cleaning service

Differences Between Commercial Building Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Nate PruittCleaning Services

What Are Commercial Building Cleaning Services?

Businesses hire commercial building cleaning services to take on all of the tasks to keep your facilities clean and polished. These professional maintenance services handle everything from daily cleanups to pressure washing and window cleaning. 

According to the portal Workable, depending on the complexity of the project, a professional cleaner can take on some of the following responsibilities:

  • Cleaning, stocking, and supplying designated facility areas (dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning ceiling vents, restroom cleaning, etc.)
  • Performing and documenting routine inspection and maintenance activities
  • Carrying out heavy cleaning tasks and special projects (external window cleaning and carpet steam cleaning, for example)
  • Handling heavy equipment and machinery (power extractors, pressure washers, etc.)
  • Knowing about cleaning chemicals and supplies
  • Staying current with Material Safety Data Sheets

In practice, some commercial cleaners do periodic, on-demand jobs where they visit certain buildings once or twice a year for larger jobs. Other business customers prefer to have more permanent support in these duties as their activities and infrastructure require regular cleanings.

Commercial cleaning services are ideal for maintaining large premises like office centers, factories, or churches. Therefore, the cleaning company must meet stringent health and safety regulations to clean everything from hazardous spaces, such as chemical plants and high windows, to more conventional offices or call center cubicle floors.

The best commercial cleaning services offer trained staff with specialized equipment and supplies to carry out the designated duties. 

What Are Janitorial Services?

Unlike outsourced commercial companies, independent workers or those hired as company employees often handle basic janitorial services. Janitors take care of everyday cleaning duties, and the level of service they offer depends on your company’s specific needs. Overall, the services involve routine, simple tasks strictly related to cleaning, such as emptying office trash receptacles, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping floors. Janitors may also deal with minor facility repairs and maintenance. 

The Difference Between Commercial Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Hopefully, you now have a firm understanding of what each type of cleaning service entails. Now let’s look at some of the differences more closely.

The Level of Service

As mentioned above, keeping your facilities spotless involves comprehensive services that combine: 

  • Heavy-duty tasks, required a few times a year
  • Daily cleaning duties, like dusting and mopping

While an independent or on-staff janitor could complete some of these duties for you, top commercial building cleaning companies can bring the best of both worlds, providing you with qualified janitors as well as expert cleaners and maintenance staff for special projects.

If you work with a professional firm, you can rest assured they will comply with the current COVID-19 cleaning standards and best practices. For instance, applying the correct type of disinfectant with an EPA registration number is the best way to ensure surfaces are safe.

Skills and Experience

Premium commercial cleaning service companies train their staff and send only people with considerable experience. It is the only way they can deliver a high-quality service to different types of businesses and institutions.

You may not get this assurance with independent janitorial services. It is best if you put your cleaning duties in the hands of the well-trained, supervised, and uniformed staff members of a professional firm. They can help you eliminate the hassles of managing janitor recruitment, retention, insurance, and training.

Cleaning Equipment and Products

Commercial cleaning services are more comprehensive, including both basic and sophisticated cleaning equipment in its costs. Qualified people with proper skills and training will manage all necessary types of cleaning to keep your facilities looking their best.

Special commercial cleaning projects often require strong, industrial-grade chemicals that may be dangerous for inexperienced people to handle. A professional firm will know which chemicals to use and train its employees on proper usage.

For these reasons, independent janitorial services often limit their tasks to those that include household cleaning ingredients and supplies you will have to purchase and store.

Terms of Service

Some companies see independent janitorial services as a long-term, permanent commitment and hire commercial building cleaning as a one-off service. However, as implied above, a leading commercial cleaning firm can safely and conveniently offer a wide variety of services. These can include routine day-to-day duties from expert janitors, plus more detailed maintenance and heavy-duty tasks with the help of qualified staff.

Bonuses

Hiring a reputable commercial cleaning service could come with extra bonuses. For example:

  • You will not have to worry about processing taxes or payroll.
  • You could reach an environmentally-friendly approach to cleaning your facilities by using green products and practices. 
  • You will have 24/7 customer service support.
  • Your company will get a customized offer to meet your specific needs.
  • You will reduce your operating costs.

Most janitorial services don’t offer these advantages, even increasing your expenses and growing your environmental footprint in the long run.

Benefits of Commercial Building Cleaning

Commercial building cleaning can be beneficial for your business. Here are a few advantages:

1. Cleaner Workspace

Commercial cleaning services can help you provide workers with a clean working space for optimum productivity. They also ensure a safe and healthy space for your employees free from allergens and low on dangerous pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.

2. Improves Customer and Employee Satisfaction

Customers and employees feel more comfortable and at peace in a clean environment. Cleanliness also helps maintain professionalism, which is crucial for attracting and retaining clients and employees.

Did you know that cleaner spaces, particularly restrooms, can leave a lasting good business impression on your customers? P&G reported:

“The cleanliness of your restrooms says a lot about how you run your business. Because they consider restroom hygiene as a reflection of overall quality standards, a negative restroom experience can seriously tarnish an otherwise great reputation. Just one bad restroom experience can create a poor impression that customers will likely share with others. In fact, 50% of people said they would tell friends and family about a negative restroom experience, and 46% said they would avoid going to an establishment based on a poor restroom review.”

3. Higher Quality Cleaning

Commercial cleaners offer clients higher quality and more comprehensive cleaning by using the best equipment and products to ensure ultimate cleanliness. Plus, they have skilled staff to do so.

4. Fewer Sick Days

Commercial cleaning companies focus on both cleaning and disinfecting duties to reduce the spread of illnesses. The result is a healthy and more productive workforce.

5. Cuts Costs

Hiring a cleaning company can help cut company costs. Maintaining an in-house cleaning staff, products, and equipment can be costly for your business, both in terms of their direct costs and the amount of time it takes to manage it all. Keep in mind heavy-duty equipment is no only expensive, but it needs considerable maintenance and frequent repair. 

A commercial company can save you from all of these costs, translating to greater profitability for your business.

6. Frees up Storage Space

Partnering with a commercial cleaning company will help you free up a significant amount of storage areas that you can use for other purposes. You will not have to keep large product containers or bulky cleaning equipment on your premises. 

Pick the Right Service for Your Business

Now that you understand the differences between a commercial building cleaning service and a janitorial service, you can make the best choice. DTK Facility Services can efficiently cover both janitorial and commercial cleaning requirements for any business. Let DTK’s friendly, trustworthy, and hard-working team take care of your facility’s cleaning needs. Get a quote now.