Cleaning guide
We’re excited to be developing a new Green Mop cleaning guide. This will be used to help our Green Moppers perform their important work.
It is based on a training plan that our lovely Olga developed. It includes her useful hints and tips as well as vital information such as colour coding of cloths and mops to maintain hygiene standards and avoid cross contamination.
The value of cleaning
Rising prices are never popular. However, our aim has always been to pay fair wages. Add to that the Government’s plans for a big rise to the minimum wage (rebranded as a National Living Wage), this means wage costs will go up.
It’s easier for us as fair and ethical employers as we have a head start. But, we still need to make sure our staff are paid a fair wage.
It is sensible to make small incremental increases so that we can keep up with the reality of wage increases.
Obviously, it costs much more than the baseline hourly rate to employ people correctly. Holiday pay, cover staff, training, supervision, new pension rules – it all adds up. But any increases are to improve the pay for our staff or cover legislative contributions.
We have to balance that with the fact that the market rate paid for cleaning is still quite low. Customers don’t want to spend much money on it. It’s a vital service, but it is not valued.
So we have a balancing act of what the real cost of cleaning is against the price customers are willing to pay.
Office cleaning essentials
It’s not complicated to provide a good office cleaning service. However, there are a few simple guidelines to ensure that all goes to plan:
Security – always our number one priority. Locking up procedures, alarm instructions, emergency contact in the event of a problem. If door codes or alarm codes change, remember to tell your cleaning provider!
Safety – often, our workers are working alone after hours. It’s essential to ensure every office environment we’re sending our Green Moppers into safe and free from hazards. We also monitor and check that all our team perform their duties following strict safety procedures.
Storage – we need somewhere safe to keep our cleaning materials! We don’t need much room, but a space for a mop or 2, a Henry, and for a bag of cleaning products. As they’re not toxic, it’s quite safe. But lockable storage is always preferable so that nothing else gets piled in there and our bits don’t go for a wander!
Communication – if anything changes or needs adding or taking away from the job sheet, keep us informed.
OHSAS 18001: 2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management
The health and safety of our staff, our customers and their visitors is of the highest importance. For that reason, we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to the welfare of our staff and external parties.
The OHSAS 18001 certification process provided a framework for us to instigate proper and effective management of health & safety in the workplace. By having a clearly defined management system in place to identify and control health and safety risks, we are able to minimise risks by having processes for continually reviewing and improving occupational health and safety.
The certification process means that we have had all our processes audited by an accredited external auditor. We are extremely proud to have achieved this accreditation.
ISO 9001: 2008 Quality Management System
Ensuring that Green Mop continues to provide a consistent, high quality service to our customers has always been the cornerstone of our business.
Implementing an effective and robust Quality Management System has helped us to focus on the important areas of your business and improve efficiency. Continual monitoring, measuring and management of quality and satisfaction will improve your customer acquisition and retention.
ISO 9001 accreditation is the world’s most widely recognised quality management standard. Achieving the standard demonstrates our professional approach to customer satisfaction.
The certification process means that we have had all our processes audited by an accredited external auditor. We are extremely proud to have achieved this accreditation.
ISO 14001: 2004 Environmental Management Standard
As we have always been a ‘green’ business, achieving an internationally recognised accreditation for our Environmental Management was important to us. It underlines our commitment to minimising the impact of our business on the environment.
Implementing the ISO 14001 standard means that we are able to monitor and reduce harmful effects on the environment, and provide evidence of continual improvement.
The certification process means that we have had all our processes audited by an accredited external auditor. We are extremely proud to have achieved this accreditation.
Benefits of a clean office
A poorly maintained office reflects badly on your business. It sets the tone for how your staff and colleagues, clients and customers, suppliers, peers and other visitors perceive you and your business.
A grubby, dusty workplace is not only bad for your image, it’s also bad for health, well-being and productivity.
Presenting your business as a smart and clean organisation demonstrates that you are professional, organised and efficient. Mess, dirt, grime and clutter means you’ll have to work harder to overcome that first impression.
Hygiene is clearly important for preventing the spread of any germs and bacteria, and keeping a workplace clear of dust and toxins helps those of us with allergies too. So a clean office is essential if you’re concerned about the well-being of your workforce.
Frankly, it’s much nicer to work in a clean environment. So keeping it clean will result in healthier and happier staff.
Get in touch if you wish to discuss and efficient cleaning plan to suit your budget!
Great training with Green Mop
We’re really happy that four of our Green Moppers recently achieved their Level 2 in Cleaning and Support Services. And that Johnny Sparkles is progressing through his Team Leader’s Diploma. We learned today that he gets a total of FIVE certificates at the end of it. FIVE! I think it’s going to take a while!
We’ll get some more of our team signed up for the Level 2 training soon. It’s so beneficial for Green Mop for the team to have a greater understanding of the importance of their work, and how to work safely, considerately and properly. It’s also rewarding and motivating for them.
A happy, motivated Green Mop team means happy customers!
Cleaning as an afterthought
Yesterday, I was enjoying a coffee and a catch up with a friend in one of Hove’s many coffee shops. It was pleasing to see one of the coffee shop staff using his initiative and doing a little cleaning. However, as with many staff who do a bit of cleaning as a small part of their job, he was neither trained nor equipped for the task. This leads to employees cleaning in their workplace as they would clean at home – which is inappropriate, unhygienic and hazardous.
Yesterday, for example, the chap looked to be using a tea towel to do some dusting of the seating area. He then popped into the toilet to dampen the tea towel in the basin before dragging one of the chairs round behind the food and serving counter. He then stood on the chair, stretched up and dusted the ceiling light fitting. It was directly above the glass display counter containing cakes and pastries, and where the coffee is prepared. He jumped down and dragged the chair back and tucked it neatly back where it had come from.
Just the sort of thing he may do in his own home. Enthusiastic and admirable intentions from the hard working cafe employee, but oblivious to health and safety, hygiene, and cross contamination infringements. And the cafe manager is probably not knowledgeable in such matters either.
Correct cleaning procedures and training should form part of all businesses processes.
Employing an external cleaning company like us is not always appropriate, and in a small cafe I agree that the cafe staff should take responsibility for the cleaning. But they need to follow proper, correct procedures.
The general cleanliness in many of the food and drink establishments across our city leave a lot to be desired… but that’s a whole other blog subject!
We did it! ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accreditation
We are very happy to announce that we have achieved ISO standards for Quality Management, Environmental Management and Occupational Health and Safety. We started the process in April, and were finally award certification today.
This is a huge achievement for the Green Mop team, who have worked hard to reach the standard required. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing a professional service to our valued customers.
We’ll write blogs with a bit more detail of what each ISO accreditation means to us as a business, and the benefits to our customers.
We just need to put up our three shiny new certificates!