Contract cleaning companies have become increasingly popular in recent years, as businesses and organisations look for ways to save time and money by outsourcing their cleaning needs. These companies offer a range of services, from daily janitorial cleaning to deep cleaning and specialised cleaning services including window cleaning and professional floor care. In this post, we will explore the benefits of using contract cleaning companies and some key considerations when selecting a provider for your workplace.
Benefits of using Contract Cleaning Companies
One of the biggest benefits of using a good contract cleaning company is the time and cost savings that they can provide, allowing you to focus on the daily running of your business. Outsourcing cleaning tasks to a professional company can free up staff time to focus on other tasks and responsibilities. In addition, a contract cleaning company can often provide cleaning services more efficiently and effectively than an in-house team, thanks to specialised training and equipment.
Another advantage of using contract cleaning companies is the flexibility they can provide. Most companies offer a range of services and can tailor their offerings to meet the specific needs of each client. This means that businesses can choose to use contract cleaners for daily janitorial tasks, periodic deep cleaning or specialised services including carpet cleaning, hard floor care or pressure washing. At Green Fox Cleaning, we offer 24/7 availability, allowing businesses to schedule cleaning services at any time of day or night with us.
In addition to these practical benefits, contract cleaning companies such as Green Fox Cleaning can also provide peace of mind to businesses and organisations. By outsourcing cleaning tasks to Green Fox, businesses can rest assured that their facilities will be cleaned to a high standard, using safe and effective cleaning products and methods. This can be especially important for businesses that serve vulnerable populations, such as medical premises, schools, and nursing homes.
Selecting a Contract Cleaning Company
While there are many benefits to using a contract cleaning companies, it is important to choose the right provider for your needs.
Here are five key considerations to keep in mind when selecting a contract cleaning company:
When selecting a contract cleaning company, it is important to choose a provider with a strong track record of success. Look for a company that has been in business for several years and has a proven reputation for providing high-quality cleaning services. You can also ask for references from current or past clients to get a sense of the company's reliability and professionalism. Our reviews are clear for all to see, at various sites including Trustpilot.
Make sure to choose a contract cleaning company that offers the services you need. Some companies specialise in certain areas, such as window cleaning or floor care, while others offer a wide range of services. Make sure to ask about the specific services offered by each company, as well as any limitations or restrictions. At Green Fox, we focus on delivering an excellent service level to clients in all sectors. We can supply consumable products such as toilet roll, hand towels and bin liners to our clients, making us a true one stop shop - all from our trusted local suppliers.
Contract cleaning companies staff should be well-trained and certified in order to provide effective and safe cleaning services. Make sure to choose a contract cleaning company that invests in staff training and certification, and that uses safe and effective cleaning products and methods. Our staff are trained to a nationally recognised level with our British Institute of Cleaning Science in-house accredited trainers.
A reputable contract cleaning company will have insurance in place to protect both themselves and their clients in case of accidents or damages. Make sure to ask about the insurance coverage of each company you are considering. We offer comprehensive public liability, product and employers insurance policies for all our clients.
Finally, choose a contract cleaning company that is easy to communicate with and flexible in terms of scheduling and service delivery. Look for a company that is responsive to client needs and can accommodate changes in schedule or service requests. Our 24/7 client support line and local support office teams ensure our communication and service level is second to none.
In summary
Contract cleaning companies can provide a range of benefits to independent businesses and organisations, including time and cost savings, flexibility, and peace of mind. When selecting a provider, it is important to choose a company with a strong reputation, comprehensive services, well-trained staff, insurance and bonding coverage, and good communication and flexibility. By choosing the right contract cleaning company, businesses can ensure that their facilities are clean, safe, and well-maintained, allowing them to focus
Click here to contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office, and let us provide a free, no obligation quote for our unrivalled local contract cleaning services.
Maintaining a clean and tidy office environment is essential for the productivity and morale of employees. However, keeping an office clean and sanitised can be a daunting task, especially for large organisations where there may be hundreds of employees working.
Hiring a professional office cleaning company is an excellent way to ensure that your office is clean and hygienic. But how do you select a great office cleaning company? In this article, we will discuss some essential factors to consider when choosing an office cleaning company.
One of the critical factors to consider when selecting an office cleaning company is reputation and experience. You need to choose a company that has a good reputation and extensive experience in providing office cleaning services. A reputable company will have a track record of providing quality services, and you can check their reviews and ratings online. You can also ask for references and testimonials from previous clients to gauge the quality of their services. Experienced companies have the necessary skills, knowledge, and equipment to clean and sanitise your office effectively.
