Our industry, like nearly every other, has its own unique vocabulary. It can be confusing to customers. For example, it is not uncommon for new clients to ask about routine janitorial services. They want to know if these services include daily cleaning. In a word, yes.
Business and commercial cleaning services can be categorized in any number of ways. You have office and industrial cleaning; you have surface and deep cleaning; you have janitorial and maintenance cleaning.
Janitorial cleaning is considered daily cleaning that keeps a facility neat, tidy, and hygienic. It includes things like cleaning the restrooms, sweeping the floors, emptying trash receptacles, and so forth. Maintenance cleaning goes deeper. It is more involved. It includes things like shampooing carpets and pressure washing concrete floors.
Not Necessarily a Daily Exercise
Note that janitorial and maintenance cleaning are not always set in stone. This is especially true in the janitorial category. Some janitorial cleaning tasks are best done every day. Cleaning bathrooms is the perfect example. But other janitorial tasks can be scheduled for every other day or every three days. Mopping the break room floor would be a good example.
The thing to remember about janitorial cleaning is that it should still be scheduled. Whether an organization contracts with a commercial cleaning service or has its own cleaning staff, a predictable schedule for janitorial cleaning tasks ensures they get done on a regular basis. On the other hand, not scheduling increases the chances of adopting a haphazard cleaning routine.
The 4 Most Common Daily Tasks
As a commercial cleaning service, we work with clients to establish a schedule that meets their needs. Schedules are open to modification when necessary, but we try to stick with the plan as much as possible in order to maintain consistency.
Each client’s needs are different. As a general rule though, here are the four most common daily tasks in the janitorial cleaning category:
- Cleaning Restrooms – Restrooms are the top of the list for obvious reasons. Daily cleaning and sanitizing reduces the risk of spreading germs. We all know how important that is in a post COVID world.
- Trash Removal – Trash receptacles scattered around the facility are normally emptied on a daily basis. Emptying trash receptacles at the end of every day keeps trash from stacking up and becoming a problem.
- Breakroom Cleaning – Breakrooms tend to be high-traffic areas with a preponderance for collecting dirt. They do not have to be deep cleaned daily, but a basic surface cleaning is a good idea.
- Sweeping and Mopping – Some cleaning environments require sweeping and mopping on a daily basis. Busy offices and retail spaces come to mind, at least where sweeping is concerned. Mopping is a daily task in restaurants.
Your organization might have a list of additional tasks you want cleaners to do on a daily basis. Whatever it takes to keep your facility looking clean and tidy is fine.
Working with Professional Cleaners
Now that you know the basic differences between janitorial and maintenance cleaning, the obvious question is whether you have your own cleaning staff or you contract with a commercial cleaning service. Either way, it is important to clearly define a list of cleaning tasks and how often each one needs to be done.
You’ll have some tasks that are done daily. Others might be tackled every two or three days. As for those maintenance cleaning tasks, they might be scheduled on a semi-annual or annual basis.
Janitorial and maintenance cleaning are different sides of the same coin. Combined, they keep a facility clean, safe, and comfortable to work in.
