Commercial cleaning – Buying guide

No matter where you work: offices, factories, buildings, warehouses, hospitals, construction sites or hotels, commercial cleaning is essential for the proper functioning of a company. For the well-being of your employees as well as your visitors or customers, the cleanliness of the premises must be regularly carried out by a specialized service provider. How to choose it?

What are the different services of a commercial cleaning company?

A distinction must be made between traditional cleaning activities and specialized services.

Cleaning activities of conventional premises

They concern sectors of activity and places such as offices, warehouses, supermarkets, hotels...

The cleaning operations carried out on the premises are:

• Ventilation of the facility
• Suction, cleaning, dust removal, polishing and drying of floors
• Dusting of furniture, woodwork and shelving
• Degreasing, washing and polishing of glass surfaces
• Maintenance of green spaces
• Maintenance and management of garbage facilities
• Car park maintenance
• Rehabilitation of facades
• Disinfection of surfaces in contact with hands

Specialized cleaning services

They apply to:

• building sites
• hospitals
• disaster area
• and to certain branches of industry, agri-food or electronics

The operations carried out follow a strict protocol, using specific equipment. Among these complementary actions of commercial cleaning, we find:

• The application of emulsions to waterproof the floors so as to avoid the incrustation of bacteria and viruses.
• A high temperature cleaning of sheets and fabrics to eliminate the risk of nosocomial diseases.
• The application of fungicides and bactericides on glass surfaces and carpets or on areas in contact with hands.
• The removal of rubble.
• The ventilation of the facility to remove smoke residues and other toxic fumes and microbes from the air.

How to choose your commercial cleaning company?

Choosing the right partner is based on a series of elements to compare:

• The company's experience in your field of activity: customer references, number of years of existence...
• The size of its workforce
• The equipment in its possession
• The standards and protocols it follows
• The quality labels from which it benefits

On the other hand, it is important to define your needs.

• The surface of the facility to be cleaned
• The frequency with which you want the cleaning to be carried out
• The use of special cleaning techniques
• The hourly volume that seems to suit your budget

How much does it cost to clean the premises?

It all depends on the nature of the areas to be cleaned and the level of specialisation of the cleaning agents.

Is it financially more attractive to employ someone in-house or to use a specialised service provider?

The hourly cost of a professional varies between £15 and £40 depending on the complexity of the cleaning. The professional is trained in the various cleaning techniques and the supply of equipment is part of the contract.

Internally, the purchase of equipment can be expensive if you need specific cleaning services.  In the Building sector, for example, a ride-on scrubber-dryer can reach over £20,000.