When selecting an office cleaning company, it is essential to know the services they offer. A good office cleaning company should provide a range of cleaning services to meet the unique needs of your office. Some of the services that a good office cleaning company should be able to provide include daily cleaning, carpet cleaning and deeper cleaning. They should also be able to provide customised cleaning schedules and services to meet your specific needs, treating every client as an individual.
A great office cleaning company will have well-trained and certified employees. Cleaning staff should be trained on the latest cleaning techniques, equipment, and products to ensure that they deliver quality services. They should also be certified by relevant authorities to provide office cleaning services. Certification shows that they meet the necessary standards of cleanliness and sanitation. At Green Fox Cleaning, our accredited British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) trainers train our staff to this nationally recognised standard.
Office cleaning should be done at a time that is convenient for you and your employees. Your selected office cleaning company should be available to work around your schedule. They should be flexible and able to work outside normal working hours to avoid disrupting your operations. Additionally, they should be able to provide emergency cleaning services in case of unexpected spills or accidents. At Green Fox Cleaning, our 24-hour client support line means we are available when our clients and employees need us most.
The cleaning products and equipment used by an office cleaning company are crucial in determining the quality of their services. You should aim for an office cleaning company that use environmentally friendly cleaning products that are safe for your employees and the environment, whilst also being highly effective. They should also have modern equipment and tools that can clean and sanitise your office effectively. At Green Fox Cleaning, we have tested hundreds of products, and continue to monitor and select the most effective cleaning equipment, with minimal environmental impact.
Office cleaning involves the use of equipment and chemicals, which can be hazardous. Any good office cleaning company should have comprehensive insurance to protect you in case of accidents or damages. Insurance covers damages to your property or injuries to the cleaning staff.
The cost of office cleaning services is an essential factor to consider when selecting an office cleaning company. A great office cleaning company should provide quality services at a price that represents great value - a good commercial cleaning company won't be cheap, and a cheap commercial cleaning company won't be good!
Any quote for office cleaning services should be transparent provide detailed quotes that indicate the services included in the package. Additionally, they should be able to work within your budget and offer discounts for longer-term contracts.
Communication is crucial when it comes to office cleaning services. A great office cleaning company should have an effective communication system that enables them to understand your needs and expectations. They should also be responsive to your queries, concerns, and complaints. They should provide regular updates on their services and be able to communicate any changes in their schedules. At Green Fox Cleaning, a local management and support team will ensure the highest level of service for our clients.
Conclusion
Choosing a great office cleaning company is crucial in maintaining a clean and hygienic office environment. When selecting an office cleaning company, you should consider their reputation and experience, cleaning services offered, training and certification, availability and flexibility, cleaning products, equipment and insurance.
Click here to contact your local office, and let us provide a free, no obligation quote.
Student accommodation is BIG business. Student halls of residence are appearing across towns and villages across the country.
Student accommodation now comes in many guises, with the largest setups being student halls of residence, with many students favouring this setup over student shared houses.
There are a number of benefits offered by student halls, including the following
Many student halls of residence are now run as commercial ventures, with any profits invested back into the educational facilities. Student accommodation services must therefore offer great value.
Day to day communal area cleaning of these premises is important to keep the blocks not only looking great, but minimise the risk of any sickness or viral outbreaks - now more than ever.
With larger blocks commonly housing literally hundreds of students, you can quickly appreciate the challenge of making the right choice when it comes to student accommodation cleaning services - for both regular cleaning and deeper cleaning across summer holidays.
Having one week to clean hundreds of student flats, kitchens, communal areas and stairwells within larger blocks in a week or less is not uncommon. This can mean teams of 40 or more cleaning staff are required every day round the clock to complete these mammoth tasks.
Tasks will include, but not be limited to, the following:
Portsmouth is one such city that has experienced large growth for student accommodation year on year. These halls of residence are in all shapes and sizes, with their bright and vibrant external appearances drawing the eye to them. Student halls situated over 20 or more floors are not an uncommon sight.
The student accommodation cleaning services that we provide can include both daily cleaning for communal areas, as well as deep cleaning services over student move in and out periods, and work round the clock.
When students and their family are looking for new accommodation, first impressions count. That is why the selection of a great cleaning company for your student accommodation cleaning services is essential.
Who wants to walk into a dirty lobby, or see a dirty room with reminisce of the previous occupant still in the room?
