Cleaning For Health, Uncategorized

Trusted Spaces: Psychological Benefits of a Healthy, Clean Workplace

We all know that workplace cleanliness has become a higher priority in the age of COVID-19. What’s not so obvious is how sanitation works not only to eliminate 2019-nCoV contamination but the psychological barriers that could come from a clean and healthy workplace. 

Once an essential yet very “behind the scenes” part of business, facilities cleaning and worker safety has been shoved into the limelight. How will your COVID-19 mitigation plan perform? Here, we will discuss the psychological benefits of a clean and healthy workplace.

Prove Your Commitment to Your Workforce’s Safety

Do you know how confident your employees are in your company’s COVID-19 infection monitoring? Cleaning and disinfecting protocols, and social distancing plan? Perhaps it’s time to ask them. Global workforce consultants PwC did just that, polling more than 1,000 U.S. workers for their November 2020 Workforce Pulse Survey. 

“Almost half of employees (48%) say they strongly or somewhat agree that they are forced to sacrifice personal safety to remain employed. Among those who identify as essential workers, that number is 52%. Even 45% of remote workers express this concern, possibly because they’re expecting to be recalled to a physical office at some point.” —  PwC, “Recovery Starts with Safety and Confidence”

Surveyed workers are anxious about working on-site as they are about losing their income. They don’t want to get sick, and they don’t want to infect loved ones with compromised immune systems. They want assurances that you’ll prioritize a clean, healthy workplace ahead of the bottom line and won’t penalize them for speaking up if they feel conditions are unsafe or calling in sick if they are having symptoms.

Be prepared to bring in professional sanitizing services. They’re better-equipped than your staff or standard janitorial service to handle Coronavirus sanitation. Bringing their own PPE and experience with the most current OSHA and CDC recommendations. Asking your already stressed staff to step up to a potentially hazardous job, especially after a confirmed outbreak on the premises, is a sure way to undermine morale. 

Give Your Customers Peace of Mind

Even before the pandemic, social responsibility became a major factor in consumer’s purchasing decisions. Your customers want you to make a big deal about maintaining not only a safe customer experience. But a clean, healthy, and ethically-managed workplace. Let them know you are. Transparency builds trust, even when it comes off as sounding your own horn. Advertising your commitment to a safe, healthy environment may give you the edge over the competition.

Don’t wait until after business hours to clean high-touch surfaces. Let them see that you’re on the ball. Post your everyday cleaning and disinfecting routine, and how you bring in professional cleaning services as necessary. Share how often you test your staff for 2019-nCoV. And be upfront about other steps that might not be obvious to visitors and employees. 

Post signs in high-visibility locations within public and work areas. Add a prominent home page link to your COVID-19 policy page. Update your Facebook, Google My Business, Yelp, and other directory listings. And don’t forget to promote your safety campaign on social media channels as appropriate. If done correctly, you can earn a thought leadership role in your market. Whether you’re a medical facility in the Boise Metro Area or an Airbnb host managing a fledgling property rental empire in the Bahamas.

And yes, businesses that require their staff and customers to mask up encourage the public to do business with them. 

Follow Through on Your Promise of a Healthy Work Environment

What customers and workers once dismissed as “just a bit of dust” is now a doubt-generating dealbreaker. Words alone can’t reassure valued staff and customers who are rightfully anxious about their safety. Invest in commercial cleaning services, stay current with ever-changing guidelines and mandates. Whenever possible, stay ahead of the curve.

The best way to do that? Listen to your customers and employees, and encourage them to speak up. Transparency is another cornerstone of brand trust. In the age of Coronavirus, it’s an opportunity to foster that feeling of “we’re all in this together”. 

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Locker disinfection performed by one of the employees of American Cleaning Services for our business clients. Lockers are thoroughly treated with a fog disinfector.
Cleaning For Health, Uncategorized

What Qualifies Cleaning And Disinfecting Services?

It was not that long ago that if a building looked clean, that was an acceptable standard. Anyone capable of performing standard cleaning and disinfecting services would be able to accomplish this if they had basic training. The current pandemic has resulted in some significant changes in the cleanliness standard.

Even though this shift's reasons are not pleasant *cough thanks COVID-19 cough* there is a positive side. The level of cleanliness considered acceptable today has reached a higher standard.

