Month: December 2023

Every building has a standard, whether anyone wrote it down or not. In many buildings, that standard is simply whatever the cleaning crew did last night. Clean and healthy facilities work differently. They start with a clear standard, then build the program to meet it every day.

So here is what that standard should cover, and how to make sure your building meets it consistently.

What Clean and Healthy Facilities Have in Common

Clean and healthy facilities are not just spotless on inspection day. Instead, they share a few habits that hold up on every shift.

  • A written scope. Every area has defined tasks and frequencies.
  • Attention to high touch surfaces. Door handles, elevator buttons, railings and restroom fixtures get regular cleaning and disinfection.
  • Healthy products and methods. Certified green products, measured dilution and well maintained equipment.
  • Daytime coverage where it is needed. Busy lobbies and restrooms get attention during the day, not just at night.
  • Inspections and follow through. Problems are found, documented and fixed.

Why the Standard Matters to Your People

After all, the building is where your tenants, residents, staff and visitors spend their day. As a result, the condition of shared spaces shapes how they feel about being there.

In practice, a clean restroom and a fresh lobby tell people that someone cares. On the other hand, a missed trash can or a sticky counter sends the opposite message, even if everything else is fine. In short, consistency is what builds trust.

Setting the Standard for Clean and Healthy Facilities

If your building does not have a written standard yet, start here.

  1. Walk the building as a visitor would. Note what people see first, touch most and complain about most.
  2. Define clean for each area. Write down the tasks and how often each one happens.
  3. Match coverage to traffic. High use areas may need a day porter or matron, not just nightly service.
  4. Plan the periodic work. Floor care, carpet cleaning and window cleaning keep the building from slowly wearing down.
  5. Decide how you will check the work. Agree on inspections, reporting and response times up front.

Keeping Clean and Healthy Facilities Consistent

Of course, writing the standard is the easy part. Meeting it every day, however, is harder. For this reason, the best programs build quality control into the routine rather than waiting for complaints.

Equally important, you should not have to chase your vendor to keep the standard. The right partner inspects their own work, documents what they find and fixes it before you ask. To learn more, see our overview of quality control in cleaning services.

How WOW! Helps You Set the Standard

WOW! Facility Services was founded in 2005 and partners with property and facility managers across our service area. Every program starts with a facility assessment of your building. Then we turn the findings into a customized scope of work built around your standard.

Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections, so you can see the work without walking the building yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a cleaning standard include?
At a minimum, it should include defined tasks and frequencies for each area, coverage matched to traffic, a plan for periodic work, and an agreed way to check the results.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

See Where Your Building Stands

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.

Walk into a cluttered, grimy office and you feel it before you can explain it. Walk into a clean, orderly one and you feel that too. The link between cleanliness and mindset is something most people sense, even if they never think about it.

That matters, especially for facility and property managers. The condition of a building shapes how the people inside it feel, focus and work. Here is what that means in practice, and how to make cleanliness work for your people.

Clutter Competes for Attention

To begin with, our brains have to filter what we see. Research by Princeton psychology professor Sabine Kastner, described in Princeton Alumni Weekly, found that objects in our field of view compete for attention. In other words, the more visual clutter around us, the harder the brain works to filter it out, which can tire us over time.

Of course, you cannot control every desk in your building. However, you can control the shared spaces. Clean lobbies, clear hallways and tidy common areas take one source of distraction off the table.

Cleanliness and Mindset in the Workplace

The connection between cleanliness and mindset shows up in everyday ways.

  • Focus. Fewer distractions in shared spaces make it easier to settle into work.
  • Calm. A messy restroom or kitchen is a small stress that repeats all day. By contrast, a clean one is simply not something people have to think about.
  • Pride. People feel better bringing clients and guests into a space that looks cared for.
  • Respect. A well kept building tells tenants and staff that someone values their time there.

Note, however, that these are everyday observations, not a promise of specific results. Still, most managers know the opposite is true. Complaints about a dirty building rarely stay about the dirt.

Where to Focus First

Therefore, if you want cleanliness to support a better mindset, start with the spaces people share.

  1. Entrances and lobbies. They set the tone for the whole day.
  2. Restrooms. Stocked, fresh and checked during the day, not just at night.
  3. Kitchens and break rooms. Counters, sinks and appliances wiped down and trash emptied.
  4. Conference and common rooms. Reset after use so the next group starts fresh.

For a closer look at what occupants notice, see our article on clean spaces psychology.

Why Consistency Matters for Cleanliness and Mindset

In fact, one great cleaning does not change how people feel about a building. Instead, consistency does. When the restroom is clean every afternoon and the lobby looks the same every morning, people stop worrying about it.

Ultimately, that consistency depends on a clear scope, the right coverage and someone checking the work. Above all, it should not depend on you chasing your vendor.

How WOW! Supports Cleanliness and Mindset

Every WOW! Facility Services program starts with a facility assessment. We look at how your people use the building, where traffic peaks and where complaints come from. Then we build a customized scope of work around those findings, including daytime support where it helps.

Once service begins, account managers complete quality control inspections against that scope. Meanwhile, our integrated operational platform technology documents inspections, deficiencies and corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a clean building really affect how people feel?
Research on attention suggests that visual clutter competes for focus. Beyond that, most managers see the difference in fewer complaints and better comments from tenants and staff.

Do I have to switch vendors after a facility assessment?
No. WOW! offers facility assessments at no cost and with no obligation. In fact, you can use one simply to benchmark your current program.

Which areas does WOW! serve?
WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including Westchester County, Fairfield County, Rockland County and New York City.

Give Your People a Better Building

WOW! Facility Services has its headquarters in White Plains and serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Book a facility assessment at no cost and with no obligation, or call 1-866-780-9966. Want a quick benchmark first? Then grade your current service with the Facility Assessment Scorecard.