When you type “cleaning company near me” into Google you need to already have in mind several answers to the important questions you should ask yourself before hiring. Here is our handy guide to help you make your best decisions on facilities management.
1. What size of cleaning company do you want to work with?
The very first question to ask yourself when looking to employ a new cleaning company is the size of the company you wish to work with.
The Sole Trader
Hiring a one-man band is fine for smaller offices with a few staff in a single location. You may need to give them a key to work out of office hours or accommodate their work during your hours of operation.
Most sole traders can provide you with high-quality everyday cleaning, providing you supply equipment, products and the mandate for their work. You will also need to find cover for sick days and holidays, which may or may not be an issue depending on your industry.
If you have areas of your office with deep-cleaning needs then you may need to hire a third party to carry these out. Services like carpet cleaning and electrostatic deep cleaning for Covid-19 may not be available from a sole trader, as they require specialist training.
A commercial cleaning company
Using a commercial cleaning company is a much better option if you have several locations or more complex cleaning needs. Enterprises like this take all of the staff management and training off your hands, plus they also come with the latest technology in equipment and products. Their service range is often extensive too, giving you the options you need to tailor your cleaning company services to your specific needs.
2. What is your budget for a cleaning company?
Budget is often a big consideration and one that has to be managed with care. It might often feel less expensive to hire a sole trader, but you do need to consider factors like equipment and product purchase, as well as third-party services on top of their hourly rate.
A commercial cleaning company on the other hand is likely to quote a fixed monthly fee for your tailored service, just as we do. As they retain all of the purchasing costs, insurance and staff management so there are no hidden fees.
3. What standard of cleaning are you after?
The standard of cleaning you require will depend on whether your space needs regular everyday cleaning, deep-cleaning, or even specialist cleaning.
It will further depend on the safety commitment you need to uphold concerning your staff, clients or visitors daily, determined by the type of business you operate. Let us say for example you operate a shopping centre, your cleaning needs will be different to those of a dentist hygienist.
Knowing whether you have government, industry or service standards in cleaning will help you establish what type of cleaning company qualifications you will need to look for.
4. Which areas on the premises need cleaning daily and others weekly?
Depending on your business needs your cleaning company will require an understanding of which areas on your premises need cleaning daily, or weekly. This will enable them to help you facilitate the correct services every week and manage your requirements in their detail.
5. What sustainable credentials do you need the cleaning company to offer you?
As the world is looking to become carbon-neutral by 2050, the UK Government is also asking businesses to explore and implement carbon emission reductions. Whilst there are many practical ways you can employ these measures in your business, the guidance does not include the ideology that you could also bring sustainable measures to your sourcing approach.
Those who supply and interact with your business and their sustainable credentials and practices can help you manage your reduction further. Your choice of cleaning company can have a huge effect on your locale reductions too. We recommend that you choose a company like Eco Drift, which can provide you with security in their credentials, choice of products and operating equipment.
Whilst this list of questions is by no means exhaustive, it does give you a good idea of how to tackle finding a cleaning company that can provide you with services tailored to your needs in a timely, reliable manner.