0117 987 8757

Get a quote

Although there are many reasons to look for a new cleaning company when the current lockdown ends Sparkle Cleaning always recommend that you start looking well ahead of time, although there are several reasons why this could benefit you we have picked the top 4 reasons we believe you should consider.

Price Guarantee

As with all things supply and demand there is always a risk that cleaning companies will put their prices up.

The cleaning industry is fairly consistent with there pricing structure and although some companies decide to give a flat price and others give an hourly rate it is always somewhere in the region of £13 – £25 per hour however as with everything there are always a few companies that push the boundaries and as we saw at the end of the 1st and 2nd lockdown to their prices up to extortionate amounts.

After the first lockdown, we were asked to speak with a client’s current contractor to try and negotiate them out of a 3-year contract. Even though their offices had been closed for the past 6 months and no teams had been working on site they had still been forced to pay the entirety of the invoice, then when they did open back up the cleaning contractor increased their hourly rate from £16 per hour to £25 per hour just because they could!

Don’t currently have a cleaner

Many cleaning contracts have run their course during the last few months of lockdown, so now is a great time to look for a new contractor.

There is no rush, many cleaning companies are now doing blind quotes to reduce the person to person contact meaning that it has never been easier or faster to get a selection of quote and have time to research the individual companies.

You are ready to go

By bringing in a cleaning contractor you’ll have the faith and confidence that when you are able to open your premises you will be ready to go.

This will give both you and the contractor time to organise any signatures and checklists needed so that you don’t have to join all the companies that have left it to the last minute.

When the first lockdown ended Sparkle Cleaning saw a shift in mentallity where everyone wanted a cleaning company to come in and they wanted it as quickly as possible. Obviously, this caused a few issues as no cleaning company have several team members just sat around, we always ask for a 14 day period to get the teams organised (Although quite often we can do it quicker than this) but by doing it far in advance you can be happy that on the day you bring your team back it will all be ready to go.

Don’t have to worry about the cleaning of your offices

There is no end to the reassurance of coming into a nice clean office especially over the last 12 months however as the pandemic hopefully starts to end and the vaccine starts to work we should be able to open up our offices.

In a recent study 3 out of 4 employees want to return to their offices, no necessarily every day but for a few days a week meaning that there will be a reason to downsize the office, theres no point in having 100 desks if you never have more than 30 people coming in. But, if the office size is reduced this will mean that people will share desks. 

How do we stop germs from spreading while hotdesking? You can always ask the team to wipe everything down before and after use however some people will forget and some will ignore their responsibility. The obvious answer to us is to bring in an external cleaning company with a proven track record to support you.

At Sparkle Cleaning this is specifically what we do, we attend your sites with all the equipment and chemicals we need to make sure your site is as safe as possible. Before we start on our first day we will give you a copy of your checklist which will include all our Covid touchpoints to make sure no matter how many people share a desk during the day it always Sparkles at the beginning of the next one.

Discover your options about how Sparkle Cleaning can change your Commercial Cleaning experience call us now on 01172 591456

Kitchen cupboards and door handles

There are many hiding spots for germs in the workplace, this isn’t necessarily because the cleaners miss them although this can sometimes be the case. For example, kitchen cupboard door handles are a prime example of areas cleaners can miss. It’s really common for cleaners to wipe the outer cupboard doors and surfaces but when was the last time they cleaned the sides of the doors, the back of the door handles and inside the cupboards? You can check this quite easily by just touching them. There’s a significant difference in feel to the touch; it’s a little bit more sticky and you may feel lumps and bumps of residue. It’s not necessarily that they always get missed, however, if they feel sticky then they have likely been missed.

Cleaning Flow

It’s really important to have a cleaning flow to avoid cross-contamination and an unnecessary build up of residue. Did you know that the average person’s hands probably carry at least 3000 different bacteria belonging to more than 100 species? Why is that relevant you ask? Because whenever a cleaner enters a new area they should wash their hands but if a cleaner wipes the front of the kitchen cupboards and door handles before putting away clean items from the draining board, this could cause contamination from the germs on the doors and handles transferring to the clean cups and plates if their hands aren’t washed in between. If the cleaner washes their hands then puts away clean items before cleaning the doors and handles there is less risk of spreading germs as their hands have already been sanitised before touching the already clean items. Once the clean items are put away they can then proceed to clean and sanitise the doors and handles, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

Cleaning flow is really easy to establish through the usage of checklists and through simple and effective training and education of team members on why we do things in certain ways. This is especially important at the moment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that nothing gets missed or contaminated and once they’ve wiped a surface there’s no reason to go back and touch them again.

