There are five essentials to choosing the right commercial cleaning service — and the burden of proof is on them to make sure you know that they are the right service for you.

#1 – References & Reviews

Some people are really nice, but don’t do a good job. Others are not so personable but do a fantastic job. Gathering references and reviews are vital to see if they’re a company you want in and on your property, and to make sure that they do the job they promise to do. References alone should not dictate which company you will use, however — a company will typically only pick its best customers for references. Balance it out with straightforward reviews from other users of the service.

#2 – Licensed, Bonded, & Insured Services

To avoid costly problems, ensure that the commercial cleaning service you hire has all three of these items — they are licensed to do business in your area, and they are bonded and insured in case one of their employees is injured on your property. Without bonds and insurance, you could be held liable for an injury on your property. If a company carries their own bond and insurance, in the event of a mishap and injury, you can relax a bit — the main company will be liable for the welfare of their employee.

#3 – Experience

While it’s important to give services new to the scene a chance, you may be better off working with a company that has at least 5 years of successful business relationships in the community. Weigh experience against references and pricing—you may find that those with the most experience are competitive and come with great references. If you choose a company with less experience, make sure they’re offering a better price than their more experienced competitors.

#4 – A la Carte Services

A commercial cleaning service should be open about what services they offer, and explain if the services come in packages, or if you have to choose them “a la carte.” This is relevant not only to how much you’ll ultimately wind up paying, but what services you’ll get for a flat fee. Some services offer “cleaning menus” where you can choose a basic package plus extras, while others have pricing for individual services only.

#5 – Competitive Pricing

This is the one element where balance comes into perspective. A company that offers bonus services and “a little extra” will likely come with a heftier price tag. However, a company should not charge too high a price over their competitors, even if they do offer extras. The price should be reasonable for what you’re asking for, and the quality should be on par or better than the other services and what they offer.

Keep in mind that, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is (see item #1 to make sure they’re legitimate).

These are the five primary elements to a good commercial cleaning service. If any of these elements are missing, keep shopping till you get the right service. Shopping around is well worth it when it comes to your property.  Read commercial cleaning reviews to learn more.

Cleaning Up
According to Jan-Pro, the recession has not affected the cleaning industry and statistics seems to back them up. In Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2011 edition of their top 10 list of the most profitable low-cost franchises, there are seven cleaning companies. In the magazine’s top 500 overall list, cleaning companies took six of the top 50 spots. As for Jan-Pro themselves, the magazine rated it as the third fastest growing franchise on the planet. But how does the company stack up when it comes to actually serving their customers?

Services
Jan-Pro vows to conduct quality checks and evaluations on all the properties that they have been charged with cleaning. They also promise to provide technical support and all-encompassing training to their employees with the latest technologies utilized in order to make sure each property is exceptionally clean. The company is so confident in their services that they guarantee their work. As well as completing their work on schedule, Jan-Pro pledge to respond to and resolve any problems you have with their work within one business day. In the event that they don’t meet this deadline, they guarantee a complimentary cleaning call to be scheduled at your convenience.

What really sets Jan-Pro apart from other cleaning companies is their dedication to finding and utilizing the best technology available. A perfect example of this is their EnviroShield electrostatic spray disinfectant system which is trademarked by the company. A state-of-the-art sprayer nozzle is used to spray the disinfectant. The nozzle adds an electrostatic negative charge to the solution which clings to the surface it surrounds. It proceeds to destroy bacteria such as the MRSA bug.

Not only does EnviroShield use one of the most effective disinfectants in the entire cleaning industry, the ingredients they use meet every EPA requirement when it comes to Toxicity Category IV which means the materials contain no harmful ocular, dermal, ingestion or inhalation effects. This is great news for their employees and your property.

Jan-Pro Review
Judging by the expansion of Jan-Pro and the comments from their delighted customers, this is a cleaning company that is heading straight to the top. They use innovative technology in a bid to be the best cleaning company in North America. The only black mark against Jan-Pro is their alleged poor treatment of some workers who claim that they receive less than the minimum wage in their state of residence. Jan-Pro vehemently deny these allegations and continue to provide high quality service to their client base.

Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning is one of the most difficult cleaning tasks. Spills and dirt can settle deep in the fibers and padding of a carpet, and they cannot be completely removed no matter how much you vacuum or scrub. If the stains are not removed promptly, they will ruin the appearance of your carpet and produce an unpleasant odor. Commercial cleaners use effective deep carpet cleaning techniques, such as hot water extraction, to remove all kinds of dirt and stains that settle deep in your carpet. They also apply deodorizer to make your carpet smell fresh and clean.

Upholstery Cleaning

Stains on upholstery furniture, such as sofa and armchair, are also very hard to remove. Using the wrong cleaning solution can result in patchy discoloration and irreparable damage. A commercial cleaning company has trained technicians who know how to use the right equipment and solutions to clean all kinds of upholstery fabrics, as well as remove dirt from crevices and folds.

Window Cleaning

If you have trouble giving your hard-to-reach windows a proper cleaning, or you just want your windows to look sparkling clean, you should leave the task of cleaning windows in the hands of commercial cleaners. Commercial cleaners know how to use the most effective techniques and solutions to clean all kinds of windows, and they have expert technicians who can clean hard-to-reach windows with ease. They can leave your windows streak-free and perfectly clean.

Domestic Cleaning

If you are too busy to clean your home, it is a good idea to hire a commercial cleaning service. A commercial cleaning company can perform all kinds of domestic cleaning tasks, including dust-skirting, vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing, damp-wiping, and others. Some commercial cleaners also offer laundry, ironing, tidying, and bed-making services.

