The New Year can be a perfect time to start good, new habits. In previous posts (see A Clean Office Is… or Keeping Your Business Clean), the benefits of a clean office have been introduced, from increasing employee productivity and morale to improving customer perceptions. Whether you manage your office cleaning or simply organize your office and leave the more time-consuming tasks to office cleaning services, keeping your office clean can give you a workplace that you can be proud to call the face of your business. By following our tips on how to clean your office, you can make keeping your office clean easy.

Storage of Documents. This task can seem daunting. The key to keeping your office clean from clutter is properly storing your companies many documents. One strategy is to digitalize as many documents as possible. Electronic documents do not take up physical space. The ideal of a paperless office is strong, but a December 8, 2013 Los Angeles Times reports that it is also a slow process. In the meantime, have a system for maintaining physical files and be diligent about always using them. If your office is dependent on paper, then you should have a strong system for properly storing them.

Don’t Eat at Your Desk. Eating at your desk is unhealthy. Not only is your desk not sterile in the same way that an environment for eating should be, but it can also be damaging to your mental and physical health. Psychologist Dr. Janet Scarborough Civitelli claims that you need the change of space that a lunch break affords you is important for your well-being. To keep your mind and desk both clear, be sure to eat your lunch at the designated area.

Keep Desks and Counters Clean. Clutter is the greatest obstacle to keeping your office clean. Make sure that all workspaces, including desks and counters, are kept as clear as possible. You also want to regularly sanitize these spaces. According to Dr. Toby Smithson of the America Dietetic Association, the average desk has over 400 times more bacteria (including E.coli and salmonella) than the average toilet seat. Your desk needs to be disinfected daily. It must be clear of clutter and cleaned of bacteria.

Clean Computers and Electronic. Keeping your electronics clean can improve the life and function of your office. Make sure to dust the outside of all electronic equipment. You also want to have a technician clean the inside of this equipment as well. Computer expert Shawn Knight recommends using a dry cloth to remove any dirt or dust. (Do not use any liquids or vacuum equipment.) Remember, just because you cannot see the dirt does not mean that it does not exist.

Garbage and Recycling Bins. You want to regularly empty all garbage cans and recycling bins. To prevent garbage bins from stinking and keeping your office clean, you should designate specific bins in the office for collecting food and drink containers. Dr. Sondra Ugne claims that food begins to rot almost immediately and can attract gnats and flies as quickly. These containers should be emptied every day. The remaining bins should be emptied when they begin to fill.

Cleaning Common Areas. Keeping your office clean can be most difficult in the common areas. The key to office cleaning the common areas is delegation. A schedule and a system can be the key to making sure that the spaces that are shared are also treated as a shared responsibility. Clearly articulate the rules for keeping this space clean and stay consistent with them.

Put Yourself in the Client’s Shoes. Walk through your office with the eyes of your customers. This can be a task that you give to your employees. You can have employees walk through other departments with the critical eye of an employee. Not only will you better know how to clean your office, it will give your employees a chance to participate in keeping your office clean and interact with other departments.

Hire a Professional Cleaning Company. A busy schedule or large office are no reason for not keeping your office clean. Perhaps the New Year is the time to start with a new business and hiring a professional cleaning company for your office cleaning (for more reasons to hire a professional cleaning company see our blog on Outsourcing). A professional cleaning company could be the key to maintaining a clean and professional workspace.

If you need more information about a professional Commercial Cleaning Company, contact EHC.

Given the high cost of a dirty office, you cannot afford not to keep your office clean. These tips on how to clean your office will surely make your office, and your New Year, a brighter place.

The cold weather brings with it many great opportunities. Winter months are a time for important holiday celebrations. Cold temperatures keep the family in the house struggling to stay entertained. Snow and ice outside often leads to salt, sand, and mud on the inside. But the floors in your home need not pay the cost of the winter season. Whether it is a carpet stain from a New Year’s Eve drop or water spots on the hardwood floor, these suggestions for how to remove carpet stains and how to remove stains from hardwood floors will be sure to have your home as clean as a fresh blanket of snow.

Carpet Stain RemovalThe key to carpet stain removal is to remain calm. Level heads will prevail. If you keep in mind the tricks for how to remove carpet stains, then your carpet can be as good as new in no time. The first step in cleaning up a spot is to decide if the result of a single event (e.g., a spilled drink or pet “accident”) or longer term wear. In the instance that a carpet is showing discoloration across a room, instead of in a single spot, it could be due to inadequate vacuuming and dirt build-up. (Perhaps this could be the time to hire a professional carpet cleaner or commercial cleaning services to improve the quality of your home’s upkeep). If the discoloration is in a single spot, you have no need to worry. If you know how to remove carpet stains, then this little spot will not kill the carpet in your entire home.