Chairs

The same goes for chairs in meeting rooms, waiting areas and under desks. A lot of cleaners will brush them down and vacuum around them but do they wipe the arms? The arms of the chairs are the one area that gets touched the most and is easily missed. This once again comes down to training. The cleaning staff should have clear expectations of their role and a good understanding of the method statements on how to clean a chair, making sure to include brushing and vacuuming of the seat, dusting the back of the chair and cleaning/sanitising the arms.

Pens

Another, less obvious area for germs to hide is in your pens. Now it’s unreasonable to ask you cleaner to wipe down your pens as most offices have hundreds of them but there are things you can do to help reduce the risk of spreading germs. You can bring your own pens to work with you. Don’t share pens, just like you wouldn’t share a phone. Or you can use an antibacterial wipe or spray to wipe them down before use.

These are just a few of the areas germs like to hide in your workplace and a few tips to avoid cross-contamination. If you would like to speak to a professional cleaning contractor that does this for a living and knows what they’re doing then get in touch with us.

To increase profit in your business, the first thing you should look at is the marketing that your cleaning does. Raymond Kroc, the American businessman who helped franchise McDonald’s, was well known for going into McDonald’s, checking the toilets, picking up a mop and giving them a good clean. This is because he knew that when parents and their children used the facilities, parents would notice the standards of cleanliness and were more likely to return if the standards were good.

Cleaning is marketing!!

It’s the first judgment people make when they go into a shop, restaurant, office or even when walking down the street. If the place is dirty, your customers and clients are going to make a judgment before they’ve even spoken to anyone in your business; because cleaning is marketing!

One of the easiest ways to clean your premises is to make sure you keep on top of the dusting. You can do this in multiple ways, especially if you’re looking at improving the profit in your business based on the cleaning. By reducing the dust in the environment, it will reduce dust particles in the air which can get into the lungs potentially making your staff unwell through irritation of the respiratory system. Sickness accounts for about 2.7% of time off work annually. If you base that on an average salary of £25,000 p/a, that equates to £675.00 p/a spent on sick pay alone…and that’s just for one employee! Just imagine if your staff have 2.7% more time in your business to sell, form client relationships and improve the systems, that will increase productivity and ultimately the profits of your business.

You can do this by bringing in a professional cleaning company. If your own team are currently doing the cleaning, this will take away from their core duties. Think about how much time it takes to ‘pop’ to the shop to buy cleaning supplies. It might be 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back; yes, it’s only 20 minutes but if your team do this every week, that’s roughly 17 hours over the course of a year! This is more time they could be selling and making sure your clients are happy.

Working with a commercial cleaning company like Sparkle Cleaning will ensure the correct chemicals and equipment are used; professional quality products meaning you will instantly get a better standard of cleaning that also lasts longer. A professional cleaning company also use checklists so the teams know exactly what needs to be cleaned and what standard to clean it too. Then you’ve also got regular audits that will help consistently stay on top of the cleaning standards. This means your staff are going to have 2.7% more time in the business generating you more business and more money.

What does your cleaning say about your business?

To find out more and see how else we can help your business, get in touch today.

We’ve put together a simple guide for Operations Managers to help make the most of your commercial office cleaning.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full force, here are a few key things to look out for to make sure your commercial cleaning is effective.

Standards

If you notice that standards are slipping this is usually quite obvious to spot. It might start small and build over a period of time but if you’re not happy you should speak to your cleaning provider and request an audit and copies of the last couple of audits to be shared with you. This will help you see the performance of the cleaning team over the last few weeks/months and should highlight any areas that are underperforming.

The purpose of regular auditing is to monitor and maintain high standards of cleaning. It also helps identify and resolve issues or potential issues before the client notices. The purpose of working with a professional cleaning company is so that they manage the team and service delivery, not you, allowing you to focus on what’s important. If you’re having to liaise heavily with your cleaning provider to resolve issues, it may be worth reviewing the service.

