Fully vetted commercial cleaners are important for businesses looking to outsource their cleaning to a company.
Whether a school where safeguarding is essential, offices where sensitive data is held, manufacturing premises relating to both local and national security or any other sector, only the highest levels of cleaner vetting should be accepted.
We have all seen horror stories of cleaners stealing from their employers homes and businesses, and would like to think this would never happen to us. But how do we prevent this happening, and keep ourselves and our businesses safe.
The days of finding a cleaner from a shop window, or accepting a telephone number on the back of a cigarette packet are long gone for most businesses.
Total trust is required on those working at your premises, often unsupervised and trusted with keys and alarm codes.
Finding a commercial cleaning company and understanding their levels of cleaning vetting and selection can be a nightmare - who to trust and where to start?
The most obvious risk that springs to mind is that of theft. Imagine having a cleaner steal something, and you haven't vetted them fully. Have you recorded photographic ID details? Do you have evidence confirming their home address or will them simply vanish off the face of the earth?
Other risks include the cleaner being exploited - "cash in hand" companies will exploit those in dire need of work who are paid below the minimum wage and not supported with regard to their welfare, and have no employment rights.
With so many commercial cleaning companies out there, it can appear impossible to identify one that will offer the levels of vetting that you require.
At Green Fox Cleaning, our founding directors are former Police Officers with over 30 years combined service. This assures our clients that our levels of cleaner vetting and client security are second to none.
You can be assured that every Green Fox Cleaner:
To find out how our fully vetted cleaners can help keep your business clean and safe, get in touch today at this link.
Why are my floors sticky?Sticky floors and floor cleaning bring their own challenges to most venues, despite on the face of it being a straightforward task. It's a question we get asked often by business owners when we attend to quote for their regular cleaning service.
Sticky floors can be a very frustrating issue. It can seem like there is no answer to the problem. You mop and scrub away only to have the floor end up stickier than when you started.
There can be a number of reasons for asking yourself "why are my floors sticky?" Believe it or not, your floor cleaning efforts may be the cause of your sticky floor. That can be a difficult thing to hear. Here are the most common reasons:
Most people think that using too much floor cleaning solution will lead to squeaky-clean floors. This is usually not true and can easily lead to a sticky residue after cleaning. This will often leave floors sticky.
When you use too much cleaner, the excess creates a soapy residue that is sticky to the feet especially when you’ve not done enough rinsing.
To tackle this potential cause of sticky floors:
This simple action alone could make the question of "why are my floors sticky?" a thing of the past!
If you clean the entire hard floor of your business premises with the same bucket of water, you can expect to end up with a messy, dirty, and often sticky floor. This means you aren't really cleaning the floor, but simply moving dirt around the venue.
To remedy this, you need to change the cleaning water each time you see it get dirty. This can be when it changes the color significantly or when you see lots of debris floating on top or at the bottom of the cleaning bucket.
After cleaning the whole floor, use clean water to rinse it. Change this water the moment you notice it’s become soapy or dirty.
These are big issues, and that is before we even consider other issues caused by not changing water often enough and using one bucket for all areas of a premises, such as cross contamination - learn more about this issue at this link.
FUN FACT - Dirty Sticky Floors was the first solo single by Depeche Mode vocalist Dave Gahan
While normal cleaning may require using simple soap or mild chemicals, some stains require specialist chemicals to come off.
The basic rule for removing sticky residue is to use a floor cleaner with the opposite pH to the sticky dirt. For example, an acidic cleaner does a better job at cleaning alkaline (basic) dirt.
This is obviously not something that everyone will understand, and careful product selection is essential to maximise the cleaning efficiency of your floor to avoid the risk of damaging it.
As important as the chemical is, even the most effective cleaning product will be near useless in a dirty bucket with an old mop head that has not been properly maintained. It is essential that cleaning equipment is cleaned and maintained after use, and advanced floor scrubbing machines can deliver results that will not be seen by hand mopping, and in much quicker time.
