Category: Office Cleaning

29 Nov 2020
office cleaning

Winter Office Cleaning Tips

office cleaning

Winter is a messy time of year. Snow and slush, salt and mud, germs and viruses all converge on your office building when Winter rolls around. And as the season drags on your regular office cleaning protocols start to fall behind. Winter is messy and it is difficult to keep up. In an effort to help out, Complete Care Maintenance has put together a few tips to help you maintain a clean tidy office during the winter months.

1) STAY ON TOP OF YOUR ENTRYWAY

In the winter months, it is important to maintain a clean and safe entryway. Snow and ice present serious slip and fall risks for you, your staff, and your clients. You can mitigate this risk by regularly sweeping or shoveling the entryway or applying salts or deicing chemicals. It is also a smart move to place rubber-backed floor mats inside the entryway to allow people to wipe their feet. This is especially true for offices with hard-surface flooring.

In addition to maintaining the ground at your entryway, be sure to clean the windows on a regular basis as slush and muck have a tendency to splash the glass, making for an unsightly entry. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the onset of cold and flu season, it is vital that door handles and knobs be regularly sanitized.

Placing hand sanitizer inside the entryway is a great way to encourage hand hygiene and reduce the spread of germs. It also makes your staff and your guests more comfortable and confident that you are doing your part to maintain a healthy office environment.

2) KEEP THOSE FLOORS CLEAN

Winter weather is harsh on floors. People are going to track snow and ice, salts, chemicals, and dirt in from the outside and these contaminants can quickly damage hard-surface flooring and wreak havoc on office rugs and carpets. In addition, wet floors are a constant issue during the winter months and present a serious safety hazard. Be sure to keep the floors in your office well maintained with regular cleaning and consider posting ‘Caution Wet Floor’ signs in areas where wet floors are a problem.

Thorough daily moppings are essential to remove grit and grime from hard floors and carpets should be vacuumed regularly to prevent excessive wear.

3) CLEAN AND DISINFECT HIGH-TOUCH SURFACES

Again, with Covid-19 still wreaking havoc and cold and flu season in full swing, it is vital that you clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly throughout the day. These surfaces include doorknobs and handles, telephones and computer equipment, desktops and counters, and any other surface that is regularly used by multiple individuals. Consider providing sanitizing wipes in key areas throughout the office to encourage regular disinfecting and train your staff on their proper use.

4) HIRE A COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICE

If ever there was a time of year to consider hiring a commercial cleaning service, Winter is it. Because Winter is one of the dirtiest seasons and because it is one of the busiest seasons, it pays to have a professional office cleaning service manage your office cleaning needs.

A quality office cleaning company will save you time and money and will help ensure that your offices are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. They will also ensure that your offices always make a good impression and can help protect the health and well-being of you, your staff, and your clients.

10 Nov 2020
corporate cleaning

Commercial Cleaning and Your Business Assets

corporate cleaning

Regular commercial cleaning provides many benefits to your business; from improved employee morale and productivity to enhanced customer perceptions and even increased sales. One benefit of commercial cleaning that is often overlooked is the preservation of your facility’s physical assets.

Let’s face it, your business is made up of a variety of physical assets. carpets, flooring, upholstery, wood furnishings, electronics, and other physical assets all have a healthy price tag and the longer you can make these assets last, the more value you receive from them. Routine professional cleaning can extend the life of these assets while adding value to your business.

CARPET CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

Ask any carpet manufacturer and they will tell you that proper care and maintenance is the key to extending the life of your carpets. Without proper care and maintenance, dust, dirt, and other abrasive materials build up and break down the fibers that make up your carpet. This means increased wear and a shorter lifespan.

Daily vacuuming and regular deep cleaning of carpets help to mitigate the build-up of harmful abrasives and extend their useful life. In addition, regular cleanings help to remove allergens and bacteria, providing a healthier environment for your staff and customers.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF HARD SURFACES

Hard surfaces like floors and countertops come in a variety of materials, from hardwoods and granite to marble, linoleum, and tile. These assets are extremely expensive to replace and proper care and maintenance are key to making them last.

