CorpSpec Blog

Flu in the Workplace: How To Minimize the Impact

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Flu season in Ontario runs from late fall to early spring. So far flu cases have doubled , and all reports suggest this flu season will be an especially bad one. The flu and other illnesses cost employers billions in lost revenue and productivity in Canada each year.

How Flu is Spread in the Workplace

The flu is spread by airborne respiratory droplets. After a sneeze or cough, those droplets can travel up to 13-20 feet at speeds of around 35 to 40 mph. Breathing in those droplets or touching surfaces with the virus on it and then touching eyes, mouth and nose causes infection.

Colds and flu can have an incredibly negative impact on your business. The more employees you have per square foot, the higher the risk of coming in contact with the virus through shared surfaces. The flu virus can live on surfaces for up to 24 hours . Economically, the flu has an astounding impact:

Absenteeism : Around 111 million workdays are lost in Canada each flu season.
Healthcare costs : including over the counter medications and hospitalizations for severe cases.
Presenteeism : A Health Services Research Report by Philip Susser and Nicolas R. Ziebarth found that the costs of reduced work productivity due to presenteeism can exceed the medical costs for some conditions while drugs that suppress flu symptoms reinforce the spread of flu due to employees showing up for work while still contagious but feeling better due to the remedies.

Steps to Minimize the Spread of Flu in the Workplace

Encourage your employees to stay home while they are contagious. Remember, if staff is generally healthy, they remain contagious with flu for about 5 days after the onset of symptoms. If the employee has a weakened immune system from another condition, that person can remain contagious for up to two weeks.
Invest in IT solutions that allow employees to work from home when still contagious but well enough to work. Employees are more likely to stay home if they are not losing pay or sick days and your productivity stays higher.
Confer with your janitorial/cleaning company prior to flu season. Ask them to give extra attention to wiping down and sanitizing high traffic surfaces:
- fax/photocopier machine
- telephones odoor knobs
- elevator buttons
- microwave
- coffee machine
- break room
Remind staff to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel.
Have sanitary wipes available for employees to wipe down their own work areas regularly.
Encourage employees to get the flu shot. In Ontario, the flu shot is free. It takes two weeks before the immunization is effective. If you are a high-volume employer, you could arrange with the local health unit to have a flu clinic at your facility to ensure as many employees as possible are vaccinated.

Flu season can be a killer of the very young, the very old and immune compromised individuals. It is also a killer of workplace productivity resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue yearly in Canada. Workers are less focused and productive when ill They often come to work sick because of fear of reprisals if due dates are not met or financial restrictions making time off without pay prohibitive or the fear of using up limited paid sick days too soon in the year.

Regardless of the reasons, absenteeism and presenteeism due to the flu can be detrimental to your bottom line. Set up a protocol for your staff and facility using the above guidelines. Overall, your staff will be healthier keeping your facility running smoothly and efficiently even during an especially harsh flu season.

Don't feel your janitorial company is up to snuff protecting your facility from the ravages of flu season? Call Corporate Specialty Services for a more thorough in-depth cleaning and disinfection.

Cleanliness May Not Be Godliness But It Is Vital to Great Business

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Cleanliness is next to godliness or so they say.

It is definitely true that there is power to wield in keeping your business facility spotless consistently:

Psychologically, a clean office instills positive vibes in both your employees as well as in business associates and clients.
Clean offices are healthy offices.

Both of these factors create an innovative, focused work centre inspiring confidence not only in clients but in employees and business associates as well.

The physical building that contains your office space is the main headquarters of your business. You and your employees spend over 6 hours per day in this space. It is the centre of your company's hard work and innovation.

It is also the place where meetings with clients and business associates happen. It is vital, as facility manager, that you do all in your power to make a fantastic impression.

A soiled, messy and unorganized office creates a number of serious negative effects for your business and brand. Clients receive the message that your office is unprofessional and disorganized if their eyes perceive clutter and dirt upon first entering your facility. If you can't keep your office clean and organized potential clients will be left with the impression that your work effort will follow suit. That is not a risk the majority of clients are willing to take when deciding where to spend limited funds.

Cluttered, dirty offices will also have a huge impact on your employee’s confidence and productivity. Employee productivity improves dramatically when they enjoy going to work. And they will enjoy and respect their workplace more when they know it will be clean when they return each day.

As with clients, the eyes of your employees are immediately drawn to clutter interfering with concentrating on the task at hand. Maintaining optimum productivity from your employees is impossible in a soiled, messy office.

Dusty, moldy workspaces also have a detrimental impact on your employees' well-being:

Dust and mold trigger allergies causing sneezing, sore throats, runny noses and itchy eyes.
These impurities depress the immune system leading to the rampant spread of flu and colds.

Illness means your employees will need time off work to recover. Allergies may not mean time off but those affected will be tired and irritated. They will definitely not be in prime productivity mode. In both cases, your bottom line is affected. Projects will be delayed or other staff will be forced to pick up the slack leading to stress and you guessed it, sicker and less productive employees. It is a vicious cycle that fortunately has a cost-effective solution.

A negative first impression tarnishes your brand. When potential clients walk through your doors, they will immediately assess your company based on what they see:

Are the floors dirty? Are there unpleasant odours?
Are the windows smeared and cloudy?
Are the counters cluttered and work space unorganized?

If you can answer yes to even one of these questions, your business is in trouble. You will lose clients and professional respect for your company brand will be diminished.

A clean, spotless office is impressive. Your brand is seen in the best possible light. Clean and organized suggests you pay attention to details. Ensure you maintain order and clean by leaving the work to the professionals. Hiring a corporate cleaning service is a cost-effective measure that ensures all details in keeping your facility in tip-top shape are maintained. It is an investment that pays dividends in increased employee production and dramatically improved customer satisfaction.

Are Your Office Blinds Getting the Attention They Deserve?

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Most offices have windows. Natural light in a workplace creates happier working conditions. With windows, your facility likely makes use of costly window treatments. In most cases, blinds of some sort will be the variety of choice. They look great. They tend to be less intrusive and are an excellent means to control lighting conditions and privacy.

Because they are so unobtrusive they may be overlooked in your regular maintenance schedule. Like other features of your facility, blinds must be cleaned regularly. A number of impurities attach themselves to blind surfaces over the course of the year.

Fungus
Bacteria
Oil
Grease
Dust
Dirt
Pigments
Rust
Lime scale
Soot wax
Fingerprints

Removing these contaminants keeps your indoor air quality cleaner, safe guarding the health of your employees and providing a healthier, more pleasant work experience. As well, regular cleaning and maintenance of blinds improves their working life which is a great cost-saving measure.

Replacement costs can be significant, especially if your office space has a lot of windows:

At Blindsgalore Canada , composite wood blinds retail for $329.95 for a 48x66 inch window
Hardwood blinds with 2 inch slats retail for $209.02 for the same size
Fabric vertical blinds for both standard sizes retail for $183.64 for a 48x66 inch window size
At Select Blinds Canada , premium faux wood blinds for a 48x66 inch window retail for $368

It is apparent from these prices that replacing blinds more frequently than necessary due to poor maintenance will significantly impact your bottom line.

