Top 10 Challenges For Commercial Cleaning Businesses In NYC

Do you want to boost your employees' motivation? Well, fun Fridays are not enough. According to Staples' survey reports, 94% of employees feel productive and energetic in a clean office space. 77% of employees also stated they produce higher-quality work in a clean office space.

However, clean office space is not limited to shiny desks or floor fresheners. It poses plenty of challenges that can stress out business owners. From proper planning to countless supplies, the list of requirements is long and tiring.

Thankfully, plenty of companies will happily take care of the complexities for you. Yet, as the premises owner, it's essential to know what challenges your potential cleaning crew will face.

Understanding these complexities will help you find the correct team and tools and plan appropriately to keep the business premises pristine.

So, let's dive into the next section as we reveal the most common challenges of a commercial cleaning business. Additionally, we will discuss expert tips to keep your commercial space spotless and other critical details of business cleaning!

What is Commercial Cleaning?

Start with addressing the popular question, 'What is commercial cleaning?' Commercial cleaning is a dedicated service that provides cleaning services for commercial spaces. A commercial space can be a school, hospital, restaurant, ample Information and Technology Company, or anything else.

The professional cleaners are also known as custodians or janitors. They are skilled in cleaning such large spaces, especially industrial spaces. The maximum industrial space stores hazardous materials and large machines. Hence, only experts with the right equipment are entitled to do this.

One may ask, does it include mopping or dusting like regular cleaning? Yes, they are included. However, those are a tiny part of it. Commercial cleaning is quite different from domestic or regular cleaning and has some unique challenges.

Let's move to the next section to understand this better. ‍

10 Challenges For Commercial Cleaning Businesses In NYC

Commercial cleaning services are essential for keeping workplaces, public spaces, and facilities clean, hygienic, and safe. However, it doesn't come without a few obstacles. The challenges of the commercial cleaning business range from frequently changing cleaning regulations to production and operation disruptions.

Below, we examine a few common challenges for commercial cleaning to help you discover potential issues your cleaning crew might face.

1. Heavy equipment residue

Most commercial and industrial cleaning products contain harsh substances. Moisture can cause these residues to harden over time, leaving stains on floors and walls. Professional cleaners often face the challenge of removing these well-settled stains with specialized products and degreasers. Techniques, such as mechanical agitation, might help with this type of stain.

2. Frequently changing regulations

Professional commercial cleaning companies must adhere to several industry regulations or face fines. With more people and authorities becoming eco-conscious, cleaners must prioritize using green cleaning products and becoming more socially responsible.

This can be a challenge for small commercial cleaning businesses since sustainable products tend to be more expensive. Staying up to date with changing regulations is also a challenge. One way to deal with this issue is to perform regular reviews and audits of the latest cleaning procedures and practices.

3. Production and operation disruptions

Business premises or facilities that operate 24/7 are harder to clean since there is no specific downtime for cleaning activities. Your hired cleaners may find it difficult to complete their job within time or in a comprehensive manner in a crowded place. Moving furniture and equipment during office hours can also increase the risk of accidents. The best way to deal with this issue is to establish a cleaning schedule for low production hours or intervals.

4. Cost of cleaning supplies

Commercial cleaning supplies can be expensive due to high demand and increased raw materials and transportation prices. Stricter environmental and health laws can add to this price increase. Consequently, many small cleaning businesses may suffer from the hefty labels. If you wish to assist your cleaning crew with the expenses, allocate a dedicated budget for cleaning supplies.

5. Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination is a common yet overlooked challenge in commercial cleaning. For instance, your cleaner may use a single mop to clean the bathroom and the office hallway. The spread of germs can increase the likelihood of employees falling sick and missing work. Thankfully, this issue is easily preventable with dedicated cleaning products and supplies for each area of the premises.

6. Missed areas

Commercial spaces are significant. If you don't hire a team to match the space's vastness, the cleaners will likely end up missing some spots. To avoid this problem, create a cleaning schedule and checklist for each area. Divide the areas based on their usage frequency to make the process easier.

7. Lack of training

If your cleaning crew doesn't have the knowledge, tools, or instructions to correctly clean the premises, their work will be inefficient. Therefore, look for companies who train their employees or take responsibility for themselves to equip the team with the essential knowledge and tools.

8. Absence of an effective quality assurance system

Many cleaning companies lack a proper system to guarantee quality. They are unaware of how to measure the quality of their work. As a result, they don't know how to improve their duties' standards. To address this issue, holding your cleaning crew accountable is essential whenever you find a gap in their work.