Our communal area student accommodation cleaning services are tailored to you and your student halls, so we can deliver the very best results, whilst offering you a great value service. We will work to your preferred times and have a clearly agreed cleaning schedule. We pride ourselves on our excellent reputation and reliability through our GPS tracked shifts monitored 24/7 by an on-call local manager.
The benefits of our showroom cleaning service:
We hope this article has detailed a number of benefits of using Green Fox Cleaning. Below is a summary of our service benefits.
We hope you have found this article on making the right choice for student accommodation cleaning services useful.
Click here to contact your local office for a free, no obligation quote, and let us explain how we can help improve the appearance of your premises with our work.
We know the rough cost of many products we buy, but can we say the same about cleaning services?
Quite often it is an office manager, or another trusted team member at a business that is tasked to gather quotes for cleaning services at their workplace.
This sounds easy, right? Just contact a few companies, and see what happens.
How do you then decide which of the quotes is offering you the best VALUE.
It is important that you consider what type of commercial cleaning service you require for your business. There are generally three options you will discover, once you receive your quotes.
Far be up from us to tell you how to run your business, but most people want a product or service that offers the best possible value - this will rarely, if ever, be the cheapest quote. Some companies won't want your custom for any number of reasons, and will simply price high to try and put you off, or make it worth their while if you do accept.
For example, the following are just a few of the service benefits offered by Green Fox Cleaning to their clients:
✅ GPS recorded shifts, to ensure our clients receive what they pay for.
✅ Highly trained staff, trained by our British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) trainers
✅ A 24-hour support line for both our clients and cleaners, meaning we are there when you need us the most.
There are many more benefits offered by our service, but you can clearly see that these three benefits alone don't come cheap! If another cleaning company simply hopes their staff turn up, employ the first person to apply for the job and dump them to clean your premises with no training, and go off the radar after 5pm each day - it stands to reason they can offer a much CHEAPER service - not a better value service.
Something you should always consider are the HIDDEN COSTS with a CHEAP commercial cleaning quote.
❌ Your time chasing the cleaning company to complain about a poor clean, or no-one turning up at all!
❌ Waiting days on end for a response to your emails, letting issues drag on
❌ Dealing with complaints from staff and customers about the poor levels of cleanliness at your premises
At Green Fox Cleaning, we pride ourselves on paying our staff a fair wage, never the minimum wage. With effect from 1st April 2023, there is a 9.7% increase to the national minimum wage, increasing it to £10.42 per hour for all employees aged 23 years or above.
So let's look at a crude, but guide calculation of what this costs a cleaning company.
For the purposes of this example, we will assume the cleaner is earning £10.50 per hour, and works 15 hours per week.
So we can see that even a cleaner being paid just over the new minimum wage is actually costing the cleaning company that employs them circa £12 per hour. This is before they have been issued uniform, been trained, or a single cleaning cloth or chemical is placed at your premises.
This is before the cleaning company have factored ANY costs to run your contract smoothly, complete audits, pay their office rent, utilities, cleaning machinery or anything else!
So if you get a quote for around £15 per hour - have a good think about how much effort or time that cleaning company are going to give you as a client, and how much they will care. That would leave them around £195 per MONTH to supply cleaning equipment and cover all their other expenses within this commercial cleaning cost! Crazy eh?!
If you site is small in terms of cleaning needs and only needs say 5 hours cleaning per week, that would leave the cleaning company just £65 per month for chemicals and running your contract!
We aren't suggesting you should necessarily be paying £50 per hour, but you certainly shouldn't expect a good value commercial cleaning company to provide their commercial cleaning service for £15 per hour!
As you can see from the above points, there is no simple answer to give a definitive figure. As of 2023, you can expect to see a range from anywhere between £15-£40 per hour plus VAT depending on where you are in the country, what machinery is required on site (a good floor scrubbing machine costs typically £3,000 -£6,000 plus VAT) and how many hours per week you are having supplied to you.
We hope this article has detailed a number of benefits of using a great value commercial cleaning service such as Green Fox Cleaning, and given you a better understanding of commercial cleaning costs. Below is a summary of our service benefits and what is included in our commercial cleaning cost for cleaning services.
We hope you have found this article on commercial cleaning costs useful.
Click here to contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office for a free, no obligation quote and discover our commercial cleaning cost - we will let you decide whether or not it represents good value.
Commercial cleaning cost is not a simple one number fits all, and really does not full exploration. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have around commercial cleaning cost for your premises, or more general questions aorund commercial cleaning cost UK and how to ensure you receive great value.