A thorough clean removes these and other pollutants from all parts of the blind:

Vanes
Ladders
Cords
Head rail

As part of your regular janitorial maintenance you could have the blinds hand-washed and dried by regular janitorial staff. However, it is a very time-consuming and labour-intensive process. And many contaminants will not be removed with simple hand-washing. Along with the mess and time consumption, why not leave this job to the experts?

Many commercial cleaning companies provide blind cleaning and repair as a specialty service. And you have to know if they are going to provide that service it will be efficient. Many companies use something called ultrasonic cleaning for blinds. Venetian, verticals, pleated shades or silhouettes can be efficiently and safely cleaned and sanitized. As well, strong solvents to dissolve the contaminants are eliminated by this process making it a greener, safer alternative for cleaning your blinds.

Here's how it works:

Ultrasonic cleaning uses a device that creates cavitation bubbles using high frequency sound waves. Compression waves are created in the liquid, 'tearing' the liquid apart. Millions of microscopic bubbles are created. These bubbles collapse with enormous energy creating a vacuum that lifts dirt and contaminants from the blind, cleaning, sanitizing and polishing. However, because these bubbles are so tiny, they do not damage the blinds and are able to thoroughly clean the most intricate details.

As facility manager, maintaining equipment and supplies for blind cleaning diverts company resources from your key projects. Commercial cleaning companies have the equipment appropriate to efficiently, safely and thoroughly clean and sanitize your window treatments. Let them do the dirty work keeping your blinds clean and fresh. Your employee's health and productivity will benefit. Your brand perception will remain high and your bottom line will benefit.

Why Outsourcing Your Office Wood Refinishing is a Smart Choice

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Your office likely contains some wood décor. If you are located in a stately, period building you may have wood trim, panelling and stair banisters that add flourish to your brand image. At the very least, you likely have an impressive wood boardroom table. Wooden coffee tables, end tables and chairs may also be part of your reception area. Quality wood provides an old-world, luxury brand statement. It is imperative that those elements remain in impeccable condition.

Solid wood furniture is a huge investment financially. Wayfair.ca advertises a large boardroom table (29” x 144” x 48”) for $6599.99. A solid pine coffee table is offered at $515.99. 10.8 square feet of red oak wainscoting at Home Depot.ca retails for $37.49. Installation would greatly increase that price. Although providing a stately image, wood is subject to a number of fallibilities:

scratches
fading
heat marks often from hot beverages
water damage

Wood is meant to last but damaged wood elements detract from a positive brand image. However, as the above figures show, replacing worn wood furniture and accents is extremely expensive and becomes more so if the wood elements in question are antique. As well, replacing unique wood features may be quite impossible without detracting from the overall office image.

So, what to do when your wood features become old and tired looking or damaged? You could make the attempt to rejuvenate those damaged wood elements yourself. However, consider the following. Repairing and rejuvenating wood requires a number of time-consuming steps:

stripping old paint or stain
sanding the wood
restoring original wood
repairing scratches, cracks, dents
applying new stain or paint

Seems a more daunting task now doesn't it? In addition, there are a number of equipment pieces that must be rented or bought to complete the above tasks:

sanders
sanding pads
wood finishes
stain and/or paint
polishers

Buying the equipment can be costly and it must be maintained which also takes time and capital away from your bottom line. Let’s not forget that there is skill involved in the proper restoration of quality wood products. Likely it is a skill set not found within your company.

The repair of wood surfaces and colour-matching of stain/paint takes a great deal of care and precision. You want everything in your office building to be pristine for clients. High-quality wood furniture, accents and structural features can look fantastic in a reception area or office space. It is prudent to outsource wood refinishing. Hiring an expert will keep your wood features from looking shabby and damaged. A wood refinishing expert will ensure those features will remain reflective of your strong brand image.

When looking for professional wood refinishing services look for the following:

A company that understands your business' culture. For example, the wrong finish on your wood element could stick out like a sore thumb detracting from your brand image. You want a company that will work closely with you to ensure their refinishing job is compatible with your brand image.
Ensure the company can complete the refinishing according to your schedule.
Ensure the company specializes in the refinishing services you require. Not all wood refinishers are qualified for fine detail work or antique restoration. Not all hardwood floor restorers are capable of repairing wood furniture.
Ensure the company can do the job right at a price that is competitive. Do your research and hire from a trusted company. Many commercial maintenance companies also have additional services they provide. If you already have a trusted company you deal with in that regard, check to see if they provide the wood restoration services you need.

Wood refinishing if done improperly without care to your company image can adversely affect brand perception of customers, clients and guests. Your bottom line will be significantly impacted. Saving money by cutting corners either by completing the wood refinishing in-house or by hiring the cheapest contractor will result in lost revenue over the long term. Think smart, think long-term and do your research. Outsource your wood refinishing to a trusted company who can do the job right and maintain your trusted brand image. Your bottom line will thank you.

There Are Excellent Reasons to Outsource Your Facility Maintenance

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As a Facility Manager, there are four seasons with their own cleaning concerns. That means a lot of unique cleaning challenges to address. Left to your own devices, there would be resource hours to schedule and supplies to purchase.

The day-to-day running of your company is stressful enough without diverting your time and precious employee resources away from your main production focus. Maintaining employee health and safety, your brand image, and making your investments like carpets, floors and furniture last as long as possible is important in running a cost-conscious organization.

Make it less stressful and save on your bottom line by hiring the professionals. They have the equipment and supplies. Better yet, they are the experts on clean.

Check out our infographic below for all the great reasons to outsource your facility maintenance.

Why Outsourcing Cleaning is Absolutely Essential When Moving Facilities

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Moving is always a stressful event. Whether it be moving apartments, moving homes or moving your office facilities, there are many factors to consider. Anything, absolutely anything you can do to reduce that stress is a worthwhile investment.

Your company has decided it is time to move its location. The reasons could be many.

You’ve outgrown your building.
Your company, for whatever reason, is relocating to another geographic location.
Your lease is up on your present location and you’d like to take advantage and move to a location with better facilities.

As a facility manager, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Sensitive files must be properly packed and labelled. If you’ve been at the same location for years, that could be an arduous job. Even sensitive electronic files may need backing up for portability.

Your employees will be busy packing up their own belongings for the move. As manager, you are coordinating their efforts as well as the move for the entire building.

What assets are making the move?
What is being sold or discarded?
Which staff members are being allocated to various tasks involved in the move?

It is a daunting task to be sure. If you are renting or your old facility is being sold, the building you’re vacating should also be given at least a cursory clean prior to your move.

Your new building will also need to be cleaned and updated. Whether it is an existing office space or newly constructed building, there are a number of tasks required before you move into your new digs.

