Proper Cleaning of Commercial Premises Helps To Stop The Spread of Covid-19

It goes without saying that we are currently in the midst of a battle with a world-wide virus. The entire world is having to learn to live with and fight against Covid-19 and here in the USA, things do appear to be somewhat bleak.

In Philadelphia, cases of Covid-19 are remaining quite high. So, what can we do about it? We all have a part to play in the fight against Covid-19, and for commercial properties and businesses, the answer could lie with proper cleaning techniques. Where do we start? Let’s take a look at how proper cleaning of commercial premises can help to stop the spread of Covid-19.

There is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting

One of the most important things that you need to learn when it comes to cleaning at the moment, is that there is a difference between the act of cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning will clean a surface, removing the dust and dirt. It will not, however, remove the germs that can build up. Disinfecting, on the other hand, will need to be done with a specialist disinfectant. Whilst this may not clean the surface, what it will do is kill the germs that can live there.

The equipment itself will be clean

When you use a professional cleaning company, you will be getting them to use their own equipment to clean your premises. The important thing here is that they will ensure that the tools that they use are clean and sanitary before they come to you.

If you cleaned yourself, or your employees were in charge, then they may use equipment that you have on your premises. There is a much lower chance that they will sanitize and clean these between the cleaning efforts, which will mean that they are actually just moving around the germs rather than removing them.

Every surface will be cleaned

Covid-19 can live on surfaces and it is hugely surprising just how many surfaces we will touch on a daily basis. When you use a professional cleaning company, they know where the most traffic will be, therefore, the places that need cleaning the most. That said, in these times, they will also be able to ensure that every single surface is cleaned, just in case they have been touched at some point.

At Team Clean, we use the Clorox Total 360® to disinfect and sanitize to the highest standards. Using an innovative electrostatic sprayer combined with a dedicated disinfectant or sanitizing solution, we can cover larger areas faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.

Now you know, the correct cleaning of premises can really make the difference when it comes to Covid-19 as well as other viruses and germs too. You might not be a cleaning expert, which means that you need to employ a company who knows what to do. That way, you can be sure that you are protecting your employees, your customers and of course, your business too.

Does Your Reception Area Give the Right Impression?

Keeping a clean office can help productivity, but what about your reception area? Your reception area is often the first thing a visitor to your building sees, so it’s the first impression they get of your company. If your reception area is cluttered or dirty, your visitors could be forming a negative impression before you’ve even greeted them. Particularly in the current pandemic, the importance of cleaning has never been more evident.

A clean and inviting reception area makes a positive first impression on visitors, meaning you can start your client meetings and employee interviews on the right foot.

If your reception area is looking a little tired, here are some tips and tricks to spruce it up and have it sparkling in no time:

Install the right flooring

Reception areas are typically high footfall, so you’ll need a hard-wearing carpet or flooring option. Light-colored flooring can open up a room and make it feel bigger and brighter, but light-colored carpet requires a lot of maintenance in high-traffic areas. Flooring tiles are often a hard-wearing and easy-clean solution.

Maximize the space

Your reception area should feel spacious – even if it’s only a small space. A cluttered or overcrowded reception area can make waiting visitors feel uncomfortable. Although not all companies have the budget for an elegantly spacious reception area, you can take steps to make the most of the space you do have.

Clear away any clutter, and make sure that your reception isn’t doubling as a storage area for business files or employee belongings. Have waste baskets and recycling points in a prominent location so that visitors and employees can keep the area tidy.

Keep magazines and promotional materials to a minimum. They provide something for waiting visitors to read, but too many look cluttered and disorganized. Keep your collection fresh by replacing dog-eared booklets, brochures, and magazines with fresh ones and keep the selection limited.

Keep furniture to a minimum

Check your furniture. Is it arranged to make the best use of the space? Or are visitors dodging poorly placed chairs as they try and get to your counter? Remove any furniture that isn’t used regularly, and replace bulky pieces with sleek, modern, streamlined items to reduce the space they take up.

Potted plants can create a more welcoming atmosphere, but keep it minimal to avoid an overcrowded look.

Keep the air fresh

Office smells can reach the reception area, especially if your office is very small or open-plan. Smells from food and beverages can linger in the air, creating a poor first impression for visitors. Making sure that you regularly air out the reception, opening windows, or leaving doors open where possible will help keep it feeling and smelling fresh. Also, consider using odor neutralizing deodorizers for the carpets and clean, fresh-smelling air fresheners. Don’t be tempted to overdo it with strong scents, as many people are sensitive to strong fragrances.

Team Clean provides janitorial and commercial cleaning services to office buildings located throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area. We use an eleven-point Office Check System to keep your office clean and clutter-free. Plus, our Spotless Restrooms program eradicates harmful microorganisms and pathogens, keeping your employees and visitors healthier.

