Kitchen, restrooms, entryways, hard floors, and spills or accidents are five of the biggest cleaning challenges businesses face every day.
Five Major Cleaning Challenges Businesses Must Address
Restrooms, kitchens, hard floors, entryways, and spills, in general, represent five of the most common cleaning challenges faced by schools and businesses every day–each requiring specialized attention and carrying unique consequences if they are not well maintained.
- Dirty restrooms can cost you business.
- Filthy kitchens can get your business shut down, and;
- Spills or poorly maintained hard floors and entryways are health and safety hazards.
The promptness and professional manner in which these challenges are met daily can be the difference between a successful enterprise, and a for sale sign on your front door.
Restrooms
Research has shown that dirty restrooms repel paying customers, often sending them to online review sites and social media to complain, costing your business new and repeat customers.
Surveys have also demonstrated that bad smells originating from trash cans, stalls, urinals, cleaning products, air fresheners, or elsewhere lower occupant views of management, and the organization as a whole, leaving the customer with the impression that nobody who works there must care about them or their business.
According to Restaurant Hospitality
The 2016 Healthy Hand Washing Survey by the restroom fixture manufacturer Bradley Corp. revealed some not-so-secret behaviors found in public bathrooms.
The results also point to ways restaurants can meet guests’ expectations about restroom facilities.
A key takeaway from the survey is that patrons think poorly of businesses with dirty restrooms.
Most Americans say that a messy restroom signifies poor management and shows the business doesn’t care about its appearance or its customers.
Kitchens
Kitchens are another area where bad smells that irritate and drive away customers can originate.
These smells can originate from dirty trashcans, built up grease, or leftover food smells that have yet to be cleaned away.
Poorly cleaned kitchens will also attract pests and rodents who can potentially carry a host of diseases that can contaminate food or infect workers and diners.
Depending on the nature of your business, these things can also potentially lead to a hefty fine and closure.
Take, for instance, a recent occurrence at a Red Lobster in Polk County Florida.
ABC News reports that;
On April 18, the state closed the Red Lobster […] after finding over 50 live roaches crawling in the dry food storage in the kitchen and near a cold unit.
Inspectors also saw a build up of soil/debris on kitchen equipment including the ware-washing machine, in the dry food storage area and near the bar area.
Dirty Dining: Red Lobster shut down by inspectors for over 50 live roaches crawling near food
Spills, Hard Floors, and Entryways
Hard floors are meant to eliminate many of the issues associated with carpet care while presenting a showroom style shine and professional presentation that wows customers.
Unfortunately, they also represent significant slip and fall hazards and can be a costly nightmare to service if not properly protected and maintained.
Slip and fall accidents–widely considered the most preventable workplace injuries–along a building’s entryway, in kitchens, or bathrooms are extremely common and can lead to expensive litigation and lawsuits.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute;
Compensation & medical costs associated with employee slip/fall accidents is approximately $70 billion annually.
Total injuries due to falls estimated at $13-14 million per year in U.S. Falls are the number one cause of accidental injury, resulting in 20.8 percent of all emergency room visits in 1995, [and;]
Disabling (temporary and permanent) occupational injuries due to falls are approximately $250,000-$300,000 per year.
Cleaning Tips
Bathrooms are resplendent with germs and bacteria of every kind.
Nobody wants to pick up someone else’s illness, and nobody appreciates an organization that can’t take the time to make certain their guests’ and employees’ health is not a priority.
To see that their needs are properly met:
- Hire a professional staff and train them to monitor resource use and make certain that paper and soap product dispensers are not only full but that they operate according to specification.
- Clean and sanitize the spaces in accordance with occupancy and use, not just a rigid schedule.
- Empty and clean trash cans regularly.
- Use cleaning products that don’t pollute the air and water or waste vital resources, and let your customers and employees know that you do because your business cares about their health and the environment.
- Address spills or other liquid on the floor immediately.
- Place walkway mats at strategic locations to ensure occupant safety and to protect your organization’s investment in hard flooring, as well as improve and personalize the appearance of your entryway.
- Employ advanced vacuum floor scrubbers to improve cleaning efficacy while simplifying task completion.
References & Resources
Takeaway
Not surprisingly, some of the most common cleaning challenges faced by businesses are the most heavily used and customer-facing areas in any facility.
Customers and employees alike demand safer, healthier places to work, eat, meet, and do business, but maintaining these spaces in accordance with the realities of budgetary concerns can be difficult to manage in-house, especially with all of the necessary specialized equipment, training, and other staffing costs.
Fortunately, outsourcing many or all of your facilities’ cleaning needs is a cost-effective alternative that significantly reduces labor expenses and liability.
If you would like to learn more about the advantages of outsourcing your organization’s cleaning services to address the common cleaning challenges businesses must face every day–contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 4373253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