For your own peace of mind, to reduce your list of to-dos’ and to make the transition as smooth as possible why not hire a cleaning company for your office move? “But shouldn’t the previous tenants be cleaning the building?”, you might be asking. While it is true that most tenants will give the building they are vacating a cursory clean, you must ask yourself:

Did they mop the floors?
Did they dust on top of ceiling fans?
Were carpets and walls given a deep clean?

If you are moving into a newly constructed building, your cleaning concerns are magnified greatly. Dust from construction settles for awhile after the project is finished. In both cases, there are three main cleaning considerations when moving office locations:

Maintaining a consistent brand .
- Paint colours
- Logos
- Decorating
Health and safety of employees and customers
Customer and employee satisfaction .

Although as a facility manager, you must oversee the decisions and purchases necessary to maintain your brand image, it is wise to reduce your stress by having a trusted company take charge of the painting and installation of brand features.

As soon as possible, inspect the new facility yourself along with staff from your chosen cleaning company. List all concerns that could impact the health and safety of both employees and customers. Residual dust, exposed nails and debris missed by contractors or previous tenants are likely concerns especially in new construction. Carpets, walls and window ledges may need deep cleaning. Stickers may still be present on new window installations.

Customer and employee satisfaction is closely tied to your facility conditions. Sparkling and well-organized interiors, including spotless restrooms are essential for high productivity and customer satisfaction. It is essential to begin delivering services in your new facility in the best possible conditions.

Make sure you are clear with your instructions to your cleaning crew. Exactly what jobs do you want tackled? Make an exhaustive list and be clear on your expectations. If you’ve used a cleaning company in your previous office space, have been pleased with their service and they do provide move-in cleaning, they are likely your best resource for tackling this new venture.

Maintain your brand, safeguard your employee and customer health and safety and boost satisfaction rates from day one by hiring out the burden of office cleaning. You’ll experience peace of mind and a huge drop in stress levels through the seamless transition that hiring a cleaning company for your new facility will provide. Outsourcing the cleaning for your move is a smart long-term investment.

Restroom Impact on Facility Brand Perception

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The customer’s perception is your reality

Clean has power. It definitely impacts a business.

Clean affects the ability to attract clients.
It affects the ability to retain customers.
The state of clean in your facility impacts the well-being and productivity of your staff.

Psychologically, humans are hard-wired to believe that what looks good must indeed be good. If a customer sees your facility is unclean and cluttered, they’ll perceive your business as unprofessional and untrustworthy. Having a strong grasp of human psychology is key to creating a strong brand. You can read more about that here .

Visual Cues and Brand Perception

Restrooms are one place in particular where clean is crucial. By their very nature, they are viewed as a potential hotspot for health impacts. A University of Alberta study supports that "restroom cleanliness has a significant effect on people's perceptions of a building's overall cleanliness."— John Putters, CEO Visionstate.

Restrooms impact customers and staff in two ways:

Design
Maintenance

A well-designed restroom:

Is perceived as easy to maintain
Has components that are perceived as hygienic, and energy and water efficient

Poor restroom design can create poor first impressions that are hard to overcome and can have a major damper on the overall perception of your company brand.

Restroom Best Practices

Install finishes and materials in your high traffic restroom that support the company image, especially if your facility is corporate headquarters or you’re an upscale hotel.
Develop a restroom maintenance program.
- It should outline cleaning tasks and cleaning frequencies.
- Your program should include a plan to thoroughly clean the restroom surfaces at least once per day.
Have restrooms attended to frequently.
- Ensure there is staff in place to spot clean ensuring the restroom is free of messes and spills.
- Spot cleaning makes daily intensive cleaning easier and maintains a clean surface image for staff and customers.
- Spot cleaning also ensures that all dispensers – soap, toilet paper and hand towels - are full and functioning. Nothing dampens your brand perception worse than a client finding any of these missing while using your restroom facilities.
- A visibly posted restroom checklist sends a positive message that maintenance is regularly carried out.
Equip staff with the right tools and chemicals to keep the restroom in spotless condition or better yet outsource the job to an expert maintenance company.
Deep clean restrooms regularly to remove tough, built-up soils.
- This deep clean should include all surfaces (walls, floors, toilet areas, sinks and mirrors).
- Treat all surfaces with disinfectant and follow with a fresh water rinse and extraction to ensure all contaminants are gone.
If you are able to outsource facility maintenance including restroom maintenance, work closely with your service provider to develop a customized program.
- As humans, we tend to believe what we see.
- Hiding your restroom maintenance staff may work against your brand. Seeing a maintenance team in action shows clients and staff your commitment to their health and comfort.
- Work closely with your maintenance staff to include visible maintenance in your program.

Restrooms are obviously cleaned for health reasons but it is more likely that what gets noticed more is what does not get done.

Overflowing trash cans,
Dwindling and empty supply dispensers,
Poorly working air dryer

Perception of Restroom Cleanliness Equals Reality

All details missed in restroom maintenance raise warning bells of health concerns and lead to the perception of other failures in your company. As a facility manager, you must be acutely aware of how visual cues impact employee and client perception of service quality.

Poor Cleaning Practices = Poor Perception of Your Business

Commercial cleaning companies are the expert source in keeping your facility clean. They will heighten the perception of both employees and clients that your facility is well-cared for and healthy. Outsourcing restroom maintenance protects your bottom line by providing all occupants with a positive experience boosting your productivity and your brand image.

Four Really Solid Reasons to Outsource your Facility Maintenance

Tue, 30 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

You must spend money to make money.
- Plautus

There is a lot of truth in this popular English saying. Investing money in the form of supplies, advertising and equipment are costs that allow you to run and promote your business. These costs help you make more money - ultimately an important goal of most businesses.

Outsourcing your facility maintenance is a big cost. As a Facility Manager however, you should be viewing these services as an investment, not a cost. It is a significant investment but one that will pay for itself many times over very often in unanticipated ways.

Office cleaning, including washrooms, is a huge chore that is not only labor intensive but also requires specialized equipment and cleaners. Different seasons provide unique challenges and seasonal equipment needs. Having your core business employees do double duty as custodians is a definite morale buster and cuts into valuable time developing and delivering your product. Outsourcing your facility maintenance provides huge value for your company.

Let’s examine 4 solid reasons to outsource facility maintenance:

It provides a solid boost for your company’s brand expression . First impressions are important and when your facility is spotless, customers notice and that positive association of your brand is remembered!
As Facility Manager, you can focus employee resources on core business functions. Without having to divert valuable employee hours to maintenance issues, your facility can gain a competitive marketplace advantage through the laser focus of employees on your main product(s).
Your operating costs are reduced due to economies of scale. A commercial cleaning company can hire a smaller group of specialized employees providing maintenance services to many companies. The savings are passed on to you. They also buy supplies in bulk and utilize specialized equipment saving your company these costs.
You acquire best practice systems. In the scope of your core business functions, the company is expert. Why not bring that expertise to the maintenance of your facility? Facility maintenance companies are experts in the field of clean and other maintenance issues. There is a growing interest in green cleaning technologies that can provide a competitive advantage enhancing brand perception, employee health and productivity and customer satisfaction.