BACK TO SCHOOL FIGHTING COVID

Back to school is an exciting, challenging time every year. But the 2020-2021 school year will welcome back students under conditions we’ve never seen before. Some school districts will welcome hundreds of students back to class, which is likely to make it challenging to keep things clean. However, with the right cleaning plan in place, there’s no reason that a safe and smooth return to schools can’t be the norm.

Of course, this will not be business as usual for our schools, so it’s going to require a brand new plan when it comes to cleaning processes and procedures. And not just for cleaning staff – this is going to have to be all hands on deck. A real team effort!!

This year’s school planning won’t be all about the learning. There needs to be a robust plan for cleaning too, and the most important difference for this school year comes down to the clock.

As a provider of janitorial services to schools in the Philadelphia area, we are used to cleaning schools at night, perhaps with some limited day cleaning. For most schools, it was considered disruptive to have cleaning happening during the day.

However, these are unprecedented times, and health and hygiene need to be right at the top of the priority list alongside learning. Everything has changed, so the timing and preciseness of cleaning is absolutely vital.

At an absolute minimum, frequently touched objects and surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected twice a day, and ideally more often:

• Desks, tables, chairs
• Computer equipment such as keyboards and computer mice
• Door and window handles
• Restroom facilities
• Communal break areas
• Any toys, books, and games
• Light switches
• Telephones

Keeping on top of all that means cleaning during the day too now – something that we hope schools will embrace. Of course, welcoming a new cleaning plan with additional daytime cleaning doesn’t have to be disruptive to students. The main goal is to keep your students safe, healthy, and able to learn as effectively as possible. That’s why our employees are trained to CLEAN AND NOT BE SEEN, never to be disruptive.

At Team Clean, we’re experts at daytime cleaning, and we also offer specialist services that can help you protect your staff and students from pathogens. Our staff are specially trained and certified with the American Bio Recovery Association. Which means we can offer specialist, safe, cleaning and disinfecting services that prevent the spread of diseases like coronavirus.

Your janitorial staff can do an amazing job of keeping your hygiene standards exemplary. However, COVID-19 requires a level of attention to cleanliness that has never been seen. If this is going to be a success, everyone has to be involved – it’s a team effort. Alongside janitors – students and teachers will need to have some responsibility for cleaning and disinfecting desks and high touch surfaces, wearing masks, cleaning and sanitizing hands regularly, and staying 6 feet apart.

With the right cleaning plan, attitudes, and teamwork, we will absolutely have all the armor we need to fight this second wave.

Donna

Team Clean: The Fast, Effective Innovators

Team Clean is a small minority and women-owned business founded in 1983 by Donna L. Allie in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Team Clean started with Donna cleaning houses to make a living for her and her daughter while dealing with the struggles of being a single mother. Having earned a BA in Sociology, the need to provide an income for herself and her daughter led her to take on cleaning work. But eventually, the tables turned for her.

Seeing the gap in the Philadelphia market for quality and reliable cleaning, she built the business up. She turned it around from a one-woman business, cleaning homes herself to employing other women to clean homes under her supervision. She recruited and trained other women to meet her high standards of cleaning and customer care, and they went in pairs to clean houses for her.

In 1985, Team Clean signed their first contract for commercial cleaning and from there, Donna was able to make a true name for herself in commercial cleaning and continuously grow the business.

From those first new recruits to the current workforce, Donna looks for more than just an ability to get the job done from her employees. An eye for detail, passion for great customer service and the ability to work as a true team are all essential qualities. Team Clean staff believe in consistency between the relationships of the clientele and the service provider, training that ensures excellence, and cost-saving services that will change the cleaning industry as time revolutionizes. The company always looks for ways to improve and ways to become more efficient.

Donna is a true example of black female empowerment and grit. She is a CEO of great leadership and kindness. Her inspirational leadership and kindness create a wonderful, supportive working environment – but at the end of the day, she is the boss and is all about business and building great connections.

She acquired many virtues through her personal journeys with life. She made sure her brand gave quality cleaning care and that her values aligned with her business. That is what makes Team Clean so authentic.

Team Clean takes pride in being a part of the small business world. Small businesses can make their mark in their industry despite not having an extensive network of employees. Being a small business can put a business owner at certain advantages compared to larger companies. It can allow you the ability to be unique within your business field, which is what Team Clean strives to do. They strive to be different and stand out, and the numerous awards and accolades they have received are a testament to the fact that they are truly effective and innovative.

Having a small business allows you to be more flexible and make the necessary changes to benefit your customers faster. Smaller businesses can give more personalized customer service to their customers.

Team Clean is who you call when you need your facility maintained to the very highest standards.

A Cleaner Office Promotes Employee Productivity

Productivity – the magic word for most managers. Business owners and managers spend a lot of time looking for ways to improve productivity while also looking after the wellbeing of their employees. Yet there’s one thing that rarely comes to mind when productivity is discussed – and that’s cleanliness.

