3 Cleaning Innovations From the COVID-19 Era
In some ways, COVID-19 has completely transformed the commercial office cleaning industry. Hand sanitizer, masks, and other personal protective equipment are now normative. Disinfecting procedures for the virus are part of standardized training. There’s more communication around cleanliness than there’s been in decades. But, in many ways, this pandemic hasn’t changed what we do. Our employees were already trained to use PPE for hazardous materials. We’ve had reliable disinfecting procedures in place for decades. And we’ve always made client communication a focus. Another way of saying it is that the game hasn’t changed, but the stakes are higher. With that…
5 Factors That Set a Cleaning Service Apart
There are many commercial cleaning services to choose from. How can you choose the right provider for your needs? Let’s take a look at five factors that set a commercial cleaning service apart. 1. Communication. You may not think of communication when you think of commercial cleaning – but cleaning is ultimately a service, and all effective services are based on effective communications. High-quality communications make cleaning higher quality, too. Commercial cleaning services that communicate well set clear specifications. Communications will shape the terms of your cleaning engagement. Companies that focus on communications will dig in to understand your needs…
Meet the Wilburn Company: Roxanne Miller, Project Management
When Roxanne Miller started working as a part-time cleaner with The Wilburn Company while in college, she expected that the job would be temporary. “I was just looking for a little bit of extra income to pay for college and pay the bills,” she says. She found it, but she found more, too. Wilburn’s hours worked nicely with her full-time school schedule, and Miller found that she enjoyed the work and its outcomes – even after she graduated and moved into a full-time job at another company. “At Wilburn, I ended up making more than I did at my day…
4 COVID-19 Updates as We Keep Cleaning for Health
As we move deeper into summer, we’re seeing progress in the fight against COVID-19. At The Wilburn Company, we’re doing all we can to continue serving our clients well throughout the different stages of this pandemic – and we’re grateful to see many of our buildings reopening to occupants. One component of serving our clients is providing up-to-date information; unsurprisingly, most of the cleaning questions we get these days are COVID-related. To that end, here are four updates for this month on the COVID-19 situation. As always, consult CDC guidelines for additional information – and if you have questions on…
How We’re Preparing Buildings to Reopen
During this pandemic, most of the country has been working from home. But, as summer approaches, businesses are getting ready to come back to work. This will take strategy and teamwork to do safely. At The Wilburn Company, those are two things we’re deeply familiar with. We’ve been keeping buildings clean and safe for decades – including during the last few months. As the world moves toward reopening, we’re well prepared to take our efforts to the next level to keep people healthy. With that in mind, here’s how we’ve approached cleaning in the time of coronavirus – and how…
Post Coronavirus: An Overview of Effective Disinfecting Procedures
As we navigate the coronavirus situation, there is a lot of uncertainty and tragedy. But there are also glimmers of hope as we move forward together. One small benefit that’s come about in the midst of the crisis has been the improved public perception of front-line workers – including cleaners (or, as we call them, environmental hygienists). In facilities that must stay open, cleanliness is crucial. The Wilburn Company has long proclaimed the value of our employees, but it’s very gratifying to see their very important work being newly appreciated and valued by the public! Today, there’s simply no denying…
What is Deep Office Cleaning?
Deep office cleaning refers to thorough cleaning procedures that sanitize the parts of a facility that aren’t frequently cleaned. It may also include specialized services, like stripping and waxing floors, machine-washing ceramic tiles, or spot cleaning carpets. Essentially, deep cleaning is the kind of approach you might take at home during “spring cleaning.” You pay special attention to getting areas you normally wouldn’t and are extra thorough in everything; your goal is to get your space to its cleanliest. In deep commercial cleaning for offices, the same principles apply. Let’s take a look at what sets deep office cleaning apart…
What Are Green Cleaning Procedures?
Green cleaning is more than a buzzword. It’s a fundamental approach that’s reshaping the commercial cleaning industry around a new set of standards. It’s a focus that puts people’s safety first. And, increasingly, it’s an essential aspect of any successful cleaning company. At The Wilburn Company, we’ve spent decades cleaning millions of square feet in D.C., Baltimore, and throughout the Maryland region. Over that time, it’s safe to say we’ve seen a few cleaning trends come and go. Green cleaning is not a passing trend. It’s here to stay. Yet, while green cleaning is increasingly recognized as an integral focus…
Big Changes and Big Results: The Year in Review
It’s been a big year. While we’re driven toward innovation at The Wilburn Company, we also acknowledge that, in order to maintain a clear perspective, it’s important to have times for reflection, too. This – the end of the year and of the decade – is one of those times. Our team has accomplished a lot over the previous 12 months; it’s worthwhile to recognize and celebrate those accomplishments. To that end, here are some of the highlights from the course of the year. 1. We reorganized for increased effectiveness. We began this year by recognizing the need for focus.…
Are Commercial Janitorial Services Different from Commercial Cleaning?
Who doesn’t love a good Matt Damon movie? One of his most famous is Goodwill Hunting. The movie focuses on a janitor who works at a college for a living. One day after classes are let out, he cracks a mathematical equation that was considered unsolvable. From that point on the movie shifts. Someone who was once viewed as a “lowly janitor” now has a world of opportunities opened in front of him. It’s a great movie, winning several Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice awards. But it’s also a good example of how the public views a commercial…
What Services Does a Commercial Cleaning Company Provide?
