Chemical free ways to clean our home offices are a more common consideration than ever before, with many of us now part working from home. We all want to do our bit towards helping the environment.
There are many producers of cleaning products making a move on the chemical free cleaning supply, with Koh and method being well known suppliers.
There are however also many chemical free cleaning products that you can make at home from readily available every day products, making it easy and quick to introduce chemical free ways to clean your home office.
Why is it worth making your own cleaner? You can make it in less than a minute, it can save you money and works well. Chemical free ways to clean really do start at home!
All-purpose cleaner ingredients
Instructions for making all-purpose cleaner
You can use this all-purpose cleaner for many purposes including as a bathroom cleaner, floor pre-treater, kitchen cleaner and on toys.
We recommend a glass bottle rather than plastic for use as the spray not only to reduce plastic usage, but also if you use the citrus essential oils for fragrance, it is important to store in glass as they can break down a plastic bottle over time.
All purpose cleaner frequently asked questions:
Glass Cleaner Ingredients:
Whilst we haven't completed detailed studies on this, we have found products made as detailed above to still be highly effective three months after being made. Further proof that chemical free ways to clean are sustainable.
We hope that you have learnt that chemical way free ways to clean are easy and needn't cost the earth to implement.
The easiest way to clean your premises is to hire a professional cleaning company that operate in an environmentally friendly way and share your values. At Green Fox Cleaning we pride ourselves on massively reducing our plastic usage, supplying local cleaning operatives to reduce our carbon footprint and many other things. Click here to learn more about our commitment to green cleaning.
Click here to find your local Green Fox Cleaning office and request a free, no obligation quote to discuss your cleaning requirements, whatever sector you operate in.
Do you know how to spot the signs of a bad cleaning company? Are you currently using a commerical cleaning company but just feel as though you are getting a good service?
The purpose of this article is to highlight the seven key indicators that may suggest it is time to review your workplace cleaning arrangements - have a ready and see how many are already on your radar.
The best office cleaning companies always provide you with transparent pricing. Not only does transparent pricing help you compare office cleaning bids in a telling way, it can help both you and your cleaning company know exactly what work is and is not included.
If your current provider has vague pricing or are constantly adding extras onto your invoice that you aren't expecting, it is probably time to start looking at other cleaning company options. There are few worse signs of a bad cleaning company than one that does not offer clear pricing for their clients.
We have heard of companies charging extra to clean a desk, telephone and even per desk bin emptied - how can you possibly make a decision based on such vague and variable figures?
Like all companies, you want to budget your cleaning and know exactly what you are paying, and what you are receiving in return.
Clear, transparent pricing gives you the necessary information to make the best decisions for your facility.
Security is crucial and is the most important aspect of cleaning any premises. What is the point of having a spotless office with all the doors left unlocked, or a gleaming school with the hall fire doors left unlocked every visit? Security is not optional - and this relates to both your premises, but also the staff being trusted to clean your premises.
You also want to know who is cleaning your premises and that they can be trusted. What level of vetting do your current company undertake on vetting their staff? Are their cleaners all directly employed or do they sub-contract cleaning. Subcontracting brings real risks that you have no idea who is cleaning your premises, and neither do the company that you actually think are doing your cleaning! This can be a common problem when engaging the services of a cleaning company that are not local to you.
You want to know that every cleaner that enters your premises has been fully vetted and background checked by the company that you are trusting to complete your cleaning services. One of the key signs of a bad cleaning company is one that doesn't have full control over their cleaning team.
An effective and good cleaning service is wholly dependant on good communication from both the client and the cleaning contractor. One of the key signs of a bad cleaning company is that you are always chasing them for contact, and they are slow to respond or even unresponsive to any issues reported by you.
Professional office cleaning companies want regular feedback, both positive and negative, so that they may continually improve their service and build value for you, their customer to ensure continual development and improvement. There is a balance between calling clients who are busy themselves, but even an email to check in takes no time at all to send.
Have you seen your cleaner on their mobile phone when they should be cleaning your premises? Have you seen your cleaner smoking right outside your front door, in full view of staff and visitors alike? Apart from the potential health implications, it simply isn't an acceptable look to give your business.