It may sound obvious, but if you don't have a regular cleaning schedule, floors will get sticky. Spilt drinks, debris off shoes and other spillages will result in sticky, dirty floors.
The easiest way to ensure your floors remain looking great along with the rest of your workplace is to engage the services of a good commercial cleaning company.
At Green Fox Cleaning, we clean in all sectors, and have access to the best cleaning products and machinery, utilised by our highly trained staff.
If you have a cleaning company currently and are suffering from sticky floors, this is a sign of a lack of understanding / training and it is probably time to review your cleaning options.
To get in touch with your local office, click here and find out how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours.
School cleaning services and educational premises cleaning services are specialist by the very nature of the additional considerations that must be given, with safeguarding being an obvious one. They can work towards improvement of your Ofsted rating, by showing your commitment to continual improvement and development. Selecting the best school cleaning company will be key in allowing you to focus on running your educational premises.
With the size of many schools, teams of cleaners are required every single day, with supervisors to keep everything running smoothly and to monitor cleaning standards. The supervisors at schools will normally be working ones (that is, they also clean) apart from larger sites, where their role is to solely supervise and organise staff. School cleaning services will vary in their setup dependant on the size of the school, and in turn the size of of the cleaning team.
Since the "new world" of Covid, more and more school cleaning services are taking place during school hours, meaning pupil safeguarding needs even more consideration than ever. All cleaners should be highly vetted to include DBS checked with schools clearance status added, and subject to a rigorous company selection process to ensure they are going to be a good fit at the premises, and work with a smile whilst keeping staff and pupils safe.
"Both our cleaners from Green Fox Cleaning are outstanding and I take every opportunity to tell them how happy we are with their work."
School Headteacher where Green Fox provide daily school cleaning services
The decision to outsource cleaning arrangements is becoming more and more common in not only educational premises, but in all sectors. Cleaning standards being monitored, holiday and sickness being covered with replacement cleaners and not having to budget sick pay etc are just a few benefits of outsourcing such arrangements.
Absolutely! Legislation around this means that the cleaners roles are likely to be protected, but the process of transferring them to an external company is straightforward, as long as the company are experienced in this legislation.
As an experienced school cleaning company, at Green Fox Cleaning we are highly experienced at the legislation around this process. You can learn more about the Transfer of undertakings and protection of employment (TUPE) legislative process at this link from a previous article we have written on the subject - click here.
The below list is not exhaustive, but include should be expected as minimum vetting standards by a good school cleaning company:
| Does the company offer: | A formal interview and vetting process, where identification and address verification documentation is seen, and references are obtained |
| Do the company ensure: | A full, enhanced DBS background check is completed on every cleaning operative that will be cleaning your school? |
| Do the company guarantee: | Full training is provided surrounding the safe use of products, and the importance of never leaving chemicals unsupervised |
| Do they ensure: | A detailed site induction is completed, so cleaners know exactly where to work, and where all emergency exits are. |
| Security - do they ensure: | Uniform and ID cards being issued to all claners, to enable easy and quick identification of cleaners whilst on site |
In short, a lot!
Our school and educational premises varies from some schools where we have a single cleaner working, to a university site where we have in excess of twenty employees working every single day. We work with both state and private schools to provide our school cleaning services.
Our in-house training teams, HR team and office support team ensure we are able to deliver the highest possible level of customer service and support.
School cleaning services are essential, but careful consideration should also be given before engaging a company. Ask probing questions from potential companies about their experience in this sector, what safeguarding measures they have in place, and how they can improve the appearance of your school.
You can read more about our school and educational premises cleaning and request a free, no obligation quote by clicking here.
"Reliable commercial cleaning company near me" is a commonly searched Google term. With the amount of commercial cleaning companies out there and the apparent large selection to choose from, this should come as no surprise.
Definition of Reliable:
consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted
Oxford Languages Dictionary
There are a number of ways to find a reliable cleaning company. A few of the most common methods include:
You can read more Green Fox Cleaning independent reviews by clicking here.