Over time, dirt and debris will build up in seams between tiles and hardwood slats causing a slow almost imperceptible deterioration of these surfaces. The same is true for expensive marbles and granites which can become marred and scratched without regular cleaning.

Each of these materials has unique maintenance requirements and a qualified commercial cleaning company will know to properly clean and maintain them. Using the wrong chemicals or cleaning techniques can permanently damage your hard surface assets leading to costly repairs or replacement.

UPHOLSTERY AND FURNITURE CARE

Your facility’s furnishings are another physical asset that will benefit from regular cleaning and maintenance. Like floors and hard surfaces, these assets come in a variety of materials, from leather and fabric to wood and glass. Knowing how to clean and maintain these materials is vital to their longevity.

Fabric furnishings require daily vacuuming and regular deep cleaning much like carpets and leather upholstery needs to be properly cleaned and maintained to avoid drying and cracking. e furnishings also will dry and crack without proper care and glass-top desks and conference tables are prone to scratching if not cleaned on a regular basis.

A professional cleaning company will know how to meet the unique requirements of each of these materials and can help ensure that these assets enjoy a long and useful life.

CLEANING ELECTRONICS THE RIGHT WAY

In today’s world, electronic equipment is at the heart of our everyday life. Computer equipment, printers, fax machines, and phones are essential to our daily business operations and they are one of the most valuable physical assets in your facility. Proper care and cleaning of these items can extend their useful life and help eliminate downtime.

Dust is the enemy of all things electronic and by their very nature, electronics attract dust. Without proper maintenance, dust can build up on your electronics and cause them to overheat, leading to expensive repairs, replacement costs, and downtime.

Electronic equipment should be wiped down with a quality microfiber cloth on a daily basis and compressed air should be used to remove dust and debris from hard-to-reach places like between the keys on a keyboard or hinges on a laptop.

THE BOTTOM-LINE

Proper cleaning and maintenance of your business’s physical assets can increase their useful lifespan and help maintain their appearance. The longer these assets are maintained the less often they require repair or replacement and that saves you money in the long run.

Complete Care Maintenance can help you to properly maintain your business assets with knowledgeable and qualified commercial cleaning. Call us today for a free estimate.

 

 

10 Oct 2020
facility cleaning

Top Tips For Reopening Your Facility During a Pandemic

facility cleaning

As many states throughout the country begin to reopen, facility managers need to plan ahead to ensure as safe an environment as possible. Staff and customers alike should feel safe in the knowledge that you are making every effort to protect them. Here are some tips for reopening as safely as possible:

1) Promote Social Distancing And Safe Behavior

Rearranging desks and other furnishings to promote social distancing is a good start. In areas where people tend to congregate or stand in line, consider marking floors with tape or stickers to indicate safe intervals. Post signs at the entrance to your facility reminding people to practice social distancing and encouraging the use of masks. Limit or eliminate in-person meetings and other in-office gatherings and encourage remote work when possible.

2) Promote Better Hand Hygiene

Providing sanitizing solutions or wipes throughout your facility helps promote hand hygiene and surface sanitization. Additionally, making these items accessible near high-touch and shared surfaces like doors, elevators, and reception areas allows for easy hand and surface sanitizing. Furthermore, ensure that restroom soap dispensers are filled regularly with disinfectant soaps.

Be sure that the products your use meet the CDC guidelines for proper sanitization. Look for labels with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.

3)  Utilize Porter and Matron Services

Porter and matron services allow for ongoing cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day. These professional cleaning personnel can continuously clean and sanitize high-touch surfaces, restrooms, and other common areas throughout the facility, helping to ensure a safe and sanitary environment for staff and customers.

