Cleaning And The Global Enviroment

When you are buying your office cleaning supplies do you think about the global environment?

You should…  after all your choice of office cleaning supplies can help the environment or damage it if you pick up the wrong office cleaning supplier. One of the latest reports suggests the biggest damage to our environment is not from the big 4 X 4 cars parked outside the office but the “extra soft quilted” and multi-ply toilet papers being used (Mainly in American offices and homes but becoming more common here in the UK as well!).

The issue is not about the three or four seconds the toilet paper is being used for cleaning and then thrown away but the fact that these luxury papers can only be made from “virgin wood” not from recycled paper which would be more friendly to the environment we live in.

I bet you did not know that the fibres made from pure new wood are longer and consequently easier to lay out in straight lines so they can be fluffed up to generate the softer tissue which Americans are screaming out for in response to very heavy advertising by the toilet cleaning manufacturers.

Toilet paper production is also highlighted as a source of major environmental damage because of the the chemicals used to manufacture the pulp and of course the need to cut down large forests.

The American Natural Resources Defence Council Allen Hershkowitz, (a senior scientist) points out that 98% of the toilets rolls sold in North America comes from virgin forests whereas in Europe and Latin America around 40% of the toilet paper is made up of recycled products a major saving for the the environment and global warming.

Kimberly-Clark one of the largest suppliers of toilet paper have forecast that quilted papers (made by pumping air between layers of paper) and papers which incorporate hand lotion (designed to coat the bottom during the 3 second wipe) are the fastest growing brands in the US market.  The New York Times reported a 40% rise in sales of luxury brands of toilet paper in 2008. Not surprising as Kimberly-Clark alone spent 25million dollars in the third quarter of last year solely on on promoting these luxury toilet brands. (Who says the credit crunch is biting the hands that wipe and clean up the profits?)

The Forestry Campaigner for Greenpeace USA Lindsay Allen says he believes that,  “We have this myth in the US that recycled paper is just so low quality, it’s like cardboard and is impossible to use.” The fact is that some recycled toilet papers are harder but looking around it is easy to find the right compromise.  A toilet paper that cleans without scratching but environmentally sound.

We at Clean Care Scotland try to encourage the use of toilet papers made largely of recycled paper when agreeing contracts but also shy away from the cheapest brands which are known to be harder and not so gentle on the skin. It is a case of being balanced in our approach after all most of our customers buy their own cleaning supplies and simply leave us to replace them in the holders.

 Mail this post

Do we save money by cleaning in house?

With the recession or credit crunch or any name you want to give to the current economic issues we all face today I have come across a number of people who tell me they are cutting back on business costs.

I know some office building managers have started to think about doing their own office cleaning in Aberdeen in house and drawing up a business proposal for approval by the board. But what are the consequences of doing this? Is it really cost saving in practice?

Firstly you will need to start buying a number of different cleaning chemicals and some equipment on a fairly regular basis and hope you don’t run out if people are using too much. Who is going to take responsibility for going out to buy more cleaning products when levels run low or are all used up? This is a cost implication for time spent and time not doing their normal job! All professional cleaning service in Aberdeen will have their own preferred cleaning chemicals which their staff will have trained in using. This means they will have access to all associated safety data sheets etc from their usual chemical supplier.

You may decide to employ an extra person to do the cleaning thus doing away with some of the savings but if you are considering using your existing staff you need to calculate into the process the lost opportunities for staff doing their “normal job”. Will that suffer if they are asked to do these extras and at what cost to your business?

The job may even need doing twice if the person is not shown exactly the right way to do the task. You also need to consider whether using an existing staff member is the best use of their time. They definitely will not be using the expertise that caused you to initially select them at the interview or spent time since developing their new skills for the job. How much did it cost you to train that person in real terms not just the cost of the training programme?

In addition the potential for damage to your office interiors increases as the person does not understand the use of some materials and the surfaces being cleaned. I recall going into one office complex and seeing that the cleaner (also employed as a book-keeper) had squirted some strong bleach on a floor and it had burnt the floor almost beyond economic repair. Are you aware of the dangers of mixing cleaning chemicals (even household strength cleaning products)? Did you know mixing some domestic toilet cleaners together can give off the poisonous Chlorine gas?

• Have you all the skills in house to develop all the health and safety guidance in-house? Or will you to pay to outsource it?
• Who would do the required risk assessment for each and every cleaning task being performed? Not Necessary… just wait and see what the Health and Safety Inspector has to say after an accident on your premises!
• Can you be certain that you have the required COSSH safety data sheets for every single cleaning product your staff purchase? Your local supermarket or corner store will not be able to supply these legal documents and you will need them on site in case of an safety incident.