Follow these easy steps to make your carpet stain merely a spot in history. According to the carpet experts at This Old House, the first step in carpet stain removal is to remove any excess liquid on the stain. You want to take a dry, clean cloth and blot up the spot. (You can lay the cloth atop the spot and stand on it if you are careful not to shift the cloth.) YOU DO NOT WANT TO SCRUB THE SPOT! This will only spread the stain and could damage the integrity of your carpet. Try to blot the excess liquid up as quickly as possible so that you can minimize the size of the stain and so that the stain does not seep into the carpet pad. The next step to carpet stain removal is to identify the source of the discoloration. The carpet experts at Stainmaster argue that each type of stain should not be treated equally.

Food and Drink Stains

Food and drinks are the most common carpet stains. Knowing how to remove this carpet stain can prevent you from having to cry over spilled milk, soda, or wine. After the excess liquid blotted up, you can apply an easily homemade cleaning agent (1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of water) to the spot. You should use warm water in the solution. Leave on the stain for about 5 minutes so that the detergent can break up the stain. Blot up the liquid with a clean, dry cloth. (Do not use the same cloth that you blotted up the excess liquid so that you are sure you are not contaminating the carpet again.) You can use cold water to rinse up any excess detergent. Be sure that you are blotting and not scrubbing. Once the stain is gone you can use a solution (2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 4 cups of warm water) to protect the carpet. This will make sure that all of the detergent is removed and the carpet is back to perfect. (Any lingering detergent will allow dirt and debris to cling to the carpet and will discolor the carpet.) Rinse with cold water and then blot up the remaining debris. For highly trafficked areas, you can set a glass baking dish on a clean, dry towel while drying to absorb excess water.

Oil and Grease Stains

Oil and grease can make for difficult carpet stain removal if you do not know how to remove carpet stains. You want to begin by blotting up any extra oil or grease with a dry, clean cloth as with any spot. You next want to use a non-flammable, solvent-based cleaner or spot remover (which can be purchased at most grocery or hardware stores). Test out your preferred cleaner on an inconspicuous spot, perhaps under a large piece of furniture to make sure that your chosen cleaner does not damage your particular carpet. (If you are unsure which carpet cleaner to purchase, you can call a commercial cleaning service for a recommendation or look up manufacturing recommendations for your brand of carpet.) You might need to soak, rinse, and blot with this cleaner several times. After you have used the commercial cleaner, you can use the same homemade solutions as described in how to remove carpet stains for food and drinks. (Treat those two steps as steps 3 and 4 for oil and grease stains.) This should have the carpet stain removed without too much stress or difficulty.

Dirt and Mud

This is another common carpet stain. This one is a bit unique from the others. This is the only carpet stain that you can allow to dry a bit so that you can use a vacuum to clean up the debris. Once the large bits are cleaned you can use the pair of cleaning agents described in the how to clean carpet stains for food and drinks section.

Pet Stains

Pet stains can be the trickiest to remove from carpets because they often contain strong odors which can linger. These are the most important stains to get blotted as quickly as possible. If these smells get to the carpet pad under the carpet, then you will likely have to have your carpets professionally shampooed. If you are able to get to the stain quickly, you will likely be able to handle this carpet stain removal. After you have blotted up and removed excess liquid, you will want to vacuum up any debris on the sight. Next, you will want to use the two solutions (detergent solution and white vinegar solution) as they are described in how to remove carpet stains for food and drink. After following these steps, you may need to use a commercial cleaning agent that is specially designed for removing animal wastes on carpets. (These products can be purchased at most grocery, hardware, and pet stores. Ask for a recommendation from a vet or animal expert at the pet store.) Remember, you are not just removing discoloration with this stain, you want to remove the odor as well.

Hardwood Floor Stain RemovalHardwood floor stain removal is quite a bit different than carpet stain removal. In knowing how to remove stains from hardwood floors, you want to fight your initial instincts. You want to dry the hardwood floors with a clean, dry cloth and then wait to follow through on any remaining hardwood floor stain removal. Many hardwood floor stains will disappear if left alone for two days. If the stain persists, then you want to treat the hardwood floor stain depending on the color of the stain.

White Rings

These stains are likely superficial, only in the waxy level of the hardwood floors, and are easy to clean. You can place a clean, dry cloth over the spot and run a hot iron (without steam) over the cloth. You can use a fine steel wool pad and a generous amount of lemon oil scrubbed over the white stain. Or you can use a denatured alcohol agent (available at most hardware stores) and a damp cloth on the stain for a couple of seconds. One of these cleaning methods is likely to work in your hardwood floor stain removal.

Black Rings

These can be a bit more difficult stains to remove from your hardware flooring as these are stains that have soaked into the finish of the floor. Apart from sanding and refinishing this section of your hardwood floors, your best bet for hardwood floor stain removal is to dip a small brush into bleach and rub into the floors. You may need to repeat this action several times before letting this stain dry.

