Communicating Cleaning Needs to Facilities Executives

A reader writes:  “I have a 100,000 SF facility that is 24/7.  The challenge is that some areas are only cleaned once per day and others are cleaned twice or three times per day.  Help!”

We will use this article to summarize the process and suggest a way of keeping on track in the future.  By now, there should be clear data on how many SF and how many fixtures are serviced per shift and per day.  The total count will exceed the 100,000 SF that you bid on by a long shot based on the frequency requirements you provided separately.  The key is only performing the tasks as required only and not duplicating efforts.  This may require educating tenants on how often a break room or rest room is serviced so that they do not expect more than the specs dictate.  

15.  We have determined that the bulk of the work is performed on the 2nd shift since some office areas are vacant after 5:00 PM and can be serviced better with low traffic.

16.  We have identified the best use of Blended Cleaning in that the office areas have trash pulled and dusted on 1st shift but vacuuming is conducted by a Vac Specialist on 2nd shift along with thorough rest room cleaning.

17.  Rest rooms are policed on 1st shift and stocked thoroughly by that worker before going off the clock.

18.  All disinfecting and wet work is conducted by 2nd shift worker after 6:00 PM to reduce chance of slip/falls.  Note these rest rooms are serviced only once in a 24 hour cycle.

19.  3rd shift is dedicated to only those areas operating 24/7 with any extra hours allotted to project work including interim carpet cleaning, scrub/recoat, etc.

20.  Weekends are broken into two 12 hour shifts (workers only work 2 days per week) with stripping/recoating, heavy cleaning, scheduled in accordingly.

There is no simple way of work loading a contract of this size and complexity due to the many factors listed in the specifications but it can be done.

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.