A commercial cleaning company does much more than just empty the trashcans and wipe down your kitchen. While these are important pieces of what we do, the Wilburn Company offers much more than just basic custodial services. At the Wilburn Company, we go above and beyond your every day clean and offer customized solutions for every situation. Keep reading to learn more about the full range of commercial cleaning services we provide. Commercial Custodial Services Let’s start with the basics. Our environmental hygienists perform a wide variety of tasks that maintain a sanitary workplace. These include vacuuming carpets, dusting, sweeping,…
How Much Does Commercial Cleaning Cost?
Commercial cleaning services cost from $.05 to $.25 per square foot. Premium services (deep cleaning, add-ons like floor waxing, or specialty services for healthcare or highly secure facilities) may cost $0.50 per square foot. Obviously, these square-footage costs vary widely depending on the size of the facility and the scope of services delivered. Here’s how they translate as cumulative costs at commercial buildings of various sizes and service levels: Sq. Footage Minimum Service High Service Premium Service ($0.05 per square foot) ($0.25 per square foot) ($0.50 per square foot) 8,000 $400 $2,000…
How We Approach Hiring
We believe that the excellence of our employees gives us an advantage in the cleaning services market. Our people are friendly, expert, and helpful. Thanks to them, we can provide premiere services that are more than commodities and play a major role in maintaining buildings and keeping the occupants healthy and safe. We’re grateful for our employees. Accordingly, as we’ve written before, we focus on equipping them to succeed through comprehensive training (both in onboarding and over time). And we intentionally honor our employees with special recognition for jobs done well. These two approaches (training and recognition) are critical in…
What are the Most Common Commercial Cleaning Supplies?
To many people, cleaning products are interchangeable and indistinguishable. But when it comes to commercial cleaning supplies, there are some staples that we just can’t live without. At the Wilburn Company, we do our best to use green cleaning supplies that are good for our employees, clients, and the environment. This allows us to offer high-quality cleaning services while reducing the presence of harmful toxins. Because of this, you’ll notice that our list of commercial cleaning supplies incorporates green or reusable versions of the most common tools. With that in mind, here are a few of the most common commercial…
What Is Commercial Cleaning?
Commercial cleaning is quite different from residential cleaning. The square footage is larger, the stakes are higher, and expectations are quite different from when you’re caring for your own home. If you’re a new building or business owner, commercial cleaning may not be at the top of your mind until you’re the one left to disinfect several thousand square feet. It’s important to understand that commercial cleaning can make a huge difference in tenant satisfaction and ROI. As a building owner, what do you need to know about the process? What is commercial cleaning? Here’s how it’s different from your…
The Benefits of Commercial Vacuuming
Commercial vacuuming is an essential part of every office cleaning routine. Along with deep sanitization of bathrooms, mopping, and more, your office needs commercial vacuuming as part of a successful office cleaning checklist. So, what is commercial vacuuming? And how can it be done effectively? It’s a bit different from vacuuming your home or apartment. Commercial vacuuming uses industrial equipment designed for prolonged and consistent use. They also come with commercial power cords to keep your office safe and prevent sparking. Better for the Environment Commercial vacuuming is better for the environment than the office cleaning staple of wet mopping…
The Most Important Areas to Clean in Your Office and Why
There’s nothing better than having a freshly cleaned office. It smells nice, looks great, and even better, it fosters productivity and contentment among employees. And while every area of your office should be cleaned well, some areas are more important to deep clean than others in terms of the spread of disease and employee/customer satisfaction. The most commonly used spaces foster a greater spread of germs, due to more community interaction. Other areas of your office are important to sanitize due to the presence of consumables or fecal matter. Here are the areas of your office that you need to…
The Power of Transparency in Cleaning
The cleaning industry has traditionally been viewed as a utility in that the outcomes of service have been binary. In the same way that electricity is either on or off, cleaning is either effective or it isn’t; things are either clean or they’re dirty. A lack of transparency has accompanied that perspective, because when the most important factor is whether or not something’s working, there’s no need to see behind the scenes. People complain when the power goes out. Very few people are vocal about optimizing and understanding the power grid. But things are changing. Leaders in today’s cleaning industry…
The Cleaning Checklist Your Office Needs
Every office has unique needs when it comes to maintaining a high state of cleanliness. But there are some tasks that every office requires. This checklist walks you through the basics of facility management solutions—without the tasks on this list, your office is neither clean nor sanitary. While some tasks can be completed in the moment by your employees, others are best left to the professionals. These include sanitization, deep cleaning, community space cleaning, and polishing. Think of your facility management solutions as the big guns- we come in to provide your office with a level of clean that just…
How Commercial Cleaning Makes Your Employees More Productive
A business relies on its employees for growth. Without productive and efficient employees, your business will start to stagnate, falter, and fail. But encouraging productivity in your workplace isn’t as simple as it sounds. One way to motivate your employees is to invest in a building cleaning company. A clean office fosters productivity, happy employees, and a sense of pride and community. Here’s how. Clean Workspace Imagine: you come to work to find your desk covered with crumbs from when your coworker was eating a sandwich and came over to ask a question. The top of your computer has a…