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How Every Business Owner Might Benefit from Commercial Cleaning Services

By | Cleaning

It isn’t uncommon for full-time workers to consider their workplace to be their second home. Most business owners are searching for ways to boost their company’s appearance, safety, and efficiency. Below we list the top 5 benefits business owners may experience for themselves as they invest in commercial cleaning services.

Safe Work Environment

A clean workplace is a safe place for everyone. Due to the high traffic volume that an office witnesses on any given day, it isn’t any surprise that they’re also a breeding ground for bacteria and germs to spread and grow among your staff members. Apart from the health concerns that a filthy workspace causes, a grimy workspace also can create possible dangers for personal injury and accidents to workers. While you may be tempted to believe that you have everything under control by periodically cleaning the bathrooms and sporadically operating the vacuum cleaner across the floors, the fact is that no one will do a better job than commercial cleaning companies. Janitors are trained in the most effective methods of cleaning an office, removing all possible safety and health concerns.

Less Work to Do

Let’s be truthful, your workers are your main priority. Thereby, cleaning isn’t always at the top of your priority list because you have much more important things to care for each day. Having a commercial cleaning business come and take care of all of your cleaning requirements, means that there’s one less thing on that to do list. Then it’s possible to concentrate on what’s most critical—expanding your business.

Boost Productivity

It ought to come as no shock that a clean work atmosphere will boost employee productivity. A number of studies have demonstrated that an unorganized, dirty, cluttered environment hinders one’s capability to concentrate, being productive, and working effectively. Also, one study discovered that there may potentially be long-term effects upon the cognitive well-being of staff who work in a filthy workplace.

Improve Professional Appearance

Oftentimes, professionalism is related to cleanliness. If the appearance is dirty and cluttered, you will be perceived the same way. There isn’t anything more humiliating than having your colleagues or customers see you as messy and unprofessional. Hiring an expert cleaning service to come in and help with your cleaning requirements may assist with your professional image. Be certain that everyone who enters the front door knows that you’re a professional business place from the clean environment that they’re entering in to.

Higher Quality Cleaning Level

While you may believe that you’re doing an alright job at being the FT manager and PT janitor, odds are that you are not. There isn’t anyone who’s more qualified to give your workers the clean environment they need than a commercial cleaning service. Experts are going to have the equipment, supplies, and tools needed to ensure that you’re getting the highest cleaning level.

For more information on how our commercial facilities cleaning services can help you contact Anago today!

 

 

How to Keep Your Gym or Fitness Center Clean

By | Cleaning

Keeping your fitness facility clean isn’t just about its visual appeal. There are numerous organisms which may become plentiful within the humid and moist environments all throughout a fitness facility, everything from athlete’s foot to influenza.

The most typical microorganism inside a gym space is Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus may be literally found everywhere and anywhere that may be touched or which comes into contact with sweat or any additional body fluids.

Most organisms, which includes bacteria, may be discovered on the equipment and additional surfaces inside a fitness facility.

Influenza is one other typical microorganism inside gyms. Most members still will try to exercise when they’re in the early phases of the flu and spread the virus around them as they sneeze or cough.

In addition, fungus is extremely common inside gyms, particularly a group of fungal infections referred to as dermatophytes. The dermatophytes infect an individual’s epidermal tissue, nails, and hair, with one of the most typical infections well-known as athlete’s foot. Dermatophyte infections may be contracted via direct person-to-person contact, or by coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual, like their sweat on an exercise mat.

As temperatures continually drop individuals are just going to increasingly flock to the gym. This means you will be doing double duty in order to keep it clean. Clean gym centers and equipment is critical as it’ll come to keeping customers happy and preventing the spread of germs. Keep in mind, a clean exercise facility will keep members coming back. Below we list some easy cleaning fixes to do.

