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janitorial crew walking the floor

Janitorial And Commercial Office Cleaning Services

Business owners such as yourself are responsible for making sure that the work areas of your employees are taken care of and they have a healthy and safe work environment. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by hiring a local Toronto cleaning company to provide you with commercial janitorial cleaning services so that your commercial space is kept organized and clean.

sparkling clean commercial washrooms

When your office space is always kept clean, it can reach help to maintain your employees’ morale and increase their productivity. It also can help prospective clients and visiting guests have a good first impression when they visit your facility.

This is why it is so important to have a professional office cleaning service that you can depend on to always keep your offices looking at their very best.

Normally there is no formal training required for commercial janitorial work. Individuals in those roles frequently have experience working with professional office or household cleaning services, and/or they are trained by more experienced janitors on the job. In-house cleaners and janitors are vetted for security based on your company’s recruitment process. This provides certain levels of assurance, quality control, and consistency.

Professional commercial cleaning providers need to be able to provide whatever cleaning services hat your industrial, business, or office space needs. Whether that is specialized commercial cleaning services or regular janitorial services will depend on how messy your office is. To help you determine this, check out our brief descriptions below of the differences between janitorial and commercial office cleaning services.

Janitorial Services

Depending on how large your office is, you might only need periodic weekly cleaning or daily cleaning to get rid of accumulated clutter and garbage. No matter how frequently you need it, typically regular cleaning services are janitorial cleaning services. Regular janitorial cleaning includes such tasks as wiping down surfaces such as counters and desks, vacuuming carpets, and emptying out recycling and waste bins. By having a janitorial service stay on top of those tasks, it can help your office function efficiently and looks its best. However, there are other types of cleaning services you might need that is beyond the scope of what is provided by regular janitorial services.

janitorial crew cleaning office cubicles

Usually, Janitorial Cleaning includes:

  • Wiping down office chairs and desks
  • Emptying recycle and trash
  • Cleaning and disinfecting bathrooms
  • Dusting
  • Vacuuming upholstery and carpets
  • Sweep and mop hard surface floors
  • Clean employee kitchens and break-rooms
  • Touch Point cleaning of high-traffic touch-points
  • Clean bathrooms

Commercial Office Cleaning

Commercial cleaning services basically cover any cleaning jobs that an office requires that go beyond daily cleaning tasks. Not many janitorial services provide carpet shampooing and cleaning. You might need to have exterior cleaning done like window washing. This is part of what is offered by commercial office cleaning service but extends beyond what regular janitorial workers are equipped to deal with. Although many janitorial services will deal with surface cleaning the bathrooms in your office, more extensive cleaning such as scrubbing tile and grout will require specialty commercial cleaning teams that have the proper equipment for handling the job. Although these cleaning tasks tend to be more extensive, most offices do not need them on a regular basis. So your commercial cleaning tasks can be spread out throughout the year based on your company’s budget and needs.

commercial floor finishing equipment

There are other advantages that come with hiring a professional commercial cleaning company. One is that you will not need to worry about any tax or payroll requirements. You will pay either a fixed rate or flat fee depending on which services you receive and how frequently they are done. You will agree on all of this based on a comprehensive quote. That way there will not be any surprises in the future.

Usually, commercial cleaning services include:

  • Power washing
  • Window washing
  • Upholstery and furniture cleaning
  • Cleaning of hard surface floors
  • Floor finishing
  • Cleaning grout and tile
  • Disinfection Cleaning
  • Carpet cleaning

For all businesses, it is an absolute must to keep their premises and buildings hygienic and clean at all times. However, this does require effort and time. That is why so many businesses decide to either hire janitorial or custodial staff or outsource their cleaning services. When there are people devoted to the cleanliness and upkeep of your business, that means it will not end up falling by the wayside when your other employees do not have time to deal with it.

Here’s some tips on how to choose a Commercial Cleaning Company and what questions to ask.

dog laying on clean carpet

10 Effective Carpet Cleaning Hacks That You Can Use

Carpeting plays an important part in turning your house into a home.

It is warm on your feet in the winter season and provides a soft feeling when you walk barefoot during summer. You could even lie on the soft carpet with a book in your hand next to the heater or fireplace in the cold winter months.

carpet in front of cozy fireplace

Carpets are considered a prized investment in your home and should be maintained properly to prolong their lifespan. You need to do more than just vacuuming the carpet weekly or bi-weekly to protect your investment over time. It’s always a good idea to have your carpets professionally cleaned, but here are some tip you can do in between.