So, what are the best reasons to outsource facility maintenance services? Outsourcing:

Reduces internal operating costs
Reduces staffing needs
Reduces resources required
- cleaning supplies
- cleaning equipment
Can give your facility a competitive market advantage
Ensures optimal health of employees and customers through use of best practices

Outsourcing your commercial cleaning is a productivity booster. Commercial cleaning services provide expert service keeping employees and customers healthy and happy. Your company reaps the benefits of lower capital costs and employees are able to deliver 100% effort on core business functions, again boosting profit margins. Hiring a corporate cleaning service is definitely a win-win proposition for your company.

6 Simple Ways to Improve the Indoor Air Quality of Your Office

Thu, 18 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Between home and the office, most of us spend a significant amount of time indoors. Until the indoor air we breathe becomes noticeably poor - either dusty or a gagging odour - we don’t usually give indoor air quality much thought.
Unbeknownst to many, there can be a variety of contaminants in the air that can cause major health concerns. Not only can bad air make workers sick but a study published in 2016 in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests it can drastically reduce the ability to think , limiting workplace performance.

Understanding and controlling indoor air pollution can significantly reduce the risk of a number of health and productivity concerns.

There are two main sources of contaminants affecting indoor air quality:

Those arising from building occupants:
- CO2 from the simple act of breathing,
- Tobacco smoke clinging to the clothes of smokers
- Perfume
- Body odours
Those stemming from building materials:
- Dust
- Dust mites (travelling on the dust)
- Lead also hitching a ride on those dust particles
- Fibreglass particles
- Asbestos, especially in older buildings
- Gases, including formaldehyde and radon
- Moulds and other fungi
- Microorganisms

Most of us wouldn’t consider the impact employees themselves have on indoor air quality. Most building are now built very air tight. Large occupancy office facilities are producing tremendous amounts of CO2 simply from people breathing. A stressful work environment produces even more of this gas. But, alas, as a facility manager you can’t stop your employees from breathing!

Tobacco smoke has been eliminated from offices to a large extent with the advent of smoking restrictions within and around the office facility. However, tobacco smoke makes its way into the building by sneaking in on the clothing of employees. Scent restrictions in some facilities have reduced pollution by volatiles like perfume, but many body products like antiperspirants contain scent and we know the issue of body odour would be a lot worse without these personal hygiene products.

Other than tobacco smoke, which can increase the risk of cancer, building occupants tend to produce pollutants that reduce productivity because they are unpleasant. High levels of CO2 will contribute to lethargic, unproductive employees. For some, fragrances in the workplace can trigger headaches which definitely affect comfort and productivity. And bad body odour – well that one requires no further explanation.

Contaminants arising within the building can also have a negative impact on air quality. New furniture and carpeting especially release toxic gases such as formaldehyde. Radon is a radioactive gas produced naturally by the decay of uranium in the soil. Radon seeps into buildings through foundation cracks and other improperly sealed openings. Both formaldehyde and radon increase cancer risks. In fact, 3000 Canadians lose their lives per year due to elevated radon concentrations in their homes, according to Health Canada.

How do these contaminants make their way into facilities?

Some pollutants are tracked into the office.
Some arrive through new furniture.
A new coat of paint on the walls is a source of volatile pollutants.
Dust mites get into the office when dust is tracked in or gets in every time a door or window is opened and are a major allergen as is the dust itself.
Heaps of pet dander arrive through the clothing of pet owners and are a source of concern for many allergy sufferers.

So, what is the solution to indoor air pollution? The EPA estimates that poor indoor air costs the United States billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and medical care. As a facility manager, you want your building to smell fresh. You want to safeguard the health and well-being of your employees and customers.

Here are 6 simple steps to improve indoor air quality that can be implemented right now:

Use a vacuum with a hepa filter, strong suction and rotating brush.
- You’ll reduce concentrations of lead, and allergens including pollen, pet dander and dust mites;
- Vacuum the same spot several times;
- Vacuum walls, carpet edges and upholstered furniture;
- Vacuum 2 or more times weekly and wash out the filters regularly.
Regular mopping of hard surfaces.
- Picks up dust left behind after vacuuming;
- Use plain water only to capture lingering dust and allergens;
- The use of microfibre mops and dust cloths captures more dust and dirt than traditional fibres.
Keep out contaminants by using floor mats at every entrance.
- Mats reduce tracked in sources of dirt, pesticides and other pollutants.
Keep a healthy level of humidity in your building.
- Dust mites and mold love moisture so keep levels of air moisture low.
- Keeping air humidity at around 30 to 50% helps keep those allergens under control.
- Using a dehumidifier, especially in the spring and summer, reduces humidity to a healthy level, controlling allergens.
- Using an air conditioner reduces humidity and also filters pollutants out of the air.
Test for Radon gas.
- Granite countertops and cracks in foundations are linked to radon gas in buildings.
- Testing for radon gas is easy, inexpensive and takes only a few minutes.
Keep it natural to smell good.
- Synthetic fragrances in laundry products, cleaners and air fresheners emit dozens of different chemicals in the air.
- Where possible, switch to mild cleaners without artificial fragrance.
- Stop using aerosol sprays that release more vapour into the air.
- Let in fresh air when possible by opening windows to allow toxins and other pollutants to escape to the outside.
- Properly cared for live plants in the office can act as living air purifiers contributing to better indoor air quality.

Indoor air can be polluted as much or in some cases more than outside air. Poor air quality can be detrimental to the overall health and happiness of employees. Proper maintenance practices are essential to safeguarding their health and productivity and thus, protecting your bottom line. Using the above 6 simple steps are an immediate way to have a positive impact on your facility.

What You Need to Know About the Science of Clean

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

This old expression can certainly be applied to the science of clean. Traditionally, cleaning meant that seen dirt was removed. Sweeping, dusting and wiping removed visible dirt. Dirt gone, problem solved - right?

Not so fast! Today, cleaning involves so much more. Because there are things that can't be seen that can indeed hurt you, your employees and your customers. This unseen 'stuff' left behind could very well be impacting your bottom line.

Your facility cleaning strategy needs to address those unseen concerns :

Microbial contaminants
Chemical residues
Bio- or chemical pollutants

Initially, the focus of cleaning science was centred on the effectiveness of sanitizers at reducing the virulence of pathogens. This philosophy was driven primarily by chemical companies for obvious reasons. The danger arose when it was accepted by regulatory authorities which led to a very common but dangerous misconception. That it's possible to sanitize without cleaning first.

This philosophy, at its core, is flawed. You can’t simply spray sanitizers on soiled surfaces and walk away. The reason is found in science. Soil interferes with the oxidizing power of disinfectants. In effect, soil "shields" pathogens from the sanitizer which allows for the continued spread of disease.

True clean is a condition where there is virtually no soil on a surface. Thus, when an approved disinfectant is applied to that surface, infectious organisms are reduced to lower than their infective dose.

