Keeping your school clean is about more than just ensuring it looks its best. It’s also about providing that the school offers a safe, healthy experience for all the students who come through your doors. Cleaning companies for schools are an excellent investment to ensure your school is as hospitable as possible. The size of the janitorial market has increased substantially over the past several years as increasing numbers of people have recognized the value of having a cleaning company for schools, businesses, and more that can fit their specific needs.
Reasons to Choose Commercial School Cleaning Services
Because schools pose unique challenges to cleaning, many administrators and school boards choose to contract commercial cleaners instead of hiring their janitors. While in-house staff can be adequate, commercial school cleaning services offer specialized knowledge and skills that are increasingly valuable in the post-pandemic environment.
Quality
While janitorial staff can do an excellent job, professional cleaners take things to the next level. They have spent years specializing in the field, learning about new products, and mastering new techniques. Furthermore, they regularly update their equipment and supplies due to changing technology and standards. Commercial cleaners also have the time to focus on staff training, which most school administrators may be unable to provide to their own janitors.
Rules and Regulations
Since schools typically have high numbers of children and adolescents, they may be subject to special regulations. These can include restrictions and recommendations on the use of chemicals, rules about background checks, guidance on indoor air quality, and limitations on interactions with students. A professional cleaning company is well-versed in the requirements for working in a school environment.
Beyond these school-related rules, however, there are many other regulations and recommendations regarding cleaning supplies. Certain chemicals can be toxic when misused, and a professional cleaning company will ensure that staff members understand and handle them properly. This guidance includes interactions with other chemicals, ventilation, safe drying times, and application methods. The knowledgeable staff can help keep students safer. Furthermore, professional cleaning companies for schools are familiar with the latest Covid-19 protocols and the best ways to help keep students and staff members healthy.
Previous Technical Experience
Similarly, a clear benefit of commercial cleaners is the experience they can offer in terms of techniques. With various surfaces and high-traffic areas, a school building can be a complicated space to clean. Flooring, for example, can vary from carpet and concrete to vinyl and wood. Each surface has its requirements for care regarding technique and cleaning chemicals.
School cleaning services understand that different surfaces require different kinds of care. They are familiar with various methods and chemicals and will create a cleaning plan that ensures they’re kept in their best condition.
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Versatility
While in-house staff may need to follow a more traditional schedule, an outsourced cleaning company can provide service during off-hours and weekends. Because cleaners can access many staff, they can quickly fill needs created by one-off events such as activities and Covid-19 infections.
This versatility applies to the types of services the cleaner can provide. While in-house janitorial staff may be limited to standard daily cleaning, a professional company can offer specialized services. These can include window cleaning, pressure washing, and Covid-19 fogging. Since the company employs more people than one school requires, it can quickly add staff when needed without the complication of adding contracts or managing temporary workers.
These staff can also take on landscaping and event set-up roles, adding to the diversity of the support you receive from your hired service.
Convenience
Schools offer a unique set of challenges when it comes to cleaning. There are many people moving throughout the school at certain times and no one at others. For in-house janitorial staff who work during the day, this daily routine may make it hard to perform even the most basic cleaning tasks without causing disruption. It can also make it almost impossible to do higher-level, long-term maintenance.
Professional cleaners, on the other hand, can work around school schedules. They can call upon on-demand staffing to ensure facilities stay clean during the day while performing additional duties at night and on the weekends. The result is a clean space with fewer inconveniences for students, teachers, and administrators.
Value
Funding is a significant issue for most schools when considering services. It often leads some schools to consider something other than a commercial cleaner. However, school cleaning services can be more cost-effective when appropriately used in lieu of in-house janitors. Benefits include savings on human resources, materials, and facility maintenance.
Commercial cleaners offer different types of cost savings. For example, schools pay for the service they need instead of paying for full-time janitorial staff. By doing so, they have the flexibility to make changes to staffing as necessary.
Cleaning chemicals and materials are areas of potential savings. A school cleaning service will provide, manage and store its materials, which they can purchase in large volumes. Not only is this method more affordable, but it also ensures that chemicals are properly stored and discarded. This management can protect children from improper chemical exposure as an added benefit.
