Edinburgh Restaurant Cleaning And The United Kingdom
Did you know Clean Care Scotland have a role in keeping one of the most famous places involved in the Union of Scotland and England?
Yes we know Clean Care Scotland is not yet one of the best known commercial cleaning companies in Scotland or even in Edinburgh (our national capital) but we do have the job of cleaning this special room seven days a week.
That’s right! We clean the place where the Act of Union between England and Scotland was signed back in 1707. Well that’s what one of the most famous guide books to Scotland says. According to history books the signing of the Union between the two countries was so unpopular that the people who were supposed to sign the document had to flee the parliament building or risk losing their lives at the hand of protesters. (Over 300 years later in many areas of the country it is still an unpopular Act of Parliament.)
It is said they actually signed the official Act of Parliament in the safe environment of the cellar of the building opposite where they could not be found easily. Other historical experts disagree about the location of the actual signing and I must admit I am no historical guru capable of making the decision on that matter. But this guide book to Edinburgh and Scotland was published two hundred years ago so I can’t even go back and ask the author anymore to clarify it.
The building has no official plague outside so you won’t recognise it but anyone visiting the old Parliament building in Edinburgh only has to walk across the road to the Bella Italia restaurant and ask to be taken to the Ladies toilets to see the plaque on the wall.
Whilst you are there just note how clean and smart Clean Care Scotland Cleaning Staff can keep this famous room. If at the time of your visit they are not quite perfect please be aware that we clean the toilets thoroughly at the beginning of each day and there could be marks on the mirrors etc left by diners who have enjoyed a very good lunch.
It will seem almost sacrilegious to some people to see the room used in this way but I suppose there will also be others who are still so opposed to the Act of Union they will be pleased to see it being used for this noble purpose and supporting ladies in this way.
Whether this set of toilets are the actual signing room or not you can sure that any area where Clean Care Scotland are responsible for keeping clean are done thoroughly. In fact we know that all our cleaning jobs are being maintained in as thorough a clean state as possible at all times. Whether in a historic stately home or the ladies toilet in the basement we keep it it clean.
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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.
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Toilet Cleaning and Staff Morale
One of the most important cleaning jobs in any office or workplace environment is the toilet area. Lets face it we know that the toilets are so prone to germs and sickness which can spread around your workplace fast if not dealt with fast. These communal areas need to thoroughly cleaned and maintained on a very regular basis.
Let me ask you a simple question if you came in one morning and found that 50-60% of your staff were suddenly off sick with stomach related illnesses what impact would it have on how your business operates that week. if you are running a store, a restaurant or club which is open to the general public then it could be disastrous.
This is where a professional cleaning company becomes more important than ever. Properly trained Clean Care Scotland staff will be working to not only to have your toilets, sinks and floors looking sparkling clean but will have them sanitised for you at the same time. Germs can still hide and breed in areas that look clean! That’s why our cleaners will do both aspects each day.
When I first took over the job of area manager with Clean Care Scotland I visited a fashion store that was just transferring to us. They employed 40 part-time staff each week all sharing two small toilet areas. The previous cleaning company had been cleaning only once a week and it was obvious that no-one else was doing it in between. I spoke with the store managers and rescheduled the toilet cleaning to be done 6 days a week. Within a few weeks my cleaner was getting compliments on how she had boosted the morale of the sales staff as they were not grumbling about working conditions as much.
I must admit I had not considered this area before but it stands to reason if staff feel their areas are not seen as important then they feel they are not seen as important either. It was another win win situation with staff morale going up sales increased. So by tackling little things we boosted the shop profitability. Maybe I should have asked for our cleaning contract price to be linked to shop profitability?
Seriously through when looking at cleaning the toilet areas in your workplace remember it is not just fighting infection and reducing the risk of sickness leading to staff absence increases but looking at how staff feel valued within the workplace.
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