specialty cleaning

What Are Specialty Cleaning Services (and How Do You Find the Right Company)?

Nate PruittCleaning Services

Keeping your facility looking its best helps you put your best foot forward. It allows you to make a great impression on current and future customers, ensures that grime doesn’t build up unexpectedly, and can keep things throughout your business working properly. Many of those services are covered by regular cleaning tasks. However, in some cases, you may need additional specialty cleaning services to take care of tasks beyond everyday cleaning responsibilities. 

Regular Cleaning Services vs. Specialty Cleaning Services: What’s the Difference?

Many businesses use generalized cleaning services daily or weekly to take care of those essential cleaning tasks throughout their building. Whether you have an in-house janitorial team or outsource your cleaning needs, both teams likely perform the same basic tasks. This may include scrubbing bathrooms, wiping down desks and counters, vacuuming, sweeping, and handling the other cleaning tasks commonly associated with that particular business. 

On the other hand, specialized cleaning services take care of those tasks that are not included as part of your regular cleaning requirements but must still be effectively managed to create a better overall environment for your staff and customers.

Specialized cleaning services are wide-ranging and can accommodate a multitude of situations. They are perfect for demanding situations or projects—these are the kind of services you’ll call on when regular cleaning isn’t enough.

For example, specialized cleaning services can include taking extra care of floors by stripping and waxing, scrubbing, recoating, burnishing, carpet extraction, or something more simple, like carefully cleaning the surfaces of marble floors that require specialized care.  

Specialized cleaning does not stop indoors. It also includes outdoor services such as trash pickup around your building and parking areas, exterior window washing, pressure washing, and landscaping needs. More specific services include construction cleanup and disaster recovery.

Types of Specialized Cleaning 

Services that extend beyond your regular cleaning tasks can be grouped into some broader categories to help you evaluate and plan for your needs. Categories may include seasonal cleanup, commercial office deep cleaning, event cleaning (before and after), or disaster cleanup in case of unforeseen circumstances. 

Seasonal Cleaning

Businesses in locations with intense weather patterns may regularly have to cope with high winds, storms, flooding, and other seasonal challenges. If your business has outdoor areas to clean, choose a specialty cleaning company that can tackle those challenges successfully and help you mitigate them efficiently. 

In addition, there are also routine seasonal tasks like washing exterior windows, pressure washing entries, sidewalks, parking lots, or building exteriors, and tending to landscaping needs such as mowing, edging, leaf cleanup or flower bed setup. Ideally, a specialist cleaning service should be able to meet all these needs and more. 

Commercial Office Deep Cleaning

Commercial offices like schools, restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, and doctor’s offices attract a wide variety of people every day. Each space calls for a different cleaning protocol, especially if dealing with a high volume of traffic through the area. 

Floors and frequently used surfaces are often exposed to viruses or other contaminants that can compromise the health of staff and visitors. These surfaces may require a more thorough cleaning, especially if an illness is making its way through the office.

Event Cleaning

Each event is unique. Still, they may all require specialized cleaning before and after, whether a concert, a large religious service, or any other type of event. Specialty event cleaning usually involves cleaning high-volume areas such as bathrooms or other sanitary facilities, as well as performing services like disinfectant fogging of seating areas. 

Related: Commercial Pressure Washing Services: When and Why You Need Them

Reputable cleaning services may offer fogging before staff and visitor entry, in between events, or on a more regular schedule, depending on the event. The right cleaning company will work with you to tailor their services to your specific needs.  

Damage Cleanup

Businesses sometimes suffer from damages caused by floods, fires, and other natural catastrophes. Restoring spaces to their original state of cleanliness, safety, and usability is paramount. Professional cleaning services have the knowledge and tools to handle damage cleanup appropriately. 

How to Choose the Right Specialty Cleaning Service 

If you are in the process of hiring a specialty cleaning service for your business, there are several key factors to take into account. 

Review Services Offered by the Cleaning Company

Before choosing a commercial cleaner to care for your specialty cleaning needs, it’s important to review the company’s services. Hiring multiple cleaning companies to come in and take care of all the tasks on your list can be confusing and time-consuming. 

You may want a commercial service that will take care of indoor and outdoor cleaning or one that offers package deals, allowing you to fully refresh everything in your office. If you’re already outsourcing your everyday cleaning needs or considering bringing in a commercial cleaning service to take care of those tasks, you may want to find one service to handle it all.

Evaluate the Type of Cleaning Products Used

Choose a cleaning company that uses environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. Not only can those supplies ensure that your office does not inadvertently cause damage to the local ecosystem, but eco-friendly cleaning products can create a healthier environment for your workers. Keep in mind that in some industries or for some type of cleanup, you may need to use a few heavy-duty cleaners. 

Understand Health and Safety Guidelines 

Not only do cleaners need to understand safety guidelines for cleaning products, but they also need to understand the guidelines for working in your specific environment. Ask questions of the company you’re considering. Look for a specialty cleaning service that provides ongoing training for employees to prepare them to work in your office space, including around chemicals and equipment. 

Ask about Insurance

A professional commercial cleaning service must carry insurance that provides protection in the  event that something goes wrong on the job. Suppose there is accidental damage to an item in your office due to actions taken by the cleaning company’s employee, or suppose someone suffers an injury on your property. As a precaution, you’ll want to ensure the company has the right level of protection. 

Ask about the Availability of the Cleaning Company

In some cases, there may be a long wait to connect with a cleaner who can handle your specialty cleaning tasks. However, you may not have the time to wait. Look for a responsive specialty commercial cleaning service with room in its schedule for those on-demand cleaning needs. If a cleaning service often has to schedule specialty cleanings weeks or months out, that company may not be a good fit. 

Related: Commercial Deep Cleaning Costs and What Goes Into Them

Evaluate Skill When It Comes to On-Demand Cleaning Tasks

As you discuss your needs with your new commercial cleaning service, ask questions to find out if the company has the skills and experience needed to handle any non-standard cleaning needs around your business. Sometimes, unexpected situations creep up that make it difficult for you to predict what your cleaning needs will look like. Find a cleaning company that is flexible, ready, and willing to jump in and come up with solutions for those specific cleaning needs. 

Ask About Customized, Flexible Offerings

Your business likely doesn’t fit into a specific box, and great cleaning companies know that. Many specialty cleaning services are designed to be both flexible and responsive to a client’s needs. An experienced cleaning company with specialized services will discuss your detailed, custom requirements and develop a cleaning plan specifically for your business. Working with a professional specialty commercial cleaning service lets you find a more effective solution for your specific cleaning needs. 

Find a Specialty Cleaning Service That Fits Your Needs

Not all cleaning companies are the same, and choosing the right one for your business is pivotal to both satisfaction and quality results. The professionals at DTK Facility Services can offer unique specialty cleaning services to ensure that every inch of your business is cleaned with a high level of detail. 

DTK Services provides a range of both regular and specialty cleaning services to care for your entire building. Houston-based with over 1,500 trained technicians across four states, DTK can bundle its specialty services with other cleaning services to offer you a cost-effective solution. Contact us to get a customized quote.