December 5, 2024
Shelters and drop-in centers are temporary destinations for families or individuals in need of a home. Data shows that, until September 15, 2024, approximately 61,700 people asked for asylum in city-funded shelters in New York City. It also shows that 131,487 people slept each night in NYC shelters in 2024. These individuals can be women, children, sick or homeless people, or families.
The diversity of people and high footprint can cause germ spreading and dust buildup at shelters and drop-in centers. These places cater to fragile people like children and sick people; thus, cleanliness becomes inevitable here. It is necessary to prevent the spread of diseases and create a safer environment for assistance seekers. It also helps to maintain the life standard of each person related to the shelter and drop-in centers. As one of the leading cleaning service providers in NYC, we are here to elaborate on the importance of shelter and drop-in center cleaning services in NYC.
NYC is one of the bustling cities of the USA. The number of citizens is increasing rapidly. The traffic of migrants is also creating pressure on the city. It is leading to a home shortage, resulting in more people opting for shelters and drop-ins.
Naturally, the pressure on the shelters and drop-in centers is also doubling every day, and this can lead to the rapid accumulation of dirt, germs, and allergens. These factors can cause considerable health issues among the residents and authorities. Also, shelter cleanliness helps build a safer and healthier society. Well, it is a mere overview only; some more important reasons are-
A clean shelter or drop-in center provides a perfect welcoming environment. A tidy place conveys a feeling of safety and directly impacts the resident's mental well-being. Also, a well-maintained, clean place helps to extend respect and familiarity to the people. Please note that these people are facing a difficult time. Thus, this step becomes a noteworthy support for them.
A clean and pristine environment helps to create a positive atmosphere. It provides mental peace and positively impacts the mental health of the residents. Additionally, when the residents see that people are thinking about their well-being and taking care of them, they tend to reciprocate that behavior. It helps to create an overall cooperative environment and harmonious living. Due to this, residents often feel responsible for their temporary homes. It allows the authority to take care of the property.
Shelters and drop-in centers invite heavy traffic every day. The germs, dust, allergens, and molds naturally come as gatecrashers. Also, these places are homes of many sick or homeless people who don't get the ideal care. Thus, spreading germs or diseases at these places is common. Experts say dirty or cluttered shelters or drop-in centers can cause colds, flu, and other respiratory illnesses. On the other hand, a clean and tidy place provides good health and life for the residents.
Shelters and drop-in centers have many residents and share many areas like bathrooms or sleeping quarters. Not everyone is organized or clean enough; in this position, if it's not cleaned accurately, it can cause an accident. For example, if a spill on the floor is not cleaned on time, it can cause a fall. Similarly, if the bathrooms are not cleaned on time, it can be sleepy and cause fatal accidents.
The NYC authority is extremely careful and strict about the health issues of the shelter and drop-in center residents. The government has clear guidelines that every nook and corner must be disinfected and sanitized, there will be no dust particles in the shelter or drop-in area, the shelter authority must take enough steps to avoid blood-borne pathogens, etc. Regular cleaning helps to obey these guidelines. Take note that any mistake can lead to legal issues.
Running or taking care of a shelter or drop-in center is not easy. It is not like making a home or placing some tents; you are done. One needs to understand the risks related to it.
Sometimes, shelters or drop-in centers contain hazardous materials such as sharp objects, drug paraphernalia, and human waste. These need to be cleaned thoroughly to reduce the residents' health risks.
A dirty place invites pests and insects, such as cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents, etc. These pests cause discomfort, lowers quality of life, and spread diseases. On the other hand, a clean, tidy, and pristine area helps to reduce or diminish this pest attack and contributes to a quality of life overall.
Moreover, regular cleaning helps to prevent odor from the bathroom and kitchen and ensures a comfortable stay for the residents.
Shelters and drop-ins invite a high footprint and diverse population, which makes them easily dirty. Dust and debris will accumulate in different places if they're not cleaned regularly. This will demotivate people to seek help, reduce the lifespan of their amenities, and spread diseases in society. Regular and careful cleaning can easily solve all of these issues.
As stated, shelters and drop-ins are high-traffic zones. Naturally, they invite a significant amount of dust and debris. Also, they have many high-touch zones. If these spaces are not cleaned properly, diseases will spread.
One might think regular cleaning with standard cleaning products is enough to deal with this issue. Well, no, it is not enough. For optimum cleanliness, one must hire commercial cleaning services. They have trained janitors to clean every nook and corner of the space. Also, they use dedicated products and tools for this. It helps in getting the place to its best hygienic conditions ever. Here is a list of its benefits are-
Commercial cleaning service providers use customized cleaning planes for different places. For example, to clean a shelter, they will first identify the high-traffic zones such as the reception area, door knobs, reception phones, etc. After that, they will start cleaning from high-traffic zones to lower touch areas, like ceiling or lighting fixtures. It contributes to a systemic cleaning, not spreading the accumulated dust or germs everywhere.