9. Poor communication

One of the most common commercial cleaning challenges that mostly go unnoticed is communication issues within the team or the client and the team. Failure to communicate with the professional cleaners or they cannot discuss their work and responsibilities will create gaps in their work.

In either scenario, it can waste your time and money. Hence, before any professional cleaners, assess their transparency and communication skills.

10. Working without a plan

Professional cleaning needs a proper strategy. As previously mentioned, commercial spaces are spacious and complex. Cleaning a vast area without disrupting productivity or damaging any item requires excellent attention to detail and detailed planning. Otherwise, it will be a massive waste of resources. Therefore, when hiring a cleaning crew, ensure they know the scope of their work and have a thorough strategy to execute it.

What is the Difference between Commercial Cleaning, Industrial Cleaning, and Domestic Cleaning?

An employee spends an average of 8 hours per day and 2080 hours per year at the office. Sometimes this period gets increased even. As a business owner, you must spend way more than this. It makes our office space our second home.

However, the infrastructures are dissimilar, making the cleaning process different. At home, you don't have 50 computers, ample kitchen space, several air conditioning machines, etc..

That's why commercial cleaning is much more intense and requires much equipment. Domestic cleaning is more accessible than this.

Here are some more distinct differences between commercial and domestic cleaning, making commercial cleaning more challenging:

Space:

Domestic cleaning mainly involves cleaning residential spaces and homes. However, commercial cleaning consists of cleaning businesses and office premises.

A home consists of different rooms and furniture. Moving them can be hectic. Yet, with the right workforce, it is easy. On the other hand, an office consists of smaller cabins, a large workspace, and loads of machinery.

Cleaning Schedule:

As the space usage is separate, cleaning schedules are also different. Typically, homeowners clean their houses once or twice a week. The authorities have no guidelines on how often you must wash your home. On the other hand, a commercial space requires cleaning multiple times a week and guidelines from the government.

Scope:

As the infrastructures are different, the scope of cleaning is also diverse. General practices such as dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc., are enough for homes. For deep cleaning, you can move furniture once in a while.

However, as a commercial space attracts high traffic, staff must follow practices like sanitization, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, etc., making it much more time-consuming.

Weapons:

Cleaning tools can be weapons here. For domestic cleaning, homeowners rely on tools such as vacuum cleaners, dedicated cleaners, brushes, mops, etc.

A commercial space has several windows, machines, long carpets, etc. Cleaning trolleys, dedicated glass, window cleaners, steam cleaners, and floor machines are necessary.

Timings:

Homeowners can do their cleaning job at any time. Even if they hire cleaners, they can conduct it anytime they want.

However, this is not possible for a commercial space. As an owner, you have to monitor the workflow. Hence, you must schedule the task for low traffic or on holidays.

Difference between Industrial and Commercial Cleaning

Many people think that industrial and commercial cleaning is the same. However, it's not right. Commercial cleaning aims to remove dirt and stains from every inch of the office. Be it the kitchen, office desk, or floors, commercial cleaning takes care of it.

On the other hand, industrial cleaning enhances the challenges of a commercial cleaning business. It involves a lot of hazardous materials. It protects the surface from getting stained, damaged, or contaminated by oil, fats, dust, waterborne compounds, and chemicals. Cleaners use various chemicals to clean and remove dirt, grime, oil, etc. Therefore, both processes are not the same. Additionally, as a business owner, you must know that you will require many more expert cleaners for industrial cleaning.

Here are some more distinct differences between industrial and commercial cleaning:

Time Consumption:

Due to differences between the cleaning substances, industrial cleaning needs more time than commercial cleaning. In the case of industrial cleaning, the cleaner needs to dilute the chemicals before cleaning and relocate the machinery properly.

However, the time also varies depending on the type of company. For instance, cleaning an iron and steel company will take much longer than cleaning a software company, even if their employee capacity is the same.

Hazardous Materials:

Industrial spaces like manufacturing units (iron and steel, clothing, etc.) store various hazardous materials (lead, chromium, zinc, nickel, mercury, manganese, chromium VI, etc.). Hence, industrial cleaning requires many precautions and equipment.

On the other hand, commercial spaces like schools, offices, etc., do not involve as many risk factors.

