Our Detailed Office Cleaning Checklist

Our Office Cleaning Checklist

This comprehensive office cleaning checklist is part of the services we are happy to offer you on regular basis. If needed, you can include additional items in your office cleaning agreement, in order to benefit from our services to the full.

When you sign up for any type of professional commercial cleaning services, you usually get what you pay for. Most commercial cleaning companies will provide you with a detailed list of office cleaning services, allowing you to choose the ones you want. With Retro Clean, even our least expensive packages include a 32-Step Cleaning Service!

clean work area

If your cleaning company didn’t provide you a checklist of services, you are welcome to use ours to determine how good your commercial cleaning provider is. We’ve been in the commercial cleaning industry for a very long while, and we know that our competitors aren’t able to provide the same quality and the same value for money as we do.

Daily Cleaning

Your front desk area is the one people see first as they enter your building.

This is your only chance to make a great first impression on your visitors. You want this area to always be spotless clean and welcoming. Every human deserves a clean work environment. A clean and properly organized workplace help improving the productivity of your employees. Here’s the list of cleaning tasks for the front desk area and for office spaces:

1. Empty paper bins and trash cans. Wash them, if needed.
2. Vacuum mats and carpets
3. Vacuum wood and ceramic tile floors
4. Dust all desks, chairs, tables and other furniture items, as well as all other horizontal surfaces
5. Damp wipe all the above with a mild disinfectant solution
6. Mop all hard floors with the same solution to disinfect them
7. Remove spider webs, if any
8. Remove fingerprints and grime from around light switches and door handles
9. Clean automatic glass doors on both sides
10. Wipe all internal glass
11. Polish all brass handles and knobs on doors and cabinets
12. Spot clean walls and painted surfaces
13. Collect all waste papers and garbage from front entrance and from all office spaces
14. Ensure all areas are clean and tastefully arranged

Kitchen, Break Room, Toilet And Washroom

In order to kill the germs and to reduce the risk of infections, you have to ensure that your washroom is always clean and sanitized. This rule is also valid for all spaces where your employees gather together to eat. Even if their bring their own food rather than cooking on the spot, you still need to provide them with a safe and clean environment.

cleaned washroom urinal area

15. Make sure you have enough supplies of toilet paper, hand towels, and soap
16. Empty waste bins, wipe them if needed; replace liners
17. Clean all mirrors
18. Wipe clean hand towel dispensers and hand dryers
19. Wipe down doors and sills to remove fingerprints, dirt and grime
20. Clean and disinfect all basins.
21. Dust all surfaces, including frames, partitions and tops of mirrors
22. Wipe splash marks from walls and partitions
23. Clean and disinfect washroom and kitchen floors
24. Clean the elevator and the stairs
25. Pick up the garbage
26. Polish fixtures and accessories
27. Vacuum and mop all hard floors
28. Clean internal glass in doors to remove all spots
29. Clean and disinfect toilets and urinals, and then wipe them dry

Weekly Cleaning

30. Spray buff all hardwood and ceramic tile floors
31. Clean all glass inside and outside

Monthly Cleaning

32. Vacuum clean all vents. Also, vacuum the chairs, if needed

These are only a few standard cleaning procedures your janitorial services provider should complete.

If your current cleaning service doesn’t handle all these the right way, perhaps it’s time for you to search for a new one.

Visit the ISSA Canada website for current cleaning industry standards and information

How to Start Your Own Cleaning Business Without Any Money

A Very Inexpensive Way to Own A Business

With the right strategies and planning, starting your own cleaning business can potentially be a very inexpensive way to own a business of your very own.

It can be very lucrative to start a cleaning business. There will always be houses that need to be cleaned, and it is a task that people are very happy to have someone else to do for them. Just ask Katie Pearse, a cleaning industry expert. Over a 7-year period, she was able to triple the hourly rate of her cleaning business from $62 per hour up to $180 per hour. What is even better is the upfront investment that you need to make can be practically nothing, especially when you are willing to do most of the work on your own, to get started.

cleaning figure

Disclaimer: You Will Need to Spend a Little Money

To legally operate a business, you will need to follow the laws within your local area. At a minimum that will usually mean you need to register your business. Although you are not always legally required to have, you might want to look into business insurance. You will also need to purchase the essential cleaning supplies. That includes the right cleaners, scrub brushes, bags, and rags to get the job done right.