To provide higher cleaning levels focused on virus and bacteria control requires more knowledgeable and competent people. When two cleaners are standing next to one another, one may find it difficult to tell the difference just by looking at them.

After all, it is easy for someone to say that their staff can clean an area. If I said I am a Nigerian prince who just inherited a fortune, would you give me your bank info? This comes down to whether cleaning companies are merely capable of completing the service or are they also qualified?

Let’s start with the obvious question…

The Difference Between Capable Or Qualified Cleaning And Disinfecting Services.  

Naturally, this got us thinking what the difference is between cleaning companies being capable and being qualified. Especially when the cleanliness, health, and safety of an environment can now be judged under a microscope.

Can You Be Confident In Capable Cleaning? 

The definition of a capable person is: one who is "Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task. Metaphorically speaking if one were to hire a neighbor to replace the brakes on a car because they said...

“I watched a YouTube video on this, and it doesn’t seem that hard. It is definitely something I am capable of”.

Would you put them in charge of maintaining one of the most critical safety systems on a vehicle?

It is nice to think that neighbors are people we can trust. But as you approach an intersection will you have confidence in the car stopping before injuring yourself or others? Heck… the wheels could fall off before you even get there.

So, what makes qualified cleaning and disinfecting services? When it comes to the safety of employees and customers in an indoor space they could potentially be at risk if corners are cut. 

Now that workplaces and indoor environments have become precarious spaces, we must have standards and specific requirements to be consistently met by capable cleaners who are performing the tasks.

Of course, by way of training or experience, a person can become knowledgeable, capable of identifying hazards relating to the specific operation, in this case cleaning, and correcting them.

But will they know the proper procedures other than just wiping down high touch point surfaces, emptying trash cans, and vacuuming high traffic areas?

In most cases that simply will not cut it when it comes to cleaning for healthy environments. 

If you are hiring someone to handle a safety issue it would probably be best to have validation and assurance. You want to know the job is done with precision instead of a simple YouTube instructional video. Particularly with the increasing risk of invisible threats from the world around us.  

What Is Qualified Cleaning? 

A “Qualified Person” is one who, by possession of a certificate, professional standing, extensive knowledge, or training and experience, successfully demonstrates the ability to solve/resolve problems relating to the task at hand.

Now we are talking.

When I go to get my brakes done on the car I take it to a certified technician who is well qualified to get the job done correctly.

I make this choice because they have taken the time to go through training, develop knowledge, complete the certification, and worked with professional experts to provide a superior service.

This way I know that the person working on my vehicle will produce an improved and safer outcome.

Qualified not only means that the person is capable, but they boast the necessary experience and criteria. The job will be completed with confidence that it has been done beyond satisfactory conditions.

This is especially important when it comes to having a safe and healthy environment for protecting your workers, customers, and visitors from illness.

How We Consistently Provide Qualified Cleaning And Disinfecting Services.

Our greatest asset is the people that we employ. We believe that training for proper performance of a job is time and money well spent. 

Which is why we regard it as an investment rather than an expense.

To ensure that we deliver only the best and most efficient level of service our team completes third party certifications. They become specialized technicians who can provide qualified cleaning and disinfecting services.

One that we are particularly proud of is the GBAC which certifies our technicians to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biorisk situations.

GBAC has trained our technicians to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biorisk situations.   Our Technicians are certified in the standard in the building services industry and are a symbol of excellence   
CMI furtheres the education and development of cleaning and maintenance professionals, managers, supervisors, and executives. This helps us to provide qualified cleaning and disinfection services.   
Our technicians adhere to the institute of inspection cleaning and restoration cerification

Whatever type of job is being performed there is always a designated technician who is qualified and proven to perform the specific duties.

The team working under our specialists has thorough and regular re-training to make sure that no corners are being cut and every task is completed to rigorous standards. 

Plenty of companies simply state they provide a cleaning or disinfecting service.

While they may be able to show they are capable, they should also carry validation which proves they have the training and knowledge to deliver more than just a clean appearance.

We invest in our team to show that they are more than capable.

They are qualified to clean our customers facilities and provide the highest level of cleaning for safe and healthy environments.

This in turn provides the proof and peace of mind that the right person is doing the right things, every time.

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