Janitorial Services

01 Dec 2021

Carpet Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid

The carpet in your home, office or workplace represents a significant investment, and failure to properly care for your carpet can lead to reduced lifespan and costly replacement. On the other hand, if you take good care of your carpet it can last for years. Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when it comes to carpet cleaning and maintenance.

Dirty carpets are not only unsightly, but they harbor a lot of dirt, dust, and pollutants which can break down carpet fibers. A recent study by Dr. Philip Tierno of NYU Langone Medical Center found that a single square inch of carpet can contain as many as 200,000 bacteria. The pollutants and bacteria in your carpets can wreak havoc on allergy sufferers and those with respiratory illnesses.

Obviously, it is important to clean and maintain your carpets both at home and in the workplace. The key is to do it properly and avoid these common carpet cleaning mistakes:

FIVE COMMON CARPET CLEANING MISTAKES

Neglecting Regular Vacuuming

Aside from periodic professional cleanings, the best way to maintain your carpets is with regular vacuuming. A high-quality vacuum can remove more than 80% of dry soil and pollutants from your carpet. Vacuuming should be done at least twice a week and more often in high-traffic areas. Vacuuming lifts out dirt and dust that breaks down carpet fibers and also lifts the carpet fibers to provide a much fuller look and feel.

Many people fail to vacuum regularly or vacuum their carpets too quickly. Vacuuming should be done slowly with a smooth back and forth motion to allow for deeper, fuller cleaning.

Using Rented Carpet Cleaning Machines

While it may seem like a cost-effective option when your carpets are due for a deep cleaning, rental carpet cleaning machines are nowhere near as effective as the high-pressure cleaning provided by professional carpet cleaners.

In some cases, a rented carpet cleaning machine will actually do more harm than good. These machines are often ineffective at extracting the water and shampoo used to clean your carpets. This leaves the carpet wet for an extended period of time which can encourage the growth of mold and mildew.

Using The Wrong Stain Removal Product

Carpet fibers are made from a variety of different materials and stain removers will react differently to different carpets. Just read the label on any carpet stain removal product. You are bound to see a disclaimer instructing you to test the product on a small inconspicuous area before using it.

It is important that you follow this recommendation as some chemicals will react poorly with some carpets and can lighten or darken your carpet. It may even cause the stain to bleed making it even more unsightly.

Using Cheap Carpet Deodorizers

Powder carpet deodorizers can result in the buildup of gunk in your carpets. These powders are difficult to remove even with a quality vacuum and can even make a mess of your vacuum. Over time the leftover powder gets ground into your Capet fiber and causes the fibers to break down.

We should note that powder deodorizers do not remove odors from your carpets, they simply mask them. This can lead to a false sense of cleanliness that may delay a needed professional cleaning.

Not Using A Professional Carpet Cleaning Service

The best way to maintain your carpets and extend their useful life is by having them regularly cleaned by a professional. Most carpet manufacturers recommend regular steam cleaning and some carpet warranties are contingent upon regular professional cleanings.

At Complete Care Maintenance, we utilize a high PSI steam injection process that deep cleans your carpets. This is followed up with a high PSI extraction that removes almost every ounce of dirt, grime, bacteria, and moisture leaving your carpets looking and feeling like new.

10 Jul 2021

Commercial Cleaning, Floor Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

Commercial Floor Cleaning: How, Why, and When

The hard surface floors in your facility are one of your greatest assets and keeping them clean and shiny is vital to your facility’s appearance. Commercial floor cleaning helps ensure that your floors always look their best and that the integrity of the flooring material remains intact for years to come. Knowing when to call in the professionals is the key to maintaining pristine commercial floors.

When To Use Commercial Floor Cleaning Services

Regardless of the type of hard surface flooring in your facility, over time the finish on your floors will begin to look dull. The most common reasons for dull floors are foot traffic, wax buildup, and improper cleaning products. Foot traffic in your facility brings in dirt and debris which can quickly scratch and dull the topcoat on your floors. Over-waxing your commercial floors can cause wax buildup which will also make your floors look dull. Finally, using cleaning agents that are too harsh can strip the topcoat from your commercial flooring and leave it dull and unprotected.