Let’s focus now on the things that you can do to get your cleaning business started that doesn’t require you to spend any money upfront.

Target the Right Clients

When you clean homes by offering a residential cleaning service, it is an easier business to get started in than commercial cleaning. The markets for cleaning offices and commercial buildings are often dominated by large janitorial companies. Cleaning at that scale requires labor hours and equipment that require a big starting budget. Attracting new residential cleaning clients is also easier to do.

Do the Cleaning on Your Own

To get started, do all of the cleaning work yourself. That is an obvious way to not have labor costs that come with hiring people to do the cleaning. You can schedule your cleaning jobs in the evenings or on weekends around your full-time job, depending on what your schedule is.

Doing the cleaning yourself also allow you to ease into the new business you have started, which helps to take the pressure off of having to find a large list of customers immediately to keep your employees busy. When you take it slow it allows you to focus on providing a quality service as well as build up your reputation, instead of having to build up a client list quickly by offering low prices.

At some point, you will know that is time for you to quit your job so that you can grow your cleaning business on a full-time basis and soon after that you might decide to hire your very first employee. Those exciting future steps can follow after your original plan of handling cleaning jobs on your own initially.

Get an Easy Uniform Created

It isn’t necessary to spend a lot of money on a fancy uniform that features your log when you are just getting started. A simple dress code you can use is dark or all black pants and a colored t-shirt. That will work just fine. Wear an apron to achieve an additional layer of polish and keep your uniform cleaner for a longer period of time.

When it comes to your uniform the key is being consistent. If you have the same look every time you interact with your clients, your professional image is going to have a greater impact than if you just show up to their house wearing random graphic t-shirts.

speaking heads

 

Utilize Word of Mouth Marketing

A client will most likely to refer a business that has a professional image to their family and friends. To get your very first customers, ask your friends and tell them you have started your own cleaning business to see if they know of anyone that is interested in trying your services out. After you have cleaned somebody’s house, tell them you are searching for new clients. You could even offer them a discount on their next cleaning job if they refer someone to you.

Word of mouth is a very powerful way to generate new customers, so make sure your cleaning service is first-rate so that your customers will rave about your business and refer to people they know.

Customize the Experience for Your Clients

Keep in mind that customers are hiring you to help make their lives easier. Therefore, to ensure the satisfaction of your clients, tailor your services to meet their needs.

Ask them what they need from their cleaning session. They might want help with de-cluttering or someone who will spend extra time on vacuuming pet hair from their couches or cleaning their carpets. They may appreciate small touches such as folding the ends of the toilet paper in an elegant way.

When you take the time to talk about the details with your client it can really help to develop a good relationship with your customer and help you stand out from your competitors. We have a free Client Profile Template that can help you with collecting and managing the information.

Get Your Brand Established

Client profiles, a consistent uniform, attention to detail – all of those details that we have discussed all contribute to a trusted and strong brand.

Writing your company values down will help you better communicate with your customers, so they know what to expect from your company, and how you are different from your competitors. Perhaps you use environmentally friendly products or promise to always be on time or offer customized experiences.

Company Logo and Name

After you know what your company values are then you will be a good position to decide on your business name and get a logo created. You may want to select a name that is a play on your values (incorporate the word green, for example), or you might want to get creative and come up with something that is catchy.

Get a logo created by a designed for your business to add to your professional appearance. Add your logo to your receipts, invoices, and quotes and you will look like a true professional from the very beginning.

Technical Details

Get a Facebook page set up for your business. That is a free way to get your online presence established. You can take it a step further by claiming social media handles on Instagram, Twitter and other key sites for your business name so that you will be ready if you decide you want to use them.

Get an email address set up with your business name so you will have a professional commercial channel to use with your customers and so that your business communication doesn’t get lost or mixed up with your personal emails.

