Keeping a small business clean is not as easy as it sounds. As a business cleaning specialist, we have had plenty of experience tackling everything from medical offices to restaurants to small industrial environments. We can tell you that every kind of space has its own unique cleaning needs.
One of the benefits of bringing in a company like ours is having your facility cleaned by specialists. Business cleaning is all we do. On the other hand, a small business without a professional cleaning contract may ask its employees to manage cleaning responsibilities. They might even hire a small crew consisting of hard-working people who nonetheless lack the training professional cleaning services bring to the table.
Unfortunately, in-house cleaning crews are prone to certain kinds of mistakes. They are mistakes that could leave a space less clean than it needs to be. Five such mistakes are described below.
1. Not Spending Enough Time
Cleaning is a lot like cooking in that you cannot rush things if you want quality results. Cleaners obviously shouldn’t dawdle and waste time, but they should also take as much time as is necessary to do the job right. It is a mistake to rush through things just to get them done. Rushing not only prevents thorough cleaning, but it can also lead to cross contamination.
2. Cleaning in the Wrong Order
Believe it or not, there is a correct order to business cleaning. The order applies in two ways:
- Individual Spaces – When it comes to individual spaces, the correct order is to clean from the top down. You start in the highest areas first and work toward the floor. Why? To minimize the risk of contaminating areas you have already cleaned.
- Room Order – There is also an order to the rooms themselves. Take a typical medical office. You would start with exam rooms before moving on to offices and employee areas – like breakrooms. You would finish up with the waiting room followed by the restrooms.
Failing to clean in the right order increases the risks of inadvertently spreading germs and pollutants. Follow the correct order and you wind up with a much cleaner building.
3. Using the Wrong Cleaning Products
Some surfaces are sensitive to certain types of cleaning products. It is always a better idea to use a specialized product for each surface rather than a general cleaner for everything. All-purpose cleaners do not always do the best job. But using the wrong specialized cleaner on a surface can cause irreparable damage.
4. Employing the Wrong Techniques
Hand-in-hand with choosing the right cleaning products is employing the right techniques. There are right and wrong ways to clean surfaces. Utilize the wrong technique and a problem area could become worse. For example, it is best to blot stains rather than scrubbing them. Blotting soaks up the cleaning solution and dirt. Scrubbing only works a stain deeper into the surface.
5. Not Giving Enough Attention to High-Touch Areas
Finally, one of the biggest mistakes in business cleaning is not giving enough attention to high-touch areas like door handles and light switches. High-touch areas are harbingers for germs, bacteria, and other sorts of nasty things. They should be given extra attention in terms of both sanitation and hygiene. Otherwise, they can contribute to the spreading of germs.
Here’s hoping your current cleaning crew is fully versed in all the best practices for business and office cleaning. If not, All Pro Cleaning Systems is here to help. Contact us for more information about our services. We would be happy to design a custom cleaning plan for your small business space.