Types Of Commercial Floor Care Services

Even if your floors are well cared for, they will eventually lose their shine and require some commercial floor cleaning services. What type of service will depend on the amount of wear, the age of the flooring, and the degree of gloss desired. Commercial floor cleaning services tend to fall into two categories – a scrub and recoat (or top scrub) and stripping and waxing.

Scrub and recoat is a floor maintenance procedure that should be performed every four to six months depending on the amount of foot traffic and general wear that your floors receive. Stripping and waxing is a restorative procedure that is more labor-intensive and more costly.

Top Scrubbing

Top scrubbing, or scrub and recoating will remove embedded dirt and soil without stripping the floor. This procedure typically removes the top layer or two of wax that is holding the embedded dirt. Top scrubbing helps to restore your floor’s luster and prolong the need for a full stripping. Once the dirt and debris are removed from these top layers of wax, a fresh coating of wax is applied and buffed to a high shine. Your commercial floors will look like new again and will enjoy the protection that a fresh coat of wax can provide.

Stripping And Waxing

While top scrubbing will help your floors maintain their shine for longer periods between stipping and waxings, you will eventually need to strip and wax your commercial flooring. If you have been diligent with top scrubbing on a regular basis you may be able to go eighteen months between stipping and waxing procedures. Without the added benefits that top scrubbing provides, your commercial flooring should be stripped and waxed at least once a year.

Stripping and waxing involve the removal of all layers of wax and finishes from the floors and then resealing and buffing the floors. It is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that when done properly will restore your floors to their original, like-new appearance. Stripping and waxing are far and away the best way to ensure that your commercial flooring will maintain both its appearance and longevity.

Hiring Commercial Floor Cleaning Services

While you can perform commercial floor cleaning in-house it requires knowledge, experience, and appropriate equipment to do the job properly. Hiring a professional commercial floor care service ensures that your floors will be cared for properly regardless of the type of flooring in your facility. If your facility is in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, Complete Care Maintenance is the go-to source for professional commercial floor care services.

30 Apr 2021

2021, Business Cleaning, Commercial Cleaning, Corporate Cleaning, Healthcare Cleaning, Janitorial Services, New, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

Cleaning And Disinfecting: The New Normal

There is no denying it. The new normal demands that everyone steps up their cleaning and disinfecting protocols and procedures.

Let’s put all of our cards on the table and stop him-hawing around. There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has ushered in a new normal for all of us and change is in the air. There is no longer time for a wait-and-see mentality. We have waited. We have seen. The elephant in the room can no longer be ignored.

We can not walk into a grocery store without noticing how Covid-19 has changed the world in which we live. Every interaction we have, every building we enter, every time we venture out in public, it is another environment we have been exposed to, another risk we have taken. We have risked not just our own safety, but the safety of our family, friends, and neighbors. Everywhere we go, we are wary of the unseen danger.

People need to feel safe in these unprecedented times and as facility managers and business owners, we play a key role in adjusting to the new normal. We must help people to feel safe. It is both social responsibility and business imperative.

Cleaning And Disinfecting Makes People Feel Safe

The first step in making people feel safe in your facility is to create and implement a cleaning and disinfecting program that addresses peoples’ concerns. Your program should the latest safety, infection control, and cleaning protocols recommended in official guidance from the CDC, WHO, and OSHA. Your program should utilize EPA-recommended cleaning agents and disinfectants that are designated for use against Covid-19. You should also provide clear policies and procedures for cleaning and disinfecting your facility and include training for all employees on the proper handling, dwell times, and use of all cleaning chemicals and disinfectants.

That is a lot of work and it will take time and money to implement properly. There is the cost of chemicals and cleaning equipment, time spent researching and training staff on proper use, and safety protocols. And, of course, the time your staff will spend doing the actual cleaning and disinfecting – time they will not be spending doing the work you pay them to do.

If you do not have robust cleaning and disinfecting protocols already in place, starting from scratch may not be a viable option. You may find it more efficient and less costly to hire a reputable commercial cleaning company that has the equipment and know-how to hit the ground running.