A solid cleaning strategy for your facility must include the following:

Making your facility visibly clean which translates to removing the most soil particles.
Disinfecting surfaces removing or killing the most pathogens possible.
Using efficient processes that still deliver excellent results. These processes:
- Address 1 and 2 above
- Improve indoor air quality
- Reduce cross-contamination

What tools can complement a solid cleaning strategy?

Approved disinfectants
Colour-coded microfibre clothes
- Each colour is used for a specific cleaning task which reduces the chances of cross-contamination
- They pick up 99% of soil
- Help prevent germ spread
- Environmentally friendly as they can be washed and reused
No-dip flat mop
- Cleans hard to reach places
- Is never rinsed in dirty water
- Reduces cross contamination
Hepa Vacuum
- Captures particles to reduce dust
- Helps improve air quality
- Quieter than most vacuums

Maintaining a clean and hygienic facility is essential to the success of your business. Hiring a professional cleaning company that understands the science of clean is essential to maximizing your brand image and the productivity of your employees . A positive brand image and productive employees will boost your bottom line.

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.
~ George Bernard Shaw

7 Valuable Spring Cleaning Tips That Will Make Your Facility Shine

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Spring is finally here. It's time to work on a plan for your facility to make a fresh start. Winter snow and sleet is combatted with liberal use of salt. Salt and moisture makes its way into your facility. Even with regular winter maintenance , they leave their mark. As facility managers, you need to be proactive. A thorough spring cleaning of your building from top to bottom is essential to maintaining employee health by preventing illness and allergies. It is also a necessary step to protecting your brand image by keeping your facility in top condition.

What are the steps to achieving this monumental task? Before you begin, it is prudent to take a walk through your facility. A walk-through is a fabulous way to catch even those small problems that have arisen due to wear and tear throughout the year. If you can, ask your facility service provider to walk with you in order to catch those details you might overlook. Keep an especially sharp eye for unobtrusive items that require repair or replacement such as:

Door stops, door sweeps and sticking locks;
Damaged blinds and draperies including their hardware;
Cracks in tile and grout, floors and walls;
Damaged light switches and faceplates;
Expired fire extinguishers.

Now that you’ve made that checklist it's time to attend to breathing new life into your winter-tired facility. Armed with your checklist and following the 7 steps to a thorough spring cleaning, you will be managing a healthy and attractive facility once again.

Begin by looking up. Clean and Repair the unseen surfaces at ceiling height. Thoroughly clean:
- ceiling beams;
- light fixtures;
- ceiling fans;
- ceiling surfaces
Eye level is next including Walls, Blinds, Draperies.
- Thoroughly dusting and washing walls and draperies will significantly reduce allergens and prolong their practical life span.
- Deep cleaning blinds removes dust, dirt, grease and other pollutants.
- If marks and scuffs are significant, spring is an excellent time for giving the walls a facelift with a fresh coat of paint; if you are upgrading your brand, spring is a great time to work wall treatments into your overall plan.
- Thoroughly clean and sanitize countertops, cupboards and appliances.
- Scuffs or gouges in wood trim or other surfaces should be repaired and refinished at this time. Follow with polishing and buffing.
- Dust and disinfect work areas including keyboards and phones.
- Wash the dust, grime and insect activity that has accumulated on windows including sills and ledges.
- If you have glass partitions this is the time to wash and buff these as well.
Next look down - Hard Floors, Carpets and Furniture. Winter is extremely harsh on hard floors and carpets. Spring is the time to both bring them back to life and prolong their useful service by removing stains, allergens, odours, bacteria and mold.
- If you have hardwood floors, have them cleaned using manufacturer’s recommendation, fix any scratches and gouges and have them resealed.
- Thoroughly clean tile floors, repair damaged grout and reseal them.
- Vacuum all carpets and steam clean them.
- Vacuum and steam clean all upholstered chairs and fabric furniture panels.
Make your Restrooms Fresh as a Daisy. Spring is the time for deep-cleaning by getting rid of build-up that harbours dirt and germs and making any necessary repairs.
- Sanitize all restroom surfaces, fixtures and floors.
- If mirrors are cracked or damaged replace them now; if not clean thoroughly.
- Re-calk sinks if necessary; replace cracked or damaged sinks and hardware.
- Repair or replace damaged toilet paper, hand towel and soap dispensers.
- Check baby change stations for safety and repair or replace if necessary.
Give your Kitchen a Thorough Cleaning. Spring is a good time to give your kitchen areas a complete clean – inside and out.
- Take everything out of cupboards and clean inside.
- Do the same for all appliances.
- Strip, seal and wax vinyl floors.
Condition Air Conditioning Units. In the heat of summer, comfort of employees and patrons is paramount. Unused, air conditioning units build up dirt, sludge and insect activity resulting in odors, allergens and higher operating cost. Without regular maintenance, the unit degrades and may fail when you need it the most. Spring is the perfect time to ensure that your air conditioning is in optimum working condition when you need it.
- Thoroughly clean the outside of the unit.
- Make sure the ground around the unit is clear of debris.
- Clean the coil to improve energy efficiency, air quality and longevity.
Green up Your First Impression.
- Make people happy before they walk through the door through landscaping;
- A formal landscaping plan or a few pots by the front door will make a valuable impression and can be an integral part of your brand statement.
- Greenery inside also contributes to a welcoming environment as well as having the ability to improve indoor air quality.

Giving your facility a thorough spring cleaning is a win-win proposition for the company. Just like with winter maintenance, money spent on spring cleaning will improve your bottom line by improving employee health and productivity as well as improving customer experience through revitalization of your brand. Capital expenditures are reduced through proper maintenance of infrastructure and equipment. Be proactive this spring. Make a fresh start for your facility with a thorough top to bottom spring cleaning.

How to Keep it Clean in the Social Collaborative Office

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Collaborative offices are quickly becoming the new norm of office life. An ever younger workforce with different life and educational experiences are part of this radical shift in office design. Another factor leaning businesses to this design model is the ever increasing cost of office facilities. In 2015, Toronto’s financial district had the highest office rental rates in the country with an average rent of $68.19 per square foot. This collaborative office design has both advantages and disadvantages for employees.

Think of the collaborative office as an open concept design. Employees have the ability to move in an environment that suits their needs for daily tasks. It allows team members to meet informally to exchange ideas. In the collaborative design, workers meet many more office employees throughout their day. They are much more likely to meet others who are outside of their immediate department. In this way, individuals with different expertise get together leading to sharing of unique ideas and often new ways of solving problems.

So, there are many advantages to this collaborative model of office life. However, there are some disadvantages also. Typically, in the collaborative design, individuals do not have their own office space or desk. Work stations are set up and are utilized on a first come, first serve basis. Office space per employee is much smaller. What does this mean for the individual?

At the end of each day or work session all papers and materials must be removed and carried with the worker. Thus, it is harder or impossible to personalize your own workspace.
Workers feel less motivated as without their own desk they don’t feel valued by the company.
Employees must get used to new routines of removing their own garbage and leaving the space as it was found. Conversely, they may have to deal with prior users who leave the space in less than desirable condition.
The wrong type of chair can lead to injury, mixing germs on the phone can lead to illness, and more.
Office employees must learn to work in higher density conditions.
Higher density working conditions and sharing of workstations means more contact and potentially easier spread of illness throughout the office.