Office Cleaning

A clean office makes employees healthier and happier, and it can certainly improve productivity. If you do not want to spend too much money hiring a full-time cleaner, you can avail of the office cleaning service of a commercial cleaning company. Commercial cleaners can do hardware cleaning, hard floor cleaning and polishing, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, washroom cleaning, and other cleaning tasks to create a most pleasant working environment for you and your employees.

Common Area Cleaning

Common areas in buildings experience a lot of traffic every day, and they require regular cleaning and maintenance. Commercial cleaning companies offer all the necessary cleaning services to keep common areas clean, including dusting and polishing windows, doors, skirting boards, and light fixtures; cleaning lifts and lift doors; vacuuming carpeted areas; mopping and polishing hard floors; cleaning reception and security areas; cleaning and sanitizing washrooms; maintaining bin area; sweeping car park; and others.

Below is a helpful checklist for choosing a commercial cleaning service for the home or office.

Check Licensing and Bonding
Respectable cleaning services should be licensed and bonded. Being insured and bonded is vitally important to check into when choosing a commercial cleaning service. This will help protect workers in the event of an accident—they are able to turn to their own company if they are injured and need to make a compensation claim for medical bills and the like—rather than going to the property owner seeking damages for injuries. Reputable services will offer licensed and bonded workers.
(This is the most important part of a checklist for choosing a commercial cleaning service.)

Check Fees and Services
Pricing tiers and scales should be easy to understand and follow, and should clearly outline what services are provided at what price. Discuss what services are expected for the property in question (bathroom services, plant care, vacuuming and floor care, etc.), and what the prices will be charged for these services. They can either be set up as à la carte (paid for each individual service), or as packages.

Check their Mission Statement
Reputable companies have clear mission statements and state their values clearly. The best mission statements place the customer in strong focus, and know their commitment to the customer is a priority. They may also include a statement of being thorough, fast, and timely as part of their dedication to total customer satisfaction.

Check their Background
There are a number of ways to check out a company prior to selecting them—checking references, online reviews, testimonials, and local reputation. Here are some easy ways to check out the reputation of any given cleaning service:

•    Read customer reviews and testimonials. Take them all with a grain of salt, however, and be wary of reviews that are too glowing, or too cruel. Good reviews will advise why a service was good or bad, and not just state that they were good or bad.

•    Ask for references. A commercial cleaning service should be able to provide references, but don’t forget to follow up on said references. Be sure to ask questions of those references that paint a thorough picture of the company—ask about punctuality, completeness of services, and how quickly those services are performed.

•    Check out their involvement with the community. Companies that are locally owned that are reputable tend to invest their time and money in community outings, functions, and charitable contributions. Those who are willing to serve their community typically take pride in maintaining a good reputation and stand by their promises.

These four items are simple reminders—using this checklist for choosing a commercial cleaning service will make it much easier to pick the appropriate services for any type of application.

•    Emergency Cleaning Services: There are a number of service providers who are “on-call” when the regular cleaning service is unable to provide a promised function, either due to illness, short staff, or inability to respond to short notices.

•    Construction Cleaning Services: These services can be provided prior and after construction, and typically entail cleaning up debris, removal of paint stains, and the like.

•    Parking Lot Cleaning Services: Keeping a parking lot clean is important to first impressions of any business or office. Litter removal is an important part of parking lot cleaning, and pressure washing can be used as well.

•    Floor/Carpet Cleaning Services: Floor stripping, waxing, buffing, and deep carpet shampooing are often available as a regular janitorial service. This can be an added bonus service to a daily mop and vacuum job, and can include stairs, hallways, and area rugs.

•    Office Cleaning Services: Services for offices can be quite basic or thorough, and will depend on the needs of the property. Properties are typically divided up by area, such as entrances, general areas, kitchens, and bathrooms. Detailing, such as cleaning door handles and removing cobwebs are often included in the pricing tiers.

•    Moving Cleaning Services: When moving from one place to another, janitorial services that can be used that are extremely helpful include cleaning the place left behind (such as thoroughly cleaning the carpets and making sure everything is spotless). However, moving into a new place can also use the added benefit of having a thorough cleaning prior to setting up shop at the new property.

•    School Cleaning Services: Keeping a school clean is a very daunting task. Janitorial services for schools include floor maintenance, spill cleanup, and graffiti removal.

•    Event Cleaning Services: Events such as weddings, parties, showers, and other affairs often make quite a mess. Having a professional service do cleanup prior and after these occasions takes the stress out of it all and adds to the enjoyment of the event.

•    Hospitality Cleaning Services: Hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts need a consistent cleaning service for the health and safety of the guests, as well as the reputation of the establishment.

•    Hospital and Medical Cleaning Services: The cleanliness of a hospital or doctor’s office is a top priority for the health and safety of patients as well as faculty and staff.

This list of services commercial cleaning services provide can be helpful when choosing what types of services are appropriate for any given setting.

792 Kirkwood ave Atlanta, GA 30316
(888) 243-6167

They provide affordable office cleaning services. Their staff are honest and professional.They utilize the safest, most effective products/solutions and equipment on the market.

272 Milledge Avenue Southeast Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 641-7617

They do a variety of cleaning in the Atlanta area. J&P provides residential, commercial, and office cleaning services.

100 Peachtree Street Northwest Atlanta, GA 30303
(678) 325-7870

They have been providing experienced, affordable, and guaranteed commercial office cleaning services throughout the metro Atlanta area since 1989. They offer a wide range of customizable custodial and janitorial services for your facility.

1718 E. Speedway Blvd. #173
Tucson, AZ 85719
(520) 982-3972

They use only natural cleaning products that are safe to the environment and/or products that have been certified by Green Seal. They also have electronic invoicing and electronic customer feedback surveys to recycling and conservation efforts.