A clean office is a happy office – and a productive one, too. But how are cleaners supposed to work in offices that are open 24/7? It’s not as rare as you’d think, either. Call centres, emergency services, broadcast houses; these places all operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – and are staffed at all times.
Office cleaning typically gets done at night in most places. But when staff are always present, this constant use can complicate the process. As a professional cleaning company, we understand these unique challenges – and have developed structured working practices to get the job done for our “always-on” customers.
Working around the activity
Most offices that are always open usually have peak periods and low volume periods, where staffing levels are lower. In these instances, staff are usually concentrated into one area, while the rest of the office is cleaned. This area will change come the next cleaning cycle – making sure the whole area has a periodic, regular clean.
This is what we call a zone-based cleaning approach, where areas are cleaned at different times, allowing other areas to remain accessible.
But what about loud vacuum cleaners disrupting call centre work or emergency service calls? While the best commercial vacuum cleaners are quiet, they’re often not quiet enough to not be distracting. Some battery-operated vacuum cleaners are very quiet, but the compromise is runtime. Many don’t have replaceable batteries, either.
Soundproof booths and acoustic treatment can help reduce noise, but a good office cleaner will make sure not to use a hoover at critical times. Another alternative is to alternate which levels of an office block are used (if possible), or to install hardwood floors that can be swept and mopped far more quietly than hoovering a carpet.
Playing it safe
This brings us on to another aspect to remember – cleaning can cause some hazards. Slippery floors, cables from cleaning equipment, and vapours from cleaning products. Office cleaners in always-on offices can switch to quick-drying cleaning solutions, clearly marking slip and trip hazards with signs.
Eco-friendly and low-odour cleaning products can also be used – as well as natural or self-made cleaning products – to minimise staff discomfort or potential reactions to other chemicals.
Health and hygiene
Keeping on the safety front, health and hygiene are some of the clearest reasons to have cleaners in the first place – but cleaning high-traffic areas, in use 24/7, is challenging. Surfaces like door handles, keyboards and communal equipment increase the risk of germ transmission; but when they’re in constant use, it can be hard to do.
Office cleaners can adapt the frequency of disinfecting these high-touch surfaces, using hospital-grade disinfectants and timing their windows of opportunity. Sometimes, that might just mean patiently waiting for the surface to be free for 30 seconds to give it a quick wipe-down!
Air quality
Indoor air quality can become reduced during cleaning activities; dusting can kick up allergens, and of course there are the chemical agents in cleaning we’ve talked about above. HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners can reduce dust and allergens – but the office’s HVAC systems should also be regularly maintained to remove unwanted particles quickly. Air purifiers could also be installed to enhance air quality.
One size doesn’t fit all
Cleaning an office that’s open and staffed 24/7 presents a unique set of challenges. But with careful planning, coordination, the right equipment and the right techniques, these challenges can be managed.
As a professional office cleaning company, we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the needs of our clients – giving you a clean, safe, productive environment, no matter the hour.
No two offices are alike – especially those that operate 24/7. That’s why it’s so important to develop customised cleaning plans, tailored to the specific needs and schedules of your office environment.
Our professional office cleaners will learn the unique requirements for your office – and apply them when it’s time to clean.
Professional Office Cleaning
Get professional office cleaning from The Abbey Cleaning Service. Call 029 2067 9323 today, and find out how we’ll help you get your office clean outside peak hours – without disrupting your workday.