Finally, since you will most likely be booking first appointments via the phone, make sure your personal phone does double duty by making your voicemail greeting work for your new cleaning business.

man at computer cartoon

Use Free Tools

There are many helpful resources on government websites for new business owners. They offer useful information such as legal information on how to start a business, business planning advice and checklists.

There are free Jobber templates that are available. When you are first getting started with your business and have just a few clients, you might want to keep track of your schedule and clients on paper or use free software. While you are growing your client list and making the transition from operating your business on a full-time business, a paid software such as Jobber can be very helpful to keeping track of invoices, jobs, and clients to save you a lot of time on administrative tasks.

It is never too early to begin using software such as Jobber that you can use to help you manage your business, particularly if your goal is growth.

Finding The Best Possible Office Cleaning Services

Here’s a Few Pointers On Finding The Best Cleaning Services

Your office is like the face of your company, don’t you think? It makes a crucial impact on business partners, clients, and even our own staff.

An office that is clean and welcoming is conducive to both creativity and productivity. So, having an office cleaning service you find thorough and reliable is essential.

business people in clean office cubicles

A lot of businesses offer office cleaning services, so how do you know which one to pick? Here are a few points to keep in mind when selecting a professional cleaning company:

Proof Of Their Insurance

Let’s start off the list with something basic, and proof of their insurance is as basic as it gets before you would even dream of looking into other considerations. When they have liability insurance, it protects you and your business from costs incurred when a cleaner gets injured in your workplace.

At Retro Clean, we’ll provide you with all the necessary documentation you’ll require, at the quotation visit.

Great Reputation

Professional firms in this field ought to have a lot of previously satisfied clients. When former or current customers are happy, it’s proof that they provide quality work and they get the job done effectively. Look out for online testimonials and reviews, which can provide very insightful observations and feedback.

When you go through those kinds of reviews, you need to make sure, however, that actual clients wrote them. The reason you do this is to be sure that the reviews you’re reading are actual and honest ones and not marketing material.

Here at Retro Clean, we’ll provide you with a list of clients who have not only written a recommendation, but are also available should you need to speak to them. (this would be for large commercial contract referrals only)

Customization And Flexibility

Every company, business, or office is likely to have very specific needs in terms of cleaning. Whether you work alone or employ dozens, you need to be sure that your office cleaning services can be tailored to fit your needs and situation.

A reliable outfit is going to be able to finish their cleaning tasks within your schedule confines. Any and all cleaning they do will be customized based on what your needs are. For example, you may also need carpet cleaning, window cleaning or other property maintenance services. You should be in a position to specify the frequency of the office cleaning as well as what the cleaning service will specifically entail.

A lot of commercial cleaning companies wind up giving their commercial clients the chance to pay just for what they need instead of a generic cleaning service. There is direct discussion of terms and conditions, giving all parties input into the process.

Service Menu And Cost Effectiveness

Some offices wind up have cleaning needs far more specific than others. Cleaning companies with a variety of options on their service menu are better able to address specific needs as compared to those that just offer a handful of basic packages.

A service provider that is truly reputable will provide its prospective clients a work specification document that is quite detailed. This outline will provide all the various tasks that their cleaners can handle, as well as the costs for each of them.

Be mindful of the fact that price isn’t actually always the most crucial consideration when you look for an office cleaning service, but it might help you choose between several providers that are otherwise the same. Instead of looking for the best bargain, look for the one with the best ratio of price to quality, or the most bang for the buck. The low-end services at the bottom of the price scale might be so cheap that they have hidden costs or their work is just sub-par.

Ease Of Communication

This is one factor that many business owners wind up underestimating. The ease of communications is tremendously vital when you pick a service partner. You need to be sure that your intended cleaning company truly understands what your needs are and can communicate clearly.

If you’re going to be totally satisfied with the partnership, then a friendly and courteous approach is critical.

Here’s a few more, not covered in the article …

Be sure that your company rep is ready to and willing to listen to you, so that you know all your needs are understood clearly.

When you examine the potential office cleaning services available to you, take your time, and don’t rush your choice. Get quotes from multiple service providers, so you can compare them to one another. This information is going to help you make a wise choice that you’re satisfied with in the future.