What about cleaners swearing whilst cleaning your premises, or throwing bins around and not treating your premises with the care and respect it deserves?
If you call your cleaning company to voice concerns, they should be apologetic and quick to react to any such reports which are potentially damaging to their reputation.
A good commercial cleaning company should have stringent measures in place and clear expectations of what is expected from their staff, along with what is and what is not acceptable. Few signs of a bad cleaning company are more apparent than one with cleaners behaving in an unprofessional way.
Another one of the big signs of a bad cleaning company is one that are unable to retain their staff, meaning you end up with a new cleaner or cleaning team every other week. One obvious issue with this is that the operatives don't learn your premises fully and can't work efficiently and effectively, meaning the appearance of your premises will suffer.
It is also a security consideration if numerous cleaners are having keys to your premises and coming and going, especially if you don't know the reason they are all going.
The main reasons for a high turnover of staff are generally poor pay or work conditions, lack of training resulting in a lack of pride, or a lack of support from the company for their welfare. Learn more about how at Green Fox Cleaning we look after our staff resulting in great staff retention by clicking here.
While you don’t need your cleaning company have have every single new cleaning gizmo and gadget, if your premises cleaners aren’t equipped with newer, well-maintained equipment, state of the art cleaning chemicals and green cleaning solutions, and operate with newer methods and industry best practices, you will not get the level of service your facility should.
Have a look in the cleaning cupboard - are there dirty old mops and buckets there? Is there a real mish mash of equipment, with products all over the place? A messy cleaning cupboard is so often of the first signs of a bad cleaning company, and cleaning standards start at the cleaning cupboard!
A key benefit of outsourcing your cleaning arrangements is that you should be able to forget about the cleaning and management of the cleaning staff, and focus on your own business and what you do best.
A team is only as strong as its weakest player. If your cleaning company’s staffing issues are quickly becoming your problem, it’s probably time to move on. Staff are the foundation of any business, and if your current company do not look after their staff, you will not get a good service.
You want a cleaning service that thinks ahead proactively, protects both your reputation and their own, and operates above board in every possible way.
If you have identified one or more of the above signs of a bad cleaning company being present with your current cleaning provider, it is time to review your cleaning arrangements. Click here to learn more about Green Fox Cleaning and learn more about how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours.
When trying to understand a deep clean cost, it is important to understand first of all what a deep clean is.
As the name would suggest, it is a cleaning process that is completed to a deeper and more detailed level than that of a regular clean.
The deep cleaning process includes a number of processes which can include the following:
The process for a deep clean will vary considerably venue by venue, but this is a common approach to completing a deep clean. The deep clean cost will vary depending on how many areas are tackled.
There are many factors that will affect a deep clean cost at your premises. They will include the following:
Deep cleaning requires skill, a great eye to detail and a willingness to get "stuck in." It is hard work when done properly, and would normally be completed a team of cleaning operatives unless the premises is very small.
On top of a deep clean, many companies are adding an extra disinfection treatment through the use of electrostatic cleaning technology. You can learn more about this advanced process by clicking here.
The best way to ensure a deep clean is completed to the highest possible standard is to employ the services of a good commercial cleaning company who will have the knowledge, skills and equipment to complete the task.
To contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office and request a free, no obligation quote - click here to learn more.
Remember when comparing deep clean cost - you will get what you pay for - cheapest is rarely best!
You can find the dictionary definition of a deep clean by clicking here.
Do you know how to clean an office phone correctly? Although more businesses are moving towards softphones run through their computers, the office phone is still found in most businesses, on every desk.
Whether you're taking calls from clients, or calling out to try and secure more customers, it remains a crucial piece of equipment.
The office phone is powerful enough to connect even the most geographically distant workers, and yet, it strikes fear into the hearts of many millennial workers. Even with the advent of video calling applications such as zoom and microsoft teams, the office phone remains a firm fixture in most workplaces.
