Employee Spotlight: Tammy Hawkins – The Heart of The Wilburn Company
In the bustling corridors of The Wilburn Company, Tammy Hawkins shines as a beacon of dedication and skill. With an impressive eight-year tenure, Tammy has not only witnessed the evolution of the company but has also grown immensely, both professionally and personally. Her journey, marked by a deep understanding of the Green Cleaning system, is a testament to her commitment and adaptability. A Pillar of Strength and Reliability Tammy’s story with The Wilburn Company began with a desire for change. Leaving her previous career path, she ventured into the cleaning business, a decision that has since unfolded into a rewarding…
Meet the Wilburn Company: Ernest Smith
For Ernest Smith, doing an exceptional job cleaning for Wilburn’s clients is just another night at the office. Literally. This experienced cleaning professional also works another daytime job, but spends his evenings working with our night cleaning crew. Ernest came to us just over 2 years ago after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper. He was interested in part-time or night work, so he applied. We’re so pleased he found our ad and came to our family. Although he worked a job as a medical transportation driver before coming to Wilburn, he’s been working in the cleaning industry for over…
3 Tips to Finish Up Spring Cleaning for Offices in 2021
As we move through the end of spring and get ready to head into summer, it’s a great time to double-check your spring-cleaning list. Winter and early spring lead to a lot of time indoors, which can lead to the accumulation of dirt in buildings. Unfortunately, a dirty office isn’t just an aesthetic issue; it can hurt occupants’ health. A clean office, on the other hand, can keep people safe and benefit your building’s reputation with employees and customers. With that in mind, as the weather warms up, here are three quick tips to help you finish up spring cleaning…
What’s New with Green Cleaning Services in 2021
Three years ago, The Wilburn Company officially became GS-42 certified by Green Seal. This notable distinction signaled that our company met green cleaning service requirements, including: Reducing chemical waste through the efficient use of chemicals Reducing solid waste Optimizing cleaning frequencies Providing continuing training to staff Ensuring transparent communication with clients and employees But the journey didn’t end there. While earning our GS-42 certification took commitment, keeping it requires ongoing effort, as well. Green Seal, the nonprofit organization responsible for confirming green cleaning services, is continually updating their standards, and maintaining the certification rightfully requires persistence in compliance. Continuing to…
The Wilburn Company Introduces its First Management Trainer, James D. Graham
James “Darryl” Graham is an encourager. “Everywhere I go, I tell people to have a blessed day,” he says. “I say it so much that people just say it right back to me.” That line – have a blessed day – comes from a strong Christian faith and represents what is a central theme in Darryl’s life. “I’m blessed,” explains Darryl. “God has blessed me, and I believe, 100%, that I’m called to live like it.” That calling translates into a passion for hard work and for building other people up, both traits that have led Darryl into his current role at…
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…
What Makes a Company “Green?”
As the climate crisis continues to loom over all of us, you may start to think about what your company can do to help. When the Wilburn Company “went green” in 2018, we did so because of a need to be environmentally-responsible and give back to the world around us. If you’re feeling pressured to make the same commitment, you may be wondering how you can go green. What procedures need to change? How do you increase your energy efficiency? How can you get your employees involved? As a green cleaning company, we’ve been there and done that. Here are…
The Impact of Commercial Cleaning on the Environment
Everything that we, as human beings, do has an impact on the environment. Whether for better or worse, even the length of our showers and the makeup of our day-to-day diets can change the future of the Earth. Naturally, commercial cleaning also has an impact on the environment. When you’re cleaning several thousand square feet on a frequent schedule, you’re using up a lot of paper material, harsh chemicals, and energy. Green cleaning solutions can mitigate many of the negative impacts of commercial cleaning and can help your company achieve its mission of becoming more environmentally friendly. Releases Volatile Organic…
5 Ways Your Business Can Celebrate Earth Day
April 22nd, 2019 marks the 49th anniversary of Earth Day. The holiday started in 1970 and marked the beginning of the modern environmentalism movement. It was officially founded by Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin Senator. Like few things in US politics, the movement gained bipartisan support and highlighted the shared values between different facets of the American melting pot. The Wilburn Company “went green” in 2018. We committed ourselves to providing green cleaning services to the Washington, D.C. area business community. With the help of the Green Seal organization, we became certified in green cleaning: we implemented new ways to conserve…
What It Means for a Cleaning Company to Be Employee-Focused
On the night of January 8th, two Wilburn Company employees were performing their usual cleaning jobs when they noticed that a tenant was standing outside in the cold with her two small children. Realizing that it was late and that the building was closed, the two employees went out to check on her. As it turned out, her car had been broken into. The windows were smashed and there was glass everywhere. The tenant had nowhere to turn, and to make matters worse, when she’d gone outside to check on the situation, she’d inadvertently gotten locked out of the building.…
Why Your Commercial Cleaning Should Be Green
