They say a tidy desk means a tidy mind and we find that’s true. Clean surroundings help promote clean habits whether that’s at home or at work. But how do you keep an office or workplace clean?
You use a commercial cleaning service!
What’s the difference between residential cleaning and commercial cleaning? In theory, not a great deal but in practice, it’s a whole lot.
To explain that a little more, let’s take a deeper dive into commercial cleaning so you can better understand what’s involved.
Commercial Cleaning
First things first, commercial cleaning is undertaken by professional cleaners to clean a commercial space. That could be an office, workshop, hospital, restaurant, bar, hair salon or anywhere. Office cleaning is our specialty.
The people doing the cleaning will be paid for that job. They will usually be professional, qualified and insured to work on other people’s property.
How is commercial cleaning different from residential cleaning?
On the surface, the two are similar. They both concern themselves with keeping a space clean and tidy.
However, there are key differences between the two.
For example, anyone can be a residential cleaner. You don’t need training and you don’t need qualifications or any certification. While you need to be detail oriented, you don’t need to use specialist equipment or cleaning products.
To be a commercial cleaner you’ll need some form of experience and/or training. You will need training for commercial cleaning tools and cleaning products.
There are also specific processes we undertake that need specialist training such as hygienic cleaning for washrooms, office kitchens, meeting rooms and breakout areas.
Commercial cleaners also need the relevant insurance and can be security checked. While this is always desirable in residential cleaners, commercial cleaning companies are much stricter about it.
Types of commercial cleaning
There are as many types of commercial cleaning as there are types of business. Generally, commercial cleaning comes under some general types:
Office cleaning – This is the most common type of commercial cleaning. Keep office spaces clean, tidy and hygienic. While this type of cleaning has always been popular, the post-pandemic landscape has made it even more important.
Retail cleaning – Retail cleaning can include shops, supermarkets, click and collect locations and anywhere that sells to the public. It usually involves cleaning both the customer side of the premises and the employee side.
Sports and leisure cleaning – This type of commercial cleaning involves looking after gyms, sports centres, Yoga or spin studios and anywhere sports and exercise is undertaken. It will usually include the exercise spaces, changing areas and any office space too.
Restaurant and hospitality cleaning – Commercial cleaning for hospitality is a very varied job. It can include anything from vacuuming a dining room to providing housekeeping services in a hotel. Wherever guests eat, drink or dine, you can find commercial cleaners keeping everything tidy.
Medical cleaning – Medical cleaning is a more specialist type of commercial cleaning. It includes cleaning doctor’s reception areas all the way to cleaning operating theatres. It’s a specialised role that can require a very systematic approach.
Factory and manufacturing – Commercial cleaners can also be hired to keep factories and manufacturing spaces clean. That can include production lines, office cleaning, staff rooms and anywhere within the premises.
That’s by no means an extensive list of the types of commercial cleaning but it gives you an idea of what’s involved in the relevant industries.
Why commercial cleaning is so vital
A clean workplace helps with morale, the health and safety of staff and customers and influences customer or visitor opinion.
That’s why commercial cleaning is so common and such a competitive marketplace.
If a business wants to show staff and customers they value them, providing a clean space is the least they need to do!
Commercial cleaning is also important for:
Post-pandemic hygiene
Keeping offices and workplaces hygienically clean is an essential part of operating any commercial premises. It’s now as important as liability insurance and locking the door at night!
Staff and customer opinion
Clean workplaces illustrate care and attention to welfare. Two things every business needs to concern themselves with. Whether that’s customers entering the premises or staff who work within them, clean surroundings help build a positive opinion of you as an employer.
Both those things have an obvious impact on staff retention, sickness rates and morale. They can also influence how a customer views you and your brand.
Commercial cleaning is essential maintenance
All commercial spaces need regular maintenance to maintain efficiency, minimize breakdowns and impacts to productivity. Commercial cleaning is an essential part of that.
Cleaning teams can also add value and expertise to your facilities team. Working out of hours, they can often identify leaks/spills which could quickly prevent water damage or staining, cleaning toilets prevents blockages and other plumbing problems, cleaning helps identify issues with the building’s fabric or structure and can help identify issues of concern that may otherwise be missed.
As you can see, while you may never see your commercial cleaners, there’s a lot to the job and a lot of time, effort and training that goes into providing professional cleaning services!