Is It Enough to Rely on Volunteers to Clean Churches in 2023?

TomChurch Cleaning Services

Churches often rely heavily on their volunteer base to take care of many tasks, surrounding services and during the week. In many cases, that may include relying on volunteers to take care of church cleaning. However, churches have unique needs for keeping every part of the building clean. As you look around, you may realize that having volunteers take care of those cleaning tasks simply does not offer what you require. Are you still relying on volunteers to clean your church in 2023?

Church Needs Regarding Building Cleanliness

Churches often have significant needs when it comes to overall building cleanliness. Consider the high level of activities your church sees during the week: not just Sunday Services, but Wednesday night activities, meetings through the week, and even small groups and classes meeting around the church. Some churches even have preschools or schools that operate out of that space during the week. As a result, you may have people coming in and out constantly. That can mean a lot of traffic through the building and a lot of time when you need to bring in people to clean to ensure the building looks its best when congregation members come in. 

In addition, churches may face several unique circumstances that may increase the need for cleaning help for churches delivered by a professional, experienced company.

Related: Cleaning Every Nook and Cranny of Your Church Facilities: A Checklist for Doing It Right

Wide Age Ranges

You may have a wide range of people coming through your church every week, from babies to the elderly. To provide the highest possible degree of protection for your congregation, including those populations with a higher degree of vulnerability when it comes to the flu, RSV, and Covid-19, you need to make sure that the church gets cleaned regularly.

In addition, some populations can naturally create more mess than others! For example, your youth group or children’s ministry may have messy activities regularly, and volunteers may simply not prove adequate to get all the glitter out of the carpet or paint off all the places it can linger. Furthermore, babies and toddlers may create food messes, diaper messes, and other challenges in their spaces that will benefit from a professional cleaning touch.

Kitchens

Many churches see a lot of dishes coming through their kitchens each week. Take a moment to think about how many meals you regularly provide for your church family. Do you feed your congregation on Wednesday nights? Do you offer lunches, including potlucks, after church on Sunday? What about your other ministries throughout the week: do you regularly provide meals, snacks, or drinks to the people visiting your church?

If so, it takes little time for a mess to pile up in the kitchen. Unfortunately, you can’t know which of your volunteers have the training and skills needed to keep the kitchen looking its best, so that can end up creating a problem for people who may need to use the space during the rest of the week.

Multiple Bathrooms

Let’s face it: most people hate scrubbing toilets with a passion. Your church building (or buildings) may have multiple bathrooms: on every level, men’s and women’s bathrooms at each end of the church, or extra facilities down in the children’s wing, for example. Not only do you want to ensure that any messes get taken care of quickly and effectively, but you also want to ensure that no bathroom is missed during the regular wipe-down. Unfortunately, keeping up with all those bathrooms, especially in a large church building, can prove very difficult when it’s primarily the volunteers who take on that duty.

Nurseries

Many churches have nurseries set aside for the youngest members of the congregation. In the nursery, babies and toddlers can receive a high level of care while parents go to worship or participate in their classes. Those areas, however, may prove particularly messy. You may have crackers ground into the carpet, messes left over from art projects, and the inevitable disarray inherent with babies and toddlers, including spit-up and diaper incidents. While volunteers may do their best to keep those areas clean, they may need more tools or know-how to keep the building looking its best and disinfecting to a high standard.

Related: The Benefits of Hiring Professional Chuch Cleaning Services

How a Professional Cleaning Company Can Help Keep Your Church Clean in 2023

Bringing in a professional cleaning company to help with all those messes can make a big difference in your church’s overall cleanliness. A professional cleaning company that understands what it takes to keep a church looking its best can help improve the overall appearance of your church and ensure that it meets the expectations of congregation members and visitors alike. 

Keep Things Clean and Sanitized

In 2023, people anywhere, including churches, generally expect an elevated effort to keep those public spaces clean and disinfected. Hygiene standards have increased across multiple industries, and places of worship are no exception. Visitors who do not feel that the church remains clean according to their standards may visit elsewhere. Even long-time congregation members may not want to keep attending if they do not feel that the church meets important cleanliness standards. Bringing in professionals to help care for church cleaning and disinfection can also decrease germs and help keep your congregation healthier. 

Increase Reliability

As a church leader, you know that volunteers can quickly become a feast or famine. Many people may rush in when you first launch a new ministry or send out a call for volunteers. Over time, however, volunteers can decline, leaving you with inadequate support to get the cleaning job done. Moreover, whenever you get new volunteers (or existing ones can no longer offer their time), you need to retrain them on cleaning procedures.

With a professional company, on the other hand, you can rely on the fact that they will show up on time and according to schedule, take care of your cleaning tasks, and make sure that you receive the same high standard of cleaning every time. 

Improve Professionalism

Volunteers often provide a very high standard when it comes to taking care of cleaning tasks. However, they generally have fewer professional-quality skills than you can expect from a professional cleaning company. In some cases, volunteers may mistakenly leave things undone, especially if they run out of time or do not know how to complete a task effectively. They may also perform a mission to the best of their ability but simply not meet the standards your church needs.

With a professional cleaning company, on the other hand, you’ll get a dedicated professional team that knows what your church needs most to keep it clean and ensure that none of those critical details get overlooked during the cleaning process. 

Experience and Up-to-Date Knowledge of the Latest Cleaning Practices

Cleaning practices, standards, and recommendations may change regularly. A professional cleaning company can keep up with all those details, including the latest cleaning supplies and standards. When you contract with a professional cleaning company to handle the church cleaning, you can feel more confident that you will get access to the latest tools. 

Versatility

Working with a professional cleaning company may offer more versatility than your volunteers’ schedules. Volunteers are often unavailable during the work week and may have limited hours to dedicate to keeping your church clean. On the other hand, a professional cleaning company is available precisely when you need them. Furthermore, you won’t have to coordinate volunteer schedules or manage other challenges when dealing with things like seasonally clearing leaves or taking care of the cleanup after that big youth event. 

Equipment and Cleaning Supplies

Keeping your church supplied with cleaning equipment and tools can be difficult. In many cases, volunteers may come in with their own, which means you may have an inconsistent clean based on who is available. With a professional cleaning company, on the other hand, you’ll get access to those tools and equipment when you need them, which makes it easier to ensure the same standard of cleaning every time. 

A Professional Cleaner Can Help Improve Your Church’s Cleanliness

With a professional cleaner, you can let your church’s congregation and staff members focus on why they’re at church rather than worrying about cleanliness concerns. At DTK Facility Services, we understand the challenges of maintaining the standard of cleanliness your congregation deserves. We have the tools and services you need to get the job done. Contact us today to learn more about our church cleaning services.