Viruses such as Covid-19 are largely transmitted in an airborne way through shouting, coughing and sneezing. It is therefore inevitable that office phones carry a massively high risk of transmitting infections.
As a result, it is essential as a responsible employer that you take additional measures to keep the workplace clean and free from germs, bacteria, and viruses. By making sure that your employees know how to properly clean all areas of their workspace including their office phones, you can help reduce the risk of infection. This in turn will reduce the number of sick days lost per year and give you a financial saving, partly from simply teaching your staff the correct way to clean an office phone.
It is important to remember to wipe down the handset with a disinfectant spray and a disposable cloth or a disposable disinfectant alcohol wipe, and this should be done on a daily basis at the end of each day, or even more regularly if the same phone has multiple users.
Make sure you use a disinfectant cleaning agent that has been tested against both bacteria and viruses to be sure that it will kill off any potential COVID-19 virus particles or other viruses.
Once you have cleaned the handset, wipe it over with a dry cloth or paper towel to remove any disinfectant solution residue to avoid leaving any sticky residue, or even the risk of causing any reactions with your skin the next time you use your phone.
To remove any grime that may build up around the speaker and receiver earpiece, take a cotton swab or toothbrush reserved for cleaning and dip it in rubbing alcohol or a disinfectant cleaning solution. To thoroughly clean your office desk phone, you want to gently wipe or rub at the phone’s receiver and earpiece to remove any dirt that has collected in the grooves there. After doing this, ensure you fully dry the phone again with a paper towel.
To clean the base of your office phone, simply dampen a microfibre cloth or disposable paper towel with a suitable disinfectant solution and wipe it over the entire surface of an office phone. Pay particular attention to the cradle where the phone handset rests and the bottom of the unit that sits on your desk as this is an area that could be easily missed.
Wherever the keypad is, it’s very important to take time to properly clean it to ensure all germs, bacteria and viruses are removed. The small gaps between the keys are the perfect place for nasty bacteria and viruses to grow and spread, and the keypad is touched all over on every outbound call. You can use a sterilised and role dedicated toothbrush or cotton buds for this role also.
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of how to clean an office phone.
The easiest way to ensure your office phones and the rest of your workplace is cleaned thoroughly is to employ the services of a good commercial cleaning company. Click here to learn more about our office cleaning service, where we clean offices of all sizes.
To request a free, no obligation quote for your cleaning needs, click here to contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office.
Honeycomb blinds (also known as cellular shades) are the preferred choice for many businesses due to the advantages they provide, ranging from better insulation to privacy and light control.
However, they do have their own disadvantages that you need to know about before actually purchasing them for your workplace. One relatively commonly reported disadvantage of honeycomb blinds is the challenges associated with cleaning them.
Over time like any other blinds, honeycomb blinds will get dusty and dirty, making it necessary to clean them to keep them looking as good as possible.
Cleaning honeycomb blinds can become a challenge because of their honeycomb structure. It can be tricky to properly clean each and every cell in the cellular blind, so you will have to take special care for cleaning these blinds.
The daily cleaning and more regular maintenance method to clean your honeycomb blinds is a simple four step process, which as completed as follows:
Get a bowl with warm water and washing ip liquid. Using a clean cloth, dampen it and clean the track and fittings from top to bottom. Dry afterwards using a clean cloth.
The shape of honeycomb blinds make the cells an attractive space for insects and dust. Insects may crawl inside, and die inside the cells. The easiest way to clean inside those cells is to blast the items inside out, using a type of compressed air, also known as an air duster.
When doing so, you may want to law a cloth or towel on the floor at the other end to catch most of the debris that comes out.
If you don't have a can of compressed air, you could use a hairdryer, but only if if has a cool setting and low power option.
Using ideally a microfibre cloth or feather duster, carefully wipe clean the shades of the blind from side to side, starting at the top of the blind and working down. This will ensure that any dislodged dust will fall downwards, and be removed as you work down the blind.
The benefit of a microfibre cloth is that it will attract dust and debris to it.
