As a business owner, two things you never want to sacrifice are time and your bottom line. However, that doesn’t mean that you should compromise your commercial cleaning services and janitorial management plan. A business that compromises on the quality of its cleanliness also compromises on the quality of its business interactions.
So don’t sully the success of your business opportunities and prospect relations with a less than pristine office building … but don’t blow your budget on overpriced commercial janitorial services, either.
Take these three simple steps to help reduce both the time and money you have to spend on keeping your business in tip-top, client-charming shape.
1. EASE ON DOWN THE ROLL
If you’re ordering paper hand towels for bathrooms or kitchens, consider switching from C-Fold towels to roll towels with a hands-free dispenser. When drying their hands, most people grab a handful of C-Fold towels when they really only need one or two. Plus, it’s pretty common for C-Fold dispensers to get jammed, which causes the wasteful effect of multiple towels coming out at once.
Roll towels with hands-free dispensers are not only more sanitary because they don’t require physical touching, but they also help control waste. The first time the hand washer activates the dispenser, it lets out about 12 inches of roll towel. The second time, it dispenses only six inches. The third time, there’s a delay in dispensing; this usually deters the hand washer from taking more.
2. NIP THE MUD IN THE BUD
Invest in high-quality entrance mats to cut down on dirt, mud, grime and any other tracked-in muck throughout your building. This is especially important in the fall and winter, when leaves, soil, snow, ice melt and road salt make the muck much tougher to clean up.
The Carpet and Rug Institute reports that quality entrance mats extending up to 15 feet inside the building trap 80% of soil and moisture from the first five or six footsteps. They therefore recommend 20 feet of entry matting, which they say should capture 86% of incoming soil loads.
Another important advantage of quality matting: prevention of slip and fall accidents. Not only do these accidents have detrimental physical effects on the parties involved, but they also get you in a heap of messy and expensive legal trouble.
3. CUT THE LIGHTS
Work with your commercial cleaners to set up a janitorial schedule that takes advantage of the daytime hours. As a part of its Building Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP®), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International suggests utilizing strategic janitorial practices to save energy. Daytime cleaning is one of their highly suggested solutions to bring in noteworthy energy savings and decrease overall operating costs.
- Lights don’t have to be turned on at night, which cuts energy costs and extends ballast/bulb lifetime.
- Elevators and HVAC systems don’t need to be kept on at night.
- Labor costs for after-hours maintenance and security drop.
Don’t let the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of your company building or commercial property get in the way of employee health, operational productivity, client retention or lucrative prospect opportunities.
Click the button below for a free site evaluation by one of AOA’s commercial cleaning consultants. We’ll let which cleaning services are the most cost effective for your company.
