Office Cleaning Services: How to DIY and When To Hire Help
Cleaning is an important part of every office’s routine, and skipping it is a disservice to your colleagues. Workplaces that are chaotic and cluttered contribute to lower morale, lower productivity, and poor health — which all come with costs for the company.
Every office needs to be cleaned. There is no doubt about it. The question is, should you handle the cleaning internally, and if so, for how long?
Let’s have a look at how to properly clean your workplace and when it’s a better choice to hire a cleaning company.
Why Is Cleaning Your Office Important?
Keeping your workplace clean and decluttered should go without saying. A clean office is a safe office, and that’s something every company owes to their employees. It also reduces the spread of germs, which leads to fewer sick days.
With employees spending the majority of their waking hours at their workplaces, it’s essential to ensure that your team has a comfortable and professional environment where they can fully focus on their work. It boosts morale and productivity of your team, and also makes a positive first impression on your clients who come to visit.
What Cleaning Services Need To Be Done at an Office?
Our environment and the items we use on a daily basis should be cleaned and sanitized regularly, and we have COVID-19 to thank for reminding us. Not every company needs a commercial cleaning service, but the truth is that most do. There are many things you should consider when weighing your options, such as the number of employees, how often your clients come in for meetings, the size of the workspace, and any other individual requirements you may have.
Regular cleaning that every office should conduct, whether internally or professionally, should include the following:
- Restroom cleaning (restocking toilet, sanitizing all areas)
- Carpet cleaning (occasional deep-cleaning, regular vacuuming, and dusting)
- Floor and baseboard cleaning
- Dusting (under window area, all shelves, desks, equipment)
- HVAC duct cleaning
- Occasional deep-cleaning of refrigerator, cabinets, microwave, and all other areas that are often overlooked
- Deep-cleaning upholstery
What Cleaning Can Be Done Internally?
It’s a common courtesy that every employee cleans up after themselves. I mean, if you made a mess during lunch, or spilled water, you probably wouldn’t leave it there for someone else to clean up.
For very small offices with one or two employees, it’s even possible to keep other cleaning tasks in-house if there is a designated person to do it, and it could be done once a week depending on how messy the office gets.
While cleaning up after yourself is expected of everyone on the team, that should be it. Employees won’t be happy vacuuming, dusting, and deep-cleaning their workspace. After all, it’s probably not in their job description. Also, by leaving all the cleaning to your team, you’re risking equipment and building damage. They’re not professionals and haven’t been trained to know all the products and chemicals that are required for proper cleaning.
Here are the safe cleaning tasks that could easily be done in-house in smaller companies:
- Dusting
- Wiping down surfaces
- Restocking supplies (paper towels, sanitizer, etc.)
- Emptying trash
- Mopping or vacuuming
- Cleaning mirrors and windows
What Cleaning Services Need To Be Outsourced?
Hiring a cleaning company should be your next step if your employees are spending way too much time focusing on tasks that aren’t their own work — like cleaning. It will also take a lot off your manager’s plate, allowing them to put their efforts into managing your team more efficiently.
Professionals should also be hired for more in-depth cleaning like waxing floors and pressure cleaning, although they can handle everything above — from dusting to emptying trash and restocking supplies.
Here are some of the tasks that only professionals should handle:
- Deep-cleaning floors
- Cleaning HVAC systems and ducts
- Cleaning baseboards
- Sanitization of bathrooms and other areas
- Upholstery cleaning
- Ceiling and wall cleaning
How To Decide What Cleaning Is Best?
The general consensus is that it’s always better to partner up with a cleaning service team to take over all of your cleaning tasks, but it’s also possible for your team to handle some of that work.
Figure out how much time and energy your employees spend on cleaning, and even more importantly — how does it affect their morale? Not everyone is happy to take over part of the duties that normally aren’t in their expertise.
You should also consider the cost you would spend on commercial cleaning, and weigh the pros and cons of each, as every company’s needs are unique.
At some point, hiring a cleaning company will be necessary. Until then, happy cleaning!
