Navigating The Summer Heat Wave

Being in the commercial janitorial business here in Tucson for 44 years, we have experienced our fair share of hot summers. With that being said, this summer’s heat wave has been the hottest on record, with a record heat wave sweeping across the country. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be very serious and can sneak up on anyone. We take the heat very seriously and express this to all of our employees. We encourage them to hydrate and not to spend long periods outdoors.

During the monsoon season we have seen various damage that has occurred at buildings. Whether it's a tree that has fallen against a building, major roof leaks, window leaks, interior building flooding, power outages and more.

Our employees are trained to carefully navigate these situations, find safety if needed, take pictures and immediately communicate this with our Managers/Supervisors as well as contacting the appropriate contacts at the building as soon as possible. As well as us acting swiftly to the best of our ability helping in any way during these emergencies. Making sure our frontline employees are safe during these unexpected situations is paramount. Effectively and quickly communicating to the building contact any situations we encounter is crucial, especially if an emergency concerning the building.

Communicating With Your Janitorial Company Should Be Easy

We hope everyone had a great and safe Independence Day!

Over the years we have heard countless stories of how difficult it may be for the office manager, property manager, facilities manager and even the business or building owner to communicate issues, concerns, changes in service needs, etc… to their janitorial company. If a concern is brought to the attention to the janitorial company, there may be a long response time, they acknowledge the area(s) they have been neglecting and promise to correct it but don’t, are not flexible in changing the service needs and more.

Here at Desert Cleaning we do not operate that way by any means. If you call or email us, we immediately contact you back whether it’s by phone call, email or text message, we will respond as quickly as possible. If an issue or concern is raised and brought to our attention, we will correct that promptly.

We make it a necessity to take care of all of our accounts and ensure that they are satisfied with our work, our people and our company as a whole. If there are any changes in service that are requested we can work with you on those. Yes, we can be flexible! Again, ensuring that you are being taken care of is our goal.

What Is The #1 Complaint Nationwide?

Since the majority of the accounts we service are after hours, we understand that we are their eyes and ears when onsite. We encourage everyone in our company to express clear and consistent communication, whether it's internally in our company or with the account. If we happen to encounter a situation at a building (a roof leak for example) we will notify our point of contact for that building as soon as possible. As well as take pictures or videos and send it to them, and offer in any way to assist.

One of the most common overlooked areas in a building is dusting, it’s the #1 complaint nationwide in our industry. One of the areas that gets overlooked is dusting in the restrooms, particularly the tops of the stalls/partitions as well as dusting the vents. With people using the restrooms all day long, the paper dust from toilet paper, and hand towels mainly is constantly in the air and overtime settles on horizontal surfaces or gets pulled towards the vents. There have been articles saying what first or lasting impressions people have on your business and the two main areas people heavily judge are your lobby and your restrooms. If you can’t keep these areas clean, organized and presentable how is the rest of your company operating?

Lastly, we don’t move papers on the desk or on top of file cabinets when dusting unless we are given the green light to do so. We dust around, behind, and under certain items on a typical desk and if you have specific procedures to follow let us know. When in doubt don’t move it is our motto.

Do Dispensers And Proportioners Really Make A Difference?

Dispensers and proportioners do really play a significant role in the overall cleanliness, safety and health of any commercial office building. Considering factors such as ease of use, compatibility, durability, and cost, technology, and supplier support are all things facility managers can evaluate and choose the best option.

Dispensers and proportioners are precision instruments designed to accurately measure and dispense cleaning chemicals, sanitizers and other janitorial products. There are three reasons why they are important:

• Cost Efficiency - properly calibrated dispensers and proportioners ensure the right amount of product is used. Which reduces waste and in the end saves money

• Sustainability - by controlling the product usage, dispensers and proportioners do contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing chemical waste and unnecessary packaging

• Consistency - proportioners do ensure consistent product dilution which leads to uniform cleaning results and maintaining the desired cleanliness standards

Also, there are many considerations when selecting dispensers and proportioners: compatibility, durability, ease of use, cost, facility safety, level of traffic, maintenance, and environmental sustainability.