4) Consider Regular Cold Fog Disinfection

Cold fogging is a process where a disinfectant is put into a machine and atomized into the air. Unlike a spray, a fog saturates the air in a mist and covers virtually every surface in your facility. Therefore, even hard-to-reach areas that are typically overlooked with traditional cleaning methods become saturated in a disinfecting fog, effectively killing bacteria, viruses, and germs. Cold fogging can be performed during non-business hours so as not to interrupt regular business operations.

5) Hire Commercial Cleaning Services

Probably the best way to ensure a clean and safe facility is to hire a reputable commercial cleaning company. High-quality commercial cleaning companies understand how to properly clean and disinfect your facility and are trained to address high-touch areas, properly use disinfectants and cleaning chemicals, and avoid cross-contamination.

Need Help Planning Your Reopening?

Complete Care Maintenance can help you to prepare for reopening your facility in the midst of the pandemic. We can provide for you a custom commercial cleaning plan, schedule regular cold fogging services, provide porter and matron services, and ensure that your soap dispensers and hand sanitizers never run dry. Call or contact us today and let us help you to reopen your facility in a safe and sanitary way!

20 Sep 2020
security

Security And Your Janitorial Company

security

Every business has some type of security protocol. Whether it is as simple as a lock and key or as in-depth as a full-on security system with cameras, keypads, and burglar alarms – all businesses have things they need to protect. For retail businesses, it may be merchandise, cash, or credit card numbers. For medical and legal offices it may be data, records, and personally identifiable information.

When considering a commercial cleaning company, security concerns may not be top-of-mind, but it is something that requires serious consideration. Commercial cleaning or janitorial staff have access to nearly every area of your business and they often work outside of normal business hours. This is why it is so important to make security considerations a priority when vetting potential providers.

What To Look For In Janitorial Service Providers

When hiring a janitorial service provider for your facility you need to understand their level of commitment to security. A reputable provider will have training and protocols in place that help ensure that its staff understands the importance of security. There are many ways that smart janitorial services can mitigate security risks and bolster client confidence.

Employee Background Checks 

Any reputable janitorial service understands the importance of employee background checks. Background checks help to eliminate potential security risks by weeding out applicants with checkered pasts and less-than-honorable intentions. Make sure that your provider only employs staff that has passed a background screening.

Security Protocols and Training

In addition to employee background screening, set security protocols and regular employee training reinforces in the employees’ minds, the company’s commitment to security. In addition, it helps ensure that employees understand and follow security protocols. Ask prospective providers about their security policies and the level of security training their staff receives.

On-site Supervision

Ensuring that cleaning crews are supervised by a responsible individual provides several benefits. A supervisor represents a single point of contact, meaning that keys, alarm codes, and other access points are entrusted to only one individual. In addition, a supervised cleaning crew is far less likely to breach security protocols, knowing they are being watched.

Bonded and Insured

If your janitorial service provider is not bonded and insured, you need to find another provider. Bonding and insuring is the most important step a janitorial service provider can protect both themselves and their clients. It ensures that if a cleaning staff member damages or steals property from a client that the client will be reimbursed.

Low Employee Turnover

If your janitorial service provider experiences high employee turnover it can present a security risk for you. Cleaning staff that has had access to your building and inside knowledge of your security protocols and are no longer bound by the cleaning company, can represent a real security threat. Ask potential providers about their turnover rates and avoid companies that can not seem to retain staff.

Uniformed Staff

While this may not seem like a security precaution, uniformed cleaning staff are easily identifiable, making non-staff members easily identifiable as well. Ensuring that cleaning staff is required to wear name badges or IDs is another way that janitorial services can show their commitment to security.

A Little Forethought Goes A Long Way

It pays to be vigilant when hiring a commercial cleaning service and hiring the wrong one can cost you in a big way. Take your time, vet your prospects, and hire a firm that will add value rather than cost.

