Help yourself and your cleaners by getting everyone on the same page. As a consultant and trainer, I have often seen that lack of standardization is the cause of most cleaning problems. Here is a place to start for standardizing your cleaning operations.

The boss is concerned with the appearance level of your buildings and is questioning your management skills. Your cleaners complain of being overworked, and are questioning your management skills. It's time to drive your cleaning operations with data.

Cleaning company owners and managers, recognizing the value of their own specialized knowledge, encourage customers and business owners to seek advice from and use the special skills of cleaning professionals. Are these same managers and owners aware that training is a specialized skill and how a highly skilled trainer can provide them with a better educated and more proficient workforce, and workforce management system?

Cleaning employees generally fall into three groups. Knowing where your cleaners fit will help you to better manage your cleaning operations. A better managed facility is a cleaner facility.

How do you account for the employees in your custodial department who do not have designated cleaning areas? Some may have a small cleaning area or some other cleaning functions, but the majority of their time is spent on non-cleaning activities.

Many people outside our profession don't understand what we do: We Guard the Treasures! I've been in the cleaning profession for thirty plus years. I often hear from cleaners, supervisors and managers that they don't always feel appreciated for their efforts.

In the day-to-day duties that comes with managing a cleaning crew, it would almost seem that providing quality training for your employees is a luxury. But, training is a necessity; it is a long-term investment that pays off in profit and productivity. Confusion and lack of knowledge are the cause of most cleaning problems.