At Green Fox, we appreciate that showroom cleaning services are bespoke to each venue, and the selection of a showroom cleaning company needs to be a carefully considered decision.
Showrooms come in many guises, including the following:
Whichever sector your business operates in, a clean and well presented showroom demonstrates the attention to detail level that your customers expect. Many purchases at showrooms are often the biggest expense for many people, after the purchase of their home or vehicle. The appearance of your showroom reflects your brand, culture and experience and will positively influence sales. On the flip side, people don’t trust scruffy showrooms - they expect those poor standards to continue to the product being sold.
Our site dedicated showroom cleaning operatives are fully-trained, experienced and work to detailed cleaning schedules based on your business needs. We can operate during your opening hours to provide ongoing cleaning and maintenance services, as well as more traditional out of hours showroom cleaning services.
The showroom cleaning company services that we provide can include daily cleaning, up to seven days a week. We ensure effective and efficient communication with your management team, regular quality audits and absence cover to ensure consistent staffing and in turn service levels are maintained at all times.
We can also assist with temporary showroom venues, such as those setup at car events, fashion shows and art displays. You can read about our work at Goodwood Festival of Speed for the outside showroom areas for BMW and Porsche by clicking here.
When your customers walk through the door and enter your showroom, it’s not only the products on display that that they see.
Your showroom floors need to be spotless, staff desks uncluttered, chrome and mirrors gleaming and your toilets sparkling - all delivering the highest possible customer experience. A great showroom cleaning company will take care of this invisibly for you, allowing you to focus on selling your products.
Our showroom cleaning services are tailored to you and your business so we can deliver the very best results, whilst offering you a great value service. We will work around your opening times and daily schedule in order to keep disruption to your business to an absolute minimum, and pride ourselves on our excellent reputation and reliability through our GPS tracked shifts monitored 24/7 by an on-call manager.
Our highly trained cleaners are experienced in cleaning all areas of showrooms, to also include offices, staff areas and customer toilets, leaving your entire premises beautifully clean and fresh. As a one-stop-shop for all your cleaning needs, our showroom cleaning company services include everything you need to keep your business looking its best.
We hope this article has detailed a number of benefits of using Green Fox. Below is a summary of our service benefits.
We hope you have found this article on making the right choice for showroom cleaning services useful.
Click here to learn more about our work in this sector, or click here to contact your local office for a free, no obligation quote.
A showroom is a large space used to display products, entertainment or visual arts. They come in all sizes, in all sectors with one thing in common - they need to always looks great for visiting customers!
Have you heard of necrotising fasciitis?
No? Don’t worry – you’re not alone.
This post has no absolutely information about our core business of commercial cleaning - but is potentially one that could help save a life.
Necrotising fasciitis is a rare, but life-threatening infection also known as the “flesh eating disease.” Even with treatment, it is estimated that 1 or 2 in every 5 cases are fatal. There are only circa 500 confirmed cases across the entire United Kingdom each year.
One of our founding Directors, Paul Barrett, caught this life threatening infection in November 2021. This is Paul’s story of what happened when he caught necrotising fasciitis, to try and raise awareness about this lethal infection.
“It was 19th November 2021. I was living with my husband Daniel in our new home and had only been there two weeks. I went to bed feeling fine and woke around 3am. I was freezing cold, yet I was sweating profusely, and the bed was soaked. Soaked from my sweat to the degree that Daniel had to get multiple towels for me to lay on.
I felt awful, and assumed it was Covid. I had previously had Covid some months before and couldn’t think of anything else it could be.
I hadn’t eaten anything that I could think would cause food poisoning and had never heard of necrotising fasciitis.
The following morning and the next two days I felt weak and was going from hot to cold.
Daily covid tests were negative, but I was sick a handful of times and felt achy over my body – typical signs of Covid as per the NHS website.
A couple of sleepless nights passed feeling the same, with towels needed each night for profuse sweating.
Around day three, my left leg began aching. I assumed this was because I had pulled a muscle from tossing and turning in bed all night with the sweats and not being able to sleep. There was absolutely nothing visible on my leg, so I suspected simply a slightly pulled muscle.
We were due to go on holiday a couple of days later, so we decided it was best to call 111 to get some advice. They called me back within about 30 minutes after I logged the call, and due to the leg and other symptoms described, I was advised to attend my local hospital A&E department to get checked out.