Cleaning should be largely invisible to the customer, being completed normally out of hours. You should ask any potential cleaning contractor what safeguards they have in place to ensure you never come in to a dirty premises. At Green Fox, we have the following measures in place to ensure reliability:
It is important to remember that a truly reliable cleaning company will rarely be the cheapest due to the extra investment in delivering such high service levels, but at Green Fox we aim to deliver unbeatable VALUE. This is not to say the price will necessarily be higher and may be the cheapest, but ask yourself is an extra pound or so an hour worth the extra peace of mind to know you are keeping your staff and visitors safe?
Don't forget - price is what you pay, value is what you get.
Simply visit this link and search by postcode, or call to discuss your needs:
Selecting the best office cleaning products is not as straightforward as it may seem. There are literally thousands of products on the market, all with different claims, pros and cons and the all important contact times.
Never heard of contact time? You’re probably not the only one. Essentially, it’s the amount of time a cleaning agent—a spray or a wipe, whatever you use—needs to be in contact with a surface in order to kill the bacteria, viruses, and other not-great things lingering there. If you’re not waiting long enough, your cleaning product probably (almost certainly!) isn’t getting rid of the potentially illness-causing cells. If you’re spraying and wiping as you go to clean quickly, without waiting the prescribed contact time, you’re really just doing a surface clean by wiping up dirt, debris, and other particles—not the bits that can really get you sick.
If you look at the use instructions on the rear of disinfecting products, you’ll see contact times. They tell users how long a solution needs to be in contact with the surface in order to kill the bacteria and viruses living on it—and in many cases, it’s likely much longer than you think.
Some common contact times for household cleaners are three minutes. Hospital grade disinfectants often have a contact time of ten minutes. Whatever and wherever you are cleaning, if you’re wiping up the cleaning liquid before the contact time, you’re limiting its disinfecting power.
Even the best office cleaning products are pretty much useless without the correct contact times!
This will depend very much on the products purchased. Generally speaking, standard supermarket "off the shelf" products are advertised and suitable for small sections of cleaning only, and could result in the need for different products for:
Some of the best office cleaning products are more versatile in their use, meaning you need a smaller range
Like most things in life, some products will be more developed, offer greater results and be more versatile. Advertising will also pay a large part - often you will see bold adverts on television stating they kill 99.9% of germs - a lot of cheaper less well known brands will do the same. Read packaging and compare ingredients and claims if buying off the shelf.
As you would imagine, over the years we have tested hundreds and hundreds of products. We are approached daily by product suppliers, making bold claims about their products and asking us to test them, which we often do. For us, all products used by us must meet the following criteria:
Through our careful product selection, we will normally only require the use of three or four of the best office cleaning products at most sites. This keeps operations straightforward for our highly trained cleaning operatives and keeps consistency at all sites we work at. Our core key products are also used in dosage systems, reducing our plastic usage by up to 99% on these products!
Our site packs contain full COSHH and safety data information on all products kept on site in the event of an emergency.
If you would rather let us take care of your office cleaning and use the best office cleaning products, be it daily or weekly, why not get in touch by clicking here and request a free and no obligation quote today!
Green Fox Cleaning protective film door handle covers utilise the latest technology and is specifically designed with an antimicrobial coating, to keep staff and visitors alike safe at all premises. Once applied, they will last a whole year before they need to be replaced, offering ongoing daily protection.
The Green Fox Protective Film door handle covers anti-microbial covering can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces as long as they are clean, dry, smooth, non-porous and free from oil, grease, wax or other contaminant.
In terms of handles, the Green Fox Protective film door handle covers are compatible with traditional door handles, as well as push plates and handrails.
Example images of Green Fox Protective film door handle covers.
Our protective films are available in the following pack options:
The Green Fox Protective film door handle covers can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces as long as they are clean, dry, smooth, non-porous and free from oil, grease, wax or other contaminant.
Always assume that every surface is dirty and needs to be cleaned before application. It is recommended to wear nitrile or vinyl gloves whilst applying the Green Fox Protective film door handle covers.
