Day Cleaning
Day Cleaning is more cost efficient. Cleaning during the day is 15 to 25 percent less costly than cleaning at night, advocates say. Labor savings can be 5 to 10 percent, thanks to the elimination of day porter positions and the increased efficiency of workers who are watched more closely. Daytime cleaning can also net a 10 to 15 percent in energy savings when lights are turned off at night. Day cleaning can also result in lower turnover rates. Day shifts attract a larger, more enthusiastic crop of workers who aren’t willing to work nights (retirees and stay-at-home parents, for example). Offering daytime shifts makes it easier to find employees who enjoy their work and are likely to stick around.
Since making the switch to day cleaning 9 years ago, State Farm’s janitorial turnover rate is only about 10 percent — exceptional in an industry known for annual turnover of 100 percent or more. Housekeeping managers know that low turnover is good for the budget because it saves on recruitment and training costs.
Daytime work also generates fewer complaints. Working during the day creates a bond between janitor and building occupant because the two parties see each other often and perhaps even know each others names. If an occupant has a cleaning issue, he’s apt to go to the janitor for help, rather than calling the office manager to complain. He’s also less likely to accuse the janitor of theft, which becomes less probable if the janitor lacks access and anonymity.
Daytime cleaning isn’t simply nighttime cleaning done during the day. It requires several changes, starting with the equipment and chemicals used.
Noise isn’t a problem at night when no one but the janitor is in the building. During the day, however, a loud vacuum can disrupt business. Battery-powered machines, which are now flooding the industry, can keep decibel level under 68, which is also the average noise level in an office building. Battery equipment also eliminated trip hazards and improves safety.
In the 1970s, janitorial cleaning times were 2,000 square feet an hour, now it’s closer to 10,000 square feet an hour. We’re going from the most labor-intense field in the world to one where equipment costs more than labor.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is another concern with day cleaning. To reduce contaminants floating in the air and upsetting workers in the area, janitors should not use dust mops or hand-held dusters. Instead, hard-surfaces are vacuumed or cleaned with microfiber mops or wipes.
Chemical choices also affect IAQ. Microfiber can reduce chemical usage but it is important to go a step further and choose low-odor, no-VOC products. This is an easy task thanks to the recent movement toward environmentally preferable purchasing. Whenever possible, the safest bet is to use only neutral cleaners and water.
Even more important to the success of daytime cleaning than new equipment and chemicals is updating how cleaning is performed. At night, janitors have the run of a building but during the day, they can’t interfere with business operations. For day cleaning to work, planning is everything.
A facility manager moving from night to daytime cleaning must schedule every task like clockwork. Cleaning cannot interrupt building occupants and janitors must be kept busy. In a school, for example, classroom cleaning might be scheduled for the lunch period while hallways are swept with a low-decibel vacuum during classes.
To make it all work, some tasks may still need to be performed before or after business hours. For example, work that requires an area to be closed off for a length of time, such as stripping and refinishing floors, is probably best performed after building occupants leave.
To devise a daytime cleaning plan, we first determined which areas are open to the public and therefore needed to be cleaned before business hours. Next, we worked with building occupants and facility managers to decide the best way to clean other areas in a non-intrusive way.
For example, the lobby and human resources office are cleaned before the doors open. Same-sex janitors clean restrooms throughout the day. Cubicles are dusted and vacuumed on weekends but trash is picked up daily if the cubicle worker places it in the hall.
For day cleaning to work, it must be organized. We step back, look at the building and how you do business, and then figure out how to proceed. It’s a whole new approach.
To Summarize...
1. Five to eight percent cost savings on cleaning services.
2. Up to fifteen percent reduction in utility costs based on decreased usage in lighting and HVAC.
3. Better security and reduced theft.
4. Cleaner buildings based on employee opinion surveys.
5. Improved supervision of cleaning staff.
6. Higher morale of cleaning staff, including a better quality of life, personnel are not working at night.
7. Lower contractor turnover.
8. Broader labor pool for workers, including stay-at-home moms and dads and retirees.
9. Easier to manage with more direct input from customers and staff.
10. Better communication between customers and cleaning and facility professionals.
If you would like to analyze if day cleaning is right for your building, please give us a call to schedule a time to review your specific needs and circumstances. Call us at (800) 256-2468 or CLICK HERE to contact us by email.
