There’s a difference between cleaning hard and cleaning smart. Both can be effective, but only one can give you a consistent level of clean while saving you time, money, and unnecessary stress. From properly maintaining your cleaning products to implementing new systems and processes, Cintas Corporation has outlined six ways to help you save by cleaning smarter.
1. Clean in zones: An improperly cleaned facility can be just as dirty, if not dirtier, than a facility that is not cleaned at all. Zone cleaning programs assign specific cleaning tools to certain areas of the building to help limit cross contamination and promote a higher level of clean. A zone cleaning program also offers cleaning professionals an easy system that takes the guess work out of cleaning—limiting mistakes and the need for unnecessary rework.
2. Develop a schedule for deep cleaning floors. In addition to daily floor maintenance, integrate a deep cleaning program to regularly restore your floors to their original condition. From hard surfaces such as tile and natural stone, to carpeted rooms and offices, proper maintenance is key to extending the life of your floor. According to The Official ISSA 612 Cleaning Times & Tasks, professional deep cleans can also make day-to-day cleaning easier resulting in time savings of up to 17 minutes per 500 square feet per week on hard surfaces alone. Regular maintenance also means delaying expensive capital intensive project like replacing floors.
3. Clean the cleaning tools. Just like a facility’s floors, its cleaning products should be properly cared for and cleaned to ensure they last longer and are more effective. If not cleaned properly, they do little more than push dirt around, leading to wasted time and possible cross contamination. Dirty mop heads and wipes are also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, so make sure your towels and mops are properly maintained and laundered to retain their effectiveness and absorption power longer.
4. Protect floors with a matting system. Facilities without entrance matting will have a hard time keeping floors clean. To help your facility save on time and money (roughly $600 per pound of soil), consider implementing a matting system at all entrances and high-traffic areas to help reduce wear-and-tear and save time on cleaning. Not only does matting reduce the amount of soil tracked into your facility year-round, but it also helps prevent slip and fall accidents and improves indoor air quality. Launder mats on a regular basis—particularly during inclement weather or high-traffic seasons-to prevent an “ink pad” effect that spreads soil throughout the building.
5. Use dilution control systems. Chemical dispensing systems are ideal for saving time—as much 1.5 hours per week-due to their hassle-free design and time-saving one-step cleaning process. This eliminates time spent searching for, shopping for, restocking, and storing bulk cleaning chemicals. It also eliminates the time spent mixing chemicals to ensure proper dilution—a task that can add an extra hour to your week. With a dilution control system, maintaining a clean janitorial closet free of outdated supplies and equipment becomes achievable.
6. Switch to microfiber. Microfiber cleaning tools offer superior cleaning effectiveness and better infection control than traditional mops and towels. According to Rubbermaid, microfiber products are proven to remove 99.9 percent of microbes and 80 percent more dust and dirt than traditional mops. In addition, ISSA reports they can also save cleaning professionals up to one hour and 52 minutes per week.
Photo courtesy of Rubbermaid
