How Commercial Cleaning can Help

Natural disasters and other mishaps, such as hurricanes or fires, can happen at any time. There may be flooding, broken glass, dirt, watermarks, debris and other issues. Fortunately, commercial cleaning experts are trained in proper cleanup techniques to get you back on your feet. 

First Things First

It is important that when you hire a commercial cleaning company, that you go over what their emergency cleanup services include and what you can expect from them. Discuss the basics of a plan of attack for particular situations, such as what should be done after a hurricane and the order in which those cleanup services are done. Be sure to have your company’s emergency number on hand, no matter where you are. It’s a good idea to have the number programmed into a cell phone that you have on you all the time, just in case.

Storm and Natural Disaster cleanup

From hurricanes to tornadoes, or even just a strong storm, natural disasters come in many forms. And because of that, you can expect a wide variety of damage, like wind and flood water damage. A commercial cleaning service will remove debris, extract water, remove water marks, dry out the carpets, shampoo your carpets and even do upholstery cleaning. In addition, there will also be a process of disinfecting surfaces to remove any contaminants left behind by the storm (think sewage water mixing with flood water). The process of drying out your building will also stop mold, mildew and bacteria from growing that can affect the health of your workers and customers. 

Flood Cleanup

Sometimes it doesn’t take a torrential storm or a hurricane to flood your business. A burst water main, backed up sewage or a broken dam can also cause damage to your building. The cleanup is much the same as it would be after a strong natural disaster that caused water damage to your building. Special steps are taken to dry out and disinfect surfaces as well as removing water marks, shampooing your carpets and doing upholstery cleaning. 

Fire Cleanup

Fire damage is devastating but thankfully, it does not always spread past a certain area if caught and contained quickly enough. For areas that do not suffer structural damage, there will still be smoke and water damage that will require cleanup. Surfaces will be scrubbed clean, water extracted and any water marks removed. 

Work with Contractors

After a disaster or emergency, your business will need more than just cleanup services, requiring the need for contractors to perform repair services. Professional commercial cleaning services have extensive experience working with contractors. They will work to clean up from a disaster and help clean during and after construction with their construction cleanup services. So if your building happens to need some construction done after a disaster, you know your cleanup team is ready to help from start to finish. 

A Company You Can TrustAK Building Services provides fast and friendly emergency clean up services. In many cases, such as will water main breaks or small fires, you can expect same day emergency cleanup services. For the bigger issues such as storm damage, we work with you until you are back up and running. We offer water extraction, removing carpet stains, sanitizing surfaces and even provide window cleaning. Just let us know what your needs are and we’ll help you as fast as we can.

Specialized and Unique Medical Cleaning Needs that are Now More Important than Ever

Keeping your urgent care facility clean has never been more important. The very nature of your business means that your clinic is seeing heavy foot traffic, and sick patients makes cleaning even more complex. Now more than ever, your center will require a consistent approach to maintain a healthy environment for your employees and your patients. 

Why Urgent Care Facility Cleaning Needs Differ from Other Medical Settings

Because of the high volume of ill patients that you see, urgent care cleaning protocols differ from other medical settings. The faced paced nature of urgent care facilities makes them appealing to patients suffering from the cold or flu, meaning your clinic could be at risk of spreading infections. And now with many urgent care facilities offering testing for COVID-19, that risk is all the more acute. 

Frequency of Cleaning

Consistent and thorough cleaning is key to limiting the spread of germs brought in by sick patients. This cleaning should happen on a daily, weekly or quarterly basis. For example, door handles, the check-in counter and medical equipment should be cleaned throughout the day, sometimes between each patient. Other tasks such as cleaning supply closet shelves can be handled on a quarterly basis. 

Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company

Every urgent care clinic is different and the amount of patients you see, and even the type of patients, should dictate your cleaning schedule. Be sure to find a cleaning company that listens to your exact requirements and needs. The commercial cleaning company should create a customized cleaning program specifically for your facility. This cleaning company should also be prepared for and available for emergency cleanups in a medical setting. 

Things to Consider When Creating a Custom Cleaning Program

Here are a few things you consider when figuring out your clinic’s specific needs when it comes to creating a cleaning program or schedule.

