Month: January 2024

A medical office, a school and an auto dealership all need cleaning. However, they do not need the same cleaning. Each one has its own risks, schedule and standard for what “clean” means. That is why specialized cleaning has become the norm, not a luxury.

So here is what specialized cleaning looks like across different types of facilities, and how to tell whether your vendor is actually tailoring the work to your building.

Why One Size Cleaning Falls Short

To begin with, a generic cleaning package treats every building the same. As a result, it tends to miss what matters most in yours. A healthcare suite may get the same routine as a lobby. Meanwhile, a busy showroom may get cleaned only at night, when nobody sees it.

Specialized cleaning starts from the other direction. First, it asks how the building is used. Then it builds the tasks, frequencies and training around those answers.

What Specialized Cleaning Looks Like by Facility Type

Here is how the priorities shift from one type of facility to another:

  • Healthcare facilities. Infection prevention comes first. That means disinfection of high touch surfaces, clear procedures by area, and crews trained to work around patients and clinical staff. See our article on why healthcare cleaning requires a system.
  • Schools. Heavy traffic, shared surfaces and a fixed calendar. As a result, daytime support and summer floor care matter as much as nightly cleaning.
  • Multifamily residential buildings. Lobbies, hallways, amenity spaces and trash areas shape how residents feel about where they live.
  • Office buildings. Restrooms, kitchens and conference rooms need to stay presentable for tenants and their visitors.
  • Auto dealerships. Showrooms, service lounges and customer restrooms are part of the sales experience.
  • Fitness centers. Shared equipment, locker rooms and moisture call for frequent cleaning and disinfection.
  • Industrial facilities. Safety, dust control and production schedules shape when and how crews can work.

What Makes Specialized Cleaning Work

Specialized cleaning is only as good as the plan behind it. In practice, four things make the difference.

  1. An assessment of the building. Someone needs to see how the space is actually used before writing the scope.
  2. A written scope. Tasks and frequencies should be specific to your building, not copied from another account.
  3. Site specific training. Crews should know your special areas, your rules and your schedule before day one.
  4. Quality control. Regular inspections confirm the work matches the scope, especially in sensitive areas.

Questions to Ask Before You Hire

If you are comparing providers, ask how they would handle your building specifically. For example, which areas would they treat differently, and why? How would they train the crew? Above all, how would you know the work is being done to that standard? Overall, clear answers are a good sign. On the other hand, a ready made package with your address on it is not.

How WOW! Delivers Specialized Cleaning

WOW! Facility Services works with a wide range of industries, from healthcare and education to multifamily residential, office buildings and auto dealerships. For one example, see how we built a program for White Plains Honda.

Every program starts with a facility assessment. Next, we turn the findings into a customized scope of work. 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

What is specialized cleaning?
Specialized cleaning is a program built around how a specific type of facility is used. As a result, its tasks, frequencies and training match the building instead of a standard package.

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.

Find Out What Your Building Needs

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.

After all, employees spend a large part of their week in the same building. The restrooms they use, the kitchens they share and the air they breathe all affect how they feel at work. That is why cleaning is a real part of workplace health and safety, not just a matter of appearance.

Here is how a strong cleaning program supports workplace health and safety, and what facility managers should expect from their provider.

Cleaning and Workplace Health and Safety

First, shared spaces carry shared risks. For example, germs can spread through high touch surfaces such as door handles, faucets, elevator buttons and kitchen counters. Likewise, wet or dirty floors can lead to slips and falls.

Fortunately, a good cleaning program reduces both. Specifically, regular cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces limits the places germs can linger. Meanwhile, clean, dry floors and clear walkways help prevent accidents.

Indoor Environment Matters Too

Similarly, dust, debris and poorly maintained surfaces affect the indoor environment people work in every day. In particular, routine dusting, vacuuming with well maintained equipment and attention to vents and entryways help keep dust and dirt from building up. For more on this topic, see our article on how indoor air quality affects efficiency.

In addition, product choice matters. Certified green products, used at the right dilution, help reduce harsh odors and residue in shared spaces.

The People Side of Workplace Health and Safety

However, health and safety is not only physical. For example, a clean, orderly workplace also tells employees that their employer cares about them. On the other hand, dirty restrooms and overflowing trash send the opposite message. To learn more, read our article on how cleanliness affects the mindset of your people.

What a Workplace Health and Safety Program Includes

Overall, your cleaning program should cover these basics:

  1. High touch surface disinfection. Door handles, switches, faucets and shared equipment cleaned on a set schedule.
  2. Restroom and kitchen care. Cleaned, stocked and checked during the day in busy buildings.
  3. Floor safety. Prompt spill response, wet floor signs and matting at entrances.
  4. Healthy products and methods. Certified products, measured dilution and microfiber tools.
  5. Trained crews. Staff who know the products, safety rules and your building.
  6. Quality control. Inspections and documented corrections that keep the standard consistent.

How WOW! Supports Healthier Workplaces

At WOW! Facility Services, every program starts with a facility assessment. We look at how your people use the building, where traffic peaks and which spaces need daytime support. Then we build a customized scope of work around those findings. Our green cleaning standards are outlined on our sustainability page.