For standard door handles with a diameter of up to 22mm then use the 70mm x 160mm size.
You may want to reduce the length depending on the design of the handle. This is best done with a pair of scissors before removing the backing. Once it has been cut to size remove the backing completely and carefully apply the film along the length of the handle starting on the underside.
Continue to apply the film working round the handle and moving your hand from left to right to ensuring adhesion along the whole length. Finish the application with a small overlap onto the other end of the film. You may also want to remove any excess overlap with a sharp craft knife.
For larger handles, balustrading and handrails you can calculate the approximate circumference of the tube (and the width of the film you will need) by multiplying the diameter or width of the tube by 3.2.
E.g. if you have a handrail that is 50mm diameter then 50 x 3.2 = 160 so our 160mm x 1370 size would probably be a good option.
For small flat surfaces like push plates or ipads or coffee machine touch screens then you need to again make sure the surface is clean and dry. Start at one end and peel back around 7 - 10cm of the backing and work down, gradually removing the backing as you go.
You may find it useful to invest in a small felt-covered squeegee. For a touch screen it is best to cut the film slightly over-sized and trim it to size with a sharp craft knife after it has been applied.
• Under normal usage conditions, harmless when in contact with human skin (skin compatibility study carried out under dermatological control). It has no allergenic or irritant potential.
• Active compound: silver ions,< 0.3 % w/w of the entire product.
• Antimicrobial activity maintained after 365 cleanings with water, alcohol, chlorine bleach and Aniosurf® (respect the dilution recommended by the manufacturer).
• The film can be cleaned/disinfected by all conventional cleaning methods, using non-abrasive accessories, cleaning products, detergents or products currently used in healthcare environments.
• Only apply the film to areas that will not be in direct contact with unpackaged food.
• Suitable for application to regular or irregular surfaces.
• Recommended minimum application temperature: +10 °C (+50 °F).
• Operating temperature range: from -40 °C to +90 °C (-40 °F to +194 °F).
• In the case of an already painted substrate, self-adhesive media must only be applied to undamaged original paintwork. If the paintwork is not original and/or damaged, the application and the removal are at the judgement and risk of the installer.
The below table gives guidance of the price of the units. Please note that this is on a supply-only basis, and you would need to apply them following the simple application process as detailed above.
To find out more about our protective film handles, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at this link, or by calling 0333 050 1130.
Learn about the origin of door handles here.
Why is cleaning important in hotels? We are all more wary than ever about cleaning standards wherever we go since the discovery of Covid-19, and hotels are clearly no exceptions.
Regular guest changes, different people using showers and beds every day and paying a premium to stay all add to the guest experience.
Here are some truths about housekeepers in hotels which you may, or may not be aware of.
Hotels have different housekeeping policies, but most maids are allotted 20 to 35 minutes to clean each standard room and up to an hour for a suite. Depending on the hotel, housekeepers may be assigned a list of rooms to clean or choose rooms to meet their daily quota, which typically ranges from 10 to 16 rooms dependant on the size of the hotel. Cleaning important in hotels? Let the staff have the time to clean properly then!
Although most hotels forbid housekeepers from sleeping or using the toilet in guest hotel rooms, some people inevitably break the rules. Exhausted staff who have more time than usual to clean a large suite may secretly catch a few minutes of shut-eye in a guest’s bed. “Something else we do sometimes is that we use the toilets in the guest’s bathroom, but only if we are super busy and don’t have enough time to go to the staff toilets,” a former housekeeper in Hampshire who didn't wish to be identified says. “It is something we are not supposed to do, but many do it anyway.”
Horror stories abound among housekeepers are inevitable. Most have seen (or have coworkers who have seen) drugs, blood, vomit, sexually explicit materials, fecal matter, and even sadly found dead bodies. Despite there being strict regulations around the removal of hazardous waste, many hotels still make their staff clean up the bodily fluids and excrement that remain in a room without extra protective equipment. Although housekeepers are usually given extra time to deal with this type of extreme mess, it's never a pleasant part of the job.
