When you hire a professional cleaning service, you’re expecting a professional level of clean. But in many cases, so-called “professionals” deliver underwhelming results. Worse yet, these contractors get away with substandard work by creating the appearance of a quality clean. While their results look great at first glance, they’re covering up dirty secrets on closer inspection.
Is your “professional” cleaning service hiring amateur cleaners? Are they bringing germs into your facility with dirty cleaning materials? Do they pollute the air in your workplace with toxic fumes? Unless you’re sure the answer’s an emphatic NO, your cleaning provider could be cutting corners at your expense.
Thankfully, these providers are usually caught when carefully scrutinized. So if you’re worried that your cleaners aren’t delivering the results they promised, look closer. You might find your professional cleaning service is harboring one of these dirty secrets…
The Dirty Secrets of Professional Cleaning Services
1. They’re Not True Professionals
Most people think of cleaners as “unskilled” laborers. But in reality, there’s a significant skill gap between professional and amateur cleaners. This makes it easy for so-called professional cleaning services to hire amateur cleaning staff.
Don’t think this makes much of a difference? Then ask yourself: What’s the most effective technique for mopping hard floors? How much dwell time does a given product need for sanitization or disinfection? Which kind of vacuum attachments work best for cleaning vent covers? Upholstered furniture? High-pile carpeting?
Professional cleaners know the answers to these questions. Amateurs don’t — and their work reflects their lack of knowledge and experience.
2. They’re Only Cleaning Visible Dirt, Dust & Oils
People are visual creatures. When something appears clean to the naked eye, we assume it’s as clean as it looks.
But looks can be deceiving, especially in matters of cleanliness. While dirt, dust, and grease look unsightly, they’re not a big health risk by themselves. It’s the bacteria they harbor that makes them unhygienic.
And even though bacteria thrive in grimy areas, they can also survive on otherwise clean-looking surfaces. A professional cleaning service can remove visible signs of uncleanliness. But unless they’ve taken steps to neutralize surface bacteria, your workplace could still be crawling with germs.
3. They’re Spreading Germs Instead of Eliminating Them
Today, most professional cleaning services use microfiber. A surface cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth can have its bacteria count reduced by over 99%. While the bacteria is no longer on the actual surface, it’s not neutralized. Instead, it’s embedded in the microfiber. This means that microfiber textiles need to be regularly changed and disinfected.
Unfortunately, some cleaners will keep using the same cloth or mop pad for various cleaning tasks. It’s more convenient for cleaners, and it’s cheaper for the cleaning service. But it’s terrible for you and your workplace! Rather than removing bacteria with a fresh cleaning cloth, cleaners end up smearing bacteria from one part of your facility to other surfaces!
4. They’re Polluting the Air with Irritants & Fumes
Until recently, most people didn’t think twice about air quality. But as more and more research is performed in this field, the impact of poor air quality gets harder to ignore. Air pollution in the workplace is linked with much higher rates of illness, disability, and absenteeism. What’s more, even when workers are healthy, they’re less productive in facilities with low air quality.
This is an area where your professional cleaning service makes a big difference. Many cleaners use products containing quats (Quaternary ammonium cation), ammonium, and chlorine bleach, all of which produce toxic fumes. Worse yet, some cleaning companies intentionally hide the impact of these products from their clients.
Then there’s the matter of vacuums. If your cleaners use vacuums without HEPA filters, or if they fail to change these filters on a regular basis, you’re in trouble. Without these filters, vacuums spew dust and allergens back into the air, exacerbating air pollution.
5. They’re Masking Foul Odors with Artificial Scents
Travel down your local supermarket’s cleaning aisle and you’ll find products with all kinds of wonderful scents. Some of these scents are derived from natural ingredients. But many of them are synthetically producing with irritating chemicals.
Artificial scents are another common source of air pollution. Despite their pleasant smell, these scents are making your workplace less clean. More concerningly, they’re often used to mask unpleasant odors. If your professional cleaning service wants to cover up a lingering urine smell in the bathroom or a faint waft of rotting food in the break room, a scented cleaning product could do the trick.
Looking for a professional cleaning service you can actually trust? Then it’s time to contact your local JAN-PRO®! Call (866) 355-1064 today to learn more and request a FREE estimate.