Many offices and corporate buildings utilize a regular janitorial service, but is that really enough? There are a lot of office cleaning mistakes that happen day in and day out and while they seem inconsequential, they can be costing you valuable time, energy, and money. To make sure that you’re tackling your office cleanliness head-on and avoiding problems, here are 10 common office cleaning mistakes that are costing your business money.
1. Cluttered Workspaces
One of the most common office cleaning mistakes is when employees consistently have cluttered desks. While everyone’s working style is different, a cluttered desk really does lead to a cluttered mind. It becomes easier to misplace or lose important items and the disorder often begins to spread into other areas of work. Clutter is relative, but it’s a good practice to encourage organization across employees. A cleaner office allows everyone to start their day off with a clear mind and improves the overall company image if you have clients in the building. While this is one of the most common mistakes, it’s also the easiest to fix. Remember, there are plenty of benefits to keeping a regular office cleaning schedule, so don’t be afraid to set expectations.
2. Ignoring Spills or Stains
If your office has patterned carpet, it’s easy to let a spill blend into the design. While you’d like to think that your employees take ownership of their accidents, it’s not always the case. Some employees don’t want to get in trouble or take the blame, some don’t view cleaning up spills as their job, and others simply don’t want to clean, so they ignore it. Although a small spill here or there may seem harmless, over time they lead to long-term damage to floors, upholstery, and more. This, in turn, can tarnish your office image, which could be damaging to client relationships.
3. Neglecting Hard to Reach Areas
A similar mindset is often used with hard-to-reach areas. Out of sight, out of mind should not be your office cleaning motto. Hard-to-reach areas are often the dirtiest place in an office and can lead to dangerous accumulations of bacteria, viruses, and other harmful pathogens. Hiring a professional cleaner like Bee Line ensures a cleaner office and that no area goes untouched and everyone can return to work safely.
4. Incorrect Use of Cleaning Supplies
Many offices keep a standard bottle of all-purpose cleaner in the breakroom to cover everything from spills and stains to bathroom cleaning and mid-day disinfecting. These cleaners are not the do-all, be-all that they’re advertised to be. In reality, there’s not one specific cleaning product that works for every situation throughout your office. Utilizing all-purpose cleaner for everything you do creates an excessive amount of chemical buildup and won’t adequately get the job done. Regardless of what happens within your office, you need to use the right cleaning supplies for each unique situation. Otherwise, you’re wasting money and risking the health of your employees and clients.
Bee Line utilizes a variety of chemicals that can be tailored to your specific needs. Our broad-spectrum disinfectants—Pathogen Prevention Misting: Virex Plus & Vital Oxide Manual Wiping and Disinfection: Virex Plus, Oxivir TB Wipes, and Oxivir 5:16 Terminal Exam Cleaning: Oxivir 5:16, Oxivir TB wipes, Virex Plus—target numerous pathogens in your office so you can rest assured that you’re getting the most out of your efforts.
5. Using Damaging or Harsh Chemicals
Similarly, harsh chemicals don’t equate to higher efficiency when cleaning. In fact, harsh chemicals should be avoided as they can cause damage to both your health and the environment. Overexposure to certain chemicals or fumes has been shown to be unsafe to your body and can increase rates of illness among employees. This leads to reduced productivity and lower output. More employee sick days cost businesses money. Harsh chemicals are also damaging to the environment and with increasing regulations to help offset climate change, your business may be fined if chemicals are improperly disposed of.
Bee Line utilizes a green corporate cleaning program to improve the quality of both your business and the environment. We utilize HEPA filter vacuums, Green Seal-certified disinfectants, and microfiber towels to put safety and sustainability first.
6. Cleaning with Dirty Equipment
What you use to clean also makes a difference. If you have the same sponge, mop, or rags available every day for cleaning, you’re not getting much of anything done. Using old or soiled cleaning equipment not only pushes germs around from surface to surface, but also facilitates the growth of mold, fungi, and harmful bacteria. You need to use fresh cleaning equipment every day and even for every cleaning zone. If you clean something that’s got biohazard waste, such as blood, vomit, or urine, with a mop and then continue to use the same mop throughout the week in other areas, you’re pushing around the biohazards and risking the health and safety of your employees. Instead, make sure that you always clean your office with clean equipment. Bee Line partners with ImageFIRST to bring our clients the cleanest linens for high-quality office sanitization.
7. Avoiding Bathroom Cleaning
No one wants to clean the communal office bathroom, but avoiding it isn’t going to make it any better. Office bathrooms are one of the biggest breeding grounds for germs, especially when it’s shared by multiple businesses, clients, and guests. Make sure that you increase the frequency of bathroom cleanings to avoid problems and keep your building running smoothly.
8. Overflowing Trash Bins
If your trash bin starts to overflow, it loses its purpose. Trash bins need to be emptied in order to be effective. If trash bins aren’t emptied daily, you run the risk of attracting rodents, insects, and odors—all of which are sure to reduce overall office productivity. Make sure that you’re not losing money from ongoing distractions by regularly emptying your office trash bins.
9. Not Disinfecting Daily
A lot of people have the mentality that if something appears to be clean, it is. However, germs and pathogens are microscopic organisms that our eyes can’t detect. While an area may appear to be clean, it’s likely not sanitized. To keep your office clean, reduce employee sick days, and make sure that everyone is healthy, you need to disinfect your building daily with high-quality cleaning supplies. This is especially important for common areas like the bathroom, break room, and kitchen. We now know the full scope at which germs can cause disruptions to daily life, business profitability, and longevity, so make sure that you take the extra effort to disinfect daily. For help doing this in the most effective way, Bee Line offers disinfecting porters and ongoing corporate cleaning plans.
10. Working Without a Plan
The biggest office cleaning mistake is not having a plan. Without a plan, everyone thinks that someone else is responsible for a job. Make your expectations clear to your employees and create a plan to increase cleanliness throughout the day. Then, hire a professional cleaning company like Bee Line for a comprehensive clean that will allow you to focus on what you do best and save you money along the way.
Bee Line offers upholstery-cleaning services, office carpet cleaning services, vacuuming, garbage removal, and comprehensive corporate janitorial services. To do everything you can to keep your employees, family, and community safe, Bee Line uses quality control, routine management inspections, and continual onsite training for our employees.
If you’re interested in staying up to date with Bee Line’s latest cleaning tips, advice, and COVID updates, sign up for our newsletter. If you need to schedule a service call Bee Line at 312-BEE-LINE or message us today to get started on the path to cleanliness!
About The Author