Qualified commercial cleaning companies already have the trained staff, the proper procedures and protocols, and the right tools and chemicals, and the knowledge and experience to clean and disinfect your facility effectively. All this adds up to reduced costs for you, faster time to implementation, improved employee productivity, and favorable public perception for your business.

The new normal demands that business owners and facility managers make cleaning and disinfecting an integral part of the customer service offerings. Customers, business partners, and staff now consider health and safety a top priority and it is your job to make them feel safe. This shift in public perception is not likely to go away anytime soon and the sooner you put a rigorous cleaning and disinfecting program in place, the better.

20 Apr 2021

Business Cleaning, Commercial Cleaning, Corporate Cleaning, Healthcare Cleaning, Janitorial Services, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

Getting The Most Out Of Your Janitorial Services Company

Hiring a janitorial services company can be a huge boon for your business especially in the midst of the current pandemic. But we should not forget that janitorial services also come with a price tag and it is vital that you understand how to get the most out of your janitorial service provider to ensure the greatest return on your investment. Here are a few tips that will help you and your provider deliver the most bang for your buck:

Get An Accurate Janitorial Services Estimate

Often times when hiring a janitorial service for your place of business, cost becomes a primary factor in determining which provider you choose. It is important to keep in mind that low pricing is not really what ensures a healthy ROI. When vetting commercial cleaning companies you will likely receive a variety of quotes from different providers, and business owners often assume that all the quotes they receive reflect the same level of service.

The reality is if you do not take the time to clearly define your organizational needs you are leaving it up to the service provider to determine the level of service they will provide. Having a clear understanding of what you expect from your janitorial services company and ensuring that they understand your needs and expectations will go a long way toward getting more accurate quotes.

You should know how much space will need to be serviced, how much traffic that space receives, what services you require to maintain the space, and how often it will need to be cleaned. This information is important to your janitorial services provider because different facilities require different cleaning programs, different equipment, larger crews, and potentially more specialized cleaning and/or security protocols. All of these things are taken into consideration when providing an estimated cost for services.

How You Can Reduce Janitorial Services Costs

Consider Your Space

If we consider janitorial services costs on a cost per square foot basis we can find ways to reduce the cost overall. Obviously, the fewer square feet that need to be cleaned the lower the total cost. Of course, you do not want your janitorial services provider to only clean half of your office, but you may find that some areas of your facility require less frequent cleaning. Perhaps your 10,000 sq/ft facility houses 5,000 sq/ft of storage space, 2,500 sq/ft, of office space, and 2,500 sq/ft of common area. Your storage area likely does not need daily cleaning and if it does, it may be a task that can be managed by in-house staff, the same may be true for private office space. On the other hand, common areas and public-facing spaces do require more frequent and thorough cleaning.

Offer Employees A Work-From-Home Incentive

Believe it or not, the amount of traffic in your facility can impact the cost of cleaning. A break room that services 15 employees is much easier to clean than one that services 50 employees. Allowing employees to work from home when possible reduces the amount of daily traffic in your facility and the amount of time required to clean it. For instance, if your office building houses 35 private offices, that takes a relatively large cleaning crew several hours to properly clean. If half of your office staff works from home, you have effectively cut your cleaning requirements in half.

Consider The Frequency Of Cleaning

As was stated earlier, some areas in your facility require daily cleaning and disinfecting. Lobbies, entryways, breakrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and shared office spaces, just to name a few. These are the areas that you want your janitorial services provider to focus on. Other areas such as storage areas, stockrooms, and private offices may only need to be professionally cleaned once a week, or every other week.

Getting What You Paid For

Just as providing an accurate quote requires you to clearly communicate your needs and expectations, meeting your needs over time requires that you communicate effectively with your janitorial services provider. Organizational needs change over time and if you do not communicate these changes effectively, your service provider will have no incentive or reason to change the services they are providing.

Any reputable janitorial services company wants to retain your business. It is far less expensive for them to maintain an existing client account than to acquire a new one. They want to meet and exceed your expectations. That is why when needs or expectations change you should communicate those changes clearly to your provider.

This is true even when your needs have not changed, but your expectations are not being met. You should always reach out to your point of contact with the janitorial services company with any and all concerns. If you hired a reputable provider, they will bend over backward to ensure your expectations are met.

