Monday, May 30, 2011

A Clean Hospital is a Safe Hospital

Everyday, hospitals are bombarded with germs, bacteria, viruses, and other infections. Hospital cleaning should be an absolute priority in every hospital to combat the staggering amounts of germs which are brought in daily. This is not only a strain on the patients, but staff as well. Anyone within the walls of the hospital is constantly exposed to any virus or infection brought through the door. The rates of infections caught within hospitals is gradually on the rise each year. Germs can be found under beds, in the cafeteria, on equipment, and in offices. It is unfortunate that a place people go to be treated is many times where they are introduced to all new illnesses.

So what exactly makes a hospital unclean? It is not just untidy beds and spilled foods, it is exposure to fluids, improper sanitation, and a neglect of proper hospital cleaning procedures. As silly as it sounds, cleanliness starts out home with uniforms that have been thoroughly cleaned between every use. Another overlooked precaution, and perhaps the most important, is washing hands. Becoming obsessive about washing hands will dramatically cut back on cross-contamination. Hands must be completely disinfected every time a patient or staff member comes into contact with any 'handled' object.

Hospital cleaning changes a hospital from being a location of transference to a place of healing. A few simple steps can make a huge difference in contamination and the transference of viruses and bacteria. Hospitals can be a stressful environment and it can be easy to overlook simple procedures such as washing hands, quickly cleaning spilled fluids, or properly disinfecting exposed surfaces. It is not unclean people that make a hospital unclean, instead it is generally absentmindedness or oversight. Hospital cleaning should be at forefront of your mind to maintain a happy and healthy work environment for both the staff and the patients.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Find the Right Company for a Construction Cleanup

When looking for this service that will cater to your post-construction cleanup needs, it is important to look for a company that actually offers that service and has all the right tools and equipment for the job.

Another important factor is the price. Shopping around and getting quotes from several companies can help you determine both what the average market price is and which cleaning firm is offering the best deal. It is also a good idea to find a company that has carefully screened it employees and trained them in the most effective cleansing techniques.

Some firms will even carry liability insurance and workman's compensation insurance on each of their contracted workers to allay any further fears you may have about inviting strangers into your office, who will be working in close proximity to personal and business belongings.

Your remodel can go much smoother with the help from a commercial cleaning service. A good company can keep your office livable during the process and spic and span afterwards.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Construction Cleanup!

A remodel can be just the thing to give your business a face lift and get it jump started with a fresh look. The new design and fixtures can really change the feel of your office space and give your clients the impression that your company is professional and modern.

There is one part of a remodel that you don't often think about that needs to be taken care of before you can enjoy the fruits of the process. That is the post-construction clean-up. If you have already had help from commercial cleaning services, they may offer post-construction cleanup or you may be able to request some special tidying during and after the process is complete.

If you do not have this service and do not really have plans to hire one, you may still want to consider hiring a cleaning company for a one-time job of clearing your office from top to bottom after construction is done.

What This Can Do For You

Perhaps the main hygienic issue during and after a remodel is dust. Dirt from the construction can get everywhere and in anything, even if you have tried to carefully protect certain areas with plastic covers. Those dust particles can also be flying around and wreaking havoc on the lungs of employees at your business.

A cleaning crew could be very useful in dusting and sweeping and wiping down the entire office, including corners, walls, baseboards, and hard to reach crevices of the building, both during and after the construction.

Other crucial areas to be cleared after a remodel are the bathrooms and eating/kitchen areas. Dust and grime can pile up in these rooms and need to sour to get into usable condition again. Besides wiping down surfaces and disinfecting, any tile in these rooms is usually in need of special cleaning to scrub out the dirt from the grout.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Other Business Cleaning Services

Window Washing

While this is also a task that needs to be done routinely, keeping both the inside and outside windows clean can be challenging depending on the size of your building and the location of the windows. A good commercial cleaning company will design a plan to get all of your glass surfaces clean on a regular basis and many can even take care of the maintenance of your screens and awnings.

