Commercial Cleaning Costs
Most office managers or maintenance managers are tasked not only with finding quality commercial cleaning companies but also saving money on janitorial costs. Here are 5 simple ways to save money on your cleaning costs without sacrificing quality.
1. Cleanable Square Footage
Many janitorial quotes are based on the square footage of the building or buildings being bidded. Most companies have predetermined rates for cleaning services that are based on the square footage of the building being cleaned. However, what most janitorial sales personnel don’t tell you is that there is often a percentage of the building that does not require cleaning that is included in the total square footage. At first, it may not appear to be much, but when you consider maintenance closets, shared hallways and/or office space, warehouse space, file rooms, storage rooms, data rooms, mechanical rooms, IT rooms, etc, you may realize that 15-25% of the total square footage presented does not require cleaning! Make sure you provide the total cleanable square footage to commercial cleaning companies for the most accurate bids, not the total square footage of the building.
2. Cleaning Supplies
Many commercial cleaning companies are happy to provide quotes for providing commercial cleaning supplies, such as toilet paper, paper towels, trash can liners, hand soap, urinal screens, wax sanitary bags, window cleaners, degreasers, disinfectants, floor cleaners, etc. However, most janitorial companies will mark up the price of these supplies without telling you to make additional profit. Get quotes from several janitorial supply companies to maximize your total savings. Be prepared to ask for delivery costs, time-frame for delivery, delivery minimums, and payment terms. Many commercial cleaning companies will invoice supplies in 30 day, but many janitorial suppliers require immediate payment.
3. Frequency of Cleaning
Many janitorial salesmen will try to convince you that a full line of commercial cleaning services are required every night. However, in may cases, minimizing all nightly services can drastically reduce your cleaning costs. Many commercial cleaning companies are criticized for only emptying the trash each night. However, most individuals in the building are not aware of the frequency of each task. Limiting cleaning services to removing trash and cleaning bathrooms can get the essential cleaning done on a nightly basis, without requiring many tasks that aren’t generally recommended nightly (like deep cleaning).
4. Require More Qualified Bidders
Most companies require at least 3 qualified companies to bid on basic services. Companies generally find “qualified” cleaning companies on search engines, through referrals, through open bids, and requesting online “estimates.” Define “qualified” cleaning companies first and look for companies to provide you at least 5 referrals of similar types of businesses cleaned, online reviews, independent sites (such as the BBB www.bbb.org). You may be able to eliminate several prospective bidders bases on negative reviews.
5. Floor Cleaning and Maintenance Services
Ask your janitorial service to bid your floor cleaning and maintenance services as well. Most cleaning companies offer these services and most will charge a lesser rate if they are already cleaning the building. If your current cleaning company already has access to the facility, they can reduce the likelihood of not having access, not being able to touch base with the point of contact, not having the right keys to access each area, not having the correct key fobs, not having access to the mop sink and/or running water, etc. Cutting down the likelihood of mishaps on cleaning jobs can help by saving money on cleaning costs.
For more information on commercial cleaning education, visit ISSA at www.issa.com. For more information on commercial cleaning services in Columbia, SC, visit Palmetto Commercial Services at https://www.palmettocommercialservices.com.
