What Are Janitorial Services? A Professional Guide From Lexlu Services
First impressions matter. And with your commercial space looking like a wreck, you'll retain employees and create a better company image. Janitorial services regularly provide cleaning and maintenance facilities to maintain a clean and neat look.
Janitorial services can come in handy to save your time and effort while giving your space a spotless, hygienic, and organized look. Whether you own a workplace, office, medical facility, school, gym, restaurant, mall, or building, keeping it clean and maintained is your responsibility. And we're here to help you with that!
What Do Janitorial Services Typically Include?
Generally involving everyday cleaning tasks and maintenance duties, janitorial services mainly revolve around commercial cleaning tasks in workplaces, offices, restrooms, etc. These tasks involve sweeping, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, wiping, and sanitation to maintain a constant level of sanitation regularly. A list of some tasks that a janitor performs while cleaning a facility includes:
Sweeping floors
Vacuuming carpets
Mopping around the floors
Wiping down windows and glass counters
Cleaning the bathrooms
Collecting the garbage and emptying rubbish cans
Sanitizing countertops and workstations
Dusting chairs, tables, and other decoration pieces
Organizing the arrangement of a room (e.g., proper arrangement of chairs after a conference)
Watering the plants
Restocking supplies in the pantry, kitchen, bathroom, etc.
Any cleaning emergencies, e.g., spills, clearing broken items, etc.
Apart from this, some janitorial companies also provide small repair services like replacing a light bulb or fixing a leaky tap. But it's better to hire a repair and maintenance company to utilize professional services for larger issues.
What Is the Difference Between Janitorial Services and Commercial Cleaning?
While these terms are often used interchangeably, a fine line marks the difference between janitorial services and commercial cleaning. It is important to know the difference so you can contact the right services at the right moment.
Janitorial Services
These services are usually scheduled daily to take care of small and everyday tasks. Without janitorial services, your space would turn out to be a mess, so such services create a massive difference in the day-to-day appearance of your facilities.
Janitors are responsible for sweeping floors, mopping tiles, dusting chairs and tables, emptying garbage bags, and cleaning bathrooms in any building. Janitorial companies offer such services on a contract basis to ensure your clients and customers are greeted by a well-kept space.
Commercial Cleaning
Companies hire commercial cleaning services for long-term and bigger tasks that require professional equipment and specialized training. Some typical examples of commercial cleaning include cleaning carpets, removing grout from tiles, power washing, and furniture cleaning.
Such heavy-duty tasks are only performed once a year or every 6 months whenever the company finds it suitable to perform a deep cleaning of their facility/facilities. Most commercial contracts also include the repair and fixing of general breakdowns.
What Types of Equipment Do Janitors Use?
Janitorial companies use a simple approach tailored to fit your company's cleanliness needs. For ensuring peak efficiency in routine cleaning, the equipment is very important. The right choice of materials can ease the task with better results. A list of the equipment is explained here;
Microfiber cloths- hold dust, grime, dirt, and spills till you wash them in hot water. Best for cleaning surfaces and countertops
Scrubbing brushes- the hard bristles scrub off grime and grout from tiles—are best for cleaning sinks, flooring, or walls.
Broom and Dustpan- sweeping wooden, tiled, or marbled floors. The dustpan gathers all the dirt and lifts it to a bin.
Mop and Bucket- wheeled bucket with water and cleaning liquid to sanitize floors and clean spaces efficiently.
Vacuum- sucks up dust and particulate matter from floors and surfaces.
Feather Duster- faux feather-headed to remove dust accumulated on different items.
Janitor's Cart- a portable assembly of all necessary equipment and chemical solutions.
How Often Should Janitorial Services Be Used?
We recommend hiring janitorial services daily to ensure proper cleaning and a tidy daily appearance. Typically, a place like an athletic facility, mall, restaurant, school, office workplace, and healthcare facility requires deep cleaning daily, so it's best to renew your contracts for daily schedules.
However, it all comes down to your income and cleaning needs, so for most people, weekly appointments suffice for a spick and span appearance. For small apartments and buildings with less clutter, you can schedule janitorial services on a bi-weekly basis.
