Picking the right commercial cleaner has never been more important. A clean and healthy workplace ranks high among employees and customers, who have come out of the pandemic with a greater appreciation for hygiene. Finding the right commercial cleaning company starts with developing criteria for making the selection.
Stick to the fundamentals of selection
Commercial cleaning is evolving rapidly, with changes in equipment, cleaning solutions, green cleaning, and customized health and safety protocols. But when it comes to picking the right commercial cleaner for your business, these four fundamental criteria should be top of mind:
- Reliability. Commercial cleaners are stretched to the limits. With new COVID protocols, more businesses, hospitals, churches and other public-facing buildings are clamoring to hire commercial cleaners. Demand is growing 6.3% a year. This is putting pressure on commercial cleaners to staff and maintain reliable services. Your No. #1 criteria for picking a commercial cleaner should be whether they show up on time with trained staff and get the job done. Walz Enterprises has a near perfect on-site, on-time record. We are happy to help you check references.
- Category Specialization. No commercial cleaner can be all things to all people. They specialize. Some have credentials for cleaning churches, hospitals, office buildings, government spaces, schools or industrial settings. Each category has specialized needs. Hospitals require special cleaning disinfectants, with particular care in cleaning waiting rooms, patient exam rooms and bathrooms. Churches need extra cleaning in the worship space, pews, entrance doors and hand railings. You should pick a cleaner who specializes in your category.
- Service Type. Each commercial cleaner has staff and equipment specialties. Some excel in upholstery cleaning, while others specialize in window or floor cleaning. Some are best for construction cleaning. Many commercial cleaners have multiple skills and niches, with staff training and equipment to back it up. Make sure the person interviewing commercial cleaners has the knowledge and background to assess whether there is a match between your needs and the service capabilities of the commercial cleaner.
- Health and Safety. One lasting impact of the pandemic is a heightened awareness of cleanliness and hygiene. Commercial cleaning services are now focusing more on implementing rigorous health and safety protocols, such as enhanced disinfection practices, touchless solutions, and the use of antimicrobial surfaces and coatings. Employers know the cost of employee illness (on productivity and healthcare expenses). Employers also want to make the workplace inviting to counter employee demands for remote work. We encourage you to pick a commercial cleaner with expertise in hygienic cleaning.
The point of this list is to help you focus on the basics when selecting your commercial cleaner, and not to be swayed by a cleaning company that has the latest gismos. You want a cleaner that is dependable, has the skills and expertise to match your needs, and does the deep cleaning necessary to make your workplace safe.
Once selected, continue periodic monitoring
Once you select the right cleaning vendor, your work is not done. Commercial cleaners appreciate contracts that detail the work expectations and often include checklists by which their work is measured.
Then periodic review sessions with the cleaning vendor give vital feedback to help them become more effective or to adjust their tasks to better meet your changing needs.