  • Unpleasant smells – Do not just mask smells using air freshener. Locate the odor’s source and clean it. Besides gym equipment and toilets, be certain that drains, walls, and floors are clean.
  • Dirty equipment – It is vital for exercise facilities to keep full sanitizing spray and paper towel dispensers around for members to clean equipment after their workout. It’ll help keep the exercise facility better maintained, yet it still is critical for gym team members to routinely sanitize and clean equipment all throughout the day.
  • Restrooms and Locker Rooms – Every business has to handle dirty restrooms. Locker rooms contain showers, which is one other layer that exercise center staff has to attend to. Always be certain that drains are free of hairs and clean.
  • Dirty Floors – Keep all doormats outside and inside all entrances. For non-carpeted flooring, sweep dirt up using a broom before it gets out of control. Always mop up spills and sticky spaces as soon as you can.
  • Dusty Surfaces – In any space, dust eventually accumulates. Be certain you’re dusting from the top down, beginning with ceiling fans and making your way over to cabinetry, surfaces and additional tall equipment. Attempt to dust in one direction so you can avoid missing spaces.
  • Stains and Spills – It is vital to routinely vacuum your fitness center and utilize stain removal as you see visible soils and stains on your equipment.

 For more information on how to keep your gym or fitness center clean contact the professional cleaning service of Anago today!

 

 

The Benefits of Professional Cleaning Services for Your Retail Company

By | Cleaning

The importance of keeping a retail unit clean can’t be understated, from a presentation and hygienic viewpoint alike. As the property gives off a good impression of your business, clients are going to be a lot less inclined to purchase from you if it’s dirty and unkempt, and your staff members may become demotivated in poor working conditions.

While you might carry out the cleaning on your own, the best way, by far, to keep a retail environment within the best condition includes hiring professional cleaners, making sure the task is performed properly and to a high standard. Therefore, what are the advantages of pro retail cleaning services?

High-Quality

Firstly, the cleaning of a retail premises is a task which must be done correctly. A cleaning business is going to carry out hygienic, attentive, and thorough work which leaves sparkling results.

The appearance of a business is critical to making an excellent first impression on consumers, and it’s particularly a fact with retail, as folks might be put off going inside your store or buying something if it isn’t clean.

Convenience

While you might be tempted to cut out the price of a cleaning service then delegate the project to your team members or even carry it out on your own, at the end of a long work day you might have a group of tired and overworked staff members dragging mops around the floor.

All great cleaning companies ought to have the ability to work around your business hours and make certain that your property is within good working order as you arrive and open in the morning. Therefore, leave it to the pros, go home, put up your feet and relax!

Hygiene

Not just will dirty surfaces and floors put customers off, they additionally pose a health risk to workers. Keeping your team free of illnesses is critical to operating an efficient retail business, and the odds of infection spreading is vastly increased as routine cleaning isn’t being done.

Equipment

Instead of needing to front the initial outlay that is needed to buy cleaning equipment, the majority of expert cleaning services are going to provide their own. That means your retail space or shop may be cleaned utilizing high quality products and machinery without you needing to purchase them upfront.

Anago has years of expertise as it’ll come to cleaning retail units and shops and we carry out contract services all throughout the Winnipeg area.

We’re able to craft a bespoke cleaning service that’s customized to your precise requirements, and clean all staff areas, shop fronts, toilet facilities and much more, working around your hours of business for optimal convenience. Our prices are very affordable; therefore, talk with one of our friendly staff members right away for more details or request a quote.

For more information on the benefits of professional cleaning services for your retail company please feel free to contact the commercial facilities cleaning services of Anago today!

 

 

What’s the Difference Between Buffing and Polishing A Commercial Floor?

By | Cleaning, Business

The floors of your commercial space say a lot about your environment. Not only can a shiny, smooth surface leave a long-lasting good impression on clients, customers, and employees, but it also provides a professional and sleek appearance for your business overall. To restore your commercial floors to their former glory, you’ll need a process you can rely on. 

Floor buffing and polishing are two go-to methods that ensure your commercial flooring receives the gloss and luster these processes can create. Both methods require specialized equipment to get the floors nice and shiny, but they also have their own functions as well. 

You may be thinking to yourself, “What is the difference between buffing and polishing a floor?” While these methods can be used interchangeably, they also share similar features and key differences in their results. 