We all know that offices need to be clean and tidy, but what often gets overlooked is the fact that a clean and tidy office boosts productivity. Proper office cleaning has way more benefits than simply providing a good impression for visitors and a pleasant environment for staff.

Reduces sickness

We’re all aware that good cleaning and hygiene is essential for keeping pathogens in the office to a minimum. Seemingly innocuous office furniture can harbor pathogens and bacteria that can cause sickness.

For example, did you know that the average office desk harbors almost 400 times as much bacteria as a toilet seat? A good cleaning program includes both cleaning and disinfecting to keep your staff healthy and safe.

Getting the highest standard of office cleanliness means hiring a professional cleaning company that uses high-quality sanitizing methods and equipment such as electrostatic sprayers.

Improves concentration

It’s a fact that clutter is distracting, and to get the most out of your employees, you need them to be able to give their full focus to their work. Keeping clutter and untidiness to a minimum helps keep your employees focused on the task at hand.

If you’re working in a creative industry, another surprising benefit of a clean workspace is that it boosts creativity alongside productivity.

Reduce time spent locating items

Effective time management is a skill that most employers value – but are you making it difficult for your employees to manage their time by having a cluttered office space littered with distractions?

Too much clutter makes it difficult to find items. If your office supplies are disorganized, your employees will lose valuable minutes searching for the things they need to do their job. Over a whole year, you could lose hours’ worth of time that could have been spent productively.

Reduce the risk of workplace injury

Less clutter means fewer accidents, as a messy workplace increases the chances of accidents. When the office environment is cluttered, trip hazards are both more likely to be present and also more likely to go unnoticed due to the general untidiness of the environment.

Keeping a clean and tidy office means that everything is kept in its designated place, and any items or objects that are out of place are easily spotted and tidied away.

Boosts staff morale

Employees working in a clean and organized workplace are happier, which makes them more productive. We spend a large percentage of our time at work, so the environment we work in can have a profound effect on our happiness and wellbeing.

A clean and uncluttered environment also helps reduce stress and anxiety in employees – keeping them well both mentally and physically.

The best way to improve the cleanliness of your office is by hiring professionals. Team Clean has been providing janitorial services to Philadelphia businesses for over 40 years. We take pride in our work, offering a wide range of services, including our Spotless Restrooms program and sanitizing services that keep your employees healthy and safe.

The Future of Commercial Cleaning

Even before the spread of COVID-19, the commercial cleaning industry was changing rapidly alongside every other industry. New ideas and technologies in all areas have been rapidly evolving. Who would have thought five years ago that within a few years, we would have cars that could park and drive themselves, smart houses, and automated business software that would make things more efficient?

Cleaning businesses aren’t traditionally viewed as important or innovative compared to bigger fields like manufacturing, hybrid, and merchandising businesses. Yet cleaning businesses are changing and evolving just as much as companies like Microsoft or Apple. And with the spread of COVID-19, we’re all becoming more aware of the importance of proper cleaning and sanitizing to keep us all healthy.

Cleaning is a necessary investment

You walk in a facility, and you are coming to their place of business to receive what they have to offer and their services. Many times, you never think of the things that go on behind the scenes to give a customer the service that they deserve.

For example, keeping the building clean and maintained is one of the most important behind the scenes factors of a facility. Businesses know it is not just about what they are trying to sell, it is also about the image they project, and their facility is a large part of that image. If the building is falling apart and not properly sanitized, then that can result not only in customer loss but may even turn into legal problems.

Commercial cleaning is sometimes seen as a cost with no measurable return on investment, but there are cost savings associated with proper commercial cleaning. While not all pathogens spread potentially fatal diseases like COVID-19, even a common cold or tummy bug can slow down productivity. Investing in a reputable cleaning company can even prolong the life of your carpets, furniture, and more, meaning you can potentially lower your maintenance costs.

Commercial cleaning is essential for health

New ways of cleaning and sanitation are being researched in order to guide human and environmental health. Janitorial services have invested in smart cleaning tools and more concentrated cleaning solutions to kill more germs and get the job done faster.

COVID-19 has brought cleaning services out from the background and straight onto the front lines as an essential service in the fight against the spread of the virus. When the threat is over and we return to something approaching normality, it’s vital that we keep commercial cleaning at the forefront of priorities.

Commercial cleaning allows employees to feel comfortable because they are working in a clean working environment. Public places are one of the main places where germs and diseases spread, and without proper cleaning and sanitization, people can be unnecessarily exposed to pathogens. Cleanliness can dictate mood, productivity, and can also directly impact the health of employees and visitors – something that’s currently at the forefront of everybody’s minds.

Commercial cleaning companies offer a wide range of services that will always be needed. Cleaning is much more tedious and important than it sounds. In a post-COVID-19 world, the future of commercial cleaning is clear. Commercial cleaning is a business that will always be needed.