Pro CleanFor decades, businesses across the United States have chosen to outsource their janitorial services to third-party service providers. But, what makes a business turn to these services when they can simply hire in-house staff to handle those tasks (or require existing non-janitorial staff to perform those duties)?
There are a number of reasons for doing this. However, first and foremost, we should probably outline exactly what janitorial services actually entail, as there is a difference between general janitorial services versus those offered by a professional full-service cleaning company like Pro Clean.
Janitorial Services vs. Full Service Cleaning Company
In general, janitorial services typically handle more of the day-to-day types of cleaning. Some of these services include (but are not limited to):
- General cleaning of main areas, bathrooms, and dining or kitchen areas;
- Vacuuming or mopping floors;
- Dusting shelves, desks, and other surfaces; and
- Removal of trash and emptying of bins.
A full-service cleaning company typically performs more intensive cleanings. Some of these tasks include (but are not limited to):
- Indoor and outdoor window cleaning;
- Air vent cleaning and filter replacements;
- Furniture fabric and upholstery cleaning;
- Deep grout and tile cleaning;
- Carpet shampooing and deep cleaning; and
- Facility maintenance.
However, when your business partners with a company like Pro Clean, we are able to provide the best of both worlds to our clients with a variety of additional benefits, which will be discussed throughout this article.
Our team of janitorial, cleaning, and facility maintenance experts has put together a list of the top four reasons why your company should outsource its janitorial service to a professional full-service cleaning company.
1. Reduce Employee Productivity Loss and Absenteeism
A clean, healthy work environment can lead to improved moods, increased attendance, and enhanced productivity among employees. And, considering that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that “most Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors and many spend most of their working hours in an office environment,” it’s especially important to ensure that they are able to work in that kind of environment.
Businesses can effectively combat the decreased productivity that results from sickness-related absenteeism by maintaining building cleanliness. Part of this involves the removal of dirt and sanitization of other contaminants. This can help to reduce occurrences of “sick building syndrome” (SBS).
If you’re not familiar with the term SBS, that’s okay. We’re sure you’re familiar with many of the symptoms affiliated with this concept, which include:
- Allergies;
- Asthma;
- Headaches;
- Ear, nose, and throat irritation;
- Cold or flu-like symptoms.
- Hoarse voice;
- Fatigue;
- Dry cough;
- Nausea; and
- Concentration issues.
2. Enjoy More Cost-Effective Cleaning Services
Probably one of the greatest advantages of hiring a janitorial service to take care of cleaning and sanitizing functions within your business is that it will benefit your bottom line. In addition to keeping employees healthy and maintaining high levels of productivity, these services also are more cost-effective than hiring staff in-house to do the work.
When you hire in-house employees, you have to not only pay for their salaries and benefits, you also have to budget for cleaning supplies, materials, equipment, and training to ensure that employees are maintaining quality standards. One of the largest advantages is that you are able to continue to focus on your core responsibilities.
However, when you hire a third party to take care of these functions, you just pay a set amount for the services you purchase.
3. Professional Janitorial Staff are Held to Higher Standards
According to the ISSA’s “The Value of Clean: How Cleaning Improves Your Bottom Line,” the vast size of the janitorial industry and its high degree of fragmentation are driven by relatively low barriers to entry and only minimal differentiation. As such, this means that janitorial services are largely cost driven—consequently, many contractors tend to cut corners to hold the competitive edge, which results in inconsistent service.
When you hire a professional company like Pro Clean, you’re hiring a company that invests in its people. We provide the time, intensive training, and equipment our staff needs to do their jobs for you in the most effective and efficient manner. And, we hold ourselves to the highest industry and regulation standards. In addition to abiding by Operating System 1 (OS1) guidelines, we also hold our team to ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) Green Building (CIMS-GB) and LEED green building certification standards.
4. Hire Janitorial Staff That Take Pride in Their Work
Many people have heard the story about President John F. Kennedy’s visit to NASA back in the 1960s. While preparing to make a huge speech that aimed to rally the nation behind the space exploration program, he accidentally wound up in the wrong place but met the right person: A janitor who worked at the facility.
Seeing that the man was working, the president asked what it was he did at NASA. The janitor replied, “Oh, Mr. President, I’m putting a man on the moon.”
While the janitor’s statement didn’t mean that he was literally responsible for hitting the button to launch a space shuttle, it did mean that his work allowed others to focus on their jobs without distraction. The same kind of mindset is present in the employees at top-tier janitorial and cleaning companies like Pro Clean.
For the janitorial and cleaning staff at Pro Clean, it’s not about the task of taking out the trash, cleaning toilets, or mopping floors; it’s about providing the healthiest and cleanest facilities for the people that work there to help them remain healthy and focus on their jobs. It’s about being enthusiastic and proud of the work we do each day, and being committed to providing the highest quality services to our clients.
No matter whether it’s cleaning the bathroom floor at an office or sterilizing the surgical area at a healthcare facility that saves lives — what we do matters.
By seeking out only companies that have achieved and maintained ISSA’s CIMS or CIMS-GB certifications, you’ll be able to more effectively weed through the janitorial services marketplace to find the highest-quality service provider.
Pro Clean has been green cleaning for companies in the greater Tampa and Orlando areas of Central Florida since 1989. Contact us today to speak with one of our cleaning services experts.