If introduced properly, collaborative offices have the potential to capitalize on the benefits of the design while minimizing the disadvantages. Health and safety are big concern in high density work situations. Absenteeism due to cold and flu comes at a high cost. The average absenteeism rate in 2011 was 9.3 days per full-time employee while in 2012, the estimated direct cost of absenteeism to the Canadian economy was $16.6 billion. Health and safety are big priorities and facility maintenance requires modification for this design to be effective.

Because equipment and workspaces are shared more diligence is required in cleaning and sanitizing desks, phones, keyboards, work surfaces, eating areas, stair handrails which are all key germ transfer points. Some cleaning practices are standard no matter the office design. Removal of soil and pollutants improves air quality and reduces bacterial and viral load.

All facility designs require:

The maintenance and regular vacuuming of carpets
Annual or biannual deep-cleaning of upholstery

Collaborative offices need to be much more diligent with respect to:

The cleaning of high-touch surfaces
Sanitizing of work areas
Centralized waste diversion

The last is very important. Without ownership of workspace, garbage tends to get left behind on tables for someone else to pick up – not unlike the situation experienced in high school cafeterias! State Farm discovered that wastebaskets must be placed strategically to make it easier for workers to properly dispose of trash. Trash receptacles are essential in high traffic areas including elevator areas, restrooms, break-rooms, near fax and copy machines and main entryways. A receptacle should be placed where mass quantities of food or paper are located. If employees find it difficult to find a receptacle or if those containers are always full, employees won’t do their part.

As well, sanitizing of workspaces can be made much easier if sanitizing wipes are provided at each station for employees to wipe down their own station before and after work.

Facility managers will need to be vigilant in developing policies with employees and creating a plan with their professional cleaning company which will effectively manage the collaborative office. It may require changes in cleaning frequency including daily custodial shifts and changes in cleaning equipment to improve health, safety and appearance of collaborative offices. Your bottom line is affected by not only employee health but also the facility health. Money can be saved with a collaborative office plan and productivity and creativity can be improved if the process of change is implemented properly. As always, working with the right professional cleaning company is key to maintaining facility health and safety.

8 Valuable Tips to Make Your Facility Winter Ready

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT

You can never bet on the weather in Southern Ontario from October until April. It can run the gamut from dry and warm to cold and deep snow. Temperatures can fluctuate wildly and until winter sets in every morning can be a weather surprise.

With the unique weather patterns, or lack of weather patterns depending upon your perspective, facility managers in Southern Ontario need to prepare early to keep their facilities clean and healthy during the winter months.

Flooring, especially carpeting, takes a beating during the winter season. Salt, slush and dirt are tracked in hourly. This debris packs into carpet fibres and the finish on hard flooring can get scratched and dulled. Facility managers must have a strong plan for flooring care in place long before the onset of the worst of winter weather. Cleaning carpets and flooring when they look dirty is a bad precedent to set. Damage to colour and integrity of the carpet or hard floor has often occurred before its appearance has changed significantly. Carpets in particular hide particles deep within their fibres hiding also the damage. Carpet replacement costs can run your company as much as $558 per 100 square feet of flooring. Without proper maintenance, carpet may last only 3-5 years depending on a number of factors, including the type of carpet and traffic. However, proper carpet maintenance can add many years to the average carpet lifespan.

As a facility manager, you want your building to be safe and clean for your employees and customers. You also want a pristine facility that maintains your brand appeal. At the same time, you need to protect the company bottom line. A strong plan that maintains expensive assets like flooring and keeps customers and valued employees happy does just that.

Here are 8 tips for a strong plan to keep your facility clean and healthy over the dirty winter months.

Carpet Preparation and Floor Traffic Patterns : Facility managers should study traffic patterns on flooring prior to the winter season. High traffic areas need more maintenance to keep clean and hygienic. If movement of furniture will alleviate traffic issues or make regular maintenance easier, now is the time to make those adjustments. Carpet dents can reduce the longevity of your investment and become very visible when furniture is moved. In order to get fibres back in place your carpet may require a breathing period of 3 to 4 days depending on the method used by your cleaning company to remove them so this would be a great time to schedule the removal of those dents.
Stop the Outside Elements from Getting in : Regularly sweep, shovel, and use a snow blower to remove as much soil, sand, slush, snow, and ice as possible in outdoor areas such as sidewalks. Doing this greatly reduces the amount of dirt and moisture entering a building.
Use the Rule of 15 : Invest in high quality mats in all building entrances which can soak up to 80% of moisture from foot traffic. Install 5 feet of matting outside of each entrance. And directly inside of each entrance install 10 feet of matting as your final line of defence against the worst of winter dirt and moisture.
Vacuum often : During the winter months have carpets and mats vacuumed several times a day. Remember, dirt lodged in carpet fibres and on hard flooring can do its damage quickly. Clean before it is seen is a good rule to follow.
Replace matting : Eventually, vacuuming efforts will no longer be able to adequately remove soil and moisture tracked into the facility. Replace mats at least once per day under very adverse weather conditions to reduce or eliminate cleaning efforts in other areas of your facility.
Deep Clean : Regularly deep clean mats and carpets. This process is especially important after a winter storm. Use low-moisture surface cleaning for damp carpets and a carpet extractor/sanitizer for very wet carpets. Carpet manufacturers vary on the frequency recommended for each type of deeper cleaning and their recommendations should be followed in order to maintain warranties and prevent the damaging of fibres.
Hard Floor Maintenance : Hard flooring can be dulled, scratched and otherwise damaged by dirt and moisture. Any hard flooring benefits from the application of ‘wear-off’ coats year round. If this has not been part of your maintenance plan, having these protective coats applied before the winter months is a smart investment. These protective layers will experience more wear over the winter and in order to restore the pristine finish of your flooring, top scrubbing and re-coating may be necessary towards the end of the winter season.
Protecting Stainless Steel and Glass : Steel and glass are surfaces hard to keep smudge free at any time of the year. Applying products that use nanotechnology to create non-stick and/or moisture and dirt repellant surfaces are important ways to maintain pristine elevator doors and glass especially on main front doors.

Maintaining a pristine, healthy and safe facility is tougher during the unpredictable weather of Southern Ontario winters. When facility managers and their cleaning company collaborate in developing a sound strategy, the process is much easier. Replacement costs are extraordinary for carpeting and hard flooring and the safety and health of valued employees and customers goes beyond intrinsic value. Money spent on proper winter maintenance will improve your bottom line by maintaining your brand value through greater employee satisfaction and productivity as well as improved customer experience.