One of the most important factors when considering dispensers and proportioners is the level of traffic in the area where you will be placing them. Areas with a high foot traffic will need high capacity, durable dispensers to withstand frequent use.

On The Hunt For A New Janitorial Service

Searching for a new janitor service can be a daunting task. I want to break it down so it becomes clear and easy for you. You may have received a type of marketing material from several services or seen a few on the internet. After contacting a few services you will probably want one or two to come out and look at your offices to give you a quote.

On the tour of your offices is when you can tell the janitorial service exactly what you are looking for in what services you will need. As well as the key areas for them to focus on while cleaning, the time of day you would like them to perform their services and more. The janitorial service will be taking notes and getting a picture in their head of your offices. It gives both sides a good idea of the services and details needed.

Issuing the same information to the janitorial services giving you bids is very important so you are comparing apples to apples. Forgetting to tell one janitorial company one or more pieces of information that you told another janitorial company will not only skew the information in the bids but it may alter the cost of services as well. After receiving all the bids it is time to review them and choose a new janitorial company to move forward with.

References always have been the top indicator of the janitor service, much like a person looking for a job. Quantity is important as well as quality. One good reference is fine, but 10 good references leaves no doubt. References tell a story and are like a resume, no doubt or question.

A search for a new janitorial service doesn’t have to be daunting. Our 44 year history shows that going with Desert Cleaning janitorial Services, Inc…they are tested, trusted and have proven results.

So Many Options For Vacuums

In the past few years there have been drastic improvements in technology and engineering when it comes to commercial vacuums. I’ve written about this in the past, but it’s important to touch on again since at this moment in time we are seeing firsthand the improvements that are being made in the vacuum industry.

There are many different options to choose from when it comes to vacuums. There are uprights, backpacks and mini vacuums. These also are available in cordless options as well. The upright and backpack vacuums are the most commonly used, they are mainly used to clean offices, medical offices, financial institutions and more. The mini vacuums are great for detailing under desks, and other hard to reach places.

Currently, we are and have been in the process of switching over to cordless vacuums, for both upright and backpack vacuums. This is the main improvement when it comes to vacuums is the switch from being corded to cordless and are battery powered. There are endless benefits to not only the janitor using the vacuum but for the client as well. But with this new technology of having cordless, battery powered vacuums comes with a cost as well as the uncertainties of using battery powered equipment.

While the price tag on most cordless battery powered vacuums is hefty, we are willing to purchase these and add them to our fleet, seeing the benefits outweigh the additional cost to a traditional corded vacuum. The uncertainties of using battery powered equipment, especially when it’s new technology is the battery run time, the weight of the battery and the number of batteries needed to operate a vacuum. All of these are important and can influence whether or not we purchase a certain brand or model of cordless vacuum.

When using a corded vacuum, the biggest safety concern is the cord. The cord is a serious safety concern as it's a trip hazard to not only the janitor operating the vacuum but people nearby who could accidentally trip when walking over it. Another reason why cordless vacuums are ideal to use, you eliminate this safety concern which is beneficial to the janitor, the client and people inside the building you are servicing.

Service, Service, Service!

This article is about service after the sale. Once the sale/contract is signed, making sure the services that are outlined and agreed upon in the contract are upheld by the janitorial company. Sadly, not all companies provide the services they agreed upon, shortcutting along the way to try and save money. Here at Desert Cleaning we do not operate that way in the slightest. We go above and beyond the services in our contracts and do whatever we can to ensure that you receive prompt, fast and quality service.

Our bidding team is seasoned and knows that the bid we give we can service without any problem. No bait and switch or up-selling. Our company has been in the janitorial business for 44 years and has an excellent reputation in Tucson. Part of our secret is service after the sale and it shows in our references.

When a janitorial service gives a low bid they have to make money regardless of the service. We have heard story after story of how they skip services and end up doing a three hour job in one hour. Sadly, these janitorial companies forget about the health of everyone using the facilities and the appearance of their client’s business and the daily complaints that come pouring in.