Stains Caused by Other Products

For stains caused by other products, you want to treat the nature of the stain. For hardwood floor stain removal caused by greasy agents, you want to scrub the area with a cloth dipped in cold water with a small amount of ammonia. For hardwood floor stain removal caused by non-greasy agents (such as nail polish or paint), you want to scrub the area with the dish detergent solution described in the how to remove carpet stains for food and drinks section. These solutions (used for the appropriate stain source) should have your floors sparkling like new.

The key to keeping your flooring in pristine condition is to keep it clean and get to any stains as soon as possible. Because the winter months can be such a stressful and busy time for you, this may be the time to consider a commercial cleaning service. Having your floors cleaned can make it easier to spot any dangerous stains, prevent salts and other damaging debris from accumulating, and offer a second pair of eyes in protecting your flooring. You are going to be spending more time inside during the winter months…you just make sure that your house is something that you can enjoy.

If you need professional carpet cleaning services, feel free to contact EHC.

Commercial Cleaning: Keeping your Business Clean

The holidays are a busy time of year. You have end of the year tasks stacking up on top of normal operations. There are taxes to be prepared, budgets to be calculated, and plans for the next year to be considered. For many businesses, the holidays are also linked to increases in sales. (And none of this is intended to ignore the fact that you’re personally busy during the holidays: parties, shopping, and more parties.) Just reading this probably has your heart racing! But in the midst of the stress and chaos (and hopefully joy) of the holidays, it is important to remember to stay on top of the everyday, sometimes mundane, tasks: like business cleaning.

Why it is important for keeping your business clean?

Making cleaning a daily priority is important! (see our November post: A Clean Office is… for additional reasons why cleanliness is so important.) Keeping business cleaning as a high priority is smart business for several reasons:

Dirty business may turn customers away

Your business is your most important calling card. In their research, business analysts Dr. Dennis Gioia and Dr. Kevin Corley have discovered that when it comes to perceptions a clean business can be more important than doing good business. The appearance of your business can make a lasting impression that can impact the way a customer perceives your product or services. For example, if you have a dusty or cluttered lobby, then the customer is likely to perceive your output as lacking an attention to detail. So business cleaning is a necessary task for good business.

Employees will be more productive

A clean office has greater employee output and satisfaction. Dr. Jeffrey Campbell of the Center for Facilities Research has discovered that a cluttered office is linked to employee high levels of stress and frustration with lowered levels of productivity. And business cleaning is more than simple organization. An employee who cannot maneuver the filing system is likely to experience this stress. But so is the employee who notices the lamps are dusty or the baseboards are dirty. Business cleaning can provide a workplace that employees can be proud of, which makes them happy workers with high productivity.

Prolong life of equipment

Clean office equipment, cared for with the proper janitorial supplies, can have lasting benefits that speak to your bottom line: saving you money. The experts at techpro.com have identified that keeping your business cleaning is a necessary part of the regular maintenance of your office machinery, such as computers and copiers. Dust and debris can slow down the operating speed of your equipment, reduce the operating life of your machinery, and even void the normal warranty of your office equipment. All of these can cost you a lot of money. It is important that you stay on top of business cleaning so that your equipment can work hard and long for you.

Safety

We know that we have mentioned it before. We cannot repeat it enough. A clean business is just safer, for you, your employees, and your customers. (For a reminder, please visit our previous post Winter Tips for Your Business and Employees.) And business cleaning could not save your more than in the safety of the people who enter your business. Legal expert Joseph Perkins claims that in America businesses are involved in more than 15 million lawsuits each year, which averages out to one new claim every two seconds. Having a clean business can be your protection from such stressful outcomes.

How to keep your business clean?

Because business cleaning is such a high priority, you should follow these cleaning tips to increase the janitorial services of your office:

Delegate cleaning to employees

You are unlikely to have a single person who can complete all of the janitorial services in your office. You could try splitting the work up across multiple employees. Working together can make keeping the office clean a more reasonable task.

Keep track of cleaning responsibility

As with all delegation, the key to success is accountability. You want to stay organized in your delegation. Keep a list with all business cleaning assignments available for you and all of your employees. The list should include answers to the following questions: What is the task? who is responsible for it? What is the schedule for completion? Remember: not all business cleaning tasks need to be completed daily. Some items may be on a weekly or monthly schedule. By staying organized in your delegation, you can guarantee that all business cleaning will get accomplished.

Keep cleaning supplies handy

In order for business cleaning to be a daily task, the supplies must be in a place that is convenient for employees. If someone notices the restrooms are untidy, but the supplies are inaccessible, then he or she is unlikely to do anything about it. In fact, you can store the supplies (hidden from customers) in a location that could remind employees about their assigned duties and expected obligation to keep the workplace clean. Put it somewhere they are likely to see them. And remember to have the correct janitorial supplies. Ask your employees what supplies they need in order to complete their tasks.

Do daily inspections

Checking on the cleanliness does not need to be as difficult or dramatic as that sounds. You do not need to get certified by the health department to do daily inspections. Instead of taking on the perspective of a drill sergeant or health department representative, walk through your office as if you were an employee or a customer. And ask yourself, “How does our business cleaning impact my perception of this company?”