You should also have clarity of the cleaning schedule and requirements for your site so you know exactly what’s included in the service.

Time

How much time is being spent on-site and is this what was agreed in the contract? If your not sure, speak to your cleaning provider who should be able to confirm this.

Not enough time spent on-site can have a direct impact on the cleaning standards and can be a telltale sign of problems with the team or not enough time allocated for the task. It’s important to get the right cleaning company with the right team members and training to ensure consistent and smooth delivery of your office cleaning.

It’s worth reviewing your contract, especially if you haven’t done this for a while (we recommend reviewing every 6-12 months). If your business needs have changed your cleaning requirements may need to change too, whether that’s increasing or decreasing hours to get the best return on investment and the best results for your business and employees.

Communication

Communication between you and your supplier should be easy. You should know who to go to if you have any questions or concerns and ideally you want a company that are in regular contact in the form of newsletters, check-in emails and phone calls or site updates.

It can be frustrating to have to chase for answers and not receive a response in a timely manner. Communication is key to the fundamentals of any great working relationship. If you don’t have a point of contact or struggle to speak to your cleaning company, perhaps it’s time to make a change. Relationships are two ways after all.

How Sparkle Cleaning exceed client expectaions

We know that the reasons outlined above are the main reasons for businesses leaving their commercial cleaning provider so we work extra hard to ensure we go above and beyond for our clients. Communication is easy with a dedicated point of contact for your contract, standards are monitored and delivered consistently and we use a time management app with GPS tracking to ensure we deliver with INFOTIS – In full, on time, in spec!

When did you last review your cleaning contract?

It’s now more important than ever to know what cleaning service you are getting from your cleaning provider. 

When did your cleaning provider last reach out to you? If you haven’t heard from them a while, give them a ring, pick up the phone, talk to them. 

Make sure you know what service you’re getting. Are they just coming in, emptying the bins and wiping over the desks? Or are they doing the phones? Are they doing the touchpoints? Are they doing the keyboards? What chemicals are they using? Are they going down to the local supermarket to buy things? Or are they using a medical-grade antibacterial disinfectant that’s used for medical theaters? Are the chemicals that they’re using strong enough to kill COVID?

A standard disinfectant isn’t really enough anymore – you should make sure that your cleaning company is using a broad-spectrum disease disinfectant. 

At Sparkle Cleaning, we use a product called Versan. Versan is BS EN 1276 and BS EN 13704 rated. This means that it’s a medical standard, and has undergone European standard testing. We’ve rolled this out to all of our sites, and made sure our clients that they have a bottle of this product under their shelves so that they can clean down between our visits, too. 

Our aim here, during COVID and beyond, is to make sure that we’re keeping you safe, making sure that we’re keeping your family safe, and making sure we all work together to help beat COVID.

We’re now in a situation where we’re not just trying to keep our team safe in the office with us, but it’s also about keeping our team’s family safe, too. 

It’s now more important than ever to make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting from your cleaning provider. 

If you have any doubts, reach out to Sparkle Cleaning. We use the same medical-grade sanitizers and antibacterials as medical theaters. We’ve upgraded all of our PPE for our teams to medical-grade PPE. We’re here to not just keep you safe, but also to keep your offices safe, and keep your family safe. 

As a business, the safety of your staff and customers is paramount, and in these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your offices are cleaned to the highest standard. Our clients can rely on us to communicate with them openly and clearly, so they have knowledge of everything that’s been cleaned and when. Our robust systems ensure that our cleans are always conducted to the same high-quality standard every single time, which means you won’t have to worry about consistency, and our reliable teams deliver the best results every time, on time. That means you have peace of mind knowing that you’re working in a safe and hygienic environment. 

The cleanliness of your office space has never been so important. Join hundreds of businesses across the UK that trust Sparkle Cleaning and get your free quote booked in today.

Many businesses think that outsourcing their commercial cleaning needs can be very costly but often overlook the benefits a professional cleaning company can offer. When you weigh up the pros and cons you can soon find that the benefits far outweigh any disadvantages. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why businesses choose to outsource:

Increased Standards of Cleanliness

There is a misconception that cleaning is cheaper and more effective to do in-house such as employing someone in your team directly, but when it’s not their main job things often get missed or the attention to detail is lacking. It may look ok at first glance but on closer inspection, you can find that it just doesn’t quite hit the mark. Investing in a commercial cleaning company will save you money in the long term by delivering a much higher standard of service and better efficiency, leaving you and your team time to focus on what’s important. Outsourcing also reduces the need to factor in employee training, holiday and sickness budgets and any employee benefits you may offer.

