At 360clean, one of the most commonly asked questions we hear is, “What does a janitorial service do?” In short, janitorial companies provide cleaning services to certain commercial settings, such as office buildings, schools, and medical facilities. Read on to learn more about what you can expect when you hire a janitorial service. Or, if you’re ready to find the perfect service for your business, contact us today for a free quote.
What Does a Janitorial Service Do?
When hiring a janitorial service, it’s important to understand what they provide. While janitorial services are a type of commercial cleaning service, they serve a more general purpose. Below is a more detailed explanation of what a janitorial service does.
Restrooms
One of the main duties of a janitorial service is to clean and sanitize all a facility’s restrooms consistently. At least once a week, if not more, the janitorial service will be responsible for a full, deep clean of all restrooms. This deep cleaning will include:
- Emptying the waste baskets and replacing the liners. If the waste baskets themselves are dirty, they will be disinfected weekly. Even if they don’t appear to be dirty, the waste baskets should be disinfected at least monthly.
- Fully cleaning and disinfecting all toilets. They will also thoroughly wipe and disinfect other surfaces in the restrooms, including sinks and faucets, countertops, doors, and door handles. The cloths used on the toilets will not be used on any other surface to prevent cross-contamination.
- Window washing. Restroom cleaning includes wiping down mirrors and ensuring there are no streaks or watermarks on them.
- Mopping the floors with sanitizing products. Mopping doesn’t only keep your restroom looking its best, it’s essential in reducing germs. Many people don’t realize that germs on the floor accumulate and build up quickly—particularly during hot weather and flu seasons.
Ideally, restrooms should be cleaned like this at least once per week, depending on the size of the facility and how frequently they are used. Restrooms that are used by the public–for example in a waiting room at an office–may need more regular cleaning, as would restrooms at bigger facilities.
Common Staff Areas
In any facility, there are common areas that staff members frequent. This includes kitchens and breakrooms. Both of these rooms are treated the same as restrooms. And since staff members are preparing food and drink in these areas and consuming them there, the janitorial service must handle them with the utmost care. To that end, kitchens should receive a deep cleaning at least once a week. This includes:
- Wiping and disinfecting all surfaces, including tables and chairs employees sit in. The outside of refrigerators, microwaves, coffee pots, and dishwashers should be disinfected this way, too.
- Floors should be vacuumed and sanitized at least once per week on that same schedule if they are hard floors.
- Wastebaskets should be taken out a few times per week. Taking out garbage daily helps reduce unwanted odors and also deters unwanted pests. The trash can should also be disinfected regularly.
- Common items should be replenished frequently, such as paper cups, plates, silverware, and coffee filters.
- Disinfecting the interior of the refrigerators, freezers, and microwaves may be necessary on a less frequent basis; this should be done at least monthly to help keep the area sanitary.
Trash Collection
At least once a week, the janitorial service will collect the trash from all waste bins located at the facility. In some cases, the janitorial service may also handle recycling at the facility, not only collecting it from the appropriate bins but also discarding it properly, as well.
This includes all bins that are located in common areas of the building as well as at individual employees’ desks. Of course, daily trash collection is ideal to avoid unwanted odors and pests. Before hiring a janitorial service, remember to make a list of all the places you expect waste to be removed.
Dusting
Janitorial services also have the responsibility of dusting all surfaces. This keeps the overall facility clean of any dust and debris, which in turn will help maintain a high level of air quality. It’s also possible that a deeper dusting of baseboards could happen on a less frequent basis.
Floors
Cleaning floors is a large part of what janitorial services offer. All types of floors should be vacuumed by the janitorial service weekly, if not more. High-traffic areas may need to be vacuumed daily depending on the type and size of the facility.
From there, the ongoing maintenance and cleaning of the floors will depend on the type of floor in question. Carpets need to be deep cleaned by a shampoo and steamer machine at least twice per year. Sometimes, this is handled by regular janitorial services, though some may need to bring in specialists for this job.
Hard floors such as wood, tile, vinyl, and laminate need slightly different care. In addition to the regular vacuum, hard floors need to be mopped and disinfected with tools and products that won’t harm them. While laminate and vinyl floors are waterproof for the most part, wood and tile need special care.
Either way, your janitorial service should know the products and tools they need to use to keep your hard floors clean. In all cases, it should include a disinfectant product of some sort to maintain a high level of sanitation. Just like carpets, hard floors may need extra maintenance and cleaning from time to time. This could include more detailed cleaning of the grout for tile floors.
Furniture
A commercial facility’s furniture is the duty of the janitorial service to keep clean and tidy. How they do that will depend, again, on the type of furniture in question.
Wood or hard desk surfaces will be wiped down regularly and disinfected as well with products that won’t hard whatever is on top of them. At all times, the janitorial service workers will be instructed not to touch or move what staff members have on their desks or work station. Cleaning and organizing–as well as computer monitors and other technical equipment–are typically the responsibility of your employees. You will find that many janitorial services have a clause that they will not touch any employee’s desk to cover themselves for theft accusations.
Janitors also wipe and disinfect other high-touch points around the facility, such as door knobs, handles, and common area tables. Furniture that is upholstered will require a little more care, including a potential spot cleaning from time to time or a shampooing depending on the need.
Windows
Window cleaning is also in the purview of a janitorial service. Regularly, your janitorial service should be wiping down all window sills and trim work to free them from dust and dirt. They should also be opening all windows that can be opened to wipe down any screens and remove any dust and dirt that gets through the screen and lands on the sill.
In addition, they should be wiping and disinfecting the glass on the windows, too. Most janitorial services will only handle the interior of the windows of a facility. Some may also handle the exterior of the windows, depending on the size and layout of the building. Taller office buildings in cities, for example, may require the services of specialty window cleaning companies.
The timing of window cleaning depends on the type of business and location of the windows. In a normal commercial office setting, this may happen once a week. In a retail store, however, windows are extremely important to draw in shoppers. Therefore, much more frequent cleaning of windows is usually necessary.
When to Hire a Janitorial Service
Many people often wonder when it is necessary to hire a janitorial service. The answer largely depends upon what cleaning policies your company has in place. Many times, there are everyday tasks that can be easily taken care of by staff. However, certain tasks–such as cleaning restrooms and disinfecting floors—are better left to the professionals.
If your business needs to be kept clean and tidy on a daily and/or weekly basis, a janitorial service may help ease your mind knowing that the tasks will be regularly taken care of versus depending on your staff who may have very different roles at your company.
If you run a unique business–such as a medical facility or manufacturing plant–or if you need more specific cleaning services–such as grout cleaning–remember to look for janitorial service providers who have experience in that field.
Hire a Janitorial Service You Can Trust
So, what does a janitorial service do? We hope this guide has answered all your questions! Cleanliness and sanitation are essential to any successful business. It all starts with creating a welcoming, clean, and safe environment for all your employees, visitors, and customers, and a trusted janitorial service can handle that for you.
If you’re ready to find the perfect service for your business, contact us today for a free quote!