Hire commercial cleaning company

Hiring a commercial cleaning company is smart business. These cleaning services can save you money by prolonging the life of your machinery, increasing the productivity of your workers, and keeping your customers satisfied. (For more reasons to hire a commercial cleaning company, see our blog post: Commercial Cleaning Services: Benefits of Outsourcing Your Cleaning.) The real reason you should hire a commercial cleaning services to complete your business cleaning…you deserve it. You work hard to provide your employees with a safe and happy work environment. And you guarantee your employees a good product. By this time of the year, you have worked hard and deserve a break. And a good commercial cleaning company can provide just that. Outsourcing your cleaning services can be just what your holiday needs!

There’s no place like (a clean) home!

The holidays are stressful. You have a to-do list that is a mile long: presents to buy, gifts to wrap, shopping to do, and many, many more. You have friends and family to visit. You have office parties to attend. And you are likely to have company over who you want to impress. Amidst all of the work you have to do, you need give your house a deep cleaning. But in the stress and chaos of the holidays, you cannot seem to add any more tasks. But deep cleaning is not about working harder, it is about working smarter.

Because we know you have a lot going on, we want to give you tips for cleaning your home that will make any holiday occasion a smash. Follow these tips on how to deep clean your house through the holiday (or any time) and your home will sparkle.

Pre-Clean: This is the work that can make streamline all other stages of deep cleaning. You can also involve the entire family in this stage of the process.

• Pickup clutter: Make it a game. Time the kids to see how fast the task can be done within each room. It can be a productive time together as a family. And you can charge the kids with maintaining this throughout the holiday. (Maybe offer a little extra holiday money to entice them. Or ask for a clean house as a holiday gift.)
• Get organized and tools needed for deep cleaning: By having the necessary tools for each stage of cleaning ready, you can focus on the task at hand. And can streamline your work by gathering all the supplies at once. You do not want to be tempted by distraction when you walk into the living room to get the vacuum cleaner after you have already started. We all know that distraction comes easily to someone who is cleaning. A pre-cleaning strategy can help minimize that temptation.

Clean High (Anything above your head): You want to start high so that as the dust is settling, it is landing on surfaces that have not been cleaned. Nothing is more frustrating as watching a freshly cleaned surface getting contaminated. But as you are reaching for higher surfaces, remember safety first! Use ladders and ask someone to spot you. It is also a good choice to leave the children out of this stage. It is just not worth the risk. Deep cleaning a house is important. Your (and your family’s) well-being is mandatory.

• Vacuum or dust upper ledges & above cabinets: The cleanliness of your home will be measured by house guests in the kitchen and bathroom. Hygienic and healthy spaces for preparing food are important to people. So if you are inviting them into your home to share food, you want them to confident that the food they are eating is safe. Make your kitchen sparkle from top to bottom by not overlooking the tops of cabinets. Remember: just because it is not in your eye sight, does not mean that it is not in the eye sight of another (taller) house guest.
• Clean ceiling air vents: Do not overlook the value of cleaning air vents. Having clean air circulating through your house begins here. And clean air vents can minimize the dust that settles on surfaces at eye level.
• Dust or wash ceiling fans: Ceiling fans can quickly gather dirt and dust. Make sure to clean the fan blades and the base of the fan. Don’t forget to clean the tops of all the blades. (And while you’re up there…you can change the direction of the fan blades so that instead of blowing cool air, the blades will distribute heat. Most fans have a switch on the base.)
• Dust light fixtures: Proper lighting is necessary for showing off your home’s assets, setting the proper tone, and making spaces inviting and safe for guests. And proper lighting begins and ends with the deep cleaning of all light fixtures. Make sure to clean the base and bulbs of all light sources. If that means taking off bulbs and washing them in soap and water, the payoff is worth it. (No one wants to see last summer’s bug collection through your ceiling lights.)

Mid-Level Cleaning (Eye level): This is the most important level of cleaning because this is what will be most visible to any houseguests. Our cleaning tips will be sure to have them staring in wonder. And because these items are not too high, the family can participate. (Teaching your children how to deep clean your house not only makes your job easier and teaches your child the value of hard work, but it instill the better practices of how to clean a house in your children and can be quality time together to talk about important things going on in their lives.)

