JaniTek Newsletter – June 2016
Articles in the issue
>> Congratulations Gabe – Leadership Stockton Class of 2016
>> The Benefits of Team Cleaning
>> Make it a Clean Summer Break
Congratulations Gabriel Sixtos – Leadership Stockton Class of 2016
On June 9, 2016 our very own Gabriel Sixtos graduated from the prestigious Leadership Stockton program.
Leadership Stockton is an 11-month program dedicated to providing participants with an understanding of our region’s history, diversity, justice system, politics, government, economy, education, human services, and health care. Participants are also involved in addressing the needs of our community through hands-on service projects.
Leadership Stockton participants embark on a journey that puts them in touch with the Greater Stockton community, as well as each other, and develops their personal leadership skills. Various perspectives are presented through the use of expert panelists, tours, and simulation activities.
In addition, the “hands-on service projects” focus on solutions to real community problems. Each project is designed to bring about positive community change, as well as teach the participants about the value of setting and achieving goals.
Gabriel was just a handful of local leaders chosen to take part in this past years program. To learn more about the program, visit www.leadershipstockton.com
The Benefits of Team Cleaning
You may have heard the term “team cleaning” thrown around by your commercial cleaning company before. But what does it mean? Team cleaning is the most systematic, advanced and efficient way to clean a building or facility.
Everyone appreciates a clean workplace. Studies have shown that employees are happier and more productive in offices that are professionally cleaned. Think of how much time an employee can save if they only have to focus on their tasks and not cleaning the floor around their desk.
This small guide is to introduce you to the concept of team cleaning and how it will benefit your business.
What is team cleaning?
To help introduce the concept of team cleaning, lets use an analogy: We have all heard the term “jack of all trades, and a master of none.” This can be applied to how most janitorial companies have their janitors clean. Most companies will assign only one janitor to each floor or area of the business to complete all of the cleaning tasks. These tasks include mopping, vacuuming, cleaning glass, stocking paper towels, etc. In this case, the janitor is the “jack” and he must do all of the “trades”, or tasks, of the cleaning project. The janitor is never able to focus or become a “master” of any one task to clean your business.
Team cleaning employs the antithesis of the above term. Let’s say we have a team of four janitors. With the team cleaning model, one will vacuum, one will restock paper towels, one will clean glass and one will mop. By giving each team member their own task, not only do they become more proficient at their task, but the cleaning job as a whole will be done more efficiently.
The job site will be divided into zones where tasks are to be completed. Each team member will do their designated task in all the areas where their tasks are needed. For each custodial team, there will be a leader to supervise and conduct quality control. Team leaders will also have their own tasks to complete, like light cleaning or vacuuming.
How does team cleaning compare to the traditional model of office cleaning?
Earlier we mentioned team cleaning is “systematic”, this means team cleaning is focused on the ‘systems’ that janitors complete. With team cleaning, each janitor has their own ‘system’ they master and complete. With the traditional model of commercial cleaning, team members are not encouraged to master their assigned set of tasks.
With giving each team member a task to master, there is an increased sense of pride among the janitorial team. Each individual is valued for their skill. With an increased sense of pride comes higher quality of work and overall more dedication to the job. You will find that janitorial companies who use the team cleaning model have lower employment turnover rates and lower absenteeism. Your office staff will be able to consistently recognize the janitorial team that comes in to clean the facility. This is better for security and the work environment.
With team cleaning, there is a more consistent level of cleanliness throughout the building. Janitors with one to two tasks can complete those tasks more consistently than if they tried to focus on a full list of tasks for each space.
Supervision is easier and more effective with team cleaning versus the traditional model. The team leader and all members of the team know who is responsible for each task. By that account, your workplace staff will learn who on the janitorial team is responsible for a specific task. By implementing this system, accountability is easier to assign and track.
What is one of the main benefits of implementing the team cleaning model? It is more cost effective! A smaller team working faster is bound to save you money! You will also save money on cleaning supplies and equipment because there is less redundancy. Valuable space will be saved when you reduce the area for custodial storage because less equipment has to be kept on hand.
Make it a Clean Summer Break
The summer months in your facility present a unique set of issues for both you and your janitorial company. Each season has a set of challenges and summer is no different. When that warm weather hits, it’s hard to resist the call of pools, barbecues, boating and other summer evening plans. Never mind we might love our jobs and places of employment, summer’s siren song is hard to resist. So we watch the clock waiting for that magical hour and we count down the days until our vacations. But all too often in the haste to getaway, we can leave behind cluttered desks, piles of forgotten takeout in the office fridge and more that can make it had for your office cleaning company to give you their best work. Don’t let summer forgetfulness get in the way of your office cleaning company giving you the most effective service throughout the year. There are a few easy things you can do to prepare for summer and even make use of some of the downtime to attend to other needs in your facility.
Direct Employees To Clean Work Areas Before Making a Beeline For the Beach
Your office cleaners are generally asked to clean the clear areas of work spaces and desks without moving and disturbing things on it. Sure, your office cleaners will toss a paper coffee cup or two but papers and trash left behind or files and papers strewn about make it much harder for your office cleaners to clean your office! And when you are on vacation, often others have to use, look through or even just look at your work space so other good reasons to get your desk organized BEFORE you head out of town. As a Facility Manager, it is helpful to instruct employees to organize their work areas before they leave for the day and before planned vacations. Doing so is thoughtful to your colleagues and helps your cleaning company do their best work and deliver value to your facilities.
Don’t Let the Office Refrigerator Turn Into Something Out of a Horror Film
Is your office refrigerator becoming something straight out of a horror movie? Is it quickly becoming a collection of science experiments rather than a safe place to stow your lunch until noon? Do stacks of Styrofoam takeout containers threaten to topple every time you open the door? Does the smell of days old food and crusty condiments hit you the minute you step into the break room or cafeteria? Summer generally means more people taking time off which often translates into a growing, molding, and stinking office refrigerator. Add to that the fact that summer can be the time of office cookouts and celebrations that lead to half-covered sheet cakes and seven half empty ketchup containers filling the shelves. Not only is a filthy office refrigerator gross, it can actually become a health hazard. If you can get employees to claim that half eaten tuna sandwich or Chinese takeout, it is best to periodically designate a clean out day and post a notice giving your people time to claim anything they don’t want thrown away. We suggest you schedule the clean out just before your office cleaning company comes so unrefrigerated food isn’t left out very long.
Summer’s Downtime the Right Time for Deep Cleaning & Preventive Maintenance
Whether you are right on track with preventive maintenance or you have a list of to-dos a mile long, summer offers a good time to tackle deep cleaning and preventative maintenance. Often summer can mean better weather, less traffic in your facility which can make it a suitable time to do deep cleaning, repairs and maintenance. Is summer a good time for you to tackle your to do list before it becomes overwhelming? Do you have areas of your facility that could use a deep cleaning? If so, get on touch with your JaniTek Representative and they can help you plan cleaning and maintenance to best fit your needs and summer schedule.