31 Mar 2021

Commercial Cleaning, Floor Cleaning, Janitorial Services mj@5150design.net 0 comment

Floor Care – Protecting Your Largest Asset

Easily one of your facility’s largest (and most expensive) assets, your floors need to be properly maintained to ensure that they will last as long as possible. Proper floor care is essential for maintaining both the appearance and durability of your commercial floors. It is not enough to simply sweep and mop your floors every day. You should put in place a comprehensive floor care program to ensure that you get the most out of your investment.

One of the best ways to implement a long-term floor care program is to hire a professional floor care company that understands how to properly maintain a variety of floor types. A qualified floor care professional will have the proper equipment, chemicals, knowledge, and experience to help you put together and implement a comprehensive floor care program.

Commercial floors come in a huge variety of materials and understanding how to care for your type of floor is extremely important. Professional floor care contractors will know not only how to determine what type of material your floor is made of but how to properly care for it as well.

VCT Tile Floor Maintenance

This resilient tile flooring is very durable and with proper care and maintenance will retain its appearance for years to come. Daily sweeping and dust mopping is essential to prevent the build-up of dirt and debris which can damage the tile’s finish. A damp mop or scrubber should then be used with a low-impact cleaner to remove any remaining particulate. VTC tile flooring should be regularly scrubbed with a scrubbing machine using a properly diluted cleaning solution and then rinsed with clean water. Once dry, these floors can be spray buffed or burnished to a high-gloss finish.

Ceramic Tile Floor Care

Ceramic tile flooring is relatively easy to maintain and with proper maintenance will deliver years of service. Like VCT tile, ceramic tile needs regular sweeping and mopping to remove dust and dirt which can dull and scratch the finish. The real trick with ceramic tiles is not the tile itself, but the grout lines between tiles. Over time, grout will inevitably become dirty and discolored.

How often your grout will need to be cleaned depends on the amount of foot traffic your floors receive. Your floor maintenance contractor will be able to help you determine a proper cleaning interval and will have the tools and experience to clean your grout lines quickly and efficiently.

Concrete Floor Maintenance

Again, daily sweeping and mopping are important to keep your concrete flooring in good shape. This is particularly true of polished concrete floors. In addition, concrete floors require regularly scheduled deep cleanings which typically involve machine scrubbers and professional application of cleaning agents. Like VCT tile, concrete floors can be sealed and burnished to provide higher shine and longer life.

Stone Floor Care

Stone floors come in a variety of materials each with its own unique maintenance requirements. Marble, slate, travertine, and granite are all popular choices for stone flooring and each has unique physical properties that require specialized maintenance programs. In addition, stone floors can be susceptible to chemical damage, so hiring a professional is always a wise choice. Floorcare professionals will know which chemicals are safe for your particular type of stone and will ensure that your floors receive the care that they need.

Wood Floor Care

Wood floors are both beautiful and expensive, they are also very susceptible to damage. Regular sweeping is recommended and cleaning with appropriate wood floor cleaning agents will help to protect your wood floors. But in the long-run, you will want to work with your floor care specialist to have your wood floors properly cleaned and polished. Regular cleaning and polishing will not only keep your wood floors looking great, but it will also make them last for many years to come.

01 Feb 2021

Commercial Cleaning, Floor Cleaning, Janitorial Services, New, Parking Lot Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

Commercial Cleaning Makes Car Dealerships Shine

Do you know why some car dealerships seem to shine when you walk out on the showroom floor? Do you know why some dealership service departments are clutter-free with spotless workshop floors? They are either using a commercial cleaning company or have very well-trained in-house staff.

Smart car dealership owners understand the value of first impressions when working with customers and they know that appearances are important. It is so important that many car dealerships invest a great deal of money in commercial cleaning to ensure that customers are ‘WOW’ed when they walk through the door.

When a showroom floor is so meticulously clean that you can see the reflection of the car of your dreams, when the parking lot is free of trash and debris, customers believe that you are serious about what you do, that you take pride in your business, and care about them. It’s a win-win situation for you, your staff, and your customers.