Guidelines:

An industrial space must follow several cleaning guidelines. For example, it must be cleaned at least twice a week, hazardous chemicals must have proper labels, solid wastes must be recycled adequately, and recycling items must be labeled.

Commercial spaces do not have such strict guidelines. However, they must follow the rules regarding waste disposal.

Budget:

Due to the complexity of the task, industrial cleaning is costlier than commercial cleaning. Industrial cleaning cleaners need expensive chemicals and a lot of equipment. It makes it pricey.

However, commercial cleaning doesn't require much setup. Simple cleaners and tools are enough. Some commercial cleaning services offer additional assistance, such as organizing furniture and ceiling cleaning, making the whole service affordable and compact.

As the different segments are clear, it is time to shed some light on its benefits. It will help you to understand its value clearly.

What are the Commercial Cleaning Benefits?

As a business owner, you must pay significant attention to employee productivity levels. However, how does it increase? Although there are various factors behind it, health is one of them. Your employees will stay healthy if you keep your office space free from dirt, bacteria, and other allergens.

Furthermore, while the challenges of the commercial cleaning business might be numerous, its countless benefits make up for them.

From lessening the amount of absenteeism to enhancing productivity, here are the most noteworthy benefits of commercial cleaning.

Increases Revenue:

Your employees feel more productive when your office space smells nice and stays clean and organized. It increases productivity and elevates the quality of work. The positive work culture and quality output help to increase overall revenue.

Helps in Building Reputation:

Crystal-clean and organized office space helps build a good impression on visitors. It reflects your professionalism and assists you in bagging more offers. It develops a lasting social reputation.

Helps in Meeting the Regulatory Standards:

As a business owner, you know that meeting hygiene and regulatory standards is necessary. This is inevitable, especially if you own a business like restaurants, pharmaceuticals, etc. Maintaining a clean office helps.

Increases Employee Retention:

A clean office environment helps employees stay fit and healthy. It makes them feel valued, and they remain loyal to the company. Hence, it assists you in building a loyal employee base, reduces the cost of repeated hiring, and fuels your public image.

Protects Amenities:

Regular cleaning helps prevent dirt accumulation and pest infestation. It also prevents furniture damage, making it a long-term investment.

Also, regular cleaning helps reduce the effort, and cleaning services charge less.

Double the Storage Space:

Commercial office cleaning services help you declutter and organize the office space. They increase storage space and help you manage important documents easily.

The unnecessary piling up of unused things reduces employee productivity and focus.

Now, you may ask, what types of commercial cleaning services are available in the market? Let's dive into that answer so that you can choose yours.

The Types of Commercial Cleaning Services

All commercial spaces have unique demands and challenges. Thus, professional commercial cleaning services include customized services for hotels, gyms, offices, etc.

However, every project includes some everyday cleaning assistance (carpets, cabinetry, chairs, sofas, staircases, entryways, and glass panes cleaning).

Here's a commercial cleaning services list to give you an idea:

Retail Store Cleaning:

The retail store draws many visitors and attracts a lot of daily dirt. Hence, it needs to be well-organized to make an impression.

Commercial cleaning in a retail store includes:

• Sweeping and mopping the floors
• Cleaning the windows and every glass
• Changing room cleaning

Hotel Cleaning:

Maintaining a high hygiene level is necessary in the hospitality industry. Any mistake can lead to legal action. Therefore, commercial cleaning is an integral part of this industry.

Commercial cleaning in a hotel includes:

• Deep cleaning of kitchen
• Floors and room cleaning
• Deep cleaning of bathrooms

Office Cleaning:

No one wants to work in an office with dirty desks or smelly bathrooms. Most offices hire commercial cleaning services to maintain the cleanliness of large offices.

Commercial cleaning in an office includes:

• Deep cleaning of bathroom and kitchen
• Cleaning of carpets, stairs, lobby area, smoking zone
• Dusting and mopping the whole office

It is just the tip of the iceberg. Commercial cleaning services also include gym cleaning, hospital cleaning, dry porter services, and more.

As a business owner, hiring commercial services at an interval is not enough to maintain the proper cleanliness of your office space. You must instruct your cleaning employees to follow a specific checklist to maintain it properly.

Commercial Cleaning Checklist

Keeping your office or commercial space clean can be a daunting task. It is because it receives a lot of traffic every day. Not everyone is hygienic or obedient enough to follow the rules. Hence, cleaning the space daily is necessary. However, what will happen if your cleaning staff forgets it for one day? For this, as an owner, you must introduce a checklist for cleaning stuff. It will help them to maintain track of cleaning. Additionally, this checklist should depend on the specific areas and their needs.

