Cleaning Inspection Hot Spots

A reader writes: “Are there some areas of a building/area more important than others when I conduct inspections?”

In my experience, the short answer is “yes”. Those who say that all areas of a building or area should be treated the same are not taking into account “Mickey’s 80/20 Rule” which states that we should identify the 20 percent of a building/area that receives the majority of the traffic, wear and tear. Once those areas (think front entrance, rest rooms, break room, public areas, etc.) are identified, the cleaner should focus 80 percent of his/her efforts there while allocating less time and energy on those areas that do not catch the same level of use. Some call this “performance-based cleaning” since the rule of thumb is to inspect and clean to maintain to a certain level with more resources focused on high use/high profile areas. If it has not been used then go on to the next area.

Are there exceptions? Yes and no. Yes, the exceptions are when there are different levels of service due to a VIP area such as the CEO or other high-profile area that requires a higher level of cleaning to maintain appearance, image, sanitation, etc. Dusting, polishing, grooming those areas have to be performed daily (or as often as the area is serviced) and does not fit into the “inspect/clean as needed” mode. No, is that once those executive level areas are put aside, most buildings/areas will fall under the 80/20 Rule and performance-based cleaning.

Some hot spots to consider are:

1. outside front entrance including ash trays,
2. front entrance door glass,
3. door tracks,
4. entrance matting both inside and outside,
5. lobby area either carpet or hard floor,
6. hallway leading off lobby,
7. rest rooms,
8. break/public areas,
9. open stairwells and any other areas that fit under the 80/20 Rule due to high usage.

Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. 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.