• Patient Traffic: understand how many patients you see and what types of issues they are coming in for.
• Hot Spots: Make a list of all the high-touch spots in your facility, such as doors and the  check-in counter, that will require disinfecting throughout the day.
• Medical Setting: When looking for a commercial cleaning company to hire, make sure that you choose a company that is trained in medical cleaning, including being certified in bloodborne pathogen safety. 
• Floors: Even your floor cleaning will need the appropriate disinfectant solution.
• Bathrooms: Make note if your bathrooms will require more than one cleaning a day.
• Who is Cleaning: Discuss with your cleaning company if terminal cleanings will be handled by clinic staff or the janitorial provider. After deciding who does what and when, be sure that your clinic staff is properly trained to clean surfaces to ensure a healthy clinic. 
• Emergencies: Discuss how the cleaning company will handle emergency clean-ups.
• COVID-19: If your clinic is testing for the Coronavirus or you suspect that you might see patients sick with the virus, make note of this. Your clinic will require increased cleaning between patients and good communication between you and your commercial cleaning company. Discuss at length with your commercial cleaning company how to handle your cleaning needs. 
• Other Needs: Consider other cleaning needs your clinic may need, such as partition glass and window cleaning or carpet cleaning, and whether the cleaning company you are considering can handle these services as well.

A Leader in Medical Cleaning Services

We understand that medical facilities, and in particular urgent care clinics, require unique and rigorous cleaning. At AK Building Services, we use the most advanced, scientifically validated cleaning methods and equipment to ensure that your facility is sanitized and clean. We tailor your cleaning services to your needs and can handle everything from window washing to cleaning patient exam rooms and even have a prepared response to COVID-19. We are ProBloodBorne and Hazcom certified as well as HIPPA and OSHA compliant. 
If you are ready to discuss your urgent care clinic’s cleaning needs, contact us today!

And What You Should Pay Attention To 

As you begin to prepare your universities and schools to open back up for the fall semester, and think about the upcoming cold and flu season, one thing you should add to your list is how you plan to keep your buildings properly clean for teachers, staff and students. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how important it is to keep places of mass gathering healthy for everyone. And one of the best ways to do just that is to hire a commercial cleaning service. So why does commercial cleaning matter for higher education? We’ve laid out the top reasons you should choose commercial cleaning, and what you should pay attention to.

Cost Efficient

Because commercial cleaning services have already invested in the necessary equipment and products, choosing commercial cleaning can be more cost efficient for your schools. Not only does it help keep more money in your budget for other things, but it also takes the stress off of you. By hiring a commercial cleaning service, you don’t have to worry about maintaining equipment or emergency maintenance on or replacement of that equipment. 

Customized Services

Any great commercial cleaning company will customize your services for you. Not all campuses are alike and your needs will be different, depending on how large your campus is and what your different buildings are used for. Here are some of the maintenance options that AK Building Services offers for schools and universities:

• Daily dusting and cleaning.
• Trash removal in classrooms, offices, common areas, cafeterias and break rooms.
• Kitchen and cafeteria cleaning, including but not limited to: lunch tables, polishing sinks and faucets, mopping, disinfecting countertops and cleaning appliances. 
• Restroom janitorial services including cleaning and sanitizing
• Daily, weekly or monthly window cleaning.
• Medical cleaning of your on-campus health center and medical classrooms. We use the most advanced and scientifically validated cleaning methods and equipment to sanitize these facilities and our employees are routinely trained to ensure they are using the most up-to-date cleaning methods. 

Sanitization and Emergency Cleaning Services

Sanitization is very important as a preventative measure. Commercial cleaning services will ensure that surfaces are properly and routinely sanitized with the right products. The best services will also constantly train their employees in the latest cleaning and sanitization methods to ensure that your campus is ready for the cold and flu season or whatever else may come your way. 

Green Cleaning

Green cleaning not only creates a safe and healthy campus, but it is also environmentally friendly and eliminates harmful chemicals in cleaners that can leave behind an unpleasant smell. This means that your campus will have an improved indoor air-quality and that even students, teachers and staff with skin sensitivities or asthma will be able to safely and comfortably work and learn in your buildings. 

Key Things to Pay Attention To

Here are some key things that you should make sure are in your school’s cleaning plan:

• Focus on High-Touch Surfaces: There are surfaces that get touched a lot, such as door handles, computers, desks, bathrooms and light switches. Your cleaning plan should include rigorous cleaning and sanitization of these hot spots to ensure that germs are not being spread around.
• Air Quality: Clean indoor air reduces allergies and illness and ensures that students and staff are able to do their best work every day.
• Emergency Services: Be sure to speak with your commercial cleaning services about how they handle emergency clean-ups, such as spills or clogged toilets. 
• Change in Seasons: Also talk to your commercial cleaning service about cleaning during different seasons. During snowy or rainy seasons, you will need to clean floors more frequently.