By the time we arrived at hospital, I was now struggling to walk on my left leg, was sweating and kept feeling as though I was going to faint. These symptoms ramped up very quickly.
After initial screening at hospital, a blood test was taken.
I am no doctor (as will be clear from my next description), but even I could tell things were bad next. When you have a blood test to check for infection levels, the result is scored with a number (with zero being no infection).
The doctor looking after me explained that anything scoring 5 or above is an infection requiring treatment, and anything over 50 would be considered a high level of infection.
I was then told that my infection count was over four hundred!
I was immediately admitted to the majors ward, where I was attached to various machines, and fluids and medicines were pumped into me.
I could now not lift my left leg up off the bed. I didn’t know what was going on and if I would be able to move or use my leg again.
Further tests were ongoing, but no-one could work out what the infection was. Over the next few days in hospital my infection level ‘score’ increased to over 500 (ten times the number considered a high infection). I lost use of my left leg, and I was naturally fearing for my life.
Due to Covid, the opportunity for Daniel to visit me was limited to once a day after a few days, after no visits being possible initially.
I must have seen over twenty doctors / consultants over the next few days. An MRI scan showed that I had a large infection in my left leg, but this obviously couldn’t identify exactly what the infection was.
Everything changed when one surgeon came to assess me around 10pm one evening early December. This surgeon was called Mr Christie Swaminathan, and it turns out he was the person that saved my life.
Mr Swaminathan (pictured above) identified this illness as what he believed to be an extremely rare and very serious infection – necrotising fasciitis.
Mr Swaminathan was clear but very factual. I was under no doubt this was life threatening, and that I had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue from my leg.
“When? In the morning?” was my question.
“No, as soon as the current patient in theatre comes out. This cannot wait until the morning – we are against the clock now” was his reply.
It was so serious that I was operated in the early hours that night. I was told that it was likely I would need several operations over the next few days – each removing more tissue from my leg until the infection was fully removed.
I was taken to theatre, where I was told I may wake up in intensive care if the operation didn’t go as hoped. Terrifying.
The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery. I was told the operation appeared to have gone well.
I tried to move my left leg tentatively – I felt no pain due to the strong pain relief medication still being present throughout my body, and I could move and lift my leg for the first time in days.
I cried with happiness. I knew I had a long way to recovery, but it appeared my life was saved.
The next day the pain was back and partly managed with pain relief, but it couldn’t fully control the post operation pain. I could still move my left leg, but it was weak and I couldn’t weight bear.
I was connected with a tube to a suction machine, drawing fluids off the wound 24/7 to keep it dry and sterile. Daily dressing changes were so painful when changed by staff due to the location of the wound, and peeling off the wound which had to be kept wide open, in case further operations were needed, to remove more tissue from my leg.
The next couple of weeks in hospital I underwent various processes including physiotherapy.
I would exercise to try and get strength back in my leg. I couldn’t walk to the toilet – all the things you take for granted.
I was discharged home finally on 16th December 2021, with a portable suction machine and tubing connected to me 24/7 for the next two months. Daily visits to home from nurses for assessment and dressing changes continued, with great support from Daniel.
A month or so later I got a letter from the hospital and the infection was confirmed as having been necrotising fasciitis after being tested in the hospital laboratory.
But, being connected to the machine and unable to move much didn’t matter at all – I was alive. I have survived necrotising fasciitis. I was a survivor – unlike sadly a number of other people I have read about since researching this lethal infection more.
Should I have gone to hospital or sought advice sooner? Yes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I would never want to waste anyone’s time, especially not our wonderful NHS staff.
Had Covid never existed, I dare say I would have also sought advice sooner.
On Tuesday 24th January 2023 I met Mr Christie Swaminathan for a (just over) one year follow up. I immediately recognised him; I thanked him for saving my life and cried. It bought it all back.
Interestingly, I was told that my hospital had only seen two further cases of necrotising fasciitis since my admission 13 months earlier – it really is rare.
I have now been fully discharged from the hospital system and am back to normal (as normal as I get anyway!), with a scar as a daily remind me of what happened.
I hope you found this insight into my experience of necrotising fasciitis and my experience useful and insightful. Please do share – the more people that read this the better. Please do also click here to learn more about NHS advice around symptoms, treatments, and the outlook on this infection”.
The symptoms of necrotising fasciitis develop quickly over hours or days.
They may not be obvious at first and can be similar to less serious conditions, such as flu, gastroenteritis or cellulitis.
