The 4 Main Cleaning Headaches
Cleaning professionals have a duty now post covid to protect the health of the occupants within their buildings. With the long arm of safety and liability walking past allergens, witnessing slip/trip/fall conditions, and using “that is how we used to do it” mantras do not stand up in career success anymore. Getting past this now the norm in the cleaning industry.
The evolution of the cleaning industry has jumped a generation from mop and bucket to robotic cleaners, from hand mixing chemicals to green cold water one stop shop chemicals. All in the desire to support the industry and the staff performing the work. So here is the call to action, normally put at the end of the writing, instead at the beginning so you know where the article is heading. The cleanliness falls on us to tell the story, advocate for funds, and require our organizations to step up and provide for better conditions.
Typical look of a winter rug, although it shouldn’t be.
I walked by an entryway the other day that was salt laden for over half the walking path. The industry standard is 13 feet of walk off mat which prevents slips, trips, and falls, is nullified if the mat is half covered in old salt residue. Besides the safety issue there is also the visual issues of less maintained facilities. An area where cleaning professionals can shine is the entry points to a building.
There are 4 specific areas that can relay to staff and customers that the organization cares:
Entryways
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Garbages
Main Cleaning Industry Headache
I once heard an eye-opening statistic that revealed a significant 80% of complaints originate from the above-mentioned areas. If you're receiving complaints, I’m willing to bet that it likely stems from one of these specific areas. In my personal experience, I can confidently attest that this number is indeed accurate. The moment I prioritized and focused on addressing these key aspects, my main complainers were effectively silenced, leading to a much more positive environment.
But is it as easy as this? Just 4 things?
No, not really.
Within each one listed there are a number of steps and product choices to get the job done. Your organization will ultimately share their concerns and budget. Our responsibility as cleaners and facilitiy personnel is to advocate for the right situation to happen. Speaking the right language is critical with who you might sell, yes I said sell, your plan to get this done.
Luckily the cleaning industry has evolved from being a low paying dead end job to being a career. There are some fantastic organizations out there that support the growth of employees and managers, along with awesome resources.
Cleaning Industry Resources
The best part about the industry is there are so many that have ventured before you and start their career on this path. Some have stayed in the industry and some moved on and remember every stinking time they had to clean. If there ever was a service industry that gets looked down on its the cleaning industry.
Avenues to push for better:
Show your manager the skill you have by demonstrating the before and after pictures. Managers have an easier time selling improvements with pictures. Often times leaders cannot picture what we mean, so it is up to us to to show them.
Make sure to keep track of the hours spent, who did the work, and products used. This will allow you or your management to build the financial case for the improvement.
Make sure there is a case to be made, do a little research, reach out to a specialist in the field and ask them how they would approach the situation and if they have already gone down this road. THat experience can play a huge part in your own growth as an expert in the industry.
Find the credential that works for your organization. Credentials sell authority and validity.
The creator of the Peter Principle - cleaning is moving dirt from one place to the next, lets not over complicate it.
The industry is unique in the ability to be an entry level position while at the same time be a showcase for career attentiveness and managerial quality. Don’t be caught on the dumb end of a mop anymore. Be the new and improved scrubber that organizations want.