The service after the sale starts with four basic areas to be serviced. What are the four basic areas? Trash, restrooms, floors, and dusting/details. The four basic areas cover the bulk of the office cleaning required at most offices in Tucson. There are the details in each area and items unique to each account.

What companies really want is service after the sale. I have seen it many times no matter what the bid price is, they still want the service after the sale. If a company is organized and has systems in place they can give a fair price and do the work to keep the customer happy.

Tucson Office Cleaning - Reference Letters 

Reference letters are important in any business, especially the janitorial business. Our references are on our homepage at the very top of the page. In addition to the letters we have received we can provide phone numbers to other account references. Our company is here to serve your janitorial needs, let us show you and you’ll be glad you did.

Cleaning's quality assurance system works and the good news is it is built in the price. What it does is assures you get a high level of janitorial services. Our inspection team is seasoned in both cleaning and inspecting. They have a checklist to follow that helps with consistency in the quality assurance system. Call us for a quote!

Gloves are important in the office cleaning services. There are many types available, however, there are two basic types; disposable and reusable. The reusable ones are less likely to rip. Also, when done for the day you wash them off until next time. The disposable gloves are great when finished for the day just throw them out. Gloves come in different thicknesses and sizes.

Dusting

In Tucson, the number one problem in the office cleaning world is dusting. Tucson is a dusty place, a true dust bowl. Office cleaners that start skipping the dusting in an office are creating a real project down the road. It has to be done consistently and there has to be a schedule in place.

A reliable duster used to combat the dusting is either a microfiber or lambswool duster. Originally it was the feather duster. Feather dusters were invented in the 1800’s in a broom factory. Since then, microfiber and lambswool dusters were invented which both outperform the feather duster in many ways. We use lambswool dusters and have seen great results. Dusting is not hard to do yet many services skip it.

A slightly damp microfiber towel is a great way to remove dust in the office. It takes longer to use, so we use it in special situations. Microfiber has many uses. There are microfiber duster gloves and other assorted dusters on the market. The prices are a lot less than the standard duster as well. Dusting is a never ending task.

Our company policy is we do not move papers on the desk or on top of file cabinets when dusting unless we are given the green light. We dust around, behind, and under certain items on a typical desk and if you have specific procedures to follow let us know. When in doubt don’t move it is our slogan and has worked for years.

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at dusting and if you are having problems with your janitorial service please contact us and we will put our experience to work for you and your company. We leave other companies in the dust.

Details Matter: Looking For The 5%

What we have focused on since our beginning in 1980 and continue to today is to focus on the small details when cleaning an account. Details matter and they can add up quickly, if you neglect to bring any details up to speed, overtime they will be more apparent and people will start to notice that this area(s) have been neglected.

What details am I talking about? There are many to list but a few are: (cleaning the coffee stains in the kitchen sink drains, straightening lobby magazines and brochures, pour disinfectant cleaner down any floor drain to prevent any smell, consistently replace urinal screens, replace restroom air fresheners so there is always a consistent smell, straighten trash cans when vacuuming, if there is a building concern like a plumbing problem or a roof leak to report that immediately and so on).

Some of the time details that we may notice might not fall under our concern or service we offer, but if we point this out to the office manager, property manager or business owner they can then decide whether to act on it. If you were to pick two details out each time you service a customer's account and clean/do them it will add up by the end of the week, month and year.

So many other companies only focus on the basic service they offer and not in addition to the small details. While it sounds so easy to do, many companies do not make it a priority to focus on. If their employees are not trained or shown to lookout and clean these detail areas, they have no idea they are missing out on something.

Details roughly make up 5% of the overall tasks/service we provide. While it looks like a small percentage it can separate yourself from competitors drastically. People do tend to notice small details, especially if it is spread out throughout the office building.

Janitorial Basics 101

This week we’ll review some of the basics for janitors to follow that sound simple, but these topics are crucial in ensuring the service we provide is efficient in every way possible.