During this pandemic, facilities that have remained open have been laser focusing their protocols around cleaning…

And disinfecting, as well as doubling (sometimes even tripling) their cleaning efforts.

Of course, add to that, the quality of cleaning has been amped up too. Grocery stores are now using medical facility standards in an attempt to keep patrons safe and healthy. Not to mention the workers who need to be in these stores and public places every single day.

There is a strong likelihood that like food handlers, tattoo artists, hair salons, and other professions, there will now be a certification process put in place for cleaners. Disinfecting and the proper use of equipment after all, is a matter of pubic health now, and not something as simple as an extra box to tick off when deciding what services your cleaners provide. Just like in a hospital, the reason for these deep-cleanings and disinfection service isn’t just for peace of mind… it is to fundamentally stop the spread of microorganisms responsible for infections.

An Ottawa based company named CleanLearning is already working on instituting a national standard for cleaner certification, and though we can’t honestly say this will happen or not, we certainly don’t think it’s a terrible idea.

Direct certification aside, what can you be doing right now to make sure your janitorial company is prepared for business when the world opens up? Glad you asked.

Here is…

Swept’s Top 5 Steps to Getting back to Cleaning (Safely)

Step One: Supplies

Yep, this is a BIG one. Not every cleaner actually works against infectious agents, and not every kind of PPE (personal protective equipment) is going to keep your cleaners safe. So where should you start figuring out which are the right tools for the job? Well for starters, we had expert Dan Dillion, Chairman & Founder of CleanItSupply.com, and Swept Founder Michael Brown sit down for an eye-opening discussion about the journey of using the right supplies. Check out a blog, and replay of the webinar right here.

Of course you want to be sure that the supplies you use are approved and certified to do the job you need them to, so have a glance at the American government’s official list of 375 Certified Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)

You’ll definitely need this list when you get to:

Step 2: Transparency

We don’t think we need to get into too much detail on this one, but it should be obvious to every cleaning company owner that your clients are going to start asking a LOT more questions. They’ll want to know what you use, how you use it, and how safe it is.

Cleaning company owners should all be prepared to explain a lot of our products and processes in great detail. One of the most valuable tools you’ll ever learn to use in the janitorial industry is the art of building trust. Before it was the trust that comes with a healthy rapport, but now it is also the trust of helping to save lives. That’s a BIG step in the trust department!

Number 3: Education

Now we don’t mean certify your cleaners as we mentioned above (although being prepared for the possibility is not a bad idea).

Nope, what we mean is to choose your products and supplier, and then learn as much as you possibly can about use and composition of these products, because you are going to have to teach your cleaners not only to use these procedures products. And also to potentially explain to clients (or even a curious member of the public). Better safe than sorry on this one. The biggest selling feature that will differentiate your cleaning company when the world opens back up…is confidence. Without it, nothing else we have mentioned in this article matters. Of course, having an amazing bidding strategy goes really well with confidence o the road to success. 

Number 4: Protection and Preparation

PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) is going to be all the rage when the world opens its doors again. But if a customer wanders into a store or movie theater, and your cleaners are covered from head to toe like it is 28 days later, you won’t be instilling a lot of confidence in the safety of this public space, in fact, they’ll likely turn right around and run out the door. And obviously this is the opposite of why your clients are hiring you in the first place. So what do you need to establish? Balance. Plain and simple.

Know how your cleaners appear to the public, and if they NEED full-on hazmat suits to clean a property, for all that’s good and well in the world…do it after closing time.

We’ll be doing a webinar on this exact topic very soon, so keep your eyes peeled (Our Facebook or Twitter are great places to keep up to date on all our news and events)

Number 5: Bidding Redux (Revival)

Now that we’ve got preparation out of the way, you better believe Bidding comes next. How to bid effectively is a bit of a messy matter for the janitorial industry (see what we did there), so our decision to use the word Redux (Revival) is not just because it sounds cool. Bidding was often all about simply getting in at a lower price than your competition. Now, we expect some companies will continue to try to function this way, but we can guarantee you this will no longer be the industry standard… not for a good long while anyway.

Of course, your clients won’t have an infinite budget, but when faced with the decision of disinfecting their spaces, or having no customers, we suspect they’ll happily extend that budget to include disinfecting services and deep-cleaning. This is just how the world will have to function for the time being. How do we know? Quite simple, ask yourself this question:

If your local movie theater opened tomorrow, would you go to a movie? Even if they promised they were super clean? Of course, you wouldn’t. WE wouldn’t either. Because of you, just like us, just like EVERYONE, will proceed back into the world very cautiously when the time comes. And knowing this as a cleaning company gives you a bidding advantage. 

Want more specific bidding post-COVID knowledge? We’ve got a whole blog post and webinar on the topic for you right here!

Of course, we know this is just scratching the surface of the know-how you’ll have to equip yourself within the coming months, but we hope this will push your learning in all the right directions. 

Stay safe out there. 

Your friends at Swept.

It is a time where it may be difficult to separate fact from fiction, but we all need to be dedicated, diligent, and believe that things will be changing in a positive direction soon.

In reaction to the global issue, the expected levels of sanitation have been raised across the board for years to come. The best move is to put long-term plans into place to make these practices your “new normal”. Again, the Swept team will be here throughout this journey to support you. We have your back!

Swept is dedicated to highlighting stories that keep everyone in the janitorial industry as up to date on world events and in-the-know as possible. Having started as a commercial cleaning company ourselves, our hearts go well beyond the janitorial software we offer. Learn more about Swept’s cleaning company software here. And to keep up on all the trends in the janitorial services industry, subscribe to our blog!