Benefits of Having a Janitorial Contract For Your Business
Janitorial companies are gaining massive popularity nowadays due to their obvious benefits. While saving time and effort is important, the advantages of having a janitorial contract are not simply limited to that. Here are a few other benefits to look forward to:
Professional Services
Experience is hard to beat, and it's best to leave the job to those who are professionals in their field. Janitorial companies train and specialize in a wide range of cleaning tasks with complete knowledge of some smart tricks up their sleeves.
Hiring professional services comes with better cleaning practices and ensures that the cleanings meet your company's needs. With a trusted company, you can rest knowing all your cleaning requirements are handled with expertise and experience.
Proper Equipment
With the right knowledge of tools and equipment, janitorial companies are fully equipped with all the necessities required for daily cleaning tasks. They also have complete knowledge of the best cleaning products in the market, so you won't have to spend your time and money buying supplies anymore.
Scheduled Cleaning
A janitorial contract is tailored to your needs and requirements, which means you can call in the staff at a particular time on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. No more dealing with sick staff or cleaning on your own because a janitorial team can handle everything from routine cleaning to emergency spills. You'll save time, effort, and money in the long run by no longer dealing with the everyday expenses of supplies and repairs.
Better Environment
Expect no less than perfection by hiring an expert janitorial team. Consistent, high-quality cleaning of your space can attract potential clients and create a welcoming impression. Organized and hygienic environments also boost employees' productivity while prioritizing health and safety standards.
Hiring Cleaning Company: What to Consider
Before you step foot in the market, there are certain aspects to consider before picking a janitorial company. This criterion marks the essentials of what makes a cleaning company stand out from the rest. Here's a brief overview;
Confidential and Reliable
A good janitorial company will have references and positive ratings from previous customers to testify to their services. It is important to check how long they've been in the cleaning industry to know if the company is reliable enough. Professionalism, work ethic, punctuality, and specialized training are important traits. We also recommend having a background check to confirm transparency because a company often deals with private documents and confidential clients.
Eco-Friendly
The future is all green, so going eco-friendly is your best choice. Janitorial services that practice environment-friendly cleaning practices and non-toxic products are always a safe bet. Being passionate about eco-friendly choices reduces your carbon footprint and contributes to a greener planet.
Pricing
Cleaning on a regular basis comes with a lot of work and responsibility, so pricing should always be discussed beforehand. Your budget and cleaning requirements can help you balance service quality and price. You can also opt for different weekly or bi-weekly contracts if you want to hire janitorial services without breaking the bank. Payment options, whether cash or credit, and payment schedules should also be clarified in the hiring contract.
Flexibility and Services
A good janitorial company will provide flexible schedules and customizable services to fit your demands. They usually have a large team to cover sick days and are available 24/7 for emergency cleanups. This is important because you should schedule the cleaning services per your company's requirements.
Insurance
Most professional janitorial teams provide an insured cleaning service to cover slip-ups. This is a huge benefit to save you additional expenses. In case of any mishap, damage, or accidental breakage, you will be in good hands because the business insurance company will provide compensation. Make sure to look into the company's policies and coverage before you make a decision.
What Are Janitorial Services: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Still unsure about something? Read our FAQ section, where we've answered some of the most common queries!
What's the Difference Between a Housekeeper and Janitor?
Housekeepers are usually maids hired for homes and apartments. Their duties are generally limited to inside work in the bathroom, bedroom, or dining areas. On the other hand, janitorial services also include outdoor work, e.g., emptying garbage bins, watering plants, dusting sidewalks, etc. Janitors work around larger public facilities like hospitals, schools, office buildings, etc., for their cleaning and maintenance.
How Often Should a Bathroom Be Cleaned?
Being one of the most commonly used rooms in any building, a bathroom should typically be cleaned at least once a week. Bathrooms harbor germs, dust, and mold, so cleaning, mopping, and sanitizing can help avoid smelly odors and contamination. For public bathrooms in hospitals, restaurants, gyms, or offices, it is better to get them cleaned daily to ensure proper hygiene. One should also perform a deep clean on a monthly basis to give your bathrooms a well-maintained look.
