Unger Professional Cleaning Blog
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Before the pandemic, the cleaning service industry was part of the $33 billion facility services industry, with more than 55,000 companies providing commercial cleaning in the United States and more than 2.3 million cleaning service workers. Now, with the cleaning and disinfecting of public facilities taking on a new level of importance during the pandemic, it&#;s no surprise that people are considering starting up their own cleaning company.
Needless to say, that with more than 5.9 million U.S. commercial buildings containing a total of 97 billion square feet as of , there&#;s a lot of space to clean! But cleaning business operator be warned, that while the opportunity is great, it is also competitive.
A new Market data study examined the U.S. commercial cleaning and maintenance services industry. The study found that the business is extremely competitive, comprised of 1.4 million establishments &#; mainly small operators, including 36,000+ U.S.-based franchised outlets. Competitors run the gamut from mom & pop cleaners to commercial cleaning giants.
But don&#;t let the competitive landscape deter you. The pandemic has mandated more frequent deep cleanings to combat infectious disease spread and may ultimately redefine the way the industry cleans beyond COVID-19. Using a checklist for commercial cleaning businesses will help you to cross your T&#;s and dot your I&#;s, but when it comes to deep cleaning, one of the key areas in determining the long-term stability and profitability of your business hinges on the commercial cleaning equipment you source. The following guidance will help you in sourcing the right tools for your start up.
The Janitorial Store provides training on running and growing a cleaning business, and we found their lists of tools, supplies and equipment below comprehensive and helpful as you organize your sourcing efforts. These lists are divided into three categories: 1) Tools, which are the items that are repeatedly used for ongoing cleaning tasks; 2) Supplies, which are products that need to be replenished regularly; and 3) Equipment, which are heavier and more durable goods.
Cleaning Tools List:
These are the items that you and your cleaning crew will bring with you to every job to use daily for regular cleaning tasks. They include:
Supplies List:
This list includes commercial cleaning products that get used daily as part of your cleaning routine.
Equipment List:
These larger cost items will provide years of service use.
Whether starting a new business or expanding upon an existing one, sourcing the right cleaning equipment can have a significant impact on cleaning staff productivity and safety, as well as the cleaning and disinfecting effectiveness. There are several factors that should go into the purchasing decision and after over 50 years in the commercial cleaning business, we&#;ve identified the following list of important considerations that have proven to help business operators make better upfront decisions.
One of biggest mistakes that we see is business owners, facility manager and building service contractors making a cleaning tool decision based on price alone. The problem is that price &#; how much you pay for a product initially &#; doesn&#;t take into account the longer-term cost of using the product and ROI.
While one cleaning product may initially cost more than another, you need to consider other costs associated with the cleaning process to compare apples to apples, such as:
In a competitive industry, you also have to the consider the business risks you assume when you buy based on price alone. While you may reap the initial benefits of saving money on a less expensive product, you&#;ll ultimately be unable to compete with the larger commercial cleaning businesses. Going for the cheaper products is tempting, but in addition to hidden costs, there are quality, productivity and performance issues that may keep your business and staff from meeting cleaning expectations. And when expectations are not met, the result is a dissatisfied customer. Once you disappoint enough customers, the larger issue is poor customer relationships and a damaged business reputation. According to market research, 55% of commercial cleaners lose business due to customer satisfaction.
When looking for an equipment supplier, there is a laundry list of considerations and questions you can ask potential vendors, things like online ordering availability, invoicing and purchase orders, sales reps&#; expertise, training and support resources, equipment maintenance programs, financing options, etc. One point that we encourage you to consider is the product guarantee that the supplier does or does not offer. Some questions that you can ask:
Learn More About Modern Commercial Cleaning Equipment
Starting a commercial cleaning business or expanding on existing services can feel like a daunting task, but as far as the equipment and supplies you&#;ll need go, if you approach it strategically, your chances to meet profitability goals improve. Choosing the best commercial cleaning products and making purchasing decisions should not be based on price alone, so take the time to explore the considerations above that will serve your business better over time.
The information on this web page is aimed at window cleaning businesses. It will help you to plan and organise your window cleaning activities and manage the associated risks.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSW Act) requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and to ensure that those affected by their activities are not exposed to risk. Health and safety law also applies to self-employed window cleaners if their work exposes others to risk.
The Work at Height Regulations require employers and those in control of any work at height activity to ensure that the work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people. This includes using the right type of equipment for working at height. When planning and organising window cleaning you must avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so, for example by using telescopic water fed poles or cleaning windows from the inside.
