Introduction

It used to be said that all someone needed to start a cleaning business was a mop, a bucket and a vacuum. But, those days are long gone.

Today’s marketplace requires a highly sophisticated, well-equipped building service contractor. Indoor air quality and sustainability are tremendously important issues to the cleaning industry, for example. Contractors also face issues such as illegal subcontracting, shrinking budgets and increasing customer demands. Products, too, are becoming more sophisticated — they’re now designed to clean faster, more efficiently and with less operator fatigue and injuries. These days, microfiber cloths clean without chemicals; autoscrubbers run on their own; and restroom patrons aren’t required to press a knob or push a lever to dispense soap or toweling.

Unfortunately, many building service contractors don’t have critical information at their fingertips. In order to stay competitive in today’s cutthroat marketplace, BSCs need to be savvy when it comes to product developments and applications.

With Contracting Profits’ Cleaning Professional’s Field Guide, you’ll find the answers you need — hopefully, when you need them. Each article provides a concise explanation of the products and procedures designed to improve your cleaning operations, as well as your business.