Besides feeling pressure from their supervisors to clean rooms quickly and keep on a tight schedule, some hotel housekeeping staff also vie with their coworkers. “The more senior [housekeeping] staff can sometimes make it stressful. They fight for the more expensive rooms or suites because better items are left behind for the taking if nobody claims them, as many hotels allow us to keep items found if not collected within 90 days” one housekeeper reveals. “They also fight to take the better trolleys, leaving myself and others with old ones that don’t have the right products or supplies, meaning a lot more running around.”
Although you’ve probably heard warnings about cups not being thoroughly cleaned and bacteria teeming on your hotel room remote control, hotel staff reveal that there’s another item in your room that's rarely cleaned as well as it should be. “Not using the cups is my number one rule that I tell everyone,” one anonymous housekeeper reveals. “I’ve definitely seen [other housekeeping staff] polishing glasses with the same cloth they just used to dust the room. I’ve never seen the toilet brush used but knowing some of the people I work with, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.”
Don't let us put you off though - most hotels have extremely high levels of cleanliness. Did we mention that Green Fox Cleaning also offer support to hotels? Learn more at this link.
Why is cleaning important in hotels? Hopefully now you have a slightly better understanding of this subject.
Microfibre or disposable cloths?Which is best in a commercial cleaning setting? Microfibre cloths and disposable cloths each have their own pros and cons.
The cloths are available in two forms — reusable or disposable / semi-disposable, and each has its own set of pros and cons.
Most commonly used certain pre covid were reusable cloths, which must be laundered after every use or so dependant on the task at hand. When handled and looked after correctly, these cloths can last 100 to 1,000 washes before needing to be disposed of and replaced.
Disposable cloths, on the other hand, are normally discarded after a single use, with only some slightly stronger being semi-disposable, meaning they may last for a handful of washes before the need to dispose of them.
Improper laundering of reusable microfibre cloths can cause shrinkage and damage to the cloths. Even more worryingly from a client's perspective, it can result in dirty cloths being returned to service or cross-contamination problems when cloths used for different areas (such as washrooms and kitchens) are washed together. You can learn more about cross-contamination at this link.
Microfibre or disposable cloths? Here are the benefits of microfibre.
Microfibre is a material that is made of synthetic fibres that attract dirt, bacteria, and other pathogens like a magnet. Microfibre tools are made to attract and capture up to 99% of dirt, bacteria and other pathogens, while cotton fibre tools are made to attract 33%- basically moving bacteria from surface to surface. Therefore, the use of microfibre cloths, mops, and other microfibre tools allow for the removal of bacteria, dirt and allergens, because microfibre is designed to attract and hold these elements.
In the two images below, the top image on the right shows the microfibre structure under a microscope.. The bottom image is a regular cotton structure which ultimately pushes dirt & bacteria around, rather than collecting it.
Why would you use disposable cloths then?
microfibre or disposable cloths? Surely you would only want microfibre clothes? Many premises require the use of disposable cloths to prevent cross contamination, with hospitals, doctors surgeries, dentists and veterinary practices being the obvious choices. It would simply not be possible to clean all area thoroughly and have a large enough stock of microfibres, as well as being able to wash them after every use.
Disposable clothes are very cheap comparatively and remove any risk of cross-contamination, being safely disposed of after each clean.
Although the selection does not appear to fit well with green cleaning and it may well feel alien to throw away cloths after they are used each day, but the balance between opting for a washable cloth that will be need to be stored safely to prevent cross contamination until it is laundered versus the option of throwing a cloth away straight after use and therefore binning the germs immediately is not always as straightforward as it may first appear.
Post covid discovery, disposable cloths are often considered a more safe option in a number of settings where professional daily laundry is simply not possible. Microfibre or disposable cloths? Laundry setup is also an important consideration.
At Green Fox Cleaning our knowledge allows us to select and place the most appropriate cloths at each and every site. Find our more about our service by clicking here.