The right chemicals and equipment provided

When working with a professional cleaning company like Sparkle Cleaning there’s no need to worry about supplying your own cleaning chemicals and equipment as this is provided within the service provision. Not only that, you can rest assured that the chemicals provided by your cleaning company will be higher quality and suitable for the job at hand – rather than the standard shop-bought cleaning products that you would typically use at home.

Subject matter experts

Another advantage of outsourcing is that when working with a professional cleaning company, you’re in good hands. They are professionals – subject matter experts and while you may think that anyone can do a cleaning job you might just be surprised at the training that goes into a professional service to ensure that standards are seamlessly delivered and maintained.

Outsourcing your cleaning service moves insurance liabilities to your cleaning provider

Have you ever thought about the cost implications if something goes wrong? If you employ directly and your team member uses the wrong chemical which results in a damaged work surface for example, you are liable to foot the bill. Outsourcing your cleaning services moves the liability and insurance costs from you to your commercial provider. That’s a weight off your mind, right?

Sparkle Cleaning actually works with a client that specifically moved their cleaning provision for this very reason. A large office building used to employ three in house cleaning staff, which ultimately cost them thousands of pounds in damages when one of the team used an incorrect cleaning product on some vinyl flooring. This resulted in large white smears all over the vinyl across all of the kitchens and bathrooms over four floors of the building. The chemical they had used damaged the surface and unfortunately couldn’t be saved so the floors had to be replaced. 

The mistake ultimately came down to not enough training and a lack of understanding of the chemicals and equipment. While it was a genuine mistake, it was very costly and the client quickly learned their lesson and decided to outsource to a professional cleaning company. The existing team were TUPED over to Sparkle Cleaning and provided with comprehensive training. They were also given all of the proper COSHH and safety data sheets for the chemicals as well as simple checklists to work to. The team is now more efficient with their time and have ultimately saved the client a lot of money.

Regular auditing

If you currently manage the cleaning of your business in house, ask yourself how often do you audit and review standards? Do you know who is responsible for completing these audits and what kind of things to look for that can indicate how well your cleaners are performing? With a professional cleaning service, you should have regular audits and Sparkle Cleaning complete these a minimum of once per month as standard.

First impressions

Professional cleaning services from Sparkle Cleaning will allow you to wow your customers and clients each and every time they step foot in your premises with consistently high standards of cleanliness. We understand the importance of a clean work environment and the lasting impression this makes. After all, you can only make a first impression once and it takes as little as seven seconds to form a lasting opinion that can be hard to change if it’s not the impression you wanted to leave.

Professional services custom made for you

Sparkle Cleaning will work with you to understand your business and your needs to create a custom solution to suit you. It’s our priority to make your life easier; we’ll take care of the cleaning so you don’t have to worry about it and can focus on what you do best.

Sparkle Cleaning had been working with a large serviced office cleaning the communal areas for a couple of years when the client recommended them to another branch and made an introduction. The other branch had become increasingly frustrated with their current cleaning provider who hadn’t been spending the correct amount of time on-site, but claimed that they had and continued to invoice for the full amount of time. This resulted in hours and hours of the client’s time wasted on searching through security reports and extracting swipe card access information in order to review the actual time spent on site. Despite the evidence, their existing provider insisted it was wrong and refused to compensate the client, which damaged the relationship beyond repair. It was at this moment that the client knew they needed to make a change and invest in a company that not only care but could also deliver.

In the initial meeting with the client, they were obviously quite apprehensive given their previous experience but Sparkle Cleaning were able to provide a simple and effective solution by implementing a time management system with GPS tracking.

The existing team were TUPED over from the previous supplier and introduced to The Sparkle Way. They instantly felt welcomed to the family and commented on how nice it was to see the management team in person and the support received from day one. Sparkle Cleaning worked closely with the team to make the transition as smooth as possible as a change of employer can be unsettling if not done in the right way. The team were really receptive to the new way of working using a simple time management app which has enabled us to rebuild the clients’ confidence in their cleaning provision.