In the same method as used in step three, carefully vacuum the shades of the blind from side to side using a soft brush attachment, starting at the top of the blind and working down. This will ensure that any dislodged dust will fall downwards, and be removed as you work down the blind.
Occasionally, regular cleaning won't quite cut it, especially if you end up with mould showing on your blinds. They can look awful at this point, but the good news is that there is a simple way to clean mould off honeycomb blinds
Use a solution of 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water and wipe with a damp cloth. After doing this, expose the blinds to bright sunlight until dry, repeat as needed to get it all out. It really is that straightforward to clean mould off honeycomb blinds.
We hope you have found this guide on how to clean mould off honeycomb blinds useful.
Green Fox Cleaning are a commercial cleaning company that provide cleaning services to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. Click here to learn how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours.
The question of how important nursery toy cleaning is can be answered in just one word - essential! Parents are putting their trust in you and your nursery to keep their loved ones sage.
Toys and play equipment should be a source of both fun and learning for every single child within the nursery setting.
However, where toys are frequently shared between children, they may also become a source of infection and this risk needs to be minimised through the process of regular nursery toy cleaning, using the best products and correct cleaning methods.
It may sound obvious, but you should ensure that all toys and equipment are suitable for cleaning if being placed in your nursery. If you have toys that cannot be cleaned, then they must be discarded.
Your staff should check all toys and equipment on a daily basis. If anyone thinks that a toy is unsafe, or it is found to be damaged it should be removed immediately and taken to the duty manager for disposal or repair.
Nursery staff should clean toys and equipment as frequently as practicable, immediately when visibly soiled, during any suspected outbreak of illness and immediately upon contamination by bodily fluids, (i.e. blood, nasal and eye discharge,saliva, urine, vomit and faeces). Nursery toy cleaning rotas should be made available to all staff and should be displayed in each room.
You should clean hard or plastic toys and equipment by washing them with water and a suitable detergent (see instructions for details on correct usage), followed by thorough rinsing and drying with a clean cloth or towels.
Dirty and heavily used soft toys should be laundered in a washing machine, following the manufacturer’s washing instructions as detailed on the care label. It will be necessary to dispose of any contaminated soft
toys that cannot safely go into a washing machine.
There are a number of toys that should be avoided in the nursery setting to remove any unnecessary risks. As a general rule, you should avoid toys that:
Staff should ensure that all cleaning products are stored in suitable containers away from the access of children to ensure full COSHH compliance and keeping everyone safe.
At Green Fox Cleaning we provide daily cleaning services to nurseries of all sizes, both independent companies and larger groups with multiple venues.
Our highly vetted cleaning operatives are dedicated to each site, to ensure that personal pride is taken at every site, on every single clean. Our GPS tracking system monitored round the clock ensures you will never miss a clean and risk coming into a dirty nursery, being unable to open.
It is often the case that after a long day keeping all your little visitors safe and entertained all day, the last thing staff want to do is complete a full cleaning of your nursery.
To find out more about how Green Fox Cleaning can clean not only your toys but your nursery and keep it looking great, click here to learn more.
Cleaning key areas of a pub are key in keeping customers coming back through your doors, time after time. Pub cleaning should be a priority for every licenced premises owner.
A clear and detailed cleaning schedule brings routine, sets expectations for the staff and ensures your customers always have a pleasant environment in which to spend their leisure time, resulting in them coming back time and time again.
For a customer to decide if they wish to stay and spend time at your premises when walking through your door. If their first step inside your pub results in them nearly losing their shoes due to the floor being so sticky, they are likely to do a very quick about turn and exit! Learn more about preventing sticky floors at your pub by clicking here.
Unclean entrances and unpleasant smells are very off-putting for most businesses, but especially in a pub, where people come to eat, drink and socialise.
There are numerous ways for you to assign cleaning duties and tasks to different members of staff. This may be based on their shift time, the area of the venue they work in, or their level of experience.
A clear check off list completed by a duty manager is a simple yet highly effective way to ensure that your expected cleaning standards are being met day after day, and that all key areas are being cleaned.