Early symptoms can include:
If left untreated, the necrotising fasciitis infection can spread quickly through the body and cause symptoms such as dizziness, weakness and confusion.
If in doubt, please seek emergency medical advice at this stage – please don’t delay!
Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Go to your nearest A&E department as soon as possible if you think you have it.
Call 999 for an ambulance if you're too unwell to get yourself to A&E.
The Lee Spark necrotising fasciitis foundation was established in 2000 by Doreen Cartledge following the loss of her son to necrotising fasciitis.
Click here to visit the Lee Spark Foundation website
You can click here to return to our website home page.
Selecting an eco-friendly cleaning company for your workplace is of utmost importance in today's environmentally conscious world. With increasing concerns about climate change, pollution, and the overall health of our planet, adopting sustainable practices has become a necessity rather than an option. Here are some reasons why choosing an eco-friendly cleaning company is crucial for your workplace.
First and foremost, opting for an eco-friendly cleaning company helps reduce the negative impact on the environment. Traditional cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals that can contaminate the air, water, and soil, leading to long-term ecological damage. In contrast, eco-friendly cleaning companies prioritise the use of non-toxic, biodegradable, and plant-based cleaning agents. By minimising the use of harmful chemicals, these companies help protect the environment, safeguarding the health of ecosystems and preserving natural resources.
By employing eco-friendly cleaning techniques, such as using HEPA filters, natural disinfectants, and microfibre cleaning cloths, these companies create a healthier work environment for employees. Clean, fresh air enhances overall well-being, reduces absenteeism, and boosts productivity.
It is no secret that high on the list of consideration when selecting a commercial cleaning company for your workplace or school, that a big consideration is on how much the company consider the environment as part of their business operations, making eco friendly cleaning companies a go to choice.
Finally, opting for an eco-friendly cleaning company can have a positive impact on the overall well-being and morale of your employees. When individuals know that their workplace is being cleaned with environmentally friendly products, they feel a sense of pride and satisfaction, knowing they are part of an organisation that prioritises sustainability. This can contribute to a more positive work culture, higher employee engagement, and improved retention rates.
Eco friendly cleaning companies and eco conscious cleaning companies appear to be everywhere when you search on google - however, how many truly are?
There are far more things to do than simply say "we are an eco friendly cleaning company" and hope people believe it. But, how do you prove it?
ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). At Green Fox Cleaning, we are proud to be an ISO 14001 certified organisation. Click here to learn more about ISO 14001.
There are many other considerations taken by us and processes in place to ensure we operate with full consideration of our environmental impact, and detailed fully in our sustainability policy. A few of our key points include the following:
In conclusion, finding the best eco friendly cleaning companies for your workplace is essential for several reasons. It helps protect the environment, enhances indoor air quality, showcases corporate social responsibility, and improves employee well-being. By making this conscious choice, you not only contribute to a healthier planet but also create a positive work environment that benefits everyone involved.
We hope you have found this selecting a great eco friendly cleaning company. Asking the right questions at the beginning of your search for a great commercial cleaning company will save you time in the long run.
You can click here to contact your LOCAL Green Fox office to discuss how they can help improve the appearance of your workplace in a environmentally conscious way.
At Green Fox Cleaning, we are experienced in working with, and understand the challenges faced by charities.
Budgets can often be tight - yet by the very nature of their existence the sites are often used by some of the most vulnerable people and animals - meaning the highest levels of cleanliness are essential.
Our local charity cleaning teams - both managers and operatives understand that non-profit organisations centre around generosity, and that a clean environment is essential for staff to carry out work for charitable purposes.
With us providing daily cleaning services to charities in various sectors and of different all sizes throughout Hampshire, West Sussex East Sussex and Surrey, we have written this article to help you make a safe choice, and ensure you can focus your efforts on the running of your charity, and not the cleaning of it.
There are a number of key considerations when selecting a commercial cleaning company for your charity cleaning services. Here are what we consider the top three points we would recommend you ask any company when they come to quote for your charity cleaning services, to minimise the risk of you spending time managing the contractor.
Don't be afraid to ask this. Some commercial cleaning companies use subcontractors and "self-employed" staff to avoid needing to pay pension, holiday pay etc. What this means in reality is they have little or no control over who is coming through your premises door each day.
At Green Fox, all cleaning staff are directly employed by us. Our process will include background checks through various sources, enhanced DBS checks at all charity sites, where the highest levels of vetting for safeguarding compliance are required. With our company Directors being former Police Officers with over 30 years service between them, you can be assured that client safeguarding is at the top of our list.