Let's have a look at the checklist.

Daily Cleaning Checklist:

Cleaning must be a daily habit. Here is the checklist that your cleaning employees must follow.

For Rest Rooms:

• Disinfect the tables and chairs
• Declutter the bins
• Clean the windows and glasses with a dedicated cleaner
• Mop the floor

For kitchen:

• Declutter bins and change garbage bag
• Disinfect all tables, chairs, door handles and windows
• Clean utensils and gadgets like fridge, microwave, etc
• Mop the floor
• Refill hand soaps, paper towels, and all necessary things

For Desk and Cubicle:

• Recycle the bins
• Mop the desk with disinfectant
• Organize the clutter
• Swipe keyboards and computer screens with disinfectant

For Reception and Open Areas:

• Clean windows, mirrors, and door handles with cleaner and sanitizer
• Mop the floor in every one hour
• Vacuum cleaning the carpets every day
• Cleaning the bins regularly
• Ensuring walk-off mats are clean and properly placed

The checklist needs daily execution to keep the office pristine. However, this is also not enough. There should be a weekly and monthly checklist to follow:

The Weekly Checklist

The weekly checklist consists of an in-depth cleaning of various office items. Since this can disturb the workflow, we recommend scheduling it on holidays.

• Cleaning and disinfecting of every door handle and window
• Interior and exterior cleaning of appliances such as refrigerator, microwave, etc.
• Scrubbing and washing the tiles of the bathroom and kitchen
• Sanitizing all the telephones
• Wiping down the light fixtures and ceiling
• Cleaning all the mats, carpets, etc.

Maintaining this weekly cleaning checklist helps reduce dust build-up. Experts suggest deep cleaning every 6 to 8 weeks to ensure the best results. Here is a monthly checklist that you should introduce to your office.

Monthly Checklist:

• Steam clean all the curtains
• Clean the corners and ducts
• Disinfect all the artworks and showpieces
• Deep clean carpets and rugs
• Organize file cabinets
• Sanitize all the bins

This deep cleaning is enough to reach your goals once a month. However, do you want to improve your cleaning game? Keep reading.

Top 10 Effective Commercial Cleaning Tips

Commercial cleaning is much more than spraying disinfectant and wiping down. It needs planning, organizing, and tips for every area, such as reception, lobby, etc. Also, one needs the right product to meet the goal. Without this specification, your efforts will be in vain. Then what? Follow the right tips and tricks. Here are the top 10 practical commercial cleaning tips and tricks that will help you reduce its challenges.

Establish the Right Culture:

Introducing the right culture helps maintain a clean office and a positive work environment. As an owner, you can train your employees to keep their desks decluttered and ask them to maintain some basic decorum, such as cleaning up coffee spillages on the go.

To encourage the employees, you can announce prizes for this, like pizza parties, books, etc., and provide positive reinforcement for good habits.

Ensure Plenty of Cleaning Supplies:

It is best when employees take care of their space. For example, they can clean their desks or computer screens. However, they need screen cleaners, disinfectant wipes, etc. Ensure a smooth supply of all of these cleaning supplies.

Everyone should have access to cleaning agents such as dustpans, dish soap, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, glass cleaners, etc., and store them in a commonplace for easy practice.

Introduce Latest Cleaning Tools:

The latest cleaning tools are necessary to achieve a good result. As an owner, you must introduce and train your cleaning staff with the best cleaning supplies.

Invest in high-quality vacuum cleaners, mops, floor dry cleaners, etc. Additionally, you should invest in dedicated window cleaners, sink cleaners, bins, etc., to ensure a smooth cleaning process.

These cleaning tools help your cleaning staff finish their job quickly and ensure good health.

Shine the Lights to Shine the Health:

There are expected to be many lighting fixtures in the office. However, these fixtures attract a lot of dirt and look dingy. This increases the chances of bacteria and allergens spreading at the office. Unfortunately, it often goes unnoticed.

Instruct your cleaning staff to take care of this regularly to avoid this. Provide a ladder and the right cleaner to ensure a safe working space. Moreover, bright lights should be permanently installed at the office to reduce eye strain.

Introduce Kitchen Rules:

Most of the time, the kitchen and cleaning staff have a lot on their plate, which leads to complete chaos in the kitchen. Hence, it is essential to introduce rules such as cleaning the utensils after every use, cleaning the table after food spillage, etc. This will help keep the kitchen clean and tidy. For more convenience, you can supply paper towels and introduce a dishwasher.

