renovations or before and after relocation to minimize disruption to the workplace.
Commercial deep cleaning includes washing walls, disinfecting high-touch surfaces, cleaning carpets, and more depending on how the building is used, commercial building cleaning should include special cleaning measures.
Commercial floor cleaning uses heavy equipment to offset additional wear and tear in public spaces
Cleaning Services
Many people confuse commercial cleaning with cleaning services. A janitor is usually a full-time employee who is responsible for the daily cleaning needs of a commercial property. A daily caregiver sweeps floors, picks up litter, mops, and vacuums, and keeps an eye out for any maintenance issues that need to be addressed. While some janitors also perform deep cleaning, this is usually a separate service
Cleaning in the hotel industry
Hospitality refers to businesses that serve people, including hotels, restaurants, event planning, and even transportation. It is important to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene in public places at all times, as no one wants to sleep in a dirty room or eat food prepared in a dirty kitchen.
It’s not just about good customer service. There are hundreds of rules governing food preparation and accommodation. The Kenyan Hotel and Lodging Association also introduced a new set of standards, the “Guidelines for Keeping Safe and Clean,” to help protect guests from COVID-19 and boost customer confidence.
Commercial cleaning in the hospitality industry includes the use of appropriate products to ensure food safety, eliminate insects and reduce allergens.
Commercial kitchen cleaning includes degreasing surfaces and kitchen hoods, cleaning under and behind appliances, and sanitizing all food preparation areas.
Commercial restaurant cleaning services also include cleaning and disinfecting guest areas, vacuuming floors, and wiping down counters, walls, and seating.
Industrial Cleaning Services
Sometimes confused with commercial cleaning, industrial cleaning specializes in handling hazardous waste, such as those found in processing centers, research laboratories, and power plants. This type of cleaning requires extensive personal protective equipment (PPE), strict disposal guidelines, and rigorous training in handling hazardous materials. Industrial cleaning services are often industry-specific and only train and hire specialists for their specific cleaning needs.
How to Start a Commercial Cleaning Services Business
First, determine the type of commercial cleaning you want to provide. As we’ve seen, some industries have training and protocol requirements that must be followed, as well as regulations that dictate what your organization can and cannot do. Office cleaning and most hotel cleaning are the easiest avenues of commercial cleaning to get into, but professional cleaning companies can pay better. If you have experience or education in a particular industry, you can gain an edge by starting a commercial cleaning business in that field.
Consider buying a franchise
A charter company is an attractive way to get started as a commercial cleaner. You often get the training and equipment you need, as well as your company name and reputation. Buying a franchise is much easier than starting from scratch as an independent cleaner because you have a larger company behind you to help you with advertising costs, brand awareness, pricing structures, and overseeing your industry regulations.
Get licensed and insured cleaning company
Before starting work, it’s worth getting your business in order. This means registering your company, getting a business license, and taking out the proper insurance. This protects you from future liability.
Learn about regulations
Anyone with a mop and bucket can call themselves a cleaner, but if you work in a commercial setting, you need to make sure you understand the regulations that apply to your job. Certain industries require cleaning with specific products and solutions (or no specific products), cleaning to rigorous, measurable standards, or demonstrating deep cleaning results. Some commercial cleaning companies use surface tests or bacteria meters to confirm their cleaning results.
Contact local cleaning businesses
As a new company, offering jobs can be nerve-wracking, but commercial cleaners are in high demand and most companies are willing to accept offers from new service providers. Make sure you understand the workload required for each industry and location and comply with any regulations regarding the cleaning equipment and solutions you use, the standards you must adhere to, and have a plan for the safe and legal disposal of waste
How to find a commercial cleaning service near me
If you are a business looking for new commercial cleaning services, look for specialists like Arrow cleaning services who would primarily deal with your industry and type of establishment. Hotel cleaners may offer you the best deal, but they may not know how to start cleaning your manufacturing facility and may even hold you accountable if something goes wrong.
Request a client list to confirm that the cleaner you are considering is reputable and has the right experience to meet your needs. Be open to what you want, even (especially!) the worst aspects of your job. In this way, the cleaning service can accurately calculate the amount of work required.
Finally, consider what level of commercial cleaning your business requires. Which tasks are essential, and are there rules on how or how often they are performed? Include this compliance in your search. It doesn’t make sense to hire a company to do a weekly deep cleaning when regulations say your machines should be cleaned daily.
Should I hire a commercial cleaner or do the work in-house?
Commercial cleaning can be expensive, but cleaning your business premises incorrectly can add even more costs. Every business should weigh the cost of hiring a full-time cleaning staff and purchasing the necessary cleaning equipment against the cost of hiring a professional. For many businesses, this calculation becomes one of complexity (how difficult it is to clean the premises) and frequency (how often commercial cleaning is required).
Relatively simple cleaning tasks that need to be performed on a daily or weekly basis are often more cost-effective when performed by an in-house team. For example, a restaurant typically trains their kitchen staff or has dedicated cleaners to clean and sanitize all surfaces nightly. Some companies also rely on in-house cleaning staff for the opposite reason: either their requirements are too demanding to entrust to an outsourced partner, or their machinery and equipment require specialized knowledge to operate.
Shared commercial cleaning services are also common. Multiple businesses located in the same office building may share a common cleaning service for daily cleaning needs, requiring only a professional cleaner to perform a deep cleaning once or twice a year. If your business works with a similar company, it may be worth negotiating a joint commercial cleaning contract to save on costs.
Keeping your workspace clean has never been more important. The demand for commercial cleaning services is also increasing as more businesses seek solutions to protect employees from COVID-19 and other bacteria and viruses through cleaning. Consider whether outsourcing your commercial cleaning would benefit your business today.