Related: 5 benefits of Commercial Floor Cleaning Services
Care for the Building
Administrators and other decision-makers should consider the long-term impact of a professional performing regular cleaning and maintenance when hiring a cleaner. School facilities must last for decades, so they benefit significantly from skilled upkeep.
One principal benefit is the ability to maintain records throughout the years. An in-house janitor may need more time to provide the long-term management required to regularly perform deep cleaning, special treatments, pressure washing, and more.
A professional cleaning company may also be more proactive about periodic maintenance, such as deep cleaning or floor care. This type of regular upkeep will keep the facility in better shape over the long term.
Fewer Management Requirements
When you have an in-house cleaning service, you must oversee and manage those staff members. Not only do you have to worry about managing their daily tasks and ensuring that they keep up with their responsibilities, but you may also need to make arrangements for their time off, benefits, and salary, including raises and bonuses. Those details can mean a lot of time dealing with your cleaning staff, especially if you need to manage those staff members separately from other team members in the building, including teachers and administrators.
When you work with a commercial cleaning company for schools, on the other hand, you won’t have to worry about all those management details. While you need to communicate your plans and expectations, you’ll find that you do not have to worry as much about employment practicalities, so keeping your school clean and running smoothly is much more streamlined.
A Plan That Suits Your Needs
When you choose an effective cleaning company for a school, they will work with you to create a plan that suits your precise requirements. Your school may have its own unique set of needsfor cleaning. Perhaps you need to ensure the school is clean before a big upcoming game or one-off event. Or, to ensure that some areas of the building are cleaned more often, such as science and art rooms, where regular activities are more likely to be messy.
A professional cleaning company will work with you to ensure that you have a plan tailor fit to your school structures. You’ll not only be able to lay out precisely what you’re expecting, but you’ll also feel more confident that the team has the staff necessary to ensure all those tasks are carried out.
The Staff You Require
When you have an in-house staff, some will undoubtedly be unavailable when you need them. They may be sick, out on vacation, or taking time off for personal reasons. Sometimes, staff members may need to take time off when you need them most: a sudden illness just before a significant event, for example, or janitorial staff members who get sick at the same time as a substantial illness breakout across your school. When you choose to work with a professional cleaning company for your school, on the other hand, you’re hiring a large pool of staff who can show up when you need them.
How to Choose the Right School Cleaning Company
As you consider a school cleaning company, it’s essential to make sure that you take the time to evaluate and select the right organization for your school. You may need a cleaning company that meets these key criteria.
Experience Cleaning Schools
You need a school cleaning company that is familiar with what it takes to clean a school building, to start. Many commercial cleaners may be more well-versed in office jobs than they are in the needs of a school. When you choose a cleaning company that specializes in schools, you can feel much more confident that they have the tools and the know-how they need to get the job done.
Flexibility and Availability
When you select a commercial cleaning company for your school, make sure the company is flexible and versatile enough to meet your unique needs and requirements. You don’t need a cleaning company that will be available when you need them to come in to take care of cleaning tasks. Discuss their availability, their flexibility, and how much notice they may need to increase your regular cleaning services.
Remember that there may be unpredictable times when you need additional cleaning support. For example, when illness breaks out across the school, it’s best to have your cleaners come in to provide extra cleaning services. Likewise, you may wish your cleaners to spend more time at the building when you’ve had a major event or preparing for one.
Solid Reputation
Take a look at the cleaning company’s reputation in the local community. Word of mouth is the best reference, of course, so check with other schools to see if they have experience with the company you would like to hire.
You need cleaners in your school that are trustworthy and who you can count on to get the job done. A cleaning company with good values and a strong reputation can make a big difference for your school.
Choose a Cleaning Company That Fits Your Needs
Choosing the right cleaning company can make a huge difference in how clean your school stays and how much stress it causes you to keep it that way. Contact DTK Facility Services to learn more about our high standard of cleanliness and expertise in keeping your school building looking its best.