Our industry draws a distinction between janitorial and cleaning services. Some of our clients draw the same distinction without even realizing it. Knowing what we know about the two, we can say that it makes sense for a lot of companies to combine janitorial and cleaning services into a single contract awarded to a commercial cleaning services provider.
A Subtle but Real Difference
Before we go any further, it is important to define the difference between janitorial and cleaning services. It is a subtle difference, but a difference, nonetheless. Here it is in a nutshell:
- Janitorial Services – Janitorial services encompass those daily, light duty tasks like emptying office trash bins, vacuuming carpets, tidying up the breakroom, and clearing the loading dock of cardboard boxes, pallets, etc.
- Cleaning Services – Cleaning services involve moderate and heavy-duty tasks. These include deep cleaning restrooms, machine-cleaning industrial floors, disinfecting surfaces, and so forth.
Where janitorial tasks are handled on daily/nightly basis, cleaning tasks are more likely to be addressed a couple of times per week, once per month, or even semi-annually or annually. A good example of an annual task would be stripping hard floors and refinishing them.
Keeping Janitorial In-House
It is not unusual for companies to keep janitorial tasks in-house while contracting cleaning work to a business or industrial cleaning provider. Even facility management companies are known to do this sort of thing. They leave janitorial tasks to their own staff but bring in a commercial cleaning service to take care of the bigger tasks.
Reasons for Combining the Two
While it is entirely possible to keep janitorial and cleaning services separate, a lot of companies combine the two and then contract with a commercial cleaning provider to handle everything. Why would a company do this? At the top of the list is saving money.
Though savings are not necessarily guaranteed in every case, some companies spend less on comprehensive janitorial and cleaning services than they would if they kept janitorial and cleaning separate. Combining the two means not having to hire and maintain a janitorial staff. That is a huge savings in labor costs alone.
Other reasons for combining services include:
- Consistency – A single company handling both janitorial and cleaning offers consistency across the board. When things are kept separate, in-house janitorial staff may not do things the same way the cleaning contractor does them.
- Worry-Free Service – Combining the two services means worry-free service on a regular schedule. Companies can turn their facilities over to a commercial cleaning company and not have to worry about janitorial or cleaning ever again.
- Professional Results – A reputable commercial cleaning company offers professional results every time. Service providers need to do the job right to keep clients happy. Unfortunately, companies do not always get the same commitment from in-house janitorial staff.
- Facilities Expertise – Commercial cleaning companies also bring facilities expertise to the table. They can handle things janitorial staff cannot. Certain types of industrial environments really need professional expertise.
Whether a company requires daily janitorial services or can get by with service just two or three days per week, combining janitorial and cleaning through a single commercial cleaning provider might be a better option. It is at least worth looking into if your company still maintains janitorial services in-house.
In the meantime, we are proud to offer expert commercial cleaning services for industrial environments, office buildings, warehouse and distribution centers, manufacturing centers, municipal buildings, and more. We would be happy to provide you with a comprehensive site assessment along with a quote for your facility. We can even create a customized cleaning plan that meets your company’s unique needs.