Organize the Papers:

Although most offices are digital now, some still maintain a lot of papers or files. Unorganized papers attract dust and dirt, which can cause health issues like asthma and other respiratory diseases, allergies, etc. Ask your cleaning staff to dust these files regularly.

At the same time, ask your employees to keep them organized and declutter unnecessary files at the right time. You can introduce cabinets and dividers to keep them in order.

Establish a Cleaning Routine:

No commercial cleaning tips and tricks will work if your cleaning stuff does not follow a specific cleaning routine. The cleaning routine should be according to the needs of the area. For example, bathrooms, reception, and restrooms attract the highest traffic in the office. Hence, it is crucial to clean them every hour.

Check whether your cleaning team is using enough disinfectant in these areas. It will help to maintain hygiene.

Use the Bins and Declutter Them:

Bins are mandatory to keep your office space clean and tidy. Place bins in almost every space. For example, provide dedicated bins for every desk, bathroom, kitchen, etc. Teach your employees to use the bins and announce that any rule breach can lead to disciplinary actions.

Also, instruct your cleaning staff to declutter them daily. Whether full or not, they must be decluttered daily, and bin bags must be changed daily.

Go Green:

As an owner, you invest a lot in cleaning products. However, does it matter? These products clean the dust, but they contain a lot of chemicals. These chemicals significantly impact the health of your employees. To avoid this, introduce only environment-friendly products.

These non-toxic products are as effective as the chemical agents. Also, bring products like vinegar, baking soda, and water into practice for a safe environment.

Hire a Professional Service:

Professional commercial cleaning tips and tricks can help you do the job daily. However, for the best results, you must hire them regularly. They have the expertise to customize the cleaning routine according to your space and the right tools, and most of them use eco-friendly products to ensure your highest interest.

You can search the internet or ask your business owner friends for referrals. Here, we suggest you check on Sterling Cleaning Services Company. They are one of the leading cleaning companies in NYC.

However, you might now ask what qualities to look for before hiring a cleaning service. Let's explore that.

How to Hire the Best Commercial Cleaning Services in NYC?

There is a famous saying that the first impression is the last. You never get the chance to rectify the first impression. Professional cleaning services help keep your office space clean and tidy, tackling all its challenges while you sit back and relax. They allow you to make an everlasting first impression. Hence, hiring the right one is necessary.

However, it is not easy. The market is full of companies and alluring offers. Then, how should you choose the right one? Here are some tips to help you select a suitable cleaning service in NYC.

Look for Referrals:

One of the best ways to hire the best service is through referral. Ask your co-business owners about the companies they trust. Do not forget to ask about the reason they choose that specific company. It will provide you with an idea about the market trend. Once you receive a few names, make a list of them.

Set Your Needs and Budget:

After making a list of company names, it is time to decide the service you need. Remember, every office is different. Therefore, set your demands first.
After that, set your budget. You can have budget constraints; however, be practical. You can research this. In-depth research will help you to get an overall idea.

Check out the Service Page:

Once you are clear with your demands, go through the service pages of the companies you have listed. Here, set different parameters such as employee experience, flexible working hours, customized cleaning plans, eco-friendly products, etc., to get the best results.

Also, remember to check whether they have dedicated plans or setup for your kind of office.

Go through the Review Section:

The review section helps you understand a company's service quality. Therefore, check the review section carefully. Do not forget to check their handles on Google, Yahoo, Bing, or Facebook to get an idea.
However, it's better to skip if you see all positive, generic, or no reviews.

Get a Quote:

These steps are enough to select an experienced company with the proper budget. Now, it is time to get a quote.
Do not get a quote from only one company. Try to ask for quotes from several companies and compare them based on parameters such as experience, equipment, etc. It will help you invest in the right place.

Get Your Hands on the Best Commercial Cleaning Service Company in NYC

Hiring a professional cleaning company involves a significant amount of money. Naturally, it should be a thoughtful decision. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you with that. Remember, maintaining a pristine office might be puzzling, but it enables you to retain a happy, loyal employee base and makes an image.
So, confidently take up the challenges of commercial cleaning business with Sterling Cleaning Services! With experienced professionals, updated tools, customized cleaning plans, and eco-friendly products, Sterling helps you get the best cleaning experience ever!