17 Aug 2020
office cleaning

10 Things To Look For In An Office Cleaning Company

office cleaning

Hiring a professional office cleaning company for your business is a great idea! It provides a clean and healthy environment for your staff and customers, makes a great impression, and can even reduce absenteeism and improve productivity. The key is hiring the right office cleaning company. Here are ten top tips for selecting an office cleaning company that will bring the most bang for your buck:

1) Hire a Company That Has Commercial Cleaning Experience

Your office represents your business; this is not a job for residential cleaning crews. You want to hire a reputable commercial cleaning company that has experience with office environments. Office environments have very specific characteristics that require specific cleaning processes and techniques. You want a business cleaning company that understands the value of first impressions, knows how to safely clean electronics, and understands the importance of sanitizing high-touch fixtures and appliances.

2) Expect Flexible Scheduling

Let’s face it, your nine-to-five business hours are set aside for conducting business. You need an office cleaning company that has the resources and flexibility to accommodate your business needs. You can not have people trying to clean while others are trying to work. Regardless of your business hours, a professional office cleaning service will be able to work around your productive hours and ensure your workplace is clean and sanitary at the start of every workday.

3) Inquire About Extended Services

You may not need your floors stripped and polished every week, but you do not want to have to hire another contractor to manage this task when the time comes. It is far easier to work with a trusted partner for all of your cleaning needs. Make sure your office cleaning provider offers all of the services that you require and has the equipment and resources to get the job done.

4) A Well-Trained Staff

Cleaning may seem like a mundane task that ‘anyone can do’, but you’ll be surprised at the difference proper training and experience can make. If you think your office is being thoroughly cleaned when assigning the cleaning to your staff, you are sorely mistaken. A well-trained office cleaning crew will produce results well beyond your expectations and will make you wonder why you ever assigned those duties to your office staff. Nothing against your staff; we’re sure they are very good at their jobs, but their job is not office cleaning.

5) Ask About Customizable Cleaning Plans

Every office is unique and every office has unique cleaning needs. From special requirements and budgetary restraints to security and privacy concerns, it is important that you hire an office cleaning company that can customize a plan to meet your unique requirements. Can they develop a plan that allows for daily cleaning, weekly deep cleaning, and quarterly floor stripping and polishing? These are the questions you need to ask.

6) Defined Communications Protocols

A well-organized office cleaning company will have in place set communications protocols that ensure that you are able to address issues, change plan parameters, and get answers when you need them. Communication is the foundation of good partnerships. Make sure that your office cleaning company understands and implements defined communication protocols.

7) Supervised Cleaning Crews

Regardless of the work environment, unsupervised staff often fail. It is vital that your office cleaning company provide supervised cleaning crews. There should always be a recognizable chain of command that is respected and adhered to. This requirement goes hand-in-hand with communications protocols. You should be able to reach out to a crew supervisor who is directly responsible to a division manager, quality control supervisor, or company principal.

8) Safety Training

Is your office cleaning staff fully versed in and expected to adhere to OSHA safety guidelines? If not, you need to hire a different office cleaning provider. Safety guidelines are in place to protect both workers and those who congregate in the environments in which they work. A wet floor without a sign can spell disaster for both your reputation and your bottom line.

9) Licensing and Insurance

Whatever commercial cleaning company you choose needs to be licensed to operate in your state or community. They should also have liability insurance to cover any potential issues that may arise while they’re in your facility and you should ask for proof of both. This is no joke! An unlicensed contractor will likely not be covered by your insurance and an uninsured contractor is not worth your time or money.

10) Trust

A level of trust may be difficult to determine during the hiring process, but there are resources that you can use to your advantage. Online reviews, word-of-mouth, and gut instincts are all valid measures of trust. Most important is the post-hire data that you gather from your relationship with your provider. Do they follow through on promises? Do they meet expectations? Are they responsive and supportive? If you can answer ‘Yes’ to these questions, you have found a provider that actually provides an office cleaning service that will better your business.

 

10 Aug 2020
disinfecting

Staying Ahead of COVID-19 Through Proactive Cleaning

disinfecting

Smart corporate and commercial business owners and property managers are taking a proactive approach in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses that have remained open and those that are preparing to reopen are taking steps to stay ahead of the pandemic. This “staying ahead” approach is especially critical for New Jersey-area businesses to help ensure the health and well-being of both staff and customers.