As we move ahead into 2019 and plan the year ahead, take a close look at your building’s commercial cleaning services. Are they green? Environmentally friendly? Do they benefit your employees? Commercial cleaning should be green. Green commercial cleaning provides your building with huge benefits- but it also provides benefits beyond just your building. Environmental Considerations At this point in the year, we’ve heard it all. The latest headlines make terrifying claims: “World’s Worst Climate Change Disasters Cost 50bn in 2018” “’Please Don’t Kill Us’, Maldives beg ‘failing’ climate conference” “UN Chief Warns Failure to tackle Global Warming ‘suicidal.’” Climate…
How Commercial Cleaning Prevents Winter Colds
According to Villanova University, over one year Americans will suffer a collective 1 billion colds. That means 1 billion stuffy noses, sore throats, coughs, and sick days from work. Keeping your employees healthy doesn’t just benefit them, it also benefits your company with increased productivity, more uptime and fewer sick days taken. Green commercial cleaning, among other commercial cleaning services, can help keep your company running by reducing the spread of illness and preventing those nasty winter colds. Bacteria-Caused Illness Colds are spread by touching infected surfaces and then touching your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. Colds can also be…
It’s Time to Move from “Janitor” to “Environmental Hygienist”
There’s a scene in the early moments of the movie Goodwill Hunting where Will (the main character played by Matt Damon) solves a graduate-level math problem in the hallway of MIT that’s been left on the blackboard as a challenge to students. Within minutes, he’s completely resolved a challenge that’s been unattainable for an entire class of brainiacs. It’s compelling to watch – not just because genius in action is fun to see, but because Will is not, in fact, a student at MIT. He’s actually a janitor at the school, responsible for scrubbing floors, not solving complex math problems.…
How to Decide if Green Cleaning is Worth It
Avocados, coconut oil, acai berries. They’re all health fads that are being trumpeted as the healthiest new thing one minute and the devil himself the next. For example, one week coconut oil pulling is the “cool thing to do” and the next it’s full of saturated fats. Green cleaning may sound like one of these Pinterest-style fads but, unlike these “superfoods,” it’s here to stay. Like most things, green cleaning has its advantages and disadvantages. When you’re considering what is best for your company, you may be tempted to stick to traditional cleaning methods that seem easier and less expensive.…
Why Your Cleaning Company Should Be Growing
Often, there’s a certain level of opaqueness to business-vendor relationships. A vendor is hired to do a job, and they either do it well or they don’t. The curtain to what’s going on behind the scenes is never lifted. That makes sense. Performance in-role is what matters, for cleaning companies as well as for any other vendor. That’s the lens through which a cleaning company should be judged. Yet, what goes on behind the scenes can impact a vendor’s ability to perform a job. If your cleaning company isn’t doing well internally, there’s a good chance that you’ll soon see…
The Definition of Green Cleaning
What is green cleaning? An executive order in 2009 defined green cleaning as: “the use of those products and services that have a lesser or reduced impact on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.” But the reality is that green cleaning is much more than that. Green cleaning means reducing the harmful toxins that cleaning staff, customers, and employees are exposed to throughout the day. Normal cleaning products contain endocrine disrupters, phosphorus, nitrogen, and volatile organic compounds. All of these chemicals harm wildlife, the environment, and the people…
The What, Why, and How of Flood Response
It’s been an unfortunate month for emergency response in Maryland. In the aftermath of flooding in Howard and Frederick Counties and the destruction caused by historic water levels in Ellicott City, many in the area have been left struggling to repair and recover. At the Wilburn Company, we’re grateful to see rebuilding happening at these sites. And we’re thankful that the sites we serve were unaffected by recent flooding. As you might expect, we aren’t often tasked with responding to historic emergency events. However, we do serve over 9 million square feet of space, and we do provide emergency response…
How Green Cleaning Benefits LEED Scores
Commercial green cleaning uses environmentally friendly and sustainable materials and methods to maintain your commercial property. Green cleaning can benefit your business by saving money, creating a healthier work environment, and by giving you the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping the environment as a whole. And, if you’re a business owner or facility manager interested in boosting your business’ LEED score, green cleaning will benefit that as well. What’s a LEED Score? First, a quick recap on LEED: LEED stands for leadership in energy and environmental design. It is a grading scale created by the U.S. Green Building…
5 Things You Might Not Know About Green Cleaning
If you’re in facility management, you’ve probably heard the buzz around green cleaning. As a service, it’s changing commercial cleaning, and as a part of building wellness initiatives, it’s impacting the entire field of facility management. Yet, for all of the buzz, there are still aspects of green cleaning that are relatively little-known, or even commonly misconceived. Don’t worry – we’re here to help. Green cleaning is incredibly impactful, and it’s important to understand it fully. With that in mind, here are five things you might not know about green cleaning. 1. Green Cleaning Is Not More Expensive In fact,…
5 Hidden Costs of Non-Green Cleaning
When trying to run a successful business, everything is evaluated by how it impacts the bottom line. Cutting costs and increasing efficiency are at the forefront of your mind. So, when it comes to commercial cleaning, what is the best route to take? There are many benefits of using green cleaning in your facility. Not only is it better for the health and safety of your employees, but it’s also good for business. So, while green cleaning may seem like the obvious better choice for your building, people are often deterred by the misconception that green-cleaning is more expensive than…