Time and time again we hear horror stories of cleaning companies placing untrained staff to clean in sites, and don't even induct them on essentials such as the location of fire exits! All Green Fox Cleaning employees are trained by our in-house British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) trainers and receive a detailed and paid induction before starting work at all of our charity sites where they are expected to work.
Turning up in the morning to find your charity has not been cleaned venue is pretty much the worst case scenario when outsourcing your daily charity cleaning services.
At Green Fox Cleaning, we operate a live GPS employee attendance management system which is monitored 24/7 live-time by an on-call manager. In the event a cleaner doesn't arrive as expected, an on-call manager is alerted immediately and will investigate, and deploy one of our mobile team if required, to ensure you NEVER turn up to a dirty premises!
At Green Fox, we can be flexible to work around the days and times you require cleaning. We can work out in hours around your staff, out of hours, weekdays or weekends.
The types of charities we provide regular cleaning services to include:
We hope you have found this article on charity cleaning services useful. Asking the right questions at the beginning of your search for a great commercial cleaning company will save you time in the long run.
We hope you have found this article on charity cleaning services useful. You can click here to contact your local office to discuss how they can help you.
At Green Fox, we clean for numerous state schools, private schools and academies alike of all sizes. This post is a school cleaning services case study which details how we have transferred just one of these schools through our hard work and professional, local approach.
The below photos give a slight insight into the scale of the task associated with when we were awarded the daily cleaning contract at Shoreham Academy where daily cleaning services started in August 2021 .
Based over three floors, with a site in excess of 13,000 square metres and boasting two sports halls and a dance hall utilised by community lettings until after 9pm, the size of the task and the amount of planning required to ensure the smooth running was clear to see.
For the previous ten years, the school cleaning services contracted cleaning services were handled by a large and well known national cleaning company. The contract was being run with staff shortages, standards were poor and staff morale was reportedly low.
The cleaning team required at this site owing to the size was circa 15 cleaning staff per day, to include a site supervisor to oversee the daily running, and liaise with the facilities management team.
Upon contract award in this cleaning services case study, we had to firstly consider a piece of legislation known as TUPE. The full name being the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, TUPE is a piece of legislation that is designed to protect staff when a service provider changes hand, and stops employees constantly fearing for job security.
Many clients can view TUPE as a bad thing, as they often look to change cleaning contractor as the cleaning standards have been poor, and expect to have exactly the same issues if the new cleaning company inherit the same staff. Despite what some unscrupulous cleaning companies may tell you to win a school cleaning services contract, TUPE is not optional. A typical fine for non-compliance is circa £10,000 per employee! You can read more about TUPE from one of our other useful posts by clicking here.
For us, TUPE can be a GREAT thing. If the staff have the right attitude, we can always teach the skills to clean properly with our British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) in-house accredited trainers. They know the premises, but have perhaps lacked guidance, motivated and management.
Prior to commencement of the contract, we met the current team on a few occasions with the agreement of the facilities team, to allow us to reassure the current team and explain how the transferring process would work.
Changing company for a cleaner can be a worrying time - is their job safe? What will their new manager be like?
The team here quickly realised they needn't have worried, From day one they received a pay rise, and a great employee benefits package. One employee had been there for 8 years, and one for 12 years - always on the minimum wage. At Green Fox Cleaning, we always pay our staff a fair wage - NEVER the minimum wage!
Having said this, if any transferred employee fails to meet our required highest levels of professionalism and cleaning standards, we will instigate performance management measures, which can ultimately result in job loss. In this case, three of the ten transferred staff (including the long serving supervisor) were unwilling to work with us, and lost their jobs after a couple of weeks despite the efforts of our teams to support and develop them.
Our Management Team recruited replacement staff for the existing vacancies that were not filled by the outgoing cleaning contractor, and those for the vacancies from those failing to meet our standards.
In the weeks and months from contract award to starting our work at Shoreham Academy, we worked closely with our carefully selected eco-conscious suppliers, to ensure we selected the best equipment and chemicals to undertake the task.
Floor plans were used to carefully plan and allocate cleaning areas for each operative, to ensure they were fairly spread and achievable within the allotted time. When it comes to school cleaning services, it is essential that the time allocated to each area is sufficient to clean to a clinical standard.
Previously most cleaning was undertaken by manual mopping. We quickly identified this was not an efficient use of time, and we could make the work easier for the team, more efficient and deliver better results.