Floor Buffing

Floor buffing is a process of cleaning in which polishing pads are used to restore the smooth appearance of your commercial floors. A buffing machine has rotating pads attached to its bottom that remove dirt, scratches, and nicks from the floor’s surface. The floor buffing machine strips away the top layer of flooring to create an even and smooth appearance. 

Buffing can be done in one of two ways: Spray or dry. Spray buffing uses a specialized liquid that buffs away dirt, scuffs, and nicks. These buffers can go up to 1000 rpm and are the most common floor buffing option used. Dry buffers work at a higher speed and are fast enough to smooth out the flooring and remove scuffs. Unlike spray buffing, these machines can go over 1000 rpm and are often used by professional cleaning experts.

You can buff hard surfaces, such as tile, stone, and concrete floors. While floor buffing machines can give your commercial floor a nice shine, they won’t get the same level of gloss that polishing provides. 

Floor Polishing 

The difference between buffing and polishing is that when you’re looking to achieve maximum gloss and shine, you’ll need the force of a high-speed floor polishing machine. Floor polishing, also known as burnishing, is a floor-care method that’s typically done after floor buffing.

While it’s a harsher process, burnishing/polishing machines work at a much higher speed to achieve a polished and glossy surface that is popular in most commercial spaces. A burnishing machine can spin at a much higher 1500-2000 rpm. The quickness and weight of the machine create more pressure that’s useful in smoothing out uneven surfaces by removing bumps, chips, or dents on your floor. 

Much like buffing, you’ll find the benefits of floor polishing/burnishing work well with stone, tile, and concrete floors. However, most customers will agree that its high-gloss features work even better with marble and laminate surfaces. 

Buffing and Polishing Uses

Longevity

While buffing and polishing services are best known for bringing out the shine on your floors, they can also contribute to their overall longevity. You can extend the lifespan of your floors by removing dirt and grime and smoothing out the wear and tear of your flooring.  

The Overall Differences 

The biggest difference between buffing and polishing is that floor polishing is more effective at getting rid of scratches or dents on your commercial flooring. Both methods use similar machines, but a floor burnishing/polishing machine uses rotating pads that move at a much faster pace. However, either option is reliable for deep cleaning your floor and improving the appearance of your business. 

Knowing how to operate a floor buffing or polishing machine takes a lot of practice. These services require the skill and experience of knowledgeable professionals. That’s why Anago Cleaning Systems’ franchisees specialize in floor care for commercial spaces. If you’re looking for dependable buffing and polishing that make a difference, contact the high-quality janitorial services of Anago today. 

 

 

First Impressions: The Importance of a Clean Business

By | Cleaning, Office Cleaning

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. There are times when first meeting a potential client that you’ll never get a second chance to make an impression at all; if the first time you meet wasn’t good enough, they simply won’t come back. We make judgements based on just a few moments of interaction; when we shake hands, was eye contact made? Does the person appear nervous or unprepared? The way a person looks, how their voice sounds, even how they smell might affect how we perceive them for a long period of time. For clients entering your offices, your business is a reflection of you; your work ethic, your mannerisms, your personality. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a clean business; you want to make a good first impression.

The importance of first impressions comes from a psychological phenomenon known as thin-slicing, a phenomenon in which we judge an individual based on a “thin slice” of time. There are a few reasons we thin-slice; the first comes from an instinctive need to recognize danger immediately. For any species, it’s important to immediately recognize friend from foe and asset from liability; it’s no wonder, then, that our nervous system and minds seems equipped to judge almost immediately. The second reason stems from stereotypes; if you have known messy people to be disorganized and unreliable, and you step into a messy office, you’ll immediately jump to the conclusion that the business and it’s staff aren’t trustworthy. The third reason is that thin-slicing does away with superfluous information; someone might try to convince you that their office isn’t usually so messy, or that they really are organized, but you’ve already drawn your conclusion from the available data.

The consequence of a bad first impression is compounded by confirmation bias. Let’s say you meet someone, and you decide they’re a bit of a goofball. Having made this decision, perhaps even unconsciously, you’ll take note every time they slack off, make a joke, or take life less-than-seriously. You’ll also ignore the times that they act seriously, work hard and take responsibility, because these instances don’t fit the narrative you have laid out for them. These narratives are formed during the first impression, so if your business is a mess, your clientele will ignore the times you are neat and conscientious and focus instead on when you’re absent-minded and disorganized, even if those times are few and far between.

