When you’re focused on operating a successful business, you probably don’t wonder about questions like how often you need to professionally clean or sanitize your worksite. Cleaning requirements differ based on the type of space, how often or what it is used for, and your own personal preferences for cleanliness.
Think of an auto shop – not typically the tidiest or cleanest site – but then think of the time and cost involved to maintain a sparkling clean garage or warehouse. Not only would it probably be a waste of resources to have a sparkling clean auto shop, but your customers might also be a little thrown off by the level of cleanliness and think that you’re not getting a lot of business in and out the door. There’s a reasonable expectation of what ‘clean’ means for different sites and you must find the sweet spot for your work space. While a doctor’s office needs to be consistently clean, an auto shop is not held to the same standard.
But what about if you own or operate a warehouse? Every few months–or even monthly, depending on your business–your warehouse builds up enough dirt and grime that it starts to affect productivity, safety, and efficiency. Before it gets to this point, you need to deep clean.
Warehouse sites, or other large commercial spaces, provide unique challenges for cleaning. Unlike an office, cleaning a warehouse requires an initial inspection and a deep understanding of what occurs in the warehouse. There may be sensitive or dangerous equipment that must be moved or taken apart by professionals before cleaning. It’s not just the size of a warehouse that makes cleaning difficult, it is also the makeup of the facility. Some warehouses are vast and empty – mainly used for storage – and others brim with the activity of machines and people, creating very different cleaning needs.
With an industrial space like a warehouse, it’s important to have a cleaning plan in place, because if too much time is taken in between cleanings, it can quickly become overwhelming and lead to reduced productivity and worsening safety. Being functionally clean is only the beginning step in warehouse cleaning. To maintain a higher level of safety and to improve the image of your business, a more thorough cleaning must be accomplished.
Cleaning A Warehouse – Where To Start?
Safety comes first and foremost when cleaning a warehouse. With lots of heavy machinery and people moving around, you must find a good time to clean when productivity will not be affected and when (hopefully) fewer workers will be on the floor to interfere with cleaning. Even when not being cleaned, a warehouse can be a dangerous place, but when you add in a cleaning crew, the hazards increase. If someone is in the process of cleaning a piece of equipment, that makes the entire line unstable, and everyone involved needs to communicate effectively to ensure that proper cleaning can be performed while maintaining proper safety. Whether you use a lockout or tag-out system to accomplish this, you must have some sort of protocol in place to manage the actual process of cleaning your warehouse or plant. A commercial cleaning company could help you to formulate a better safety plan.
The use of safety labels will also be important. If you hire an outside team to clean your facility, they’re not going to be familiar with the machinery or equipment used. A safety label can point out the voltage of a particular piece of machinery, or merely indicate that the bathroom floor is wet. Whatever the message, it’s essential to communicate the information in a clear, eye-catching manner that everyone can understand.
Some machinery may need specific cleaning protocols, which are usually included with the equipment manuals. Determine whether your staff or an outside cleaner can effectively clean the machinery, or if you need to call in a qualified service technician. If you haven’t deep cleaned your facility before, take ample notes on the process–how long it took, what materials were needed and what steps were taken. Whether you have or have not deep cleaned your warehouse, be sure to create some sort of documentation on what the process looks like and what kind of personnel and equipment are required. If you’re unsure how to complete a deep clean, a commercial cleaning service can assist with the planning.
Benefits Of Cleaning Your Warehouse
As we’ve said before, warehouses and worksites do not always conjure up images of clean, tidy places. However, there are ample reasons why you should invest in cleaning your warehouse. Most importantly, a clean warehouse is also a safe warehouse, and safer warehouses perform better than unsafe ones.
When you operate a clean warehouse, you’re ensuring the integrity of the goods you store or distribute, and cleaner warehouses also add to the image of your brand. Most warehouses receive constant visits from couriers, suppliers, banking staff, and investment teams. The state of your warehouse will reveal a lot to these people – do you run a clean, efficient business, or is your work sloppy?
If you’re still unconvinced, deep cleaning your warehouse keeps your workers more healthy and more productive, but also adds to the longevity of your space. When your site and the equipment inside of it are properly cleaned and cared for, your warehouse will outlast many others. You may not think a little bit of dust here and there can do any long-term damage, but don’t wait until it gets inside sensitive equipment, and do not wait until pathogens begin to form inside your ducts and sicken your employees.
Making an investment to clean your warehouse properly is well worth the money in the long run, but as we’ve said before, each site is different and will have different standards and procedures for cleaning. It can be overwhelming, but our team can perform inspections and coordinate with your team on how to best approach a deep clean.
When it comes to commercial cleaning or post-construction cleaning, we know that each job presents unique challenges based on the area and the preferences of our clients. As your trusted cleaning partners, we can deliver the solutions your business needs to succeed.
Contact us today for all of your cleaning needs!