Once the team had been with us for 3 months they were gifted annual passes to the local zoo. The team feel recognised and valued for their hard work and the results of feeling this way speak volumes on the client site. The team are more engaged and motivated and the standards have improved significantly. 

As a direct result of the positive steps we have taken, Sparkle Cleaning has been awarded more business cleaning individual units within the serviced offices and are currently in discussion about taking on more regional branches to deliver the same results across the board.

There are a number of reasons why someone would hire a Sparkle Cleaning, the main reason though, of course, is to ensure that their space is as clean and tidy as possible. Hiring a cleaning company can be expensive, which means that you are going to want to make sure that you get the best return for your investment. But how can you do this?

How do you know that you have chosen a professional cleaning company? Here are the things that you should definitely expect from them and for them to do when they tackle your cleaning jobs. 

 They will be able to advise you on what you need

You may know the key areas that you want to be cleaned out in your workplace, however, it is just as likely that you will have no idea where to start. A professional cleaning company will be able to give you helpful advice on the key areas that you need to focus on, which parts need a deep clean and which parts could be fine with just a clean every now and then instead. 

They have the right equipment and tools for the job

Cleaning a commercial property is very different to cleaning a home. Not only does it need to be done on a much larger scale, but you will often need to think about using different products and equipment during the clean too. A professional cleaning company will know the right equipment that they are going to need to use and they will have it as a part of their kit too. Making sure that your office or workplace is as clean as it can be. 

They won’t rush through the job, they will take their time

A professional cleaning company will make sure that they take their time when it comes to cleaning your office or workplace. Of course, you may worry that the longer that they take then the more it will cost you, but it is most important to make sure that they do a good job and that you are going to be left with a clean workplace that you are going to be proud of. 

You will see the results instantly

One of the best things about organising a professional company to clean your premises is that you are going to see the results straight away. You will feel the benefits and you will know that you have definitely made the right investment with your money. 

There are a number of things that you can expect from a professional cleaning company, however, the most important thing is that they are going to do exactly what you want them to and leave you with a beautifully clean building that you can be proud of. 

No-one wants to work in a dirty office space. This means that many companies ask for a commercial cleaning company like Sparkle Cleaning to come in and make sure that things are as clean and tidy as possible. It is relatively easy to spot when your office is clean, cleaner than it used to be, however, does this mean that it is clean enough? 

Here are some of the things to keep an eye out for in order to try and ensure that your office is as clean as it can be. 

Always tackle the front door and reception area

When you welcome someone into your business premises, you are going to want to make sure that you make the right impression. One of the best places to start is to make sure that the front door and any reception area is as clean as it can be. Not only should everything be clean, but it is also important that any furnishings look like they are in the best condition possible, otherwise you may find that they see your business in a negative light, which is never going to help you to make a good impression. 

Take a look at the communal areas

Communal areas are great in an office space as they bring together your staff and help to boost team morale. The only downside of communal areas is that they are notorious for becoming dirty and unhygienic over time. This means that this part of your office space needs to be cleaned as much as possible. Bins should be emptied, floors should be cleaned and dishes and cutlery need to be put away. All things that can really help to make sure that the space looks neat and tidy. 

Make sure workspaces are as clean as possible

Another part of an office that may end up not being as clean as you would hope are the workspaces, desks, and stations that your employees sit at. People spend a lot of time sat in these areas which means that they are going to quickly become dirty. It is important that workspaces are cleaned on a regular basis. You should encourage your staff to clean up after themselves every day, to cut down on clutter and on a less regular basis the workspace as a whole should be cleaned. It is also important that you think about keyboards, as they can really build up an assortment of grime and dirt within the keys, which is incredibly unhygienic. 

A professional office cleaning company is going to know exactly how to make sure that your office is as clean as it can possibly be. Whether it is using the right tools for the job, or tackling the areas that really need extra help, you can be sure with their help that your office is going to feel the cleanest that it ever has. 

After Boris Johnson returned to number 10 last night and announced that now we are at the maximum risk of contracting Covid 19 it’s important to remember to go back to basics.

Please see the attached download of how to effectively wash your hands