How Commercial Cleaning Benefits You

As the owner or manager of a car dealership, you receive many benefits from hiring a commercial cleaning service to manage your dealership’s cleaning. Improved employee morale, lowered maintenance costs, improved customer perceptions, and increased productivity are all benefits associated with a clean and tidy dealership. These and other benefits associated with a clean place of business add up to higher sales volume and a better reputation for your dealership.

In the long run, hiring a commercial cleaning company can actually save you money. Outsourcing your cleaning to professionals frees up your staff to focus on their actual jobs of selling and servicing cars, managing day-to-day operations, and chasing leads. In addition, you are no longer required to purchase and store cleaning chemicals and supplies as these will be provided by your cleaning company. A quality commercial cleaning company will also offer restroom and breakroom supply replenishment services which can save you even more.

How Commercial Cleaning Benefits Your Staff

There are hundreds of studies indicating that there is a strong relationship between employee morale and workplace cleanliness. A clean workplace makes for a happier, more productive workforce where employees take pride in their jobs and are more prone to speak highly of your dealership.

There are also health benefits associated with a clean and sanitary dealership. Fewer sick days, healthier employees and a safer work environment are all benefits that a clean dealership provides to its employees. Not to mention the fact that they do not have to worry about being assigned restroom duty during their shift.

How Commercial Cleaning Benefits Your Customer

Shopping for a car can be a stressful endeavor and for many people, it ranks right up there with going to the dentist. Ensuring that your customers’ shopping experience is a positive one means providing an inviting and safe environment. Outsourcing your cleaning to a professional contractor helps ensure that customers feel comfortable when entering your dealership.

Most customers shop around when deciding on a new car. This means that they may visit several dealerships on a given day and while they may be looking at prices, trade-in values, and financing options, the impression that they have regarding your physical plant can often be a deciding factor. Don’t let the dealer down the road outshine your facility.

20 Jan 2021

Business Cleaning, Commercial Cleaning, Corporate Cleaning, Janitorial Services, New, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

How Day Porter Services Can Improve Your Business

Do you find that as the workday unfolds your facility begins showing the wear and tear of everyday activities? Does your entryway get a little dirtier every time someone comes through the door? Do your restroom supplies run low by noon? Is your breakroom a mess at the end of the day? If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, you should consider day porter services.

Many businesses rely on a commercial cleaning service to manage their facility cleaning after hours. This ensures that your facility is clean and fresh when you walk in the door every morning, but is that really enough? Day porter services are designed to ensure that your facility remains clean throughout the day, ensuring that your after-hours cleaning is not undone by noon. Here are five ways that day porter services can improve your business:

1) Ongoing Cleaning And Disinfection

Cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas is not a one-and-done proposition. Disinfection should be performed at regular intervals throughout the day to minimize the spread of germs and viruses. Hiring a day porter service will ensure that these surfaces are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day making your facility safer for you, your staff, and your customers.

It’s not just high-touch areas that require ongoing cleaning. Restrooms, breakrooms, and entryways are all areas that tend to get dirty as the day progresses. Having a day porter at the ready helps to ensure that these problem areas are addressed throughout the day.

2) Restocking Of Restroom Supplies

Keeping your restrooms clean is just one part of a day porter’s restroom maintenance protocol. They also take responsibility for ensuring that your restroom supplies like hand soap, toilet paper, and paper towels are always restocked.

Restocking services can go beyond the restroom as well and may include restocking of breakroom and kitchen supplies, filling hand sanitizer dispensers, and even changing lightbulbs and HVAC filters.

3) Maintaining A Safe Environment

Day porters also help enhance workplace safety for both staff and guests. Aside from the ongoing cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, they will ensure that entryways and parking lots are free of clutter and slip hazards. They are at the ready to address spills and wet floors and will even place hazard signs for damaged walkways and wet areas.

4) Liaison Services

Day porters can also provide liaison services for third-party vendors that you hire to perform more specialized tasks. Having your carpets and/or furnishings professionally cleaned, having your building’s exterior power washed, or instructing a landscaping crew all become much easier with a day porter on hand. Your day porter can coordinate with them, supervise their work, and ensure that they do a thorough job, leaving you to attend to the business of the day.