Learn more about the general history of microfibre here.
So should you choose microfibre or disposable cloths? Hopefully you now feel confident in making a more informed selection. What is clear is that the decision and selection is not always as clear as it may first appear. A good commercial cleaning company should be able to make the best selection and give the best advice for you the first time, every time.
Commercial cleaning charges will vary considerably from company to company.
The cost quoted by any company will be dependant on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
There are of course many more factors that will influence the price that a company charges per hour. Another consideration is the time taken - a company with highly trained staff and the best products could be one and a half to two times more expensive, but may do the job in half the time, and far better. It isn't always as simple as picking the cheapest hourly rate.
It is not possible to emphasise enough that when selecting a commercial cleaning company, that you should consider the value of the service being offered, and not the price alone.
To find out more about the services offered by Green Fox Cleaning and the value offered, get in touch today by clicking here to find out more.
TUPE and cleaning contracts is a very important piece of legislation that everyone should be aware of that employs cleaners directly, or those that engage a contract cleaning company to provide their services.
TUPE is the abbreviated name for a piece of legislation called Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment regulations. (2006). It is designed to protect the roles of workers when there is either a business transfer, or a transfer of services. It is the latter that is relevant to contract cleaning services. TUPE and cleaning contracts therefore often go hand in hand, with ignorance being no defence for breaches of this law.
In simple terms, if you have a cleaner cleaning your premises, they may have a legal right to stay in that role, even if you change cleaning company. This is if the cleaner is employed mainly or wholly on the contract at your premises. Whether you employ the cleaner directly or they are employed by a company that provide your services, TUPE will still apply.
This is something that we hear more often that you could imagine. Companies even think it isn't worth changing company if they are stuck with the same cleaner, but just in a new uniform. The reality is that this couldn't be further from the truth. There are very few people that are simply unable to clean well, if they are given full training, support and are motivated in their role.
Think about if you were the cleaner at a site with no support from your company, who then lose the contract to a new cleaning company. Would it be right for you to lose your job and not be able to pay your mortgage or rent, without being given the chance to prove yourself with support?
At Green Fox Cleaning, here are two examples of when TUPE has applied with cleaning contracts we have been awarded with staff in situ, and has worked well.
"Hi guys. I cannot believe the transformation with our cleaners since you have started - I would never have believed they were the same cleaners!"
GENERAL MANAGER - Brasserie Blanc, West Sussex
2. Dental surgery group, Hampshire - We took this contract on in 2020. There were two cleaners in place who were very good at their job, but demotivated by their previous employer due to again being on minimum wage, and never getting cleaning products they needed to complete their role properly. Below is feedback from the practice group manager:
"Can I just say a big thank you, it is such a relief to have an efficient company looking after our cleaning needs and I know Tracy and Charlie are much happier working for you now. The proof is how little we have to communicate with you!"
PRACTICE MANAGER - Doctors surgery Group, Hampshire
It would be naive to say that every cleaner will transfer and improve with training, as some people simply don't like work and may be completely resistant to change. If this happens, we have strict disciplinary process in place to manage such individuals and they will ultimately be dismissed if they cannot deliver the highest standards that we expect for all clients after we have fully supported them and worked with them to improve them.
The average fine for non-compliance with TUPE legislation at tribunal is £10,000 per employee - this is for both you as the client, and also for the cleaning company. This is not a piece of legislation to take lightly!
TUPE is a piece of law and must therefore be adhered to. There are however occasions where a transfer will not be necessary. Our experienced HR team ensure that we work to comply with TUPE in the most efficient and satisfactory way for all clients. TUPE and cleaning contracts can appear a daunting subject to deal with, but a good commercial cleaning company should be able to fully manage this process smoothly.
To find out more about how Green Fox Cleaning can assist with your cleaning contract where you may, or may not already have cleaners present - click here to learn more.
You can learn more about TUPE from this link at the Government website.
More general information about the history of TUPE and cleaning contracts can be found here.
