It can seem like a simple way to save money. The bins need emptying, the kitchen needs wiping down and the floors need a quick clean, so why not just ask the team to muck in?
The problem is, asking office staff to clean can create more issues than it solves. It can affect productivity, cause resentment and lead to cleaning standards gradually slipping.
At Shiny and New Cleaning Services, we believe employees should be able to come into work and concentrate on the job they were employed to do.
“Everyone Will Do Their Bit” Rarely Works
In theory, everyone shares the cleaning and it all gets done.
In reality, there is usually one person who ends up doing more than everyone else.
One employee empties the bins because nobody else has. They wipe down the kitchen because it’s been left in a mess again. Before long, they’re the unofficial office cleaner – despite that having nothing to do with their actual job.
Unsurprisingly, this can cause resentment.
There’s nothing wrong with expecting employees to wash their own mug, put rubbish in the bin and leave communal areas tidy. But that’s very different from expecting them to actually clean the workplace.
Cleaning Standards Start to Slip
When cleaning isn’t someone’s responsibility, it often becomes nobody’s priority.
People might wipe down a kitchen worktop or empty a full bin, but what about the toilets, floors, high-touch areas and all the places that aren’t immediately noticeable?
These are the jobs that gradually get missed.
There’s also a big difference between making somewhere look tidy and actually cleaning it properly.
Professional cleaners work methodically and know which products and equipment to use. They follow a cleaning schedule so that the same areas aren’t forgotten week after week.
You’re Paying Staff to Clean Instead of Doing Their Actual Jobs
The cost of staff cleaning is often overlooked.
If an employee spends 20 minutes emptying bins, vacuuming or cleaning the kitchen, that’s 20 minutes they’re not spending doing the job you actually employed them to do.
Multiply those little bits of time across several employees and an entire working week and it soon adds up.
It makes even less financial sense when skilled or senior employees are spending their time cleaning when their hourly cost to the business could be considerably higher than the cost of employing a professional cleaner.
Outsourcing your cleaning isn’t simply another business expense. It frees your employees to concentrate on the work they’re actually there to do.
Managers End Up Managing the Cleaning
Then there’s the management time.
Whose turn is it to empty the bins?
Why hasn’t the kitchen been cleaned?
Who was supposed to vacuum the meeting room?
If you’re not careful, a manager ends up creating cleaning rotas, reminding people to do jobs and dealing with complaints when somebody hasn’t done their share.
That’s time they could be spending running the business.
With a professional cleaning company, responsibility for the cleaning sits with them. If there’s a problem, you have one person to contact and it should be sorted.
A Clean Workplace Matters
Your workplace says something about your business.
Clients and visitors notice overflowing bins, dusty surfaces and dirty toilets. Your employees notice them too.
A consistently clean workplace looks professional and gives your employees a better environment to work in.
It also sends a simple message to your team: we value the environment we’re asking you to work in.
Why Professional Cleaners Get Better Results
The biggest difference is simple.
Cleaning is their job.
A professional cleaner isn’t trying to squeeze the cleaning in between answering emails, dealing with customers or doing the job they were actually employed to do.
They have a routine, know the areas that commonly get forgotten and understand how to clean efficiently and safely.
At Shiny and New, our commercial cleaners work to clear cleaning schedules so they know exactly what’s expected at each site. That gives our clients consistency rather than relying on someone remembering it’s their turn to clean the office kitchen.
Should Office Staff Be Expected to Clean?
Employees should absolutely be expected to respect their workplace, tidy up after themselves and leave shared areas in a reasonable condition.
But cleaning the office is different.
If your employees are regularly emptying bins, vacuuming floors, mopping, cleaning kitchens or scrubbing toilets, ask yourself one question:
Is that really the best use of their time?
Professional office cleaning removes an unnecessary job from your employees, improves workplace standards and gives managers one less thing to worry about.
Most importantly, it means everyone can get on with the job they’re actually there to do.
Commercial Office Cleaning in Bolton
Shiny and New Cleaning Services provides professional commercial cleaning for businesses across Bolton, Horwich, Middlebrook and surrounding areas.
We specialise in commercial cleaning, helping businesses maintain clean, professional workplaces without relying on their own employees to do it.
If you’re considering outsourcing your office cleaning, get in touch to have a chat about what you need.