5) Improved Facility Appearance

Likely the greatest advantage of having a day porter on staff is the overall appearance of your facility. Your entryway and reception areas always look clean, your restrooms and breakrooms are always well maintained and supplies never run out. Maintaining a clean, safe, and functional workplace enhances customer perceptions, improves employee satisfaction, and boosts morale and productivity.

Is Hiring A Day Porter The Right Decision For Your Business?

While day porter services may not be right for every business, they can improve day to day business operations when you hire the right service provider. Complete Care Maintenance can help to evaluate your business needs and provide you with a customized day porter service plan that will address all areas of concern.

10 Jan 2021

2021, Business Cleaning, Commercial Cleaning, Corporate Cleaning, Janitorial Services, Office Cleaning mj@5150design.net 0 comment

5 Signs That You Need To Fire Your Cleaning Company

Are you feeling a little underserved by your cleaning service? Have they become complacent in their cleaning duties and no longer going the extra mile to make your facility shine? Has the cost of the service steadily increased without any recognizable benefit to you? If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, it might be time to consider a new provider. Here are five signs that you need to fire your cleaning service and look for a new provider:

1) Apathetic Cleaning Crews

Apathy is like a virus and it can spread like wildfire within a team. If your cleaning crew seems less than enthusiastic about the duties they perform, if they are wavering in their commitment to a job well done, it may be time to look for another provider.

Apathy leads to laziness and sub-standard performance. In a cleaning crew, it will manifest itself in unfinished tasks, forgotten trash bins, and less than clean restrooms. If you find that your facility is not getting cleaned as well as it used to, apathy may be the cause.

If the apathy that you witness among cleaning crew members is also reflected in communications with company managers and owners, that is a sure sign that it is time to fire your cleaning company.

2) High Employee Turnover

If new faces are showing up on the cleaning crew every other week, something is not right. This is indicative of a company with high employee turnover rates and high turnover rates are bad for their business and yours.

If your cleaning company is having a hard time finding, keeping, or managing employees they are costing you money. New hires require training and a company that is scrambling to meet client demand is likely putting staff in the field who are not fully trained. These individuals are learning on the job and you are paying for their education.

Untrained employees are less likely to perform as well as seasoned staff and that means some areas in your facility are not getting the attention they deserve. In addition, poorly trained cleaning crews are less familiar with cleaning and safety protocols which can lead to damaged surfaces or worse, injured staff.

If your cleaning company can not maintain seasoned staff, it may be time to let them go.

3) A Lack Of Communication

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to communicate with an unresponsive provider. If you are waiting days to hear back from your cleaning company, if there is no clearly defined protocol for issue resolution or complaints, or if issues are met with empty promises that never come to fruition, it’s time to fire your cleaning company.

Any reputable provider will have clear lines of communication and a hierarchy of command. This means that if a crew member is unresponsive you can approach their team leader. If the team leader can not resolve an issue, you can approach their immediate supervisor. All issues, requests, and complaints should be resolved in an efficient and satisfactory manner and someone should follow up with you to ensure the issue was addressed.

4) Lack Of Accountability

If your cleaning company’s management staff fails to conduct routine inspections and quality checks, they are doing you a disservice. Regular inspections and quality checks help enforce accountability for cleaning crews and allow management to address issues and inconsistencies before they become commonplace.

In addition, regular inspections, quality checks, and employee evaluations help management to identify training opportunities which in turn promote better training and more efficient processes. Smart companies provide oversight in an effort to continually improve their services through better training, better management, and employee accountability.

5) Reckless Security Practices

Let’s face it, you have to be able to trust your cleaning services provider. In many cases, these individuals have access to your facility outside of normal business hours. They must be trusted to honor your facility’s security protocols. Failure to lock up, set alarms, or respect the privacy of you and your employees is a serious breach of trust that can not be tolerated.

If your cleaning services provider fails to respect your company’s security policies and protocols, fire them.

Looking For A Professional Cleaning Service?

If you find yourself shaking your head in agreement with any of the points above, it may be time to fire your current provider. Of course, before you do, you will want to vet prospective companies to replace them. Complete Care Maintenance offers a variety of commercial cleaning services to meet any business need. Call or contact us today to get a free quote.

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