You don’t want your clients to assume you’re a lazy slob, then fit everything you do in the lazy slob narrative. You probably don’t want to clean your office yourself either; there’s a good chance you don’t have the time, tools or technique to get a perfect clean. Professional office cleaning is the solution to the first impression problem; make sure the impression your office gives is neat, organized, diligent and professional, just like you.

4 Reasons Professional Cleaning Is Better Than Doing It Yourself

By | Cleaning

You might have an office, a retail space, a factory; it doesn’t matter, your space needs to be clean. A clean space means less workplace hazards, better first impressions, happier employees, and more productivity; a messy space means your revenue is going to drop. Knowing you need a clean space, you have two choices: clean it yourself, or hire someone else to do it. Here are a few reasons why it’s best to hire a commercial facilities cleaning service to do it for you.

It’s Safer

A good, deep clean requires specialized equipment, a variety of chemicals, and various cleaning techniques. Objects have to be lifted and moved, heights have to be reached, and heavy machinery has to be used; these all constitute workplace hazards, especially for untrained staff whose primary role involves something other than cleaning. Do you or your staff have WHMIS training? Chemicals, including those used for cleaning, can be extremely hazardous, especially when combined together by someone ignorant of their reactive qualities. Professional cleaning staff have all the necessary certifications to keep themselves, you, and your staff safe.

It’s Faster

Practice makes perfect, and if you and your staff aren’t practiced in commercial cleaning, you’ll be much slower than the professionals. Good janitorial services will develop a plan for the most efficient way of cleaning your facility, and will bring all the necessary tools to ensure the job is done right. Every time you use your own staff to clean, they’re not doing what you hired them to do; you’re losing time twice over, once because they’re slower at cleaning than the pros, and again because they could be working at what they’re good at.

It’s Better

Not only will your staff be slower at cleaning, they’re also not as thorough as a professional cleaning team. That’s no slight against your staff; everyone hires a team to do what they’re best at, and it’s obvious that someone highly trained in sales won’t be as good at cleaning as someone highly trained in janitorial services. You wouldn’t want your janitors working as accountants; that’s not what they want to do, what they’re trained to do, or what they’re good at doing. The reverse is obviously true as well.

It’s Money

At the end of the day, you run your business to make money. When you have your business cleaned by professionals, there’s less safety problems, which means less chances of employees ending up on Workers Compensation and less money spent on getting appropriate safety training. The speed at which the cleaning is done, usually during hours when your facilities are closed, means less resources are jettisoned away from the more profitable activities of your business. The better clean means better first impressions for clients and customers, as well as happier employees. All of this adds up to higher productivity, higher sales and a better workplace environment. Hiring a janitorial service might seem like more red on your budget, but with so many financial benefits, it’s worth the price!

4 Things to Ask When Selecting a Cleaning Service

By | Cleaning

You’ve decided to get a cleaning service in Winnipeg to take care of your facilities. You’ve read about all the benefits of outsourcing your cleaning; the more thorough work, the efficiency, the better first impressions and the higher employee satisfaction that a professionally cleaned space brings. You’re on the hunt for a team to take care of your space, but you want to know how to distinguish high quality janitorial services from an average service that won’t get you as much bang for your buck. Every business has different needs, so what you’ll ask about will vary, but here a few key things to ask about when trying to find a cleaning service.

When Do You Clean?

A lower quality service provider may give you the hours in which they’re available to do office cleanings; a high quality provider will answer “Whenever you want us to”. Good janitors know that every business has a different schedule, so they’ll work with you to provide service when you want and as frequently as you want. A great service will also be available in case of emergencies; you want a service with 24/7 availability who will be able to respond quickly if an urgent situation comes up, even at 3 AM on a Sunday.

How Do You Clean?