Carpet Cleaning

If you have any significant amount of carpeted space in your office building, it is going to need to be cleaned regularly, not just vacuumed. Many offer carpet cleaning on a monthly or bi-monthly schedule.

This typically includes the use of professional machines and eco-friendly chemicals that will pull out ugly stains and remove any unpleasant smells. Before signing on with the carpet cleaning contract, it would be smart to ask if the chemicals used by the company are hypoallergenic and non-toxic.

Other Floor Services

If you have anything but carpet in your office, it too will require regular care and maintenance. A commercial service can generally handle stripping and waxing surfaces like tile, stone, hardwood, and linoleum. Some may be able to tackle more specialized care if needed.

Construction Cleanup

One final service that cleaning companies can offer your business is help in getting your office back to normal after any remodeling or repairs take place. Specifically, this can include removing all the dust and dirt built up during the construction as well as general cleaning of all affected surfaces.

Each company will offer other services not mentioned here and selecting the right cleaning firm will be a matter of finding the one that offers all the services your office requires. The key is to understand your office needs first!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Routine Commercial Cleaning Services

A good commercial cleaning service can help you keep your office or building space looking polished and professional, leaving you to concentrate on the most important things, like running your business. One of your first questions for any service should be what services they provide.

Medium to large scale companies can usually offer the widest range of products and customization. The following is a run-down of typically available services.

Routine Office Cleaning

Depending on how large your building is and how much your businesses traffic sees each day, you can arrange services on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In order to preserve good hygiene and a professional appearance, the areas that need frequent routine cleaning include restrooms and door knobs and handles that get a lot of use regularly.

Similarly, telephones and light switches need the same constant care. These need to be both washed and disinfected often to keep germ populations to a minimum. A commercial provider can easily handle this as well as things like trash and recycling removal, floor cleaning, and general dusting of all shelves and office furniture. Another crucial area is the kitchen and lounge room.

Your company can keep these spaces scrubbed and sterile, making it a safe place for employees to eat and rest. Then of course, there are the routine things that you dont think about much but are truly necessary to keeping your office looking and feeling its best. Your commercial service can perform these things like clearing the baseboards and light fixtures, wiping down the blinds, and dusting out the air conditioning vents.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Commercial Cleaning Keeps Your Workplace Safer

There is no doubt that implementing commercial cleaning in your workplace can improve workplace safety. Here are the top reasons why:

* A clean and safe workplace is important to comply with the Government Workplace safety standards and regulations If your staff are doing the cleaning in your office you need to be aware that this can lead to a Workers Compensation Claim if anything happens to them while cleaning. Injury can occur when staff are doing simple tasks like using a vacuum cleaner, or if they are using chemical cleaning products. This can lead to huge premiums to business owners for their Workers Compensation. For some businesses this can lead to the Business Owner having to shut the business (it is not uncommon for Insurers to increase premiums by 100%+ because of a claim. No matter how small). Once WorkCover Australia is involved, they may visit your place of business to assess why an injury/accident occurred to a worker. This can also lead to subsequent fines.

* Less staff absenteeism due to sickness In this day and age with diseases such as swine flu, MRSA, Staf infections being so easily transmitted, it is so important for businesses to provide a clean and healthy environment for their staff. Dirt, dust and grime accumulate bacteria which can cause illness to your employees. Not only will they be less productive, but they simply will not be able to come in to work. In the event that a corporate cleaning service is already being utilised, business owners should be aware of the types of cleaning products that the company uses. Cleaning contractors should always use anti-bacterial solutions on places like door knobs and handles, telephones, keyboards and mouses, which are breeding grounds for germs.

* The importance of projecting the right image when customers visit your premises Keeping a clean workplace is important not only to your staff but also to your customers or potential clients who visit. If your place of business looks and feels dirty, chances are people will be less likely to want to deal with you in the future. Furthermore, if your workplace isn't clean, you are exposing your customers to possible pathogens which could even cause them to be ill after a visit to your place of business. By employing an office cleaning service you'll have piece of mind that your business looks and feels clean, always.