This article provides 10 cleaning hacks to keep your carpet in pristine condition for many more years to come.

1. Using The Lint Roller

Have you noticed crumbs and hairs on the carpet no matter how hard you vacuum it? This is a very common problem experienced by a majority of homeowners who have long-fiber carpets. Even the most powerful vacuum cannot clean the long fibers of the carpet to a higher standard. A lint roller can help solve this problem for you. In fact, the lint roller should be used in these problematic areas. You may need to put some elbow grease until you collect all the stubborn particles from the carpet using the lint roller.

2. Removing Stains With An Iron

Stain removal has been one of the biggest issues for the majority of homeowners who have invested in expensive carpets. There are several schools of thought on how to remove stains from a carpet. Here is our three-step process to remove stains from your carpet.

First, vacuum the stained area of the carpet to remove all the hard particles from the area and leave only the stain. This is important prep work to remove stubborn stains from a carpet. Next, you need to make a solution of vinegar and water to treat the stain. Take three parts of water and one part of vinegar for this solution. Let the mixture work its magic on the stain for 5-10 minutes. The final step is to place a towel on top of the stained area & apply a heated iron. The heat and pressure of the iron will transfer the stain into the towel similar to reversing a temporary water tattoo.

3. The Importance Of Blotting And Never Rubbing

Most homeowners are used to rub dirt away when cleaning carpets. Even though we are used to rubbing dirt away when polishing shoes, washing dishes and washing off stubborn stains from sheets, carpets are different. When you rub a stain on a carpet, the stain will spread to the other areas of the fabric. It may permanently discolour the carpet. That is why you need to blot the stain and never rub it when removing stains from carpets. With blotting, you will be applying pressure on the spot that leads to the liquid being absorbed into the sponge or cloth. Don’t forget to pay attention to the direction you blot the stain to protect the carpet fibers. Blotting inwards from outside the stain is the most effective method because it helps ensure that the stain doesn’t spread further.

4. Alcohol To Remove Nail Polish Stains

Most people think that rubbing alcohol on the carpet may lead to bleaching. But when the stain is nail polish, other rubbing alcohol solutions are not strong enough to remove the stain. Hence, you should wait until the nail polish is dried and chip the dried nail polish. Use a blunt tool such as a butter knife for this purpose. Then, you need to gently dab the stain with a cloth or paper towel that contains alcohol. Do it until the nail polish dissolves and absorbs into the cloth.

5. Using Shaving Cream For Normal Dirt Stains

Carpets with lighter colors such as beige, white, yellow, or soft pastel colors get dirty due to high traffic. Dust accumulates on these carpets over time. If you have kids, you may find highly visible skid marks on the carpets. Normal dirt stains can be a thing of the past when you use shaving cream to get rid of these stains. Even old stains can be removed with shaving cream. Rub shaving cream on the stains and let it sit there for some time. You will notice the carpet feels soft to touch after using shaving cream to remove dirt. That is why shaving cream is called anti-aging cream for carpets.

6. Baking Soda To Freshen Your Carpets

Baking soda is another highly effective cleaning substance that could be used to clean your carpets. You need 16 ounces of baking soda and a bottle of essential oil for this treatment. Add about 10-20 drops of essential oil depending on how noticeable you want the scent to be. Look for an essential oil like citrus to have the carpets smelling fresh after the treatment. Spread the mixture on the carpet like dusting a cake with icing sugar and vacuum the carpet after 10-15 minutes.

7. Strong Deodorizer Recipe

Do you have kids or pets in your home? Do you want the carpets in your home to smell fresh? If so, you need to use products that won’t harm your loved ones and pets. Here is a simple recipe to clean your carpets and have them smell fresh without harming your kids and pets.

Take 1-2 tablespoons of Borax in a large container. Add 10 drops of essential oil into the Borax powder. Check how strong the scent is and what type of scent you prefer before choosing the best essential oil for the solution. Some scents might irritate your pets because pets are much more sensitive to smells than humans. Mix the essential oil and Borax powder with two cups of baking soda to prepare the solution.

Baking soda helps absorb bad smells and the essential oil freshens the carpets. On the other hand, Borax powder kills germs and microbes and is safe in these quantities.

Check out this post on pet stains too.

8. Shag Carpets Require Special Care

Shag carpets are making a return after a long time. They are a must-have piece in your modern home. But