• Wash curtains: Begin here so that your curtains can be washing while the dust is flying. You do now want the loose dirt and debris settling on them, so leave them in the dryer until the room is finished. And the extra light from the window will help your eye catch any problem areas in the room. Natural light can be a blessing when it comes to deep cleaning.
• Dust bookcases: Make sure to use the proper cleaning supplies when dusting. A high quality cleaning agent can have healthy oils which can elongate the life of any wood and give your furniture an extra sparkle. And make sure to remove all items from shelves before dusting (instead of just dusting around them). You can simply dust the items as you return them to the shelves. Kids can be great at this task. Just make sure to remind them to start high on the shelves and end low.
• Dust pictures & other wall hangings: You are proud of the pictures and art you have in your home. You spent the time and money to frame and hang all of it. Let your guests see how much these mean to you by making sure to properly clean them. Make sure to clean both the glass and the frame. (This likely will require two different cleaning supplies, but that will not be difficult because you completed pre-cleaning and have both sets with you.)
• Window washing: You are taking the time to clean your curtains. And this provides you the perfect opportunity to clean your windows. The sparkle that clean windows provide is priceless. (Not to mention that dirty windows are always noticeable.)

Mid to Low Level Cleaning (Waist Level): This is the level of cleaning that we often think of when we clean. These are the items that are most used and deserve a great deal of attention and effort.

Dust all remaining flat surfaces: Remember to start high and finish low when considering these surfaces.
Clean & polish furniture: A good polish can make furniture sparkle and increase its life.
Vacuum & spot clean upholstered furniture: You want your furniture to look fresh and inviting. But make sure that you do this with enough time that any furniture will be dry.

• Change linens: Wash all linens. Guests can see (and smell) that this has been done.
• Clean stove & oven: Clean equipment makes cooking easier and foods taste better. This is likely to require some elbow grease.
• Clean & wipe down sinks & counters: You are likely to do this multiple times. It is worth the investment to teach the children the proper way to sanitize these surfaces. Make sure to use anti-bacterial cleaning agents and fresh towels for clean-up. You do not want to contaminate a surface as you are cleaning it.
• Scrub showers/bathtubs: This is likely to require a bit of back-breaking labor. Try using cleaning supplies that can cut down on that labor. (For example, if you have hard water, make sure to buy a product that is designed for hard water.
• Clean toilets: Make sure to clean the inside and outside of the toilet. There are numerous products that can help with the cleaning with each flush. Perhaps the holidays are smart time to invest in one. (You simply drop some of them in the tank.)

Low Level Cleaning (Floor Level): Clean floors are necessary for a sparkling home. Deep cleaning will likely mean doing many of these cleaning tips more than once. (The holidays bring extra welcomed traffic!) These are all tasks that are ideal for participation by children. Sweeping and vacuuming are tasks suitable for all family members.

• Wash area rugs: Begin here. Throw area rugs into the wash immediately after the curtains. This way they are out of the way for the other cleaning.
• Vacuum/sweep floors: Make sure to move as much furniture as possible. And keep the vacuum handy for quick touch-ups. A freshly vacuumed carpet is so inviting.
• Mop floors: Make the floors sparkle so that they reflect all your hard work. Try making the task fun. They make mop-skates so that the task can be more fun.
• Dust baseboards: This simple task will show your attention to detail. Guests may not even be aware that they noticed it. Instead, they will feel overwhelmed with your talents at deep cleaning.
• Sweep front & back porches: You want your guests to feel welcomed into your before they even enter. And you want to minimize the dirt and debris that is tracked in when they do come inside. Clean entryways can do both. And having proper floor rugs (e.g., thick mats to gather snow and water or lighter rugs to collect leaves and dirt) can be ideal in getting the most out of your entryway.

We know that these cleaning tips that teach you how to deep clean your house can be overwhelming. There is a lot to do. If you don’t have time for deep cleaning, hiring a professional maid service company will help keep your home sparkling & clean. You know that your house needs a deep cleaning. And are now aware of how to deep clean your house. But time during the holidays, and all year with your busy schedule, is a scarce resource. And what better way to protect that commodity than by hiring a professional cleaning service. Treat yourself to the gift this holiday season that will keep on giving. Or give someone else the gift of a deep cleaning in his or her house. It is sure to be the gift that will not need a return receipt.

Hopefully these cleaning tips will provide you all the tools you need for deep cleaning your home. These cleaning tips are good for the holidays and all year long. A home with deep cleaning is as valuable in May as it is December. By knowing how to deep clean your home, you can set yourself up for holiday success. And give yourself, and your guests, memories that will last all year.

You have heard jokes (or horror stories) about outsourcing experiences with a phone representative in a foreign land giving jumbled service to an angry customer. And the punch line of these jokes is always the same: outsourcing does not always make sense. But sometimes, outsourcing DOES make sense. Business expert Dr. Lawrence Loh proposes that outsourcing may be the greatest advancement in business practices of the last half century. You can experience the benefits of outsourcing without hiring a company on the other side of the world (or becoming someone’s horror story).

Why Hire a Cleaning Company

You have a lot to worry about with your business: budgets, product/service quality, employee training and resources, customer satisfaction, licensing, liabilities, profits, taxes, etc. (Reading this list might be inducing stress just thinking about everything on your own to do list.) The last thing you want to worry about during your busy day is whether the bathrooms are properly sanitized (even though clean work spaces are important). Perhaps, a janitorial company could be the perfect opportunity for your company to benefit from outsourcing for a number of reasons.