There are more than seven key areas to clean every day at your pub to keep customers coming back for more, but these are the 7 key areas we recommend you focus on:
| KEY AREA TO CLEAN | REASON AREA IS KEY |
| 1. All entrance areas to your pub | You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression! Most of us have walked into a pub, looked at our group and turned right back away, or not even entered. |
| 2. All floors throughout your pub | There is nothing worse than your feet sticking to a hard floor, or a heavily soiled and smelly carpet. Keep these areas clean to keep customers coming back for more! |
| 3. All toilets | We have all been in pubs where toilets are full of cobwebs, doors don't lock, floors are dirty and they stink - don't let your venue get known for this reason. |
| 4. Ensure all tables and chairs and clean and sanitised | More than ever now, people want to feel safe in your venue. Sitting a clean and cleary sanitised table and chair arrangement is a great starting point. |
| 5. Keep your lights looking great | Lights by their very nature are focal points and attract attention. If customers look at them and see them thick with dust or cobwebs, it will instantly make them question how clean the rest of your pub is. |
| 6. Keep ledges dust free | Most pubs have ledges next to tables and bench seating which is typically at eye height - keep these looking great when customers are looking around your venue. |
| 7. Bar area and behind the bar | When customers order a drink at a bar, they don't expect to see a selection of dusty bottles of spirits and a bar area. They also much like sticky floors, don't want their arms sticking to the bar if leaning. Keep these areas looking great at all times. |
The best way to ensure that key areas of your pub are cleaned properly every day is to hire a professional cleaning company to take care of your needs. To find out more about our work in cleaning pubs and request a free, no obligation quote, simply click here to learn more.
You can learn more about the general history of pubs by clicking here.
More than ever, the need to keep office equipment clean should be at the forefront of our minds.
With the spread of bacteria, viruses and the prevalence of coronavirus, we must all take personal responsibility to keep office equipment to protect both ourselves and others around us.
Common objects in an office environment are hotspots for germs and microorganisms to grow on. Having a daily cleaning and disinfecting routine can greatly diminish the risk of illness spreading throughout the office.
The list could go on and on, but these are the ten office equipment items that we feel you need to ensure are cleaned on a regular basis.
It's obvious when you think about it, but office equipment that is well looked after will last longer than equipment that is neglected. A regular office equipment clean schedule will save your company money in the long run, reducing the need to replace expensive equipment so frequently.
Regular cleaning of office equipment also means it will be looked at closely more often, meaning any minor defects can be spotted early, preventing it to worsen over a period of time.
Not only will employees remain healthy and happy if their equipment is clean and obviously cared for, there will also not be a loss of productivity in the business caused by many employee sick days, resulting in a more productive office. There will also be cost saving associated with a reduction of the number of sick days within your company throughout the year.
Most of us have visited an office where computers look dirty, discolored and generally neglected. This image can make us think that the company have a similar attitude in all aspects of their business, even if this isn't the case. When an office equipment clean schedule is implemented, it will make your workplace more aesthetically pleasing to all.
Health and safety laws are in place within the working environment to keep everyone safe and healthy. The health and safety executive (HSE) provide clear guidance on expectations with regard to safeguarding measures that office should undertake.
Well there are plenty of ways to make sure your office equipment is kept clean. The most obvious thing to do is to hire a good commercial cleaning company, and if your budget allows then this is definitely recommended.
Also, don’t forget to consider other areas of the office on top of your office equipment clean and office area. Your desk and computer might be gleaming, but if the kitchen or washrooms are still dirty and full of germs, you still have an increased risk of staff absence.
At Green Fox Cleaning we are experienced with all areas of office equipment cleaning, as well as office cleaning. Click here to learn more about our office cleaning services, and how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours.
Do you know what are the 3 categories of cleaning in the commercial cleaning sector are? Or did you even know there are three main categories?
There are many more if we consider window cleaning, carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, high level pipe cleaning etc, but this article is focusing on the main 3 categories of cleaning in a commercial cleaning setting.
Understanding the core commercial cleaning options allows you to understand which option will work the best for your business.