Conclusion

Keeping your school or university campus clean and safe for everyone should be of a top priority. By keeping your buildings properly cleaned and sanitized, you can reduce illness and ensure that everyone is working and learning to the best of their ability. 
AK Building Services has the experience to clean your school or university. We offer customized cleaning plans, including top notch medical facility cleaning. We are also LEED certified and are committed to using environmentally friendly products and practices that make your school or campus safe and healthy for everyone. Contact us today to set up an appointment or get your free quote.

Change is inevitable, even in the workplace. So how can you prepare your business with commercial cleaning to be ready for those changes? PIVOT!

Remember that time Ross on Friends bought a couch? When Rachel got Chandler to help get the sofa up the stairs to the apartment they managed to get around the first turn, albeit with some issues, but when they reached the second more difficult turn, Ross yelled, “Pivot!” at them over and over. In the end the sofa didn’t make it up the stairs. (See Video Here)

But what can we learn from this hilarious situation? That you need to be prepared ahead of time to pivot! It’s about taking a proactive approach to prepare for any possible changes. If you are just reacting to the curveballs life throws at you, you’ll be behind the curve, or in this analogy, behind the turn!

A lot of different things will affect the cleanliness of your workplace and a bit of planning can go a long way to maintaining a clean space. Here are a few situations you will want to plan ahead for and some ideas on how to be proactive.

Cold & Flu Season

Each year we deal with thousands of people across the country coming down with a cold or worse, the flu and it is important that you prepare for people to be bringing these germs into your office or business. Fortunately there are several ways that you can prepare to pivot for these germy situations. 

First, you will want to have the proper cleaning supplies on hand. Not all cleaning solutions can kill cold and flu germs so have a supply of disinfecting and sanitizing cleaners on hand and ready to go for cold and flu season. Ensure that these cleaning supplies are routinely and properly used, especially in hot spot areas. Lobbies, bathroom touchpoints, doorknobs and countertops are all examples of these hot spot areas where germs are more likely to collect. 

Some other helpful factors to keep the spread of germs lower during this time is to encourage good hygiene among employees. Regular hand washing is very important to keeping down the spread of germs. Also, regularly sanitize shared office supplies and equipment and keep disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer handy around the office. And don’t forget to encourage employees who are sick to stay home so they don’t share germs at the office. 

Construction and Remodeling Projects

Remodeling, repairs and construction projects can complicate the cleanliness of your workplace. With these projects, you can often expect all kinds of debris like drywall dust, wood shavings, spills and dirt. And of course the bigger the project, the bigger the mess. Many times you may know about these projects ahead of time, but you never know when an emergency repair may strike. 

To successfully keep your place of business clean during these times, you will want to notify your cleaning company of any construction projects ahead of time. They will be able to work with you to help mitigate the impact these projects will have on the cleanliness of your office, including paying special attention to HVAC systems, computer rooms and more. Cleaning for this type of situation generally comes in phases  during and after the project is done. Once construction or repairs are complete, your cleaning company will provide you with a specialized post-construction cleaning surface. This is because dust can continue to settle on surfaces days after the project is done.  

Weather & Times of Higher Foot Traffic

Like cold and flu season, there are other predictable times of the year when you can expect changes to impact the cleanliness of your business. These include seasons of rain or snow and higher traffic times, such as during the holiday shopping season. During these times, more debris and muck can be tracked indoors. 

You can proactively pivot for these situations by planning on increasing your floor cleaning activities during these times. And don’t forget to schedule a professional carpet cleaning well in advance to keep your floors in tip top shape. You may also want to consider increasing the frequency of your cleaning services, for example, by adding a day of extra cleaning. To keep hard surfaces from becoming dirty and slick, consider adding extra door mats as well as cleaning the floors more often. 

By planning ahead for changes, keeping your office clean will be easier. Having a professional cleaning service will help you even more greatly, especially if you are in regular contact with them.

We often think of spring cleaning for our homes, but it’s also a great time to deep clean your office too. Clutter in the office not only looks unsightly, but it can also affect your efficiency as well. Deep cleaning your space and organizing it can help reduce the spread of illness and workplace injuries, but it can also make you feel refreshed and ready to have a productive day. Below are some of our tips to deep clean your office for a spring refresh.

File It

If your “to file” box is overflowing, it’s past time to get that stuff filed! If you don’t already have a system, get yourself a few baskets and label them “to read,” “to do,” and “to file.” This will help declutter and manage your paperwork as it moves through the stages of work on your desk. Sometimes your files need a label refresh or perhaps you have files with no labels–now is the time to get that stuff done!
Once you have gone through decluttering your physical filing system, digitally declutter your computer. Trash or archive old emails or files. If you need to create folders and subfolders to store your files in, now is the time to make those to help you get better organized. Declutter your desktop by only keeping your most used shortcuts and icons there. Less used programs and files can be pinned to a quick access folder. 

