Commercial Cleaners


Cleaning OfficeFor the cleaning of commercial premises an external company may be contracted, or a specific cleaning person employed. An office employee is not usually fully responsible for the cleanliness of their workspace.

If you employ a cleaner as part of your company, you become fully responsible for meeting their employment needs. This means not only wages, but holidays and pensions amongst other things. With a cleaner contracted through an agency or cleaning company most of the responsibility is removed.

A cleaner contracted through an external company will have already been assessed for their relevant experience and good character, so your business knows that they will receive a suitable cleaner without having to advertise and interview themselves. Due to the number of cleaners the external company will employ, your business is also more likely to have any flexible cleaning demands met; such as acting as key holder and cleaning outside office hours or cleaning only intermittently. Moreover, if your regular cleaner is ill or unable to make it to work, an external agency can usually provide someone to cover in the meantime.

However, if you employ a cleaner as a member of your company you have their loyalty as an employee to you. There is usually more of a friendly rapport built up and perhaps an increased element of trust over time. In the case of flexibility and special negotiations, it may be easier to reach arrangements with a cleaner or inform them of any changes without any third party. With direct contact between yourself and the cleaner you can clearly agree times, dates, and smooth over any issues without the time delay or confusion of a "middle man".

What should I expect?

Whichever kind of cleaner you decide to employ, an agreement should be reached about what areas will be covered by the cleaning schedule. In an office environment, a cleaner may cover some or all of the following areas:

Whatever the specifics of the cleaning arrangements, a cleaner should always undertake a thorough job. Dust should be picked up rather than just be moved around and everywhere should be thoroughly vacuumed. Mats themselves should be cleaned before being moved and vacuumed underneath.

A cleaner from an external employer will probably have some cleaning materials themselves, though you will probably have to still provide the cleaning solutions and liquids. If you need to provide materials, it is a good idea to get different coloured cloths to be used on different areas of the office.

Easy PC Cleaning

While an office cleaner should wipe your PC free of dust, it is up to you to keep it all clean by treating it correctly and giving it a thorough clean when necessary. This is also something you should undertake on your home computer to not only keep it looking sparkly and healthy, but to help it work more efficiently for you. Always allow your computer time to dry if you have cleaned it with solution.

Monitor:

Cleaning PcWhile it is not necessary to turn off your monitor to clean it, you will see smudges and dirt more clearly if the screen is black and it will prevent an immediate electrical hazard if any cleaning solution is dripped.

On older computer monitors, spray a soft cloth or paper towel with water or a mild window cleaner and wipe the screen and the monitor case.

For flat panel LCDs, first use a dry cotton cloth to wipe smudges from the screen. If this is insufficient, use a small amount of isopropyl rubbing alcohol solution at about 80% dilution. Do not use paper towels on an LCD as this may damage the screen, as can strong or ammonia based cleaners.

Keyboard:

Cleaning KeyboardWith the computer turned off and keyboard unplugged, turn the keyboard upside down and shake out any loose crumbs and debris. A compressed air can or vacuum cleaner can be used to remove any stubborn remains. It helps of course if you do not eat at your desk in the first place! To clean the keys, dampen your cloth with the mild cleaning solution or isopropyl alcohol and wipe them down. If necessary, use a dampened cotton bud to clean between the keys.

If a spillage occurs on your keyboard, you need to take it to pieces to get it clean. First take a photo or draw a picture of where all the keys belong, and then use a flathead screwdriver or flat knife to lever up each key. Do not remove the larger keys like enter, shift or the spacebar unless it completely necessary as they can be trickier to re-attach. Once your main keys are removed, dampen your cloth and/or cotton buds again and clean the whole keyboard. To re-attach the keys push them firmly back.

Mouse:

Cleaning MouseTo clean a ball mouse, turn the plastic circle at the base of the mouse and remove the ball. This is usually fairly clean in itself, but you can buff it with some rubbing alcohol to keep it running smoothly. On the inside of the mouse where the ball was removed, check for grime on the ball rollers. This can be scraped off with tweezers or something similar, or even your fingernails if you can manage. Tap the mouse out shake out the dirt and then gently swab the rollers with your alcohol-dampened buds.

For an optical mouse you need to ensure that no cleaning products come into contact with the optical sensor on the base of the mouse. Paper towels may also cause some difficultly if used on an optical mouse. Just use your soft cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol to clean the mouse's exterior, avoiding the optical sensor.

Computer case:

It is imperative that you turn off your computer to clean here. The first step is to remove the side cover from the tower case to reveal the motherboard and inner hardware workings, and then spray compressed canned air throughout the system. Pay special attention to areas like the fan that collect dust, but always ensure that you read the canned air instructions before you begin and never spray it at close range to the components.

If the case has a removable air filter, run some warm water over it to clear dust and either leave to dry or use a soft clean cloth. A dab of your rubbing alcohol solution on a cloth can be used to wipe down the computer cables that extend from the back of the computer.

Laser printer cleaning:

Cleaning PrintersOnce unplugged, spray a cloth with a mild window cleaner and wipe down the outside of the printer. Then open all the trays and use the compressed air to blow the dust out of the printer. If you end up blowing in inwards, use your cloth instead.

Locate the fan and filter (use your manual if required) and blow dust from here the canned air. If you find any toner spills do not use the compressed air to clean them. To clean the rollers, use some rubbing alcohol solution as you would on the mouse rollers.

Fax machines & scanners:

With the machine unplugged follow a similar procedure to the above, wiping the outside with window cleaner and blowing off dust with compressed air or another cloth.

Fax machines and scanners also have lenses. Remove the glass cover and clean the lens with your dampened cloth. Again, clean the rollers with your rubbing alcohol solution.

Builders Cleaners

Builders cleaners are often a more heavy going clean carried out by a specialist cleaning company. Following building work carried out on a new property or following major renovations, builders can contract a team of cleaners to get rid of all the dirt and grime that is a necessary consequence of their work. Property developers often employ a cleaning team once a new property has been completed and fully installed. For this reason, time is of the essence in builders cleans.

All paint, plaster, dust and debris are removed from surfaces and cleared up. All remaining labels and their sticky residue are removed from the new fittings throughout the house. Windows, the window frames and sills are thoroughly cleaned and all skirting and doors are washed clean. Sockets and switches are wiped clean, and ceilings and walls are spot checked for dirt areas.

Special attention is paid to kitchens and bathrooms, with all kitchen surfaces and cupboards squeaky clean and the toilet scrubbed free of any building grime. A further "sparkle clean" may be employed just prior to a new property visit.