In our post-pandemic world, America is turning the corner on people returning to the workplace and customers frequenting businesses in person. But the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way companies keep their premises clean and safe for both employees and visitors.
Now more than ever, it’s paramount that your cleaning services meet stricter national and local health guidelines and help you control costs as you recover from the pandemic slowdown.
Midwest Maintenance has researched whether it is best for companies to work with their own in-house janitorial team or choose outsourced cleaning services. We share our findings in the following benefits of why outsourced commercial cleaning services may be the best fit for your business.
1. PROMOTES BETTER HEALTH AND SAFETY OF WORKERS AND CUSTOMERS.
COVID-19 is not the only infectious disease to battle these days. Germs, bacteria and viruses from E. coli to hepatitis like to think they can move in and take over your offices or facility. If you let them, they will.
Web MD reports that the average office desktop harbors 400 times more germs than a toilet seat.1 Even the common cold and flu can spread rapidly in your business. One study found that a virus can spread to 50% of workplace surfaces within four hours of arriving at work.2
Let’s face it, assigning a neat-and-tidy employee to clean and disinfect your business at the end of the day, is like fighting a three-alarm fire with a garden hose. Without the proper disinfecting supplies and knowledge of where the toughest office germs congregate, you are leaving workers and customers vulnerable to a host of illnesses.
Will your cleaning team employee always remember to sanitize restroom stalls, doorknobs and the break room kitchen sink? Did you know that regular cleaning products can contribute to indoor pollutants and cause breathing irritations and allergies for anyone who enters your building?
Professional cleaning services such as Midwest Maintenance do not cower to the invisible assailants that want to take your employees and your company down. The fiercest of germs are no match for our thoroughly training cleaning experts.
Contract cleaning services employ a powerful arsenal of cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing solutions that meet strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) standards. An outsourced facilities service provider stays up to date with best practices and cleaning skills and innovations that help safeguard your workers and customers day in and day out.
2. SAVES YOU MONEY TOWARD YOUR BOTTOM LINE.
It truly pays to let experienced professionals handle the cleaning of your business. Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) is a worldwide network of cleaning, facility maintenance and other related services to building owners and managers. BSCAI released a 2020 cleaning industry research report stating, “Facility managers have found that commercial cleaning companies can offer a 20% cost advantage over in-house maintenance staff.”3
By outsourcing cleaning, businesses can save an average of 20% over relying on their own maintenance staff. Outsourcing facility services allows your organization to focus more fully on your core business and maintain a competitive edge. Rising maintenance costs for industry-standard cleaning equipment in itself takes away from your profitability. If a floor-cleaning machine breaks down, you don’t have to shift monies to cover it.
Relying on outsourced cleaning services with specialty disinfecting services also brings peace of mind and reduces workplace liability in case of an illness outbreak at your facility.
3. IMPROVES PRODUCTIVITY (AND SATISFACTION) OF YOUR EMPLOYEES.
When employees are sick or distracted by the worry of catching an illness at work, their productivity suffers. ISSA, the leading cleaning trade organization worldwide, reports, “On average, a shift worker in the U.S. costs a company roughly $2,660 in excess absenteeism costs each year. For a company with 500 hourly shift workers, this translates to roughly $1.3 million and this estimate only accounts for the direct costs of absenteeism.”4
Preventing sickness in the workplace through contracted professional cleaning and disinfecting is less expensive than lost productivity from ill workers. A study from Georgia-Pacific asked office employees about their concerns of hygiene and sanitation in the workplace. Of the 516 employees surveyed, 47% “worry that their workplace will not implement the right measures to ensure a hygienic environment.”5 Some 73% of these employees worry about disease spreading in the workplace. And this report was released at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. IMPROVES CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
When your business looks clean and presentable, customers, guests and clients take note. Keeping your company’s public places and office spaces spotless, gives you an advantage in today’s consumer-driven market. If your buildings floors are dingy and restrooms a mess, customers are less likely to do repeat business with you.
ISSA notes that’s “66% of consumers ranked frequent cleaning and sanitizing as the top measure that would make them more likely or comfortable with visiting physical spaces.” A poor company image because of subpar cleaning and disinfecting is not something you need publicized via online reviews.
When you trust the pros at Midwest Maintenance to keep your facility in top shape, you can rest assured that we’ll work with your specific needs and budget. We also have a number of green cleaning products and methods that add an extra layer of environmental safeguards to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy.
5. REDUCES THE MAINTENANCE COSTS OF BUILDING ASSETS.
Your building’s assets including flooring, furniture and lighting come with certain life expectancies. Heavily trafficked carpets wear faster when dirt and grime build up in the fibers. Too much cleaning solution on hard-surface flooring can leave a residue that ages your floors.
Leaving scheduled maintenance to an occasional janitor may end up costing more you in the long run. Regular and restorative cleaning by commercial cleaning services can add years to the life of your carpet and flooring.
Even light fixtures benefit from professional cleaning. The ISSA’s The Value of Clean report notes that “Dust has a [considerable] impact on lighting efficiency. If cleaning is carried out only annually, one can expect a 10% to 15% reduction in illuminance.”6 Dust matters. So does saving your business money.
As your company continues to move forward in the months and years ahead, it is important to consider how outsourced cleaning services improves office hygiene and boosts occupant health. Plus, contract commercial cleaning has proven to save businesses 20% over in-house janitors.
As always, Midwest Maintenance is here to help you understand and evaluate your company’s cleaning needs and investment in keeping your business clean, safe and productive.
Together let’s stay safe and healthy. And save money.
1 Web MD, Germiest Places in Your Office, https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-germs-office.
2 Web MD, Beware of Workplace Germs, https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/beware-of-workplace-germs.
3 BSCAI Industry Report, The U.S. Commercial Cleaning Industry, April 2020, Marketdata LLC.
4 ISSA, The Value of Clean: How Cleaning Improves Your Bottom Line, Occupant Wellness. 2021.
5 Ibid. Occupant Wellness.
6 Ibid. Occupant Wellness.