Since making the switch to day cleaning 9 years ago, State Farm’s janitorial turnover rate is only about 10 percent — exceptional in an industry known for annual turnover of 100 percent or more. Housekeeping managers know that low turnover is good for the budget because it saves on recruitment and training costs.
Daytime work also generates fewer complaints. Working during the day creates a bond between janitor and building occupant because the two parties see each other often and perhaps even know each others names. If an occupant has a cleaning issue, he’s apt to go to the janitor for help, rather than calling the office manager to complain. He’s also less likely to accuse the janitor of theft, which becomes less probable if the janitor lacks access and anonymity.
Daytime cleaning isn’t simply nighttime cleaning done during the day. It requires several changes, starting with the equipment and chemicals used.
Noise isn’t a problem at night when no one but the janitor is in the building. During the day, however, a loud vacuum can disrupt business. Battery-powered machines, which are now flooding the industry, can keep decibel level under 68, which is also the average noise level in an office building. Battery equipment also eliminated trip hazards and improves safety.
In the 1970s, janitorial cleaning times were 2,000 square feet an hour, now it’s closer to 10,000 square feet an hour. We’re going from the most labor-intense field in the world to one where equipment costs more than labor.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is another concern with day cleaning. To reduce contaminants floating in the air and upsetting workers in the area, janitors should not use dust mops or hand-held dusters. Instead, hard-surfaces are vacuumed or cleaned with microfiber mops or wipes.
Chemical choices also affect IAQ. Microfiber can reduce chemical usage but it is important to go a step further and choose low-odor, no-VOC products. This is an easy task thanks to the recent movement toward environmentally preferable purchasing. Whenever possible, the safest bet is to use only neutral cleaners and water.
Even more important to the success of daytime cleaning than new equipment and chemicals is updating how cleaning is performed. At night, janitors have the run of a building but during the day, they can’t interfere with business operations. For day cleaning to work, planning is everything.
A facility manager moving from night to daytime cleaning must schedule every task like clockwork. Cleaning cannot interrupt building occupants and janitors must be kept busy. In a school, for example, classroom cleaning might be scheduled for the lunch period while hallways are swept with a low-decibel vacuum during classes.
To make it all work, some tasks may still need to be performed before or after business hours. For example, work that requires an area to be closed off for a length of time, such as stripping and refinishing floors, is probably best performed after building occupants leave.
To devise a daytime cleaning plan, we first determined which areas are open to the public and therefore needed to be cleaned before business hours. Next, we worked with building occupants and facility managers to decide the best way to clean other areas in a non-intrusive way.
For example, the lobby and human resources office are cleaned before the doors open. Same-sex janitors clean restrooms throughout the day. Cubicles are dusted and vacuumed on weekends but trash is picked up daily if the cubicle worker places it in the hall.
For day cleaning to work, it must be organized. We step back, look at the building and how you do business, and then figure out how to proceed. It’s a whole new approach.
To Summarize...
1. Five to eight percent cost savings on cleaning services.
2. Up to fifteen percent reduction in utility costs based on decreased usage in lighting and HVAC.
3. Better security and reduced theft.
4. Cleaner buildings based on employee opinion surveys.
5. Improved supervision of cleaning staff.
6. Higher morale of cleaning staff, including a better quality of life, personnel are not working at night.
7. Lower contractor turnover.
8. Broader labor pool for workers, including stay-at-home moms and dads and retirees.
9. Easier to manage with more direct input from customers and staff.
10. Better communication between customers and cleaning and facility professionals.
If you would like to analyze if day cleaning is right for your building, please give us a call to schedule a time to review your specific needs and circumstances. Call us at (800) 256-2468 or CLICK HERE to contact us by email.