The first of the 3 categories of cleaning in the commercial sector is daily cleaning. Daily cleaning services are the most common cleaning choice for larger companies, and those that treat cleaning in their workplace extremely seriously.a
If you need a regular clean for your office, restaurant, casino, gym or venue in any other sector, then you should be considering this option of commercial cleaning service.
Daily cleaning services are often required by businesses with a large capacity and high foot traffic throughout the day, especially those having high numbers of visitors and clients through the door.
Cleaning on a daily basis ensures you create a great first impression to anybody walking into your venue and give the perception of a professional, clean and safe business.
The exact tasks completed as part of a daily cleaning will vary depending on what sector you operate in, but will generally include the following:
The second of the 3 categories of cleaning in the commercial sector is periodic cleaning. This type of cleaning is ideal for a smaller premises with few or not visitors that does not require a daily cleaning service.
Just like daily cleaning, however, the services provided are the same and a clear schedule should be provided to ensure all cleaning tasks are completed to the required standard.
When creating a periodic cleaning schedule, a business must take their requirements into consideration and consider what is important for them.
At Green Fox Cleaning we clean a number of premises on periodic basis. The frequency of this varies generally from one to three visits per week.
Periodic cleaning is often beneficial for smaller offices that do not have as many visitors and staff using them each day. They are also good for an industry that does not have regular visitors to an office.
The final of the 3 categories of cleaning in the commercial cleaning sector is that of deep cleaning.
A deep clean is performed by a specialist team of cleaners using the latest methods of cleaning and equipment, in order to achieve the best result.
Deep cleaning is undertaken when the level of cleaning is beyond that of daily or periodic cleaning, or when the task is more specialist and requires more specialist equipment, such as electrostatic cleaning in the case of viral outbreaks at premises.
A deep clean not only drastically helps improve the appearance of a business’s premises and assets, but it can also prolong their life.
Deep cleans will take a lot longer than regular cleaning services, with a far higher level of detail being applied to the clean.
Green Fox Cleaning provide all 3 categories of cleaning detailed in this article, and many more specialist services including carpet cleaning and window cleaning. Click here to learn more about Green Fox Cleaning, and request a free, no obligation quote for your premises.
There are many, many other categories of cleaning. Wikipedia has compiled a full list which can be seen by clicking here if you have some time to pass!
When working in your office, you want to know that it is clean as possible, and therefore as safe and hygienic as possible. This is more important than ever since the discovery of Coronavirus.
In comparison with regular office cleaning duties, an office deep clean is more comprehensive and time-consuming. The deep cleaning service should include more detailed and demanding cleaning tasks that are rarely included in regular cleaning, including tasks such as:
In general, deep cleaning services are recommended ideally every quarter, or as a minimum every six to twelve months if you want to make sure your office space is immaculate.
The exact required frequency will depend on the number of employees and visitors, and the type of your business. An office deep cleaning checklist should detail exactly what you should expect to achieve from the clean.
In addition, many business owners book deep cleaning services in special circumstances, such as important visits from business partners or after hosting an office party.
In any case, you should book office deep cleaning services every time you notice that regular cleaning doesn’t do the trick anymore or if you’re hosting an important event at your office.
If you are a business owner, you probably already know how important maintaining a safe and healthy office is to ensure the smooth running of your business, and the associated benefits that a clean workplace brings.
But how do you tell if your workspace is clean enough? Have a walk around your premises now and check the following:
The above are just a guide as to some areas. If engaging the services of a good commercial cleaning company, they should be able to look to much greater detail, and generate an office deep cleaning checklist for their staff to follow.
We hope that the points raised in this post will help you to create your own office deep cleaning checklist.
The easiest way to ensure deep cleaning is completed when needed is to hire the services of a commercial cleaning company who can schedule this in addition to regular office cleaning services. The time saved far outweighs the cost and they have all the tools and specialist equipment needed to be able to do a top quality job. They will have an office deep cleaning checklist to ensure all required areas are cleaned thoroughly.
To find out more about how Green Fox Cleaning can help improve the appearance of your business with ours, click here to learn more.