If the choice was down to me as an office manager I would be asking myself the following questions

• “Are the extra costs of employing professional office cleaning cheaper than the risk of staff not focusing on my business and losing more money?”
• ” What are the currently unbudgeted costs I will need to add on to cover for time spent cleaning the office twice, additional costs for repairs due to mistakes, increased insurance premiums and cost of compensation for breaches of health and safety including accidents to staff? “

Those issues are dealt with best by hiring a professional cleaning company just as you consult a lawyer, an accountant or any other specialist worker for the business.

 Mail this post

How Using Professional Cleaning Services Can Profit Your Business

I love reading what other people are saying about office cleaning services even when they are talking about services in other countries such as the one below which operates in Australia when we live and work as office cleaners in Aberdeen.

I found many of the points below apply to office cleaning in Scotland as well so I thought I would reprint it below for your benefit. It is not copyright theft I have the owners full permission to use the article so think about what they are saying and whether it applies to you as well.

Article starts here

How Using Professional Cleaning Services Can Profit Your Business

If you or several of your co-workers have been handling the cleaning of your office, chances are that you?re wasting valuable time and resources that could be better spent in service of your business. No one wants to have to clean up their own office, especially after a long day on the job! But if you think that your business can?t afford to outsource to a professional cleaning service, think again: affordable office cleaning businesses have significantly grown in the past few years, which is good news for you ? it no longer costs an arm and a leg to hire quality cleaning professionals!

Need more convincing as to why you should outsource your office cleaning to a professional service? Here are just a few reasons that will make you pick up your phone and call your local cleaning company

There’s no need to hire another worker. When you have your staff keeping their own offices clean, you’re effectively undermining your business, as the time spent on housekeeping can significantly cut into the average workday. But let’s say that you’re a small business owner who is afraid of the costs of adding another staff member exclusively devoted to office cleaning. And why shouldn’t you be? These days, it’s more expensive than ever to hire quality workers, as you not only have to pay another salary; there’s health insurance, sick leave, and other benefits to be provided for! No wonder more businesses are downsizing, as the cost of maintaining employees has been skyrocketing, with no end in sight.

When it comes to a professional cleaning company, you only need to pay the contracted fees – and that’s it! There’s no insurance to pay, no salary, and no benefits; you’re just paying for affordable cleaning services. In fact, it makes more sense to outsource to a professional cleaning service, as you can protect the valuable time and resources of your employees as well as avoid investing more money in hiring another staff member. This is a rule that any savvy business owner knows: if your return is greater than your investment, take the opportunity!

You can protect employee morale. Let’s say you still want to avoid hiring a cleaning service, and have your own employees cleaning up their own offices. While you may think that it’s a smart way to save a few bucks, you’re really wasting the talents and resources of your staff – as well as running the risk of fostering potential grudges in the workplace. It doesn’t take a whole lot of common sense to realize that if your employees are unhappy – and if they’re cleaning their own offices, they probably are – your business is going to suffer.

When you leave your office cleaning on the shoulders of your employees, you’re also raising their stress levels, as the increased unwanted responsibilities will take its toll on office morale – and we all know that raised stress levels lead to more overall sick leave. Let’s face it – you took the time to hire quality employees who offer your company diverse talents and skills, not because of their ability to clean their desks. Hire a professional cleaning service, and you’ll see an increase in your employees’ overall health and happiness.

Protect your own time. As a business owner, it’s often your responsibility to follow-up with employees to clean up around the office – or it’s up to you to do it! If you started your small business without the expectations of having to clean your office, keep it that way. Your time and resources are perhaps the most valuable assets of all to your business, and shouldn’t be sacrificed in order to maintain a clean workplace. Hire cleaning professionals who will be able to offer you flexible pricing options and will perform a far greater cleaning job than you or your employees could ever do.

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to convince a savvy business owner of the benefits of outsourcing to a professional cleaning service. Save yourself the unneeded aggravation of having to clean your own office by contacting a local professional – and watch how quickly the morale and productivity of your office improves!

End of article

Did you ever read about the Hawthorne experiment done several decades ago in the Hawthorne General Electric plant? I studied it as part of my Institute of Industrial Management (later becoming part of the BIM – now the Chartered Management Institute) qualification and completed way back in 1978. (Feels like before the beginning of time now)

Essentially staff were being consulted about what the right lighting conditions for their factory and each time the morale of the workers grew because they felt better and managers were asking their advice. It was the start of the modern consultative management techniques many of us use now.

The surprising thing was almost every time staff were “consulted” their production rates increased even if the lighting levels had not actually changed staff thought that managers cared so they worked harder. At a time of recession and belts being tightened in many areas maybe we should be asking staff what they think about their current cleaning service.

We do have a sample survey sheet which we could send you and help you carry out the survey as well if you wish. We would like to quote for your cleaning service contract as well obviously but we can send the survey sheets on their own with no obligation.

 Mail this post