You Don’t Have to Hire Another Employee

You know that managing employees is difficult. A new employee can be a large demand on your budget and to do list. New hires have to be found, (background) checked out, interviewed, oriented, and trained. These new employees can be expensive to pay (especially when you consider the fast-rising cost of benefits for full-time employees). By employing commercial janitorial services, you free yourself from the burden of hiring your own janitorial staff.

You Don’t Have to Staff Valuable Resources to the Task

Your employees have a lot of important work to do. You probably cannot afford to have them distracted from that work for office cleaning. Outsourcing those custodial duties to a cleaning service will not only free up those employees to complete other tasks but they may be grateful that you value their time and talents. Outsourcing allows you to protect your most valuable resources for more vital tasks.

You Can Be Confident the Job is Getting Done Right

You run a business because you are confident that you know how to do the job and provide something unique to your customers. For a commercial janitorial service company, that special service is office cleaning. And the business is making sure that you can rest easy that your office space shines. A cleaning company hires experts in thoroughly and efficiently maintaining your professional space.

You can Focus on Running Your Business

Your business is important to you. Commercial janitorial services let you focus on what is key for that business. By hiring cleaning services, you are no longer distracted by the maintenance of your clean offices. You also do not have to worry about the important impression that your office leaves on customers (see our blog post A Clean Office is… for a description of the importance of your office in impression management). Instead, you can focus on the impression of you, your employees, and your product on those satisfied customers.

For more information about commercial cleaning services or hiring a professional janitorial service company, contact us at EHC for more information.

A Clean Office is…

Cleanliness is an American ideal. For many, it is almost a religion; “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Regardless of your individual preferences for organization, order, or cleaning, the simple truth is that your customers have high expectations for you and your business…and an orderly office is one of them. And office cleaning has multiple strong benefits for you and your business. The following represent just a few of the advantages of cleaning (or hiring a commercial janitorial service) to get that office cleaned.

…a Successful Office

A clean and organized office is a successful one. By employing commercial janitorial or cleaning services, you can make sure that your office is a place where: employees can get work done; customers can confidently trust your products and services; and everyone can be healthier and happier.

…a Productive Environment

Working in a cluttered office can be a difficult task. The adage that a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind cannot be truer to employees and customers. Office cleaning can provide employees with just the work-space that allows them to maximize productivity. And in the winter months, organizing and cleaning can be particularly important. Dr. Pat Bass III claims that clutter and depression can go hand-in-hand, especially as the weather is colder and daylight hours shorter. By providing a clean work environment, you can increase employee focus, morale, and work output.

…Perceived Positively by Customers

Your office makes a lasting impression on your customers. An office that sparkles from commercial cleaning services can have as strong and positive impact on your company’s brand as the great products or services that you offer customers. Business experts Dr. Bernard Booms and Dr. Mary Bitner describe this potential as the servicescape of your business. The idea of servicescape is that your products and services are first valued based on the space in which you create them. So a professionally cleaned office is likely to produce products and services which are perceived as superior to products which are not from as clean of an office. And for servicescape, the details matter. A clean parking lot, through parking lot sweeping, can be as important to a customer as the quality of the actual service or goods being purchased. And sometimes customers cannot even recognize that they have made these servicescape judgments.

…A Safer Place

In earlier blog posts, we explained the ways in which a clean parking lot office can eliminate unnecessary risks in the office. For example, a parking lot cleared of debris through a snow removal business or parking lot sweeping is less likely to have employees and customers slipping while walking or sliding while driving. And as we enter the cold and flu season, commercial cleaning services can eliminate the spread of germs. The thorough and efficient use of commercial janitorial services can minimize the spread of sickness, reduce employee absence, and increase productivity in the difficult winter months. (For a more thorough description of the safety that is guaranteed through office cleaning, see our blog post Winter Tips for Your Business and Employees).

These are just a few of the many benefits that can accompany a truly clean office (particularly when professionally done by a commercial janitorial service). What other benefits have you experienced by working in clean spaces? Tell us by leaving a comment to this post.

For more information about commercial cleaning Services, contact us at EHC.

Keeping your home organized is no easy task, but with a few storage ideas and solutions you can help manage the clutter and cut down on your daily/weekly cleaning time. Here are a few ideas for organizing and containing your everyday items.

Mail and Magazine Storage

Your table and desk can quickly become a dropping zone for mail, newspapers and magazines which in a week’s time, can get out of hand. If you’re overwhelmed with endless piles of clutter, try sorting into these four categories and find storage containers to accommodate: (1) bills and information to file, (2) newspapers, magazines and readables, (3) recycling, (4) shreds.

When designating bins, go bigger. Cute mail-size solutions seem like a great idea at first but in hindsight fill up faster than you’re willing to dispose of or file. Opt for deep containers for newspapers and magazines, shallow but larger than 8.5 x 11 inches for items to be shredded, similar or larger in size for bills and medium size containers for paper recyclables. Place your containers in areas that will make for fast and easy sorting and disposal. There are a number of great solutions that can camouflage the look of your storage to make it feel like a part of the room.