Best practice guidance 'Window Cleaning with Water Fed Poles &#; How to do it and look after your body ' was produced jointly by HSE and industry is available from the Federation of Window Cleaners website
Where window cleaning at height cannot be avoided, you must first consider using an existing place of work that is already safe for example, cleaning from inside windows or from a balcony. If you cannot find an existing safe place, to work from, you must provide suitable access equipment. Where the risk of falling is not eliminated by either of these means, you must take additional measures to minimise the distance and consequences of any fall by using the right type of fall arrest equipment.
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It is important to discuss all window cleaning activities with the client as they will know their business well. Working together to develop an agreed co-ordinated approach is essential for reducing the risks e.g. your client will be aware if window/building design allows for safe cleaning of windows from the inside effectively eliminating the risk of falling.
All those working at height must have the right skills, knowledge and experience. The requirements for specific competences will depend on the work being done, e.g. a window cleaner involved in abseiling will require different skills, knowledge and experience from someone only involved in cleaning ground floor windows.
If working at height is unavoidable, you must plan and organise the task in advance. You will need to consider the following areas:
Working conditions will vary from site to site. It is important, before beginning any window cleaning task, to consider how these variations will impact on actions you need to take to control the risk.
These include:
For every window cleaning job your choice of access equipment will be determined by the height to be negotiated, site conditions, duration and extent of work and frequency of access. Access equipment including anchorages etc, must be suitable for the task and must be properly maintained, regularly inspected and, where applicable, thoroughly examined in accordance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER).
Safe methods of work must be implemented for all activities where there is a risk of injury, particularly where higher risk window cleaning activities are carried out e.g. those requiring powered access or rope access. Operatives carrying out this work must be fully aware (and their understanding checked) of the safe working method statement.
Fall prevention equipment must also be suitable for the task and should be subject to the same maintenance and inspection regime as access equipment. You should also complete pre-use checks of your equipment ensuring any damage is identified before use. Any damage likely to compromise the integrity of equipment should be reported to the appropriate person and the equipment repaired/replaced before next use if necessary.
Regardless of the equipment to be used you must ensure you/your employees/contractors are fully trained and competent to use the work equipment provided.
Considering the risks associated with work at height and putting in place sensible and proportionate measures to manage them is an important part of working safely. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to help you control risks when working at height.
Portable ladders have traditionally been used mainly for cleaning domestic premise windows on ground, first and second floors. Whilst use of a ladder should not be your automatic choice, it can be the most sensible and practical option for low-risk, short duration tasks.
Before beginning work you should ensure that any ladder is both suitable for the work ie it is strong/robust and long enough for the job and is in a safe condition ie. without any visible defects.
Almost all falls from ladders happen because the ladder moves unexpectedly. The key factor in preventing falls from ladders is to ensure your ladder is stable whilst being used, through careful consideration of the working conditions and whenever possible tying the ladder to a suitable point to prevent movement.
For windows that are more difficult to reach the use of specialist access equipment will be necessary.
You should always consider measures that protect everyone who is at risk (collective protection) before measures that protect only the individual (personal protection).
Cleaning windows at height will often require the use of appropriate fall arrest equipment. This is normally a safety harness suitable for fall arrest, connected via an energy-absorbing lanyard, to a suitable anchor point. Harnesses must be adjusted properly to fit the wearer.
Fall arrest equipment must be maintained in good repair, periodically inspected and replaced when appropriate. Equipment which is exposed to conditions causing deterioration which is liable to result in dangerous situations should be inspected regularly and each time exceptional circumstances which might jeopardise safety have occurred.
Anchor points for fall arrest purposes require periodic inspection and testing by a competent person.
Detailed guidance on inspecting fall arrest equipment made from webbing.
You must provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and training in its usage to your employees wherever there is a risk to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled by other means. Common PPE in the window cleaning industry includes items such as safety helmets and hard hats, gloves, protective footwear and clothing, high visibility clothing.
Emergency evacuation and rescue procedures must be in place before the work starts. For example, how will you rescue a person who has fallen while using a fall arrest system? It is not acceptable just to rely on the emergency services. Rescue procedures need to be covered in the risk assessment and planned prior to the work activity being carried out.
This will require cooperation and communication between all parties including property owners and managing agents, window cleaning contractors and sub-contractors and their workers.
It is important not only to have these in place but also to check employee understanding of these procedures before beginning the work.
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