When we started, the team couldn't believe their luck - ride on machinery to clean floors, scrubbing machines and the most effective yet environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals.
The ride on machine was carefully selected to ensure it fitted in the lift, and could access all ten long corridors over the three floors, and access the external sports hall through a safe route. Upgrades included flashing lights and an audible warning system, to keep everyone safe.
All staff were trained in the safe operation of all equipment and chemicals they would be expected to use. Plus they were told of the most important tool in their kit - the cleaning in progress warning sign!
Upon day one of this award in this cleaning services case study, a full classroom day was spent to induct all staff on health and safety, our company processes, and form a team bond between the transferred and new staff - to ensure a one team approach. Leading on from this was our in-house training team training the cleaning team on all aspects of cleaning - from how to correctly fold a cloth, on to more advanced cleaning techniques.
The biggest challenge by far has been the "c" word - coronavirus. The number of staff absences as a result of this virus was significant, meaning meticulous planning and utilising mobile support teams to ensure we delivered our contractual obligations and left the academy looking great - day after day.
The community lettings across the dance hall and two large sports halls are also a challenge. These are used until 9pm, meaning our later team have a one hour window to work together to clean these large spaces and associated changing rooms before the end of the shift. Teamwork and carefully structured shift patterns, along with close liaisons with the Shoreham Academy premises team for any short notice changes ensure this also runs like clockwork, planning weekly letting use cleaning rotas to the finest detail and timings.
Since the start of this school cleaning services case study contract, we are proud to confirm the following improvements:
The below review is from the Shoreham Academy Facilities Manager which was received after we had been delivering cleaning services for nine months. It is testament to the heard work of the local management and administration team, as well as each and every hard working Green Fox employee that works at the academy.
We hope you have found this school cleaning services case study useful. We look forward to a long and healthy working relationship with all at Shoreham Academy, as well as all our other clients served by our local offices.
You can click here to contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office, to see how they can help improve the appearance of your premises with our school and academy cleaning services.
In the current climate, Strep A cleaning is therefore something that is very topical, and must NOT be taken lightly.
Group A streptococcus is a common bacteria that can be found in the throat or on the skin, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency. The bacteria doesn’t always cause illness, but it can cause tonsillitis, sore throat, skin rashes, scarlet fever and impetigo.
Concerns have been raised by the UK Health Security Agency following an increase in lower respiratory Group A Strep infections in some children over the past few weeks, which have caused severe illness and, very sadly, a number of deaths. Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating according to government reports.
The current increase is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria in the environment.
The Strep A bacteria can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or abrasion to the skin, Most Group A streptococcus infections cause relatively mild illnesses such as ‘strep throat’ (a sore throat), or skin infections. Strep A is also the main cause of Scarlet Fever.
The Strep A infection can be spread through close contact between individuals and through shared contact with physical surfaces such as doorplates, handles and taps, so it is essential that good Strep A cleaning processes are in place to minimise the risk.
It should be noted that much like Coronavirus, that hand washing remains the most important step in preventing such infections.
Yes. Group A streptococcus is highly contagious and spreads through close contact with an infected person. It could be passed through a few different ways, including coughs, sneezes or by contact with a wound, health officials said.
Common symptoms are not limited to, but can include the following. If in doubt - always seek medical advice immediately.
Surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected as part of a normal cleaning routine, paying particular attention to door handles, light switches and other high touch points and surfaces such as door plates. These processes should be largely in place already if you have a good commercial cleaning company providing your daily cleaning services.
Coronavirus gave the world a stark reminder of the need for good, organised and professional cleaning at places of work - the days of a mop and a single cloth are long gone thankfully!
At Green Fox Cleaning, we are always planning for the worst scenarios, but ensuring we have the best products to tackle them. We have a tried and tested range of products that can be used at clients sites should there be a need.
The exact products we place will be decided on a case by case basis, but will only be those with manufacturer approval as being effective for Strep A cleaning and prevention.
Contact times of selected products must be followed when undertaking Strep A cleaning, or indeed any cleaning.
Contact time is the amount of time the product remains on a surface one sprayed, before being wiped with a dry cloth and then being left to air dry. Our carefully selected products require typically just a one minute contact time, ensuring an efficient AND effective cleaning process.
We hope you have found this information on Strep A cleaning useful.
You can click here to contact your local Green Fox Cleaning office, to see how they can help improve the safety of your workplace with strict scheduled cleaning processes, with effective cleaning products.
