When considering whether to outsource office cleaning to a specialised cleaning firm, there are a number of important points to weigh in your decision. Are there hidden costs to outsourcing the work to a commercial cleaning company? Or are most of the disadvantages to do with in-house, directly-hired office cleaners? Following are key points to keep in mind that will help as you make your decision on outsourcing commercial office cleaning:
Advantages in Favour of In-house Office Cleaning
- Lower obvious costs: No need to pay an outside commercial cleaning service.
- Trust: You may prefer adding cleaning to the duties of your current staff. With only trusted employees handling cleaning tasks, you will be better assured of data security. Besides, your staff have plenty of extra time to clean the offices and cleaning tasks will ensure they are kept busy.
- Personal control: You may prefer in-house supervision of cleaning practices and prefer to hire your own dedicated on-staff cleaners. This keeps your highly paid employees on task rather than cleaning and provides you the opportunity to interview and select each individual office cleaner. You can then supervise or direct their activities yourself.
- Quality: You'll get higher quality cleaning with in-house staff--since outsourced cleaning firms have a lot of turnover. (Hint: Contract with a quality commercial cleaner for guaranteed quality.)
Advantages to Outsourced Commercial Office Cleaning
- ROI: Your return on investment in hiring a professional cleaning service will likely be positive, all things considered. Commercial cleaning services actually save money for most businesses. All told, in-house cleaning costs business organisations nearly 25 percent more than contacting to an outsourced cleaning firm, according to .industry analysts IFMA (the International Facility Management Association).
- Get personalised cleaning services: A professional cleaning firm will tailor commercial cleaning services to fit your needs and high standards. This includes working within your budget and offering attractive options to better serve you.
- Limit distractions: Keep highly paid staff on task rather than on cleaning duty or free your HR staff of the necessity to continually hire dedicated cleaning staff member(s). Let your professional commercial cleaning firm handle tedious hiring and staff scheduling--freeing you of this concern entirely.
- Limit employee stress: Regular in-house staff members may put off or forget cleaning duties in the midst of other work.
- Improve quality: Typical in-house employees are not trained in cleaning methods to properly disinfect all areas of the office, including lavatories. Contracted cleaners are well-trained professionals--they perform tasks safely and do a better job, providing guaranteed cleanliness and hygiene. The best contracted cleaning firms have ISO 9001 certification for quality assurance.
- Keep injury claims down: Employees stand a greater chance of on-the-job injury or workplace accidents while cleaning with chemicals, climbing to reach high surfaces and lifting or moving heavy objects. Enhance workplace safety. Let an outsourced cleaning company deal with the HSE and do your high level cleaning for you.
- Limit tedious, time-consuming tasks: No need to inventory and store expensive (and oftentimes smelly and allergy-inducing) cleaning fluids and tools on your premises. Professional cleaners bring their own cleaning fluids and tools
- Be free of environmental hazards: If you choose a cleaning service that offers eco-friendly cleaning, you’re ensuring you and your staff are not overly exposed to harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) found in typical cleaning chemicals. You'll also easily meet European standards of sustainability.
- Access the latest technology and earth-friendly, environmentally degradable cleaning chemicals: A professional cleaning firm is better able to research, keep up with and purchase expensive supplies and tools. Quality contracted cleaning companies are also up-to-date on the latest environmentally sound cleaning products and practices, such as ionic window cleaning which uses sterile water without the need for chemical agents.
- Guaranteed professional office cleaning to your specifications: Quality outsourced cleaning firms hire according to rigorous standards and provide excellent training and supervision for their cleaners.
If you’d like additional professional advice with no obligation, contact Green Facilities, a UK- based cleaning company headquartered in London. We offer cleaning consultancy, cleaning audits, contracted commercial cleaning services and one-off deep cleans. We take pride in delivering tailored cleaning solutions to fit your unique needs.