How Facility Managers Can Help Attract and Retain Awesome Talent

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Low Morale Costs Your Company More than You Think

Facility managers often focus on customer first impressions when budgeting out company requirements for office cleanliness. The impact of employee impressions of the office is often less considered. Employees and potential employees do take note of the overall cleanliness and organization of company facilities. Attractive and clean workplaces signal to employees a quality facility. Attractive facilities and office spaces are vital to retaining employees as well as attracting top talent.

A dirty and disheveled office can have a number of negative impacts on an employee from the minute he or she walks in the door:

Increased stress level
Bad mood
Ill-health
Reduced productivity

Employee discontent and poor performance can also lead to an increase in absenteeism. According to CDC data from 2007, on average of 4 days were lost per person due to illness and injury.

Low morale stunts the growth of an organization while companies that stimulate high morale in their employees see significant gains. A 2016 Workplace Index study done in conjunction with Jacob Morgan and Staples determined that one in five Canadian respondents (91%) had taken a workplace stress-related leave of absence. The same study determined that 68% of Canadians indicated that their workplace directly contributed towards their stress levels. When you add these negative qualities together, you have a recipe for disaster in the bottom line of your company.

Treatment of employees by management directly effects staff productivity. A 2004 Gallup poll surveyed 4 million workers worldwide. It determined that workers who received recognition and praise:

showed an increase their individual productivity
showed increased engagement among their colleagues
were more likely to stay with their organization
received higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers
had better safety records and fewer accidents on the job

Employees feed off of praise from their employers. They want to know that their labours are appreciated. Verbal praise is only one form of showing employees you care about their efforts. Demonstrating to them that you also care about their health and well-being by keeping an attractive and well-maintained facility is a vital piece in maintaining high staff morale.

Trickle-Down Effect of High Employee Morale

It’s fairly easy to understand how clean facilities lead to a reduction in workplace related stress and illness. It is also not a reach to understand the morale boost employees receive by working in clean, attractive facilities. We know that about our own home environment. We feel more relaxed when our home is clean and tidy. It’s therefore not a big stretch of the imagination to make the connection between commercial cleaning, higher staff morale and higher office production. Why not let the staff do the job they were hired to do and leave facility maintenance and cleaning to the professionals? Staff stress is reduced and management ensures maintenance and cleaning of facilities is done right.

Clean offices show an added benefit that vastly improves the company bottom line. Pristine offices keep your employees motivated and happy. The improved morale of your staff encourages them to keep their own work space cleaner and more organized also improving company productivity. Further, happy employees have a positive attitude that directly improves customer satisfaction with your brand. High customer satisfaction always advances your bottom line.

Why Commercial Cleaning Absolutely Curbs Costs

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Commercial cleaning services are a vital component of a company’s cost containment strategy. Budget dollars spent on facility maintenance now offset expenditures on major renovations and litigation expenditures down the road.

As a facility manager, you know the significant capital investment required to produce functional, yet aesthetically pleasing company facilities. From a cost containment perspective, it makes good financial sense to maintain your assets in good repair for as long as possible. Renovation costs can run higher than initial construction costs. $187.50 per square foot for office renovations, including cabinetry, countertops, added storage space, new carpeting, and new drywall and modernized electrical wiring would be an average estimate. Postponing renovations and reducing or eliminating emergency repairs are vital in curbing company costs.

Facility Maintenance Broken Down

Maintenance is defined as any work done to preserve a facility or repair it to an agreed upon acceptable standard. There are three classes of maintenance :

Reactive : mainly urgent, emergency repairs
Planned : regular upkeep of facility assets
Major : overhaul, renovation and replacement of facility elements and infrastructure

Over its lifetime, your facility will require maintenance and eventual replacement of its various components, materials and assemblies. Using a commercial cleaning company is a vital part of your planned, coordinated approach to facility maintenance.

Cost Containment Pitfalls Without Planned Maintenance

The consequences of failing to engage in planned maintenance of facility assets are many and costly:

Disruption of facility use;
Structural consequences leading to more expensive reactive maintenance or earlier than scheduled major maintenance;
Unexpected liabilities including litigation from client or employee injury.

Planned maintenance reduces Reactive maintenance and prolongs the need for Major maintenance.

The lack of planned maintenance results in obvious costs. The accelerated deterioration of facility assets means they must be replaced earlier than anticipated increasing your capital expenditure. However, there are also some unexpected costs associated with lack of regular maintenance.

Nuisances caused by noise and smells from less than stellar cleaning and the resulting visible deterioration of the facility can have some unusual ramifications.

Foot traffic from potential clients is negatively impacted reducing company sales;
Executives feel the need to entertain clients and hold meetings outside of the office due to the physical unattractiveness of their facility. Renting meeting rooms in hotels or other facilities can be a costly addition to business expenses.

Companies who fail to regularly clean and maintain their facility leave themselves open to unexpected litigation expenses.

The potential for accidents and injuries to both staff and clients due to unsafe slip, trip and fall conditions increases exponentially without regular maintenance.
Insurance coverage protecting a business from such occurrences will skyrocket with multiple claims against the company.

Litigation expenses have even greater long-term effects. They negatively impact the company brand as well as having a stifling effect on employee morale. Both factors reduce profit margin.

Commercial Cleaning Company as part of a Planned Maintenance Program

Using a commercial cleaning service as part of a planned maintenance program is vital to the preservation of a functional and safe working environment. It prolongs the need for major maintenance by expanding the useful life of assets and ensures a vital, aesthetically pleasing environment within which employees and clients are pleased to interact.

Investment in Commercial Cleaning = Money Saved

The gains to be realized from using a commercial cleaning company are many. Hiring a reputable corporate cleaning service is a win-win proposition because unexpected expenses are minimized while customer and staff satisfaction are boosted. The investment in a commercial cleaning company is most definitely a smart factor in company cost containment.

Can Employee Productivity Soar when Facilities are Clean?

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Commercial cleaning services are a smart investment in employee health and safety. Budget dollars spent on facility maintenance will more than pay for themselves. Healthy employees are happier and their motivation and productivity soars, vastly improving your bottom line.

In 2015, full-time workers were off sick an average of 7.4 days . The economic cost of sick days due to salary costs was about $16.6 billion in 2011. The cost of replacement workers makes that cost even higher. The main reasons volunteered for taking the day off:

Colds
Flu
Headaches

Staffing costs, including salary and benefits, account for the largest part of business operational expenses. Thus, anything that impacts the health and well-being of staff should be of paramount concern. Employee health and mental state is directly proportional to levels of motivation and productivity. Salary costs associated with absenteeism are staggering but do not account for indirect costs that are difficult to quantify:

administrative costs (e.g., time spent finding a replacement)
a reduction in employee morale (e.g., from increased workload)
a reduction in productivity (e.g. delays, missed deadlines)
a reduction in customer satisfaction

It has been estimated that sickness reduces workforce productivity by a whopping 54% .

Causes of Absenteeism

Dirty work surfaces are a significant cause of work absenteeism. Workers spend about 1/3 of their life at work. During the course of a day, many surfaces are touched:

door knobs
desk tops
phones
coffee pots
paper work
flooring

Transfer of bacteria and viruses occur on all of these surfaces. Every step on dirty flooring or carpets releases thousands of mold spores, bacteria and viruses. It is not difficult to see the benefit of reducing or eliminating the source of these disease-causing pathogens.

