My
grandmother, a domestic goddess, once told me that as she carried me
around when I was a toddler, I was always fussy about things being just
so. Well, I assure you that I have not changed. Some might even refer to
me as finicky. I have simply never gotten comfortable with passable
:-).
Today,
as I go with my family to different places, I am very particular about
where I will eat, sit to watch a movie, utilize a public restroom, and
so forth. While I don’t want to ever be considered anti-social, I do not accept inept cleaning standards.
When
a public place is dirty, I speak up, seeking out the owner, the manager
or a supervisor. What Ask Cindy knows for sure is that if you make a
knowledgable and deliberate effort to clean, doing so will successfully
eliminate dirty circumstances.
A cleaning schedule for any public facility will have every surface and appliance item on a cleaning checklist. Ongoing cleaning frequency eliminates the guesswork for eradicating settled germs and bacteria. Anyone can keep objects clean with proper technique and
sanitizing solutions. This type of cleaning applies to public
restrooms, restaurants, classrooms, and offices. Also, as a society, we
must demand higher standards for public facilities. Microorganisms
cultivate in petri dishes, not human beings. Public spaces that are
dirty are just offensive and smelly.
It
is not acceptable for proprietors or managers to offer dirty restrooms
and dirty common areas in public establishments, especially, as we
patronize these places. When we let them off the hook unchallenged, we
are saying that we are agreeable to these circumstances.
Now,
the question might be, can we expect anyone to walk the walk? Yes, it
can be challenging, but a determined approach with well trained staff
investigating public activity within and around a public space
restroom(s) busy periods will establish ongoing cleaning frequencies.
This is the starting point for cleaning success.
When my company was contracted to clean the anchor property, Sports Plus (300,000 sq. feet) located in New Roc City, in New Rochelle,
New York I realized after reading their utilization plan for this space
that we would need additional housekeepers to police the bathrooms and
garbage pails throughout the facility. I highlighted this piece of
information in my bid/proposal. After all, in order for me to do my job
well, the client needed to understand what it would take to prevent
smelly bathrooms and overflowing garbage pails throughout this high
trafficked public arena.
Our
other cleaning responsibilities included the cleaning of two on-site
restaurants, a retail store, two food concession stands, a professional
ice arena bleachers, locker rooms, entrances,
offices, interior walkways and hallways, elevators, shower stalls,
locker rooms and many video games/consoles with acrylic fronts.
Under
Ask Cindy’s watch, every item in the space was on a schedule for
cleaning. The operations manager was so impressed with this passion for
clean, and realized how this due diligence would make his job easier.
Our company’s bid sheet beat out 26 other cleaning
companies. Ask Cindy was a diligent cleaning operation. Naturally, I
would spend time on site during all shifts to live the housekeeping
experience first hand. Management by walk around will always correct any
miscalculations related to the tasks at hand. I was determined that the
operations person would not have to micromanage Ask Cindy or my staff
pertaining to cleaning tasks. This type of dignity made America the
beautiful!
Established
cleaning frequency is all about the culture and usage of a space; when a
cleaning service bids on a job, a study of how the space is used must
be done. After all, public spaces are utilized differently. A
personalized cleaning plan for a specific space or venue is the only
successful approach for eliminating dirty bathrooms, floors and so
forth.
IT'S GAME TIME:
- The janitor’s closet must be clean and organized at all times. This point sets the tone for organized cleaning.
- Daily
cleaning of public bathrooms should be done with bleach and germ
eliminating products. The best germ killer is a bacterial enzyme
eradicator. It should be used inside public toilets and urinals after
the general cleaning and sanitation process. This will eliminate
remaining organisms. Surprise, unpleasant odors will disappear, as well.
- Now, what about the cleaning cloths that are used in these areas? Disposable cleaning cloths is the only answer.
This will prevent cross contamination. By all means using a different
cloth for the many different surfaces with its many sides is the right
thing to do.
- Automatic air fresheners should always be in place.
- The
bathroom mop should be dedicated for the bathroom floors only. The mop
head must be washed clean nightly. My standard is that all mop heads in
my company’s operation must be clean to the naked eye and stored upright for air-drying. Mop head changes should be scheduled.
- The
broom that sweeps the bathroom floor is labeled and dedicated for
bathrooms only. Using the same broom and mop for all areas only cross
contaminates.
- Light fixtures, interior walls, paper towel boxes, toilet paper holders, urinals, bathroom stall walls and doors, entrance and exit doors, should
all be on a cleaning schedule. I state to my staff, if we do not clean
an item, then you must want the client to do it! This always comes with a
smile.
Cleaning
and maintenance of public areas is dirty work. Clearly written
schedules of the required work, with realistic timelines, functional
ergonomic tools, and appropriate cleaning chemicals, will navigate one
through cleaning tasks. Cleaning and maintenance with a common sense
approach, requires good work ethic, discipline, ergonomic equipment,
safe cleaning solutions, and a comprehensive plan.
Overall,
public spaces are dirty and these undesirable circumstances negatively
impact our sensibilities. Let’s ask business proprietors to keep their
space(s) clean. As consumers, it is advantageous to both sides!