Filing

Organize and label your piles of file items so that you can easily find them. There are a number of solutions but our favorite is the old reliable 10” x 12” filing box. File information like bills, major purchases, tax information/investment records, home business information, medical documents, children’s schooling and information, pay stubs, etc…

Recycling

If you don’t have access to city recycling bins, storage tubs work just as well for separating and recycling. With three bins, sort into paper, plastic and glass.

Bathroom Storage

If you’re lacking drawers and sink space in your bathroom, plastic his and her bins are great for containing hair products and combs, razors and shaving cream, blow dryers and makeup. With all of your morning supplies in a single container you can easily store and transport to different rooms as you get ready.

Food Storage Containers

Despite the handiness of using plastic food containers, they themselves require an organizing category when not in use. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your containers under control. Recycle any containers that are melted, stained or broken. Recycle any that do not have a matching lid and bottom or if you have an excessive number of the same size (you may want to consider using excess containers around the house to store other small items). Sort and stack by size.

Glass containers are a great way of reducing clutter. By switching to glass, it can consciously keep you from accumulating extras in your cupboards. You can easily reheat and wash items without worrying about melting or gases from heated plastic absorbing into your food too.

Under-the-Bed Storage

Invest in “under-bed” storage for each bedroom – you’d be surprised how much stuff you can hide in this convenient space. From Christmas decorations to seasonal clothes, blankets and extras that you don’t use regularly, you’ll be able to store those items in a convenient location without having to haul to and from the attic or in a closet.

Cleaning Supplies

A similar idea to number 4’s bathroom storage, find a caddie or container to hold your cleaning supplies. With a caddie, you can easily grab all of your basic cleaning supplies you need and move from room to room without running back and forth for different supplies. Here’s a list to get your caddie started: Dust rag and spray, Sponges and clothes, all-purpose cleaner, magic eraser sponge, paper towels, scrubber brushes, rubber gloves, disinfecting wipes, old toothbrush, gel toilet cleaner.

Stackable Bins

These are a lifesaver for attic and closet storage. Easily store holiday items, clothes, shoes, etc… in these bins and label. Assorted colors make it easy to color code storage items or work with the colors in your living space.

While these storage tips can go a long way in keeping your house clutter-free, you might still find yourself strapped for time to give your house the deep cleaning it needs and deserves. Contact us to receive a quote on our routine home cleaning services.

Keep Entrances Safe…

By Removing Snow Coverage Regularly

Investing in clean parking lots during the winter months is key to reducing winter injuries. Whether you have workers and resources on hand to clean you parking lots and sidewalks or work with a snow removal business, keep these areas as clean as possible during the heaviest trafficked times for your business and as much as possible in between.

By Placing Floor Mats and Signage in Wet Entrance Ways

During the winter months make sure heavy traffic entrances have mats laid down and are labeled as wet zones to remind those entering the building to watch their steps.

By Asking Employees to Wear Snow-Appropriate Footwear

Avoid twisted ankles, back injuries, slips and falls by asking (and reminding) all employees to wear well-treaded boots and shoes into the building. Regular office shoes and especially heals can be extremely hazardous walking through the parking lot and through the entrance way of the building. Ask employees to bring their shoes and wear safer-footwear to and from work. If you struggle to get your employees on board with this, round up a team of people who will lead by example and encourage others to do so as well.

By Making Salt Available To Everyone

While daily salting may be left to your maintenance staff or snow removal team, you can also leave a container of salt and a scoop inside the entrances so that employees can easily salt on a whim when they see a spot that’s been missed. This simple and convenient effort can help reduce the risk of falls and injuries without having to track someone down each time to take care of it.

Limit the Spread of Seasonal Colds…

By Keeping Bathrooms Filled with Soap and Paper Towels

As cold season begins, restroom visits increase. Keep soap and towels available for cleaning hands so you can minimize the spread of germs through the office.

By Making Tissues and Hand Sanitizer Available Around the Office

Seasonal germs and diseases are often spread through coughing and sneezing. Consider placing tissues and hand sanitizer in areas around the office to keep spreading to a minimum. By having stantions around the office you reduce the risk of spreading through door handles (to get TP from the restrooms) and across office supplies (where employees might have just wiped their hands clean instead of sanitizing).

By Keeping Offices Clean and Sanitized

Having a team on staff or a professional cleaning company come in and wipe down office spaces and equipment regularly can help remove spreading germs and keep your employees healthier. During cold season, make sure keyboards and mice, desktops, drawer handles and doors are disinfected.

By Encouraging Sick Employees to Stay Home

Most businesses can run with little loss when a few people are home sick. Having an entire office sick is another matter. If you can afford to, encourage your employees to stay home when they have a spreadable illness – they’ll heal faster and be more productive than if they work all week (infecting your healthy staff) at half capacity.