High quality service providers will explain that their methodology changes depending on the space you need cleaned; they’ll advise you that the “how” is a plan formulated based on your needs and their experience. Great service providers have techniques not just for cleaning, but for monitoring how the cleaning is progressing through the day. Managers will have checklists of everything that needs to be cleaned, and will do checks for thoroughness; they’ll immediately address concerns you might have about the cleanliness of a space. A great service will also strive to use the latest green technologies to keep your employees healthy while helping to create a sustainable ecosystem.

Who is Cleaning?

Cleaning staff are often in your building after hours, without you around to monitor; you don’t want to worry about pilfering from your cleaning service. A great facilities cleaner will have staff who have passed criminal record checks and drug tests; they’ll also make sure staff are bonded and insured. You want your service provider to be experienced, too; a good service will have been in business for a long time, because inferior services get bad word of mouth and cease to exist before they’re around too long.

Why Are You Cleaning?

The answer to this question must be that they’re passionate about the benefits of cleaning, and they want to help your business thrive. A clear, solid mission is key to success in life and in business, so make sure your janitorial service is committed to helping your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for references; a cleaning service with a commitment to success will be proud to provide you with a list of satisfied clientele, and will encourage you to phone them so you can hear first hand how their passion for cleaning helped a business like yours.

The Psychology of Clean

By | Cleaning, Office Cleaning

Walking into a nice, tidy, clean space, or walking into a messy, cluttered, dirty space; the difference is palpable. A place that has not been well maintained might spike your blood pressure, you might feel an urge to clean it, you might wonder at how it’s occupants let the space get so messy; it’s easy to feel uncomfortable in a mess. Conversely, a clean, well-kept space is like a revelation; you might marvel at great organizational techniques, efficient uses of space, or just how nice everything looks. You’ll be more inclined to notice the nice paint colour and new hardwood of a neat space. There’s powerful psychology at work here; why do we prefer clean spaces?

Clutter is problematic because it reminds us there’s work to be done, namely, the work of cleaning the space. It’s more difficult to find things in messy spaces, so it makes us anxious we won’t be able to locate something important when we need it. We may also feel guilty or embarrassed by a messy space, especially when guests or clients are visiting our space, who may see the mess as a reflection of our work ethic.

There are implications for productivity and creativity, as well. When there’s mess or clutter, our minds tend to get distracted from the work at hand; unpleasant sights and smells demand to be cleaned, and the cognitive dissonance created by deciding between cleaning and working can be extremely stressful. A cluttered area can also draw your attention to visual stimuli that have nothing to do with what you’re working on, and once distracted, it may be difficult to get back to work.

A messy area can also have drastic impacts on your mental health. A messy space that goes uncleaned may be out of sight, but it’s rarely out of mind; a study of 60 women found that those with a cluttered home environment became more stressed as the day went on, but those with clean homes saw their stress levels go down as the day went on and their work reached completion. This is likely because those with messy homes saw their work as perpetually unfinished, which adds unnecessary stress.

Our minds react negatively to mess; there are many possible reasons why, though none are considered definitive. One speculation says that we simply love order; from the circadian cycle, to the advantages of having a steady routine. Others speculate that mess and unpleasantness can signal danger to our brain; what’s hiding under that pile or causing that smell may be hazardous to our health.

The implications of cleanliness apply as much in your office as in your home. You certainly don’t want clients and visitors to question your professionalism, and you don’t want your staff to lose productivity to mess. That’s why it’s important to keep your place of work clean; professional office cleaning in Winnipeg is a great way to get all the benefits of cleanliness without having to spend all your time tidying up.

Your Janitor Could Be A Hero

By | Housekeeping

Choosing the Best Commercial Cleaning Services WinnipegThe heroes who appear in our lives can be all shapes and sizes. One hopes to never face a house fire or a terrible disease, but when these things happen, our doctors and firemen can easily be seen as heroes. Other times, our heroes are other citizens; passersby who wish us well, or pick up an item we dropped, or help us lift something heavy when we’re at our wits end. These small acts of kindness are a form of heroism too, and a janitorial service offering commercial facilities cleaning can save us from feeling overwhelmed by the cleaning our office needs. Today’s story involves a different kind of heroism, but one that presented itself in an unassuming package.

