How to Review School Cleaning Contracts: The ABCs for Administrators

For school administrators, this is surely a favorite time of the year: contract renewal time! We are kidding, of course. But as the school year winds down, this is a perfect time for administrators to take stock in what went well this year and what changes need to be made before the fall semester begins. One such annual task is to review school cleaning contracts.

In this blog, we will address the ABCs of school cleaning contracts.

A Is for All-Purpose Cleaning Services

To streamline your school’s operations, look for a professional commercial cleaning service that offers a full menu of services, including as many as possible that you expect to need over the coming year. Those could include regular cleaning and disinfection, deep cleaning several times per year and floor cleaning at least once or twice per year.

Routine cleaning and disinfection are important to keep your students, faculty and staff safe and healthy throughout the school year. Traditional cleaning methods remove dirt that you can see – and with hundreds of pairs of feet traipsing in and out of a school every day, that could be substantial. Wiping down surfaces, sweeping, vacuuming and mopping can reduce or remove dirt and some pathogens from surfaces and pave the way for disinfectants to work better. Disinfection kills the germs that make people sick.

An added benefit to keeping up with your routine cleaning schedule is that it can make materials such as carpeting, hard flooring and upholstery last longer.

 

B Is for Best Practices

Although everyone wants to save money, it’s worth spending a little more to hire a professional commercial cleaning company rather than depending on an unknown business that may not be well-trained or insured.

When considering cleaning companies, ask how they screen employees and how employees are trained. Especially at a school, you want to contract with a company whose employees have been thoroughly background-checked and who will show up in uniform on time every day.

Additionally, is the company insured? This can bring you peace of mind in case something is broken or someone gets injured during the cleaning process.

One more consideration: How flexible is this company? Do they have backup employees available to service your school if your regular cleaner is out sick? Or, if you’re having a special event at the school and would like to schedule an additional cleaning or reschedule cleaning service for a different time of day, can they accommodate you? A professional cleaning company definitely brings value in circumstances like that.

 

C Is for Cleaning Methods

Speaking of training, it’s crucial that employees are trained to use proven techniques and in the safe use of cleaning products, such as the powerful disinfectants used to kill the germs that cause COVID-19, flu and other respiratory illnesses. They should know and follow all recommendations from the manufacturers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even better, you might want to ask about “green” cleaning methods available through the companies you are considering. Eco-friendly products may not have the disinfecting power of chemicals, but they may be a good trade-off if your school community is worried about the effects of harsh chemicals on the health of students, teachers and others.

To learn more about the cleaning services Office Pride offers in your area, please check out our franchise locations and call your nearest franchise location to request a free custom quote for all your cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting needs.