Causes of Presenteeism

Sick building syndrome causes absenteeism but it also causes 'presenteeism' (employees who are physically present but are, due to a physical or emotional issue, distracted to the point of reduced productivity). A number of offenders can contribute to this syndrome:

mold spores due to pipe breaks, water leaks and roof leaks
a poorly maintained HVAC system resulting in indoor air contaminants such as lead dust and VOC's
dust mites in neglected areas such as vent covers, blinds and fans
carpeting which releases VOC's and accumulates mold spores and bacteria

All of these contaminants contribute to a variety of symptoms, leading to reduced morale and productivity in the workplace:

headaches
dry coughs
nasal allergies
itchy, dry skin
fatigue
dizziness
nausea
difficulty concentrating

Regular facility maintenance has positive benefits for both the health and safety of an organization's employees:

it reduces or eliminates slipping and tripping hazards
it results in the reduction of workplace exposure to hazardous substances (dust, vapors)
it reduces sick days by improving hygienic conditions

Improving Health and Productivity

One of the greatest areas of control an organization has over lost productivity due to employee health issues is the maintenance and cleaning of the work facility. Facility managers willing to spend budget dollars to keep work areas clean, remove agents causing illness. But more importantly, this action lets their employees know their health and well-being is valued.

Healthy employees = Productive employees

Valued employees = Motivated and productive employees

Spending on regular facility maintenance is a win-win proposition for the company. Employee productivity levels are boosted - increasing profits. At the same time facility productivity losses are minimized - reducing profit loss. Employees are healthier and happier, producing a financially healthier facility.

Is Commercial Cleaning Essential for a Positive Brand Impression?

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Commercial cleaning services need to be viewed as an investment rather than a cost. Facility Managers must realize that "maintaining a spotless and sanitary environment will pay for itself many times over - often in unanticipated ways". (Bob Clarke, Senior Vice President, ABM Industries Inc. 2014).

Visual Cues and Clients’ First Impressions

Mark Sisson, co-founder of NanoTouch Materials, states that a client's decision on where to eat, what to buy or how to rate a product or service of a company is based on what they see - visual cues - not on the hard data and logic used to sell a product.

First impressions are a key component to winning over clients but maintaining visually appealing, clean facilities is necessary to keep them coming back. It is a well-known fact that a strong brand is important to the success of any company. Strong company brands:

Motivate employees
Attract top recruits
Help a company stand strong during negative events
Ensure customers know what to expect
Set a company apart from competitors
Generate referrals

For companies whose business relies on customer interaction with a physical building, their facility is central to their brand expression. Facility Managers, thus, are brand stewards ensuring all interactions provide a positive customer experience with the company.

Positive customer experience = Stronger brand rating

Consistent User Experience and the Power of Happy Clients

Facility Managers play a vital company role and figure prominently in a number of aspects key to a successful company. Their mandate includes:

Reducing operational costs
Reducing risk to both employees and customers
Ensuring a consistent user experience
This last point - consistent user experience - is the bedrock of a strong company brand.

First impressions are a vital component of public perception of brand. And first impressions are developed through visual cues. Your facility is often the source of a client's first company impression. Fantastic first impressions get you some cool perks:

When clients think of your name, they have happy thoughts
Those happy thoughts turn into repeat business
When a client's friends are looking for your kind of service, those happy thoughts turn into referrals

Because brand recognition results from the accumulation of experiences clients have with your company and facility, it is vital to keep that first impression going. Clean, uncluttered living spaces make people feel happier .

In a similar way, a clean office leads to happier employees and customers. When employees are happy, their output tends to increase and when customers are happy, they value your services even more.

Make a Clean Office the Anchor Detail for a Positive Brand Impression

Emma Brudner in “ How to Use Psychological Biases to Sell Better and Faster ”, says that although we’re taught to NOT judge a book by its cover, "our brains are hardwired to do just that". That first impression of an impeccably clean facility becomes an "anchor detail" influencing a client's overall perception of the company brand.

A clean facility translates into the generation of better business value. Facility Managers - think of your facility as the packaging of your company. And facility cleanliness is the major visible attribute of that packaging. Make sure that your super-clean facility is the anchor detail that influences a positive perception of your company brand by all clients.

Commercial Cleaning: A Positive Impression of Your Company's Inner Workings

I think we've established that clean facilities relate directly to a positive brand impression. A professional atmosphere is inherently clean. And in order to keep clients returning and referring business, it is vital that clean facilities are a consistent part of your visual brand.

Psychologically, clean facilities suggest a number of things about the inner workings of a company:

Clean facilities convey to clients your professionalism
A consistently clean business inspires confidence in your ability to manage the finer details of your company
Your business is seen as organized and will, thus, deliver what is promised
A business that is clean and up to date is seen as willing to move with the times

Without Commercial Cleaning You Could Be Undermining Your Brand

There is the potential to undermine your company brand with unclean facilities. For example, a leading car company kept their rental cars spotless . However, a customer survey indicated that customers' perceptions of their business were less than excellent. They asked themselves - why this discrepancy? By improving the cleanliness of check-in counters, a further survey indicated that customer perception of their rental car cleanliness also improved dramatically. Clean counters became an anchor detail that favourably affected customer perception of the company service. This improvement in facility cleanliness resulted in improved customer loyalty.

This customer aversion to unclean facilities can apply further to clean and well-maintained door entrances, outside landscaping and signage. Clean facilities positively influence a customer's first impression and all that follow. These positive impressions from the use of regular commercial cleaning companies are vital to a strong brand identity. Keeping your business clean reduces or eliminates bad reviews.

As a facility manager, you know that promotion of your company brand requires a consistent investment in the facility. Your building required significant capital in its initial construction . Office space with carpeting has a conservative cost of $56 per square foot. As a significant capital expenditure, it pays to make regular investments to prolong the life of the facility.

Replacement cost of high quality carpeting runs as high as $2790 for 500 square feet. Replacement of hardwood floors for the same parameters runs as high as $5495. These are significant costs that can be reduced substantially by regular maintenance. In fact, proper carpet maintenance can double the expected life of your carpeting, significantly reducing expenditure. Proper maintenance of all flooring types extends their useful life and prolongs their replacement.

As a facility manager, you deal with complaints and demands daily so having a commercial cleaning service team in place keeps capital costs down while at the same time maintaining a positive, high-end brand expression. Both customers and your C-Suite are kept happy. Happy upper management and happy customers reduce complaints and reduce your stress because the company's bottom line is improved.

The important take away from this is two-fold. Using a commercial cleaning service will not only reduce your capital expenditures, but your company brand perception will receive a boost, which in the long term increases profit margins. For a facility manager, hiring a reputable corporate cleaning service is a win-win proposition - reducing complaints, reducing your stress and leaving you time to concentrate on your many other tasks.