William Crawford worked as a janitor for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. A shy and unassuming man, students began to regard him as something of a fixture in their lives; he’d always leave the space clean and tidy, with nary a word to anyone. He worked there for about a decade before a student, Cadet James Moschgat, found a William J. Crawford in a history book; this man, with the same name as their janitor, was a Medal of Honor recipient. When Moschgat showed the janitor his history book and asked if he was the same man, Crawford is said to have responded “That was a long time ago, and one day in my life”.

Crawford was a private in the US Army during the Allied campaign in Italy. The army was pushing back German forces in the south of Italy, and Crawford was a part of a battle for an important hill in the area. German gunners were firing from bunkers along the side of the hill; Crawford decided to engage the bunkers. Crawling under bullet fire, he successfully assaulted the first bunker with a grenade; he went on to do the same with two other bunkers, successfully taking the hill. In an ensuing skirmish, however, he was taken captive and presumed dead.

His father was presented the Medal of Honor “posthumously”; later in 1944, however, Crawford was rescued with several other POWs from a German camp. He continued to serve in the Army until 1967, at which point he began his janitorial work for the Air Force Academy. No longer “just a janitor” to the Academy students, he became a figure of greatness, a person who students looked to for advice and leadership, despite his shyness.

At one point, Crawford revealed that he had never been granted a Medal of Honor from a president; the ceremony in which his father was given the medal was the only one. The students at the Academy felt this wasn’t fair, and arranged for President Ronald Reagan to hold a ceremony for their janitor at the academy in 1984.

We are surrounded by heroes; it’s impossible to say what someone has been through without speaking with them. Your janitorial staff have had tremendous experience, whether they be Medal of Honor recipients or not; it’s worth taking the time to talk with cleaning staff, because you never know who might be a hero.

Is Your Shop Really Clean Enough?

By | Cleaning

There’s no doubt that cleanliness has a huge impact on the customer experience. We might look around our shop, say “We’ve done a good enough job cleaning, let’s pack it up”. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: did we really clean well enough? A study done by Zach Blatt at hospitalitynet showed that in the hotel industry, cleanliness had a greater impact than price on how well a customer rated their overall experience. This might indicate that no expense should be spared when it comes to keeping a clean shop. Let’s look at how we can evaluate our shop, outside and in, to make sure it’s clean enough.

Outside our shop, we should look at what the customer will see coming in. The sidewalks we use are heavily traffic, and should be cleaned regularly to keep clear of dirt and other messes. Dumpsters will quickly become messy, and can give off unpleasant odors that make customers walk away; they are often within eyeshot or nose shot of our clients. The windows and doors of our business can become smudged and fingerprinted, cracked and bug-infested. Our parking lots should be well maintained, as not only are they unsightly when messy, but they can also be dangerous if the mess can move and cause problems with traffic. Safety is the most important thing we can consider for our clients, for repeat experience and to avoid liability for injury.

Inside our shop, everything has to look as good or better as outside. The floors should be immaculate, because no one likes to step in sticky mess, or worse yet, slip and hurt themselves. The area where our customers buy the products should be clean and clear, as the point of purchase experience tends to be memorable. Our walls and ceilings, of course, should be kept spick and span, so the customers aren’t distracted by mess. Any display areas, or areas for sitting, should be kept free of sticky messes which are incredibly unsettling to feel with our hands. Finally, our restrooms must be kept in top shape; restocked with all the essentials, smelling nice, and clean to a fault. A bad restroom is just as liable to have a customer leave as anything else, so don’t keep a dingy one and hope that no one asks where it is; improve the customer experience!

This may seem daunting, as after going through the checklist we might still feel unsure that things are clean enough. Remember, cleanliness has a huge impact on customer satisfaction! This is why it’s important to consider high quality janitorial services whose expertise is making things as clean as they can be. This way, we can focus on giving our clients the best products, the best customer service; all the positive things that make us stand out. Remember, a bad client experience means a lot of lost business, so let’s ease our clients and our own minds by keeping a clean, well-ordered and happy shop.