This checklist can be used as a guide to cleaning the office with or without a janitorial services company:

Restroom cleaning

This is one of the most obvious areas that needs regular attention. Regardless of how much foot traffic there is within the building, the restroom area of the office is constantly used. Supplies need to be regularly replaced, garbage removed and toilets disinfected and cleaned nightly. Regardless if employees are the people using the restroom or if it’s a mixture of employees and guests, it’s very important to keep the restroom looking great and free of germs/bacteria.

Lobby Cleaning

The lobby is the first area a customer or guest will see. Rather than turn new guests away with a terrible looking lobby, regularly dust, clean carpets, wax the floors and do everything possible to leave a positive impression on guests of the company.

Waste Removal

Waste removal is a no-brainer. Hire a garbage and recycling company to pick up waste on a regular basis. Removing waste will give employees and guests a sense of organization and cleanliness in the building. Even if guests/employees didn’t notice waste has been removed, that is much better than if they did notice.

Carpet Cleaning

Buildings that have carpet should be vacuumed weekly and shampooed multiple times per year. Since buildings with carpet have much more square footage of carpet, replacing it can be very costly if not maintained properly. Carpet cleaning goes beyond keeping it nice for guests, rather it becomes a cost/replacement issue.

Dusting

Those with allergies can explain how much they despise dust in an office. Sometimes it difficult to remove all dust, especially in warehouse settings, but at the very least regularly dust the office partition of the building to keep the offices clear of dust and looking shiny.

Kitchen / Lunch Room

Employees are the worst offenders of destroying the workplace kitchen. In fact, some abuse the fact that the company has a shared kitchen and treats it like they are at home –  i.e. they leave dishes out, don’t wipe counter tops and leave the microwave the same after their tomato soup exploded inside of it. For everyone’s health and safety, have someone disinfect and organize the kitchen after each work day. It might even make sense to send a memo to employees to clean up after themselves.

Many of the items on this checklist can be handled simply by employees taking responsibility; however, for others on the checklist, it makes sense to have someone dedicated to cleaning the areas or to hire a professional cleaning company. Either way, make sure all items are addressed on a regular basis.

Once? Twice? Okay. But on a regular basis, probably not a great idea.

You hire employees for a reason, which is that they are good at something; and that “something” typically aligns with the core competency of the business. If you begin to shift duties of employees to core-duties, several issues can come into play.

Productivity

If an employee is talented in a given area and you stretch that person thin by giving them other duties such as cleaning, this person may become resentful, feel like they aren’t valued, and potentially over-worked with the all new janitorial tasks. This feeling could cause the employee to become less productive in their overall position.

Reduced Margins

Shifting revenue-generating activities to non-revenue generating activities will reduce margins if it’s a long-term shift. In other words, not good for business operations.

Workplace Safety

Employees who aren’t used to working with cleaning equipment run the risk of getting hurt if they aren’t properly trained. Professional janitorial companies are a better option in this scenario due to their expertise and processes.

Bottom line, there are many risks to doing specific functions in-house versus outsourcing to trained professionals. If in-house cleaning takes place once in a while, it probably is not an issue; but if you have a large workplace, take consideration in the fact that someone else can do it for you cheaper and more effectively.

2012, especially, is a prime construction season as housing starts have been delayed for years and months as demand hasn’t been at the levels it has in the past, and, since the weather has been very poor lately, that also delayed construction on housing. Now that the stars are aligned with housing demand and improved weather, more and more construction sites will emerge.

As sites begin to emerge in various Portland-metro neighborhoods, there will be a major need to keep all sites clean from dust, grime and dirt, clear from unused wood scraps, glass, metal and vehicles, and safe for all construction workers and anyone visiting the property.

Many of us have driven by construction sites that look like a bomb went off inside. Generally speaking, construction sites are typically unorganized and appear to be unsafe for the regular civilian. Having an unsafe construction site can be very risky when considering what impact it could have have on construction workers, contractors and guests who visit the work site.

Builders and project managers should consider the impact an unsafe, unclean and unclear work site can have on the construction project — 1) Someone can get hurt, thus driving up workers’ compensation insurance premiums or potentially being slapped with a lawsuit and, 2) Potential buyers may not look past the curb appeal that a poorly maintained construction site provides.

Local cleaning firms in Portland, Oregon can proactively clean construction sites throughout the construction project or after the fact. It’s one simple way to guarantee that a construction site stays clean, clear and safe.

Windows are often overlooked for the fact some are hard to reach and it is a lot of work for the business owner or building manager who do not have the right equipment and supplies. With the right resources, the job can be quick, easy and cost effective. Hiring a commercial window cleaning company can reduce the stress of washing windows while saving time and money.