Even if your business has not been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you still want your employees and customers to feel safe in your place of business. Putting a plan in place that includes proactive cleaning is one way to help ensure a safe environment for all concerned parties and shows that you are making every effort to combat the pandemic.

While proactive cleaning may not protect your facility from future contamination, it will provide peace of mind for your staff and customers and it ensures that your place of business is thoroughly and professionally cleaned and disinfected as per CDC guidelines.

How To Start a Proactive Cleaning Program

Because of the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, deep cleaning​ and ​disinfecting​ have become a top priority for businesses large and small. ​The daily maintenance-like cleaning that was part of your pre-COVID business operations is no longer sufficient to keep your workplace safe – it’s time to call in the professionals.

Complete Care Maintenance​ has developed a proactive cleaning and disinfection protocol based on CDC guidelines and that is tailored to your facility’s unique needs. The first step in beginning your company’s proactive cleaning program is to schedule an onsite evaluation to ensure that your cleaning program meets your facility’s needs.

The onsite evaluation allows us to determine the scope of your facility, the requisite size of the cleaning crew, where to start and end the cleaning process, appropriate cleaning chemicals and supplies, and to establish a cleaning schedule.

How Is Proactive Cleaning Carried Out

We use the information gathered from the onsite evaluation to set up a cleaning crew specific to your facility as well as a customized cleaning plan that ensures the most thorough and efficient cleaning. The cleaning crew is made familiar with your facility’s physical layout, where to start the cleaning process, how to most efficiently move through the facility, and where to end the cleaning process. Each cleaning crew is assigned a supervisor to ensure that the established cleaning process is adhered to and to manage any issues that may arise onsite.

When your cleaning crew arrives on site they come completely prepared. Each member of the crew is aware of your facility’s specific requirements, is fully equipped with the necessary cleaning supplies, and has been fully versed on the established cleaning process specified for your facility. All members of the cleaning crew are subject to temperature checks prior to their shift, are equipped with personal protective equipment, and practice social distancing.

After a brief onsite meeting with the crew supervisor, all members of your cleaning crew get to work. Following the prescribed cleaning plan, they will move through your facility thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting each and every area, utilizing chemicals and processes recommended by the CDC.

What To Expect After Your Cleaning Crew Leaves

Whether your facility has been exposed to COVID-19 or not, you can rest assured that when your cleaning crew leaves your facility it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Your staff and customers can feel safe in the knowledge that they are conducting business in an environment that is free of viruses, bacteria, and germs.

Ready To Get Started?

Complete Care Maintenance is at your disposal. Give us a call today to get your proactive cleaning program started and stay ahead of the pandemic.

 

10 Jun 2020

How To Improve Hygiene In The Workplace

office hygiene

With Covid-19 still wreaking havoc in the world, office hygiene is more important than ever. Business owners need to protect themselves, their staff, and their customers as best they can and proper workplace hygiene is essential. Here are a few tips on how to promote better hygiene and a healthier workplace.

Educate Your Staff

It is important that everyone on your staff understand the importance of proper hygiene in the workplace. They need to be aware of the severity of the situation and they need to understand that everyone plays a role in keeping each other safe.

Practice Social Distancing

Even in the workplace social distancing rules should be adhered to. Employees should not be allowed to congregate, work stations should be separated, and sharing of resources should be discouraged. The simple act of loaning a coworker a pen could be the catalyst for an outbreak.

Make Face Masks Available

Many positive cases of Covid-19 are asymptomatic. This means that many individuals are not even aware that they are carrying (and spreading) the virus. Making single-use face masks available to your staff and clients, and encouraging their use is an excellent way to limit the spread of viral agents.

Consider Daily Temperature Checks

Investing in a contactless, infrared thermometer and requiring staff to undergo a quick check for fever prior to beginning their workday can help ensure that no one enters the workplace when sick.