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

Is cleaning really part of workplace health and safety?
Yes. Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces limits where germs can linger. Likewise, clean and dry floors help prevent slips and falls.

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.

Make Your Workplace Healthier

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.

A mop that cleans a restroom floor should never touch a kitchen floor. However, without a clear system, tools travel from one area to another all the time. Color coded cleaning solves that problem with a simple rule: each color belongs to one type of area.

So here is how color coded cleaning works, why it matters and how to set it up in your facility.

What Color Coded Cleaning Is

Simply put, in a color coded cleaning system, cloths, mop heads, buckets and gloves come in different colors. Each color is assigned to a specific type of area. For example, one color might be used only in restrooms, while another is reserved for kitchens and break rooms.

As a result, crews can see at a glance which tools belong where. In other words, the color does the remembering for them.

Why Color Coded Cleaning Matters

First, cross contamination happens when germs move from a dirty area to a clean one. For example, a cloth used on a toilet and then on a break room counter spreads germs. Color coded cleaning reduces that risk by keeping tools in their own zones.

In addition, it makes training easier. New team members, and those who speak different languages, can follow a color system quickly.

How to Set Up Color Coded Cleaning

To begin with, follow these steps to put a color system in place:

  1. Define your zones. Restrooms, kitchens and break rooms, general offices and common areas, and any special areas such as clinics.
  2. Assign one color per zone. Keep the chart simple and use it in every building.
  3. Buy tools to match. Cloths, mop heads, buckets and gloves in each color.
  4. Post a chart. Put the color chart in every janitor’s closet and on every cart.
  5. Store tools separately. Keep each color apart, and launder or replace cloths often.
  6. Train and inspect. Teach the system to every crew member and check it during quality control inspections.

Make Color Coded Cleaning Part of a Bigger System

Still, color coding works best alongside other good habits. For example, clean from cleaner areas to dirtier ones, follow product labels and focus on high touch surfaces. For more, see our guide to cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

How WOW! Prevents Cross Contamination

WOW! Facility Services uses a color coded system as part of its cleaning program. In addition, we build zone based scopes of work and train every team member on site specific procedures, equipment handling and chemical usage.

Every program starts with a facility assessment. Then we build a customized scope of work that defines each zone of your building. 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

Is there one standard color code for cleaning?
Color schemes vary between organizations. What matters most is that your system is clear, consistent across your buildings and followed by every crew.

Does WOW! use color coded cleaning?
Yes. A color coded system is part of the WOW! cleaning program, so our teams keep tools in the right zones.

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.

Protect Every Zone of Your 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.

Facility managers do not need more promises. Instead, they need commercial cleaning solutions that solve the problems they deal with every week. Inconsistent results, slow responses and vendors who need constant follow up all cost time and goodwill.

Here are the most common facility problems, and what effective commercial cleaning solutions look like for each one.

Commercial Cleaning Solutions for Inconsistent Results

One night the building looks great. The next, the restrooms are missed. Usually, the cause is a vague scope and no checks. The solution is a written, building specific scope of work and regular quality control inspections against it.

Problem 2: One Size Fits All Service

A medical office, a corporate office and a school all need different things. However, many vendors offer the same package to everyone. Effective commercial cleaning solutions start with an assessment of how your building is used, and then they build tasks and frequencies around it. For more, see our article on specialized cleaning.

Problem 3: Poor Communication

When you report an issue and nothing happens, trust erodes fast. For this reason, look for a clear point of contact, a simple way to report problems and a record of when each issue was fixed.

Problem 4: Chasing Your Vendor

Many facility managers end up inspecting the work themselves. As a result, cleaning becomes one more thing to manage. The right partner inspects its own work, documents what it finds and fixes problems before you ask.

Problem 5: Managing Too Many Vendors

Separate vendors for janitorial, floor care, day porters and security mean more contracts and more calls. In contrast, one partner who covers several services can simplify your week. Our article on vendor consolidation explains how to decide.

What Effective Commercial Cleaning Solutions Include

In short, the best commercial cleaning solutions combine:

  1. A facility assessment before any proposal.
  2. A customized scope of work.
  3. Trained, site specific teams.
  4. Quality control inspections and documented corrections.
  5. Clear, responsive communication.

How WOW! Delivers Commercial Cleaning Solutions

WOW! Facility Services provides commercial cleaning services including day porter, night cleaning, floor care, disinfection, deep cleaning, restroom care and window cleaning. In addition, our clients have emergency access to our management team 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Every program starts with a facility assessment. Then we build a customized scope of work around your building. 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

What should I look for in a commercial cleaning company?
Look for an assessment before the proposal, a written scope, trained teams, regular quality control and a clear point of contact.

What does a facility assessment include?
A facility assessment is an on site review of your building, including traffic flow, high visibility areas, restrooms, floor care, daytime support needs and current pain points. For details, read what a facility assessment covers.

Can WOW! cover more than janitorial services?
Yes. Beyond janitorial work, WOW! provides day porter, floor care, disinfection, window cleaning, concierge and security services.

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.

Find Commercial Cleaning Solutions That Fit

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.