In most cases, professional window washing companies can do a better job than if a business goes at it alone. Not only can they produce better results, they can do it more efficiently which saves time and ultimately impacts the bottom line.

Keep on the look out for commercial cleaning companies who use environmentally safe products for window washing. In Portland, Oregon, business owners are very cognizant of other businesses who use green products and services to do business. Using a company like this can guarantee that the job isn’t causing harm to the local environment. This is big reason why most business owners wouldn’t even think about doing it themselves – they likely don’t maintain green products and equipment in their facility.

Solve the problem of the streaky windows and hire a professional window cleaning company to take care of the issue. Most companies, like Myles O’Donnell & Co., will come onsite and do a free assessment and quote.

It’s expensive to dedicate your own resources to doing one specific business function. Cleaning and janitorial duties are not “revenue generators” so it can be seen as very high cost to the organization, meaning that it could be an expendable position down the road.

More and more business leaders are looking to janitorial service providers to take care of their office cleaning needs for the following reasons:

• It’s not a full-time job in most cases
• Most businesses can’t afford to buy the equipment
• Janitorial service providers are “experts” in cleaning
• It’s cheaper than using internal resources
• Hiring, firing and switching providers is quick and easy
• Service providers are on-call when you need them

There’s a lot of upside to using a janitorial service provider in most cases; however, with large businesses, it probably makes sense to use internal resources since capital can be used to purchase equipment, hire dedicated cleaning staff, etc. As more and more businesses look to outsource certain functions of their business, undoubtedly cleaning will be one of the first things to remove from internal business functions.

We have outlined 5 questions every business should ask a janitorial services company prior to engaging them for services:

How do you price your janitorial services?

Some janitorial companies charge by the service or on an ongoing monthly retainer. It’s important to uncover the options because one method may be less costly than the other.

Do you use environmentally friendly products?

Especially in recent times, products and equipment are becoming so advanced that they are no longer harmful to the environment when being produced or used in the field. If you want to avoid companies that aren’t using eco-friendly practices, ask this question. Businesses in Portland, Oregon are very mindful of “green” products and services, so this question is a no-brainer to ask your janitorial service company.

What do your cleaning services include?

Are you purchasing an individual service or a suite of services? Some cleaning companies may only engage with a new customer if on an ongoing retainer.

If applicable to your office, purchase a suite of services that focuses on cleaning all aspects of your office, including windows, carpets, floors, restrooms, etc.; the reason being, it can be less costly to package all services together.

How frequent should we use your services?

If a janitorial service company is forthright they will tell you exactly how often to clean the office or building. Reason being, over-cleaning, just as much as under-cleaning, can do some damage to the floors and carpets. Asking this question gives you a chance to plan and budget for these services.

Does your company have references I can call?

Bottom line: if a janitorial services company has many references of long-standing companies in Portland, you can be certain they are a loyal and quality janitorial company. Before engaging with a janitorial company, check on two to three business references. Also check Google and other sources for online reviews.

Most commercial facilities outsource regular carpet cleaning to carpet cleaning companies for the simple fact that they are not experts in it. Carpet cleaning is highly specialized and requires equipment that is not only eco-friendly, but can get the job done in a timely and effective manner.

Keep in mind that the costs associated with different types of carpets and methods of cleaning will vary. For instance, carpet cleaning techniques, such as shampooing, steam cleaning and vacuuming, can all produce varying results for different types of carpets. Therefore, it is very important for your business manager to get a proper quote for carpet cleaning services.

Regular carpet cleaning can help contribute to a safe, healthy, and great looking office.

For our valued customers, or those who have used our janitorial services in the past, we would appreciate you leaving an online review on our Places page. Just click on the image below and click the “write a review” button at the top of our Places page, underneath the address. We value your feedback as a current or past client!

PX was built on a foundation of inter-trade between small businesses in Portland, Oregon. Each week, executive members have lunch to discuss the latest happenings in their business, current events in business, and trade qualified leads with each other.

Myles O’Donnell & Co. have been extremely fortunate to be so involved as a member. At the core of our values is loyalty to our customers and partners, and we have been able to accomplish this with PX. Our involvement in Portland Executives Association has provided much growth to member businesses as well as our business due to the loyalty each member has with the organization.

Learn more about our involvement with Portland Executives Association by visiting the PX website.

For those of our clients and friends in the Portland, Oregon region who are on Facebook, we invite you to “like” our page so that you can be the first to get our updates and share your thoughts with us. Click to “like” us on Facebook.