If you’re looking to sell your home quickly, invest some time and money back into it before you put it on the market. Below are some ideas to get you started. If you’re hesitant about dropping some dollars on a home you’re selling, consider the long term costs of a sitting property to put it into better perspective.

Paint

Adding a new coat of paint throughout your home is an affordable way to freshen up the look and smell of your home. When repainting, stick with neutrals – making sure to tone down any bright colors or dark walls. Window trim, baseboards, ceilings and crown molding should also be touched up.

Not a painter? No problem. EHC offers commercial and residential painting services to give your home professional coverage. Contact EHC for a quote >

Clean Carpets

Deep cleaning your carpets can do wonders for the look of your home. High traffic areas discolor over time and you may not even notice. Spills will also be an eye soar to any homebuyer. Carpets are expensive and having to replace them in a newly purchased home can be a turnoff. Invest in a good carpet cleaner or replace damaged and heavily worn carpet altogether if you can afford it.

Scrub Inside and Out

When you go to sell your home, clean it like you’ve never cleaned before. Show some additional love to your home by scrubbing down all surfaces (to look as new as possible). Powerwash the exterior of your home, patios, decks and sheds to give your home a clean, ready-for-buying appearance. First impressions are everything you know.

Don’t have the time? We can help. EHC offers maid service, power washing and window cleaning services.

Declutter

You’d be surprised what you can scale down and pack up when getting ready to sell. Decluttering your home will make your home appear more spacious and appealing, and far easier to pick up and move. Here are some areas to start:

The Kitchen

Box up excess amounts of dishes, pots, pans and appliances that aren’t regularly in use or that you can do without for the time being. Commit to using just a couple rounds of dishes and glasses (or whatever looks good in your cabinets) and box the rest. If there are wine glasses or appliances that add to the look of the space display these. What this cuts in functionality also reduces in presentation time (which may happen on the fly).

The Living Room

Pack up books on your shelves leaving a small number for display as appropriate. Same for photos – keep only a few here and there if they add to the space. Pack up DVDs and CDs. Sort through magazines and newspapers and get rid of 95% of them. Remove random items that have found their way into the living room out of convenience.

Closets

Closets hide a lot of items we have nowhere else to store or that we want out of plain site. Quite the opposite will be the case when buyers pass through. Clean up those closets and organize them in a way that would appeal to them (not you). Organize in a way that buyers will be able to gage space.

If you’re planning a quick sell within a couple months’ time, minimize your clothing selection down to the bare essentials. Pack up out-of-season clothes, those that you plan to wear again and haven’t, extra socks, underwear, etc.. The less cluttered the closet, the more spacious it will appear.

Rework the Space

Reorganize the functionality of your home to appeal to buyers. For example, your home office might work great for you in the living room, but may not seem appealing to home buyers. Move your office into a spare room or sectioned off space in the house. Be creative too. Try moving your furniture into different rooms and see how you can better transform a space. If it’s appealing to others it will likely be livable for you (even if it is just temporary).

Decorate with Neutral Pieces

Having a distinct style throughout a home can turn buyers away. Reduce the risk of this by decorating your home with neutral pieces that anyone would enjoy.

Fix the Small Things

Patch any holes or cracks in walls and ceilings.
Finding holes or cracks in your home is a huge red flag to homebuyers. They will quickly question whether the home is well maintained or if it has foundation issues and walk away. Patch them up large and small (unused nail holes are also good to clean up).

Outlet Covers

If your outlet covers are noticeably aged or painted over, update with new ones. At less than 50 cents a piece, you could replace all of your outlets in your home for less than $25 (although, you likely won’t need to).

Replace outdated light fixtures.

Do your rooms have yellow, gold-plated light fixtures or ceiling fans that swing as much as the blades? Replace, replace, replace!

Faucets

Switch out an old, leaky or cheap-looking faucet in your kitchen and bathrooms for newer, nicer versions. This is something that the new homeowners will use every day so a little fix can make a noticeable difference.

Front Door

The front door will be one of the first things homebuyers encounter when walking through your home. Make sure it welcomes a positive impression.

Miscellaneous Fixes

Fix any small or noticeable problems especially near the entrance of the home, and most common areas like the kitchen, bathroom and living room.

Yard Maintenance

No matter the season, keeping a well-maintained yard is important. It’s the first and last thing homeowners will see when visiting the property. Keep lawns mowed and raked, driveways and sidewalks cleared and salted if needed. (Now’s also a great time to pack up that lawn kitsch, if you haven’t done so already.) Trim back any overbearing shrubs and keep toys in the house.

Make the Investment

Investing some time and money to fix up your home is a small price to pay for selling your home quickly. By eliminating noticeable concerns, creating inviting, uncluttered spaces and freshening up what’s already there, you’ll have a much easier time selling your home than if you didn’t.