How To Reduce Costs by Improving Cleaning Efficiency
Improving cleaning efficiency - a burden or an opportunity? Business owners who look after one or a number of premises know that saving money is crucial to profitability. But any good business owner knows short-term investment can lead to long-term gain, if the right investments are chosen. The cost of cleaning can often be viewed as a necessity that needs no investment, just enough spending to keep things up to standard.
However, there are many aspects of commercial cleaning that businesses can benefit from when they put real time and money into improving them. In this blog, we'll detail how both investing and embracing different cleaning efficiency methods can help save money in the long-term – as well as create a healthier, safer, and more productive workplace.
Improving cleaning efficiency: Investing
Quality Equipment
Investing in high quality equipment is understandably not a priority for many businesses – what’s better than a good old-fashioned mop and bucket? But short term costs can lead to long term gain – especially when you pick the right equipment. A simple example of improving standards are microfibre mop heads. When compared to standard cotton, polyester or blend heads, microfibre heads offer much better absorbency and an extended life span, proving more resistant to deterioration than standard heads.
On top of this, picking the right janitor trolleys that fit the cleaning requirements of your specific premises can contribute to efficiency improvements. Having to not worry about replacing equipment, and knowing it’s stored properly, results in lower overall costs.
Staff Training
Providing the right training forms the basis of consistent cleaning efficiency. A well-thought-out cleaning plan will give your staff the tools to tackle a range of cleaning issues, the know-how on using certain equipment, and how to follow specific procedures to the letter.
Training programs can be headaches to not only set up but also ensure everyone is using and benefitting from them. The Wisdom Box by Wray Bros helps address both of these issues, as the box provides support 24/7 and can be equipped with personalized training material (in both physical and digital form) for all cleaning staff. Providing easy access to training materials means you can be assured your staff are maintaining standards and therefore minimising unforeseen costs.
Outsourcing Tasks
As a business owner, working out whether certain tasks should be delegated to those outside of the company is a hugely important decision. When it comes to cleaning tasks, it can be cost-effective to outsource tasks that are particularly demanding or are too menial for your own staff to focus on. Examples of tasks include window cleaning or deep carpet and upholstery cleaning.
Improving cleaning efficiency: Embracing
Sustainable Practices
Green cleaning – can it really benefit your business’ bottom line? The allure of eco-friendly products is great for shouting about your business’ sustainability goals, but when it comes to costs, many are surprised when they find these kinds of products lead to reduced costs as it relates to disposal and storage.
Take Wray Bros’ The Hygiene Bombs for example. An alternative to bottled cleaning chemicals, they are a concentrated solution, stored in paper bags, that are designed to helps to minimize waste that comes with relying on plastic bottles of chemicals.
Utilising Technology
The cleaning industry is always evolving, and what of the most exciting advancements it offers is the use of robotic cleaners. While this technology comes at a significant price, there is an obvious cost-saving element that means labour costs are side-stepped when you can get a robot to clean a large area consistently and efficiently.
Another aspect of technological advancements in cleaning is the use of smart technology – particularly the incorporation of smart sensors to collect data when monitoring cleaning. Improving cleaning operations comes organically when businesses smart sensors can detect the presence of dirt, dust, or other
contaminants in the immediate environment so cleaners know what to specifically address.
Improving Cleaning Efficiency: Promotion
Scheduled Regular Maintenance
On top of staff training, businesses can improve their cleaning efficiency by embedding a consistent and considerate cleaning culture. Establishing and promoting a schedule for maintaining equipment - addressing tasks such as filter replacement, lubrication, and calibration prolongs the lifespan of mechanical and non-mechanical equipment and saves regular purchasing of replacements.
You can use wall charts to ensure every corner of your facilities has valuable information on how to conduct cleaning operations.
Promote Employee Accountability
Within staff training, you can establish clear expectations for standards to hold employees accountable for their performance - from cleaning to storage. Outlining and implementing checklists, considering regular inspections, and holding regular meetings with cleaning staff will help procedures become clear across the board and ensure no matter who is on what task, consistency of efficiency is the focus.
Monitor and Adjust
Following an embracement of the aforementioned technologies, schedules, training, or maintenance, you should always be prepared to adjust plans through close monitoring of progress. Gather feedback from both cleaning and regular staff, customers, visitors, and management to identify areas for improvement. As you continuously adapt and refine your cleaning plans, efficiency will naturally improve, and costs will reduce.
Improving cleaning efficiency: Consideration
The term “reducing cleaning costs” can lead business owners to naturally assuming this means cutting costs – but often times it means quite the opposite. While implementing practices through training, investing in quality equipment, adopting eco-friendly products, and bringing in technological advancements are all things that are going to cost you short-term, the long-term benefits are huge. Not only are you going to see a cleaner, more welcoming premises, you’ll no doubt notice the uptick in the wellbeing of both staff and customers.
A clean workplace should not be seen as an expense – it’s an investment that can improve your business at every level.