Go Digital

To eliminate physical files and the space they occupy, consider going paperless. Besides freeing up physical space in your office, it can also help your business save money in the long run and be more environmentally friendly. If you’ve been thinking about going paperless, consider doing it during your spring deep clean. 

Eliminate Junk Drawers

Every home and office has that dreaded junk drawer or cabinet where all those miscellaneous items end up getting stored. While these drawers hide the mess, they also can create stress when they are opened, even wasting your time while searching for things. Clean up these areas by throwing out or recycling junk and then using dividers or bins to organize the remaining items. To keep your junk drawer or cabinet from turning into a junk area again, set a 6 week reminder on your calendar to go through to reorganize and clean it again if needed. 

Eliminate Visual Clutter

Shared workspaces and public areas should have minimal visual clutter. Items needed on a regular basis should be kept out at arm’s reach. If it is a less used item, store it in a nearby cabinet or drawer. If the item is no longer used, consider donating or recycling it.
Keep your personal space free of visual clutter as well. Often, a computer monitor, paper pad, pen and phone are the only items needed consistently. Add a personal item or two and then store the rest to reduce visual clutter. 

Call in the Professionals

Once you have eliminated clutter and organized your own office equipment and tools, it’s time to call in the professionals, like AK Building Services, for a deep cleaning of all your surfaces. If you already use professional cleaning services, consider scheduling a deeper cleaning once in the spring to really refresh your carpets and other surfaces. By keeping these areas clean, you will help reduce the spread of illnesses that can lead to decreased worker productivity as well as increased sick days. If you don’t already use professional cleaning services, there’s no better time to start. Give us a call today to see what services we offer or to schedule your spring deep cleaning!

You only have one chance to make a good first impression with potential customers and clients, and that means putting your best foot forward. Having a clean and sanitary environment is crucial to making a great first impression. And because of that, it’s important to hire a cleaning company that you know can get the job done right the first time. 

 

But just how do you know which company to hire? It can be especially hard when you have never hired a commercial cleaning company before–all those different products and services they offer can make the choice overwhelming.

 

We’re breaking it down for you by taking a look at some of the essential qualities you should look for in a cleaning company.

 

Experience and Training

It’s key to look for a company with plenty of experience but also one that is committed to continued employee training. This ensures that all employees are up to date on the latest cleaning techniques and safety protocols. In turn, this strengthens accountability and ensures that your facility is cleaned to the highest of standards and increases safety. 

 

Types of Services Offered

You want to find a balance, ensuring that you don’t end up hiring a company with too many or too little services. Each company’s environment is unique so it’s important to find a cleaning company that offers the services that your facility needs. Once size does not fit all so look for a cleaning company that offers customizable cleaning plans. If you are a medical facility, it is important to hire a cleaning service that knows how to clean and sterilize your work environment properly. 

 

Supplies and Equipment

When you hire a cleaning company, you should expect that they are using the highest quality cleaning products and the best equipment. If your work facility requires special disinfection or sanitization procedures, be sure to ask the cleaning company if that is something they can handle. Also, consider looking into environmentally friendly cleaning services.

 

Flexibility

It’s not always appropriate to have cleaning crews during work hours and a cleaning company should be considerate of your business’ needs. Look for a cleaning service that can work around your company’s hours. And if an emergency suddenly arises, such as an overflowing toilet, you will want a company that has the flexibility to send out a team for emergency clean-ups. 

 

Communication and Accountability

Nothing works well without great communication so look for a company that is committed to building a lasting relationship with their clients. You should be able to make requests or discuss any concerns you may have with the cleaning company; and these should be addressed in a timely and courteous manner. Look for a company that provides you with a direct primary contact as well as a contact for after-hour emergencies.

 

Safety Standards

Safety should be a top priority for you and the cleaning company that you hire. Look for a cleaning service that follows the latest safety and industry standards set forth by organizations such as the CDC, OSHA, EPA and HIPAA.  Of course, look for a company that is fully licensed, bonded and insured. Also, just like any business, the cleaning company should also have established protocols to keep your company’s confidential information protected and private.

Whether you are in the process of evaluating your current cleaning service or searching for a cleaning company for the first time, these tips will help you find a cleaning company that can get the job done right for your unique work environment. 

 

AK Building Services has been making southern Florida businesses shine for over 25 years. We offer office, medical, and condominium cleaning as well as emergency and specialty services. Not only that, but our LEED certified team is committed to using environmentally friendly products and practices that will ensure a safe and healthy working environment or living space.