Commercial cleaning is a specialized industry with its own set of challenges. The nature of the business means that you will be cleaning in places where other businesses don’t go, whether that’s industrial buildings, restaurants, shopping malls, schools or hotels. You may not have a cleaning license, have to deal with messy chemicals that can be potentially harmful, and you will also have to deal with difficult customers who may not appreciate your services. It can be challenging, but if you are passionate about what you do and are willing to work hard, commercial cleaning can be a very rewarding career path. Let’s take a look at some of the common challenges faced by commercial cleaning professionals today.

Working with chemicals

Chemicals are an essential part of commercial cleaning, whether you are using them to sanitize, degrease, or remove stains and dirt. However, different chemicals are used in each industry, and they all have their own safety precautions. For example, restaurants use a different set of chemicals for cleaning than industrial sites do, and there are different safety protocols for each of these. This means that commercial cleaning requires a certain level of training and knowledge of toxic substances, which is something that you will have to acquire before starting your career.There are also commercial cleaning franchises where you can work with toxic substances under the supervision of someone else. This is an option for people who may not want to deal with the chemicals or who are not ready to get a license yet. But if you are serious about becoming a commercial cleaner, you will have to get your hands dirty with some chemicals.

Limited hours and wages

Commercial cleaning businesses tend to be small and can often be seasonal, so you may have to cut back on hours or take a significant pay cut if you want to work for a cleaning franchise. This can be challenging when you are trying to make ends meet with a regular job. You may have to work additional hours or take on a second job if you need additional income. Working for a cleaning company can be a great way to supplement your income by working as little as 25 hours a week. You can also negotiate your hourly wages if you work on a cleaning franchise.

Working with difficult clients

Commercial cleaning customers can be demanding, and you may have to deal with difficult people who don’t appreciate the services you provide. It’s important to always have a professional attitude, even when you are cleaning someone’s tiled kitchen floor or removing grime from the walls of an industrial building. You should always be courteous, clean, and respectful, but some customers may be rude and demanding when they don’t get what they want.You can help the situation by having a professional and organized workspace where you can keep all your cleaning materials in one place so that they can easily be found when someone needs them. It’s also important to communicate effectively with your clients, especially if you have a cleaning service where you are coming to a business premises on a regular basis. You can use a communication tool like a CRM system to make sure you have all your past client information saved and accessible.

Finding work

Another challenge of commercial cleaning is that it is difficult to find customers. You may have to cold call businesses to let them know you are available for cleaning services, and this can be very time-consuming. However, you can also look for commercial cleaning jobs online and sign up with cleaning companies where you can bid on contracts and get jobs sent to you. You can also find commercial cleaning contractors in your area through social media and networking events.

Conclusion

Commercial cleaning is a challenging career path, but it can be very rewarding. You have to be willing to work hard and be persistent, but there are many benefits to this type of work, including the opportunity to work with different chemicals, in different environments, and with different people. If you are passionate about what you do and are willing to work hard, commercial cleaning can be a very rewarding career path.

Frequently Asked Question

Janitors and building cleaners usually work indoors, but they may work outdoors on some tasks such as sweeping walkways. Janitors and building cleaners held about 2.3 million jobs in 2021.
7 Steps to Effective Cleaning & Sanitising Scrape. Rinse (first time) Apply detergent. Rinse (again) Sanitise. Rinse (last time) Dry.
Office Cleaning Dusting your desk, window sills, picture frames and computer monitor. Vacuuming carpets and mopping floors. Disinfecting doorknobs, keyboards and the computer mouse. Removing the trash and recycling. And more – custom cleaning plans are available!
Steps towards a Cleaner Office Clean & sanitise phones & workstations. Clean surfaces, handles and doorknobs. Wipe light switches and door frames. Vacuum or sweep/mop floors. Empty waste and recycling bins, cleaning and disinfecting where necessary. Dusting and wiping computer monitors and keyboards.