The weeks before the holidays can get pretty hectic around a business. People are taking time off, deliveries are coming in more often, customers are stopping by and everybody is trying to get things wrapped up before the end of the year.
Cleaning can easily get pushed down the list.
The problem is, this is also when a building can start looking a little rough. By this time of year, the office has already been through plenty. Wet shoes have been coming through the door, the break room seems to stay busy all day and there are usually more people in and out of the building.
Then the holiday party gets put on the calendar, or somebody says a client is stopping by, and all of a sudden you start noticing the dirty floors and the lobby that could definitely use some attention.
Getting a commercial cleaning scheduled before all of that starts can make December a whole lot easier.
Get the Building Clean Before Things Get Busy
Once the holiday rush gets going, finding a good time for extra cleaning can be tricky.
Employees are working different schedules, meetings get moved around and there may be office parties or other events happening in the building. Trying to squeeze in a bigger cleaning job right in the middle of that is not always easy.
Getting it done earlier means the building is already in good shape before schedules start getting weird.
A few areas worth getting ahead of include:
– Entrances and lobbies
– Break rooms and employee kitchens
– Restrooms
– Conference rooms
– Floors and carpets in busy areas
It is much easier to keep these spaces looking decent when you are starting with a clean building.
Holiday Visitors Notice the Little Things
A client probably is not going to inspect every corner of your office, but people do notice when something feels dirty.
Maybe there are fingerprints all over the glass entrance doors. Maybe the carpet in reception looks worn down from wet shoes or the restroom trash can is already overflowing before lunch.
None of these things are huge on their own. Put a few of them together though and the building starts looking like nobody has had time to keep up with it.
That matters a little more around the holidays because many businesses have extra visitors. There may be clients stopping in, vendors making deliveries, interviews, employee family members or people coming by for an office event.
A clean building is simply nicer to walk into.
The Break Room Is Probably Going to Need It
If there is one room that gets put through it during the holidays, it is usually the break room.
There are already people making coffee and eating lunch in there every day. Then somebody brings cookies. Somebody else leaves a box of donuts on the counter. The refrigerator fills up and suddenly there are leftovers from the office party sitting next to lunches from three days ago.
And once all that holiday food starts showing up, the break room can get messy in no time. There are crumbs on the counter, somebody leaves a mess in the microwave and the fridge is getting opened all day long.
Before things get really busy, clean up what is already there. Wipe down the counters and appliances, clean around the sink and take a look under the tables too. There is almost always something hiding down there. That is usually where the crumbs and little messes end up anyway.
Once the room is already clean, it is much easier to stay on top of things when December gets busy.
Fall Dirt Is Still Hanging Around
By the time the holidays roll around, your floors have already been through weeks of fall weather. Rainy days, muddy shoes and leaves coming through the door all add up.
You might notice it first around the entrance. The carpet starts looking a little darker, or there is always dirt sitting along the main walkway no matter how many times people come through.
Hard floors get messy too. Wet shoes leave marks, dirt gets tracked down the hallway and once the colder weather starts, salt can end up coming inside with everybody else.
So before the holiday traffic really starts, it is a good time to get the floors caught up instead of piling another month of mess on top of what is already there. Depending on the flooring, that might mean more thorough vacuuming, mopping or additional floor care.
Otherwise you are just adding December’s mess on top of everything that came in during October and November.
Restrooms Can Get Busy Really Fast
Restrooms that normally handle employees all day may suddenly be dealing with visitors and holiday events too.
During the holidays, restrooms usually get busier without anybody really thinking about it. More employees are around, visitors are stopping in and an office event can put a lot of people through the same restroom in a short amount of time.
That is when the little things start showing up. The soap is almost gone, paper towels are running low, there is water all around the sink and the trash can is getting full.
Give the restrooms another look during the day when things are busy. Sometimes they just need a quick clean and a few supplies refilled. It is a lot easier to handle that then instead of waiting until somebody mentions the restroom needs attention.
Do Not Leave Everything Until the Holiday Party
Office holiday parties have a funny way of making people notice things they have ignored for months.
The conference room carpet suddenly needs attention. Somebody notices the dusty baseboards. The glass doors are covered in fingerprints and now there are only two days before everybody is coming in.
That is not a great time to start catching up.
If your business has an event coming up, handle the bigger cleaning beforehand. Then the day of the event is mostly about quick touch-ups instead of trying to clean half the building at once.
And do not forget about afterward. Food, drinks, extra trash and a room full of people usually leave something behind.
Get Ahead of the Holiday Mess
The holidays get busy enough without having to worry about the office getting behind on cleaning too. Getting it handled early means there is less to catch up on when December gets hectic.
And every building is a little different. Maybe your lobby gets hammered with foot traffic, the break room is always a mess around the holidays or you have an office party coming up. Whatever tends to get busy, AmeriStar Facility Solutions can work the cleaning around what your building actually needs.
Call: (570) 675-5525
Visit our website: www.ameristarfacilitysolutions.com