Make Hand Sanitizer And Sanitizing Wipes Available

There should be hand sanitizer at every workstation and employees should be encouraged to use it. In addition, you should make sanitizing wipes available to your staff and encourage them to wipe down desks, counters, door handles, etc. after every use. This is especially true for shared resources like printers, telephones, copy machines, and the like.

Schedule Daily Cleanings

Whether you prefer to set aside time at the beginning of the workday or the end, scheduling time for daily cleaning is an important step in preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses. Cleaning should include all workspaces, electronics (keyboards, mice, monitors), restrooms, breakrooms, door handles, vending machines, and other high-touch items.

Ensure That Soap Dispensers Are Restocked Daily

One of the most effective ways to stop the spread of viruses is simply washing your hands. Soap dispensers in restrooms, breakrooms, and kitchen areas should be restocked daily to ensure that your employees and customers have access to soap for handwashing.

Leave Interior Doors Open

Door handles are one of the most touched items in the workplace. You can help limit the number of times that these items are touched by simply leaving interior doors open. If possible, consider leaving the exterior entrance and exit doors open as well.

Encourage Those Who Feel Ill To Stay at Home

If a staff member feels ill they need to stay home. You should have policies in place that encourage employees to take a sick day if they are not feeling well. A single worker can quickly infect an entire team if they choose to come to work when ill. Make sure that your staff understands that they are responsible for protecting the health of others.

Consider Hiring A Commercial Cleaning Company

Hiring a commercial cleaning company is a great way to ensure that your workplace is properly cleaned and sanitized. These are professionals who understand how to thoroughly clean and sanitize commercial spaces. In addition, many commercial cleaning companies will restock hygiene products like soap, sanitizers, toilet paper, and paper towels.

 

28 May 2020
cleaning and disinfecting

Disinfecting Surfaces The Right Way

disinfecting

With many businesses set to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, business owners are working hard to ensure safe and clean work environments. For many business owners, this means hiring a commercial cleaning company. For others, it involves setting strict standards for in-house cleaning crews. Either way, it is vital that whoever is responsible for cleaning and disinfecting your workplace knows how to do so properly.

Clean First

Too often people rely on disinfectants alone to sanitize hard surfaces in the home and workplace. The fact of the matter is that you need to clean and disinfect and while most of us focus on the disinfecting part of the equation, cleaning is even more important.

Dirty surfaces are covered in clusters of germs called biofilm that is resistant to disinfecting chemicals. These germs need to be removed before a disinfectant can effectively kill lingering viruses and bacteria. To do this you should clean all surfaces with a soap and water solution which helps break up the biofilm and will remove most of the germs and bacteria on the surface.

Always use separate cleaning cloths for each surface. Using the same cleaning cloth on multiple surfaces only spreads the germs around the entire workplace, a phenomenon known as cross-contamination. Disposable cloths are best as you will need at least two cloths to clean and disinfect each surface.

Then Disinfect

Only once you have cleaned with soap and water is a disinfecting chemical able to sanitize the surface, but you can’t just spray and wipe. All disinfectants have what is called a ‘dwell time’ which is the minimum amount of time the disinfectant needs to stay on the surface before it will kill any remaining germs.

Most disinfectants will list their dwell time on the back of the bottle and they can range from thirty seconds to several minutes. Be sure you know what the dwell time is for your particular disinfectant and leave it on the surface long enough to do its job. Again, use a separate cloth to wipe the disinfectant off of the surface and then toss it in the trash.

Dispose of All Cleaning Cloths

It is important to note that the novel coronavirus has been known to survive on paper and tissue for three hours or more and on cloth for two days. Properly disposing of the cloths used to clean and disinfect your workplace helps to ensure that the virus is not lingering in your trash receptacles.

Need Help Disinfecting Your Workplace

If you are looking fora commercial cleaning company to help with the cleaning and disinfecting of your workplace, Complete Care Maintenance can help. Call or contact us today to learn how we can help keep your New Jersey business clean and safe for both staff and customers.