Cleaning is an art, and professional janitors are artists. They take ample time to understand a place's requirements and use cleaners and tools accordingly. This helps them get the best results. Do you know how? For example, if your shelter or drop-in center has costly carpets and needs to get stains out, professional cleaners will analyze the carpet type.
After that, they will use a steam cleaner or a dedicated carpet cleaning tool (depending on the carpet's needs). This will help remove the stain 100% without damaging the fabric. They also use dedicated carpet cleaners for the best results. Sometimes, the cleaners share helpful carpet cleaning tips with the users.
Common cleaning agents usually contain hazardous materials such as pesticides, bleaches, ammonia, etc. These elements can cause serious health issues, like respiratory issues or allergies. Remember, shelters and drop-in centers serve fragile people like children, senior citizens, and sick people. It can harm them significantly.
To avoid this, most professional cleaning service providers use eco-friendly cleaning supplies, which are called green cleaning. These cleaning products have natural ingredients (lemon, baking soda, water, plants, and vinegar), biodegradable elements, and sustainable packaging. They ensure better health and contribute to making the planet greener.
Regular cleaning staff lack the necessary training or knowledge, which prevents them from identifying the unique corners (that need serious attention) or perfect cleaning solutions (based on the surface). This helps receive a crystal-lean surface smoothly without wasting much time, effort, or products. Overall, it helps save money from buying useless cleaning supplies.
On the other hand, regular cleaning prevents dust and debris accumulation. It increases the lifespan of amenities and reduces recurring expenditures.
Most cleaning staff is not properly trained. They are capable of doing basic cleaning like dusting or mopping. However, as they are not trained, they can't effectively clean a space thoroughly, and if they try to do so, it takes a lot of time.
On the other hand, professional cleaning service providers are experts and can do it in minimal time. This helps save time, and the residents are not disturbed by ongoing cleaning.
Commercial cleaning does not focus on removing dust particles from the surface only. It drags out every dust particle from the nooks and corners and thoroughly disinfects the space. For example, if you run a shelter, the professional cleaning service provider will first thoroughly clean the space. This will include far-reaching corners like air ducts, walls, ceilings, upper corners of windows, or lighting fixtures.
After that, they disinfect them all. This helps to remove all the dust and debris and kills every germ and bacteria. It also helps to prevent allergies, respiratory issues, and germ spread. Naturally, it elevates overall health.
The NYC authority has strict guidelines regarding shelter and drop-in conditions. The authority clearly instructs that every area must be cleaned and sanitized to ensure the health and safety of residents. The guidelines also state that if the shelter has a medical facility, bi-products like used syringes or medicine bottles must be disposed of correctly.
Additionally, the area must be cleaned and disinfected accurately for the highest safety. Any mistake can cause legal issues and a feud with the government. To avoid this, shelters must hire a commercial cleaning service provider.
Shelters and drop-ins can be called saviors. These places help provide necessary assistance and sometimes required health support (along with food and clothing) to the needy. In this position, the place must have a reputation to gain trust.
For example, if some XYZ shelter has a reputation for providing the best quality food and other assistance in the area, it will help them gain the maximum trust of residents and attract the highest number of visitors. Eventually, the shelter will be a trusted shoulder of the people and government. However, if the shelter or drop-in is dirty, it will get a bad name, and it will be closed soon (due to a lack of visitors).
The majority of people seek shelter when they are helpless. Often, they face prolonged illness and need rest at the shelter. If the cleaning staff works around them, they will not be able to rest, and their privacy will be compromised badly.
To avoid this situation, shelters or drop-ins must hire a professional cleaning service provider company. They usually offer flexible scheduling, which helps to schedule the cleaning task at the residents' convenience.
Commercial cleaning service is a boon for every place that attracts a high footprint. It helps to get a pristine place without investing much in inventory (because the janitors bring tools and cleaning products) or putting in heavy effort.
Shelters and drop-ins must be the safest places for the residents to make them feel 'right'. Residents must remember that they are going through one of the most challenging times in life, and they need a warm hand. A clean, tidy, pristine shelter or drop-in can be handy if appropriately maintained. For perfect maintenance and cleaning, one must opt for a professional cleaning service.
If you are stressing over which professional cleaning service to choose, you can contact Sterling Cleaning Services. They are one of the leading professional cleaning service providers in NYC and are known for their quality service. They also own updated cleaning tools, trained and expert janitors, flexible cleaning schedules, eco-friendly products, etc. Thus, they are the best option for shelters and drop-ins.
Connect with them and book your schedule now!
Please reach us at any time to set up an appointment to review your commercial cleaning requirements. Sterling will provide an on-site review of your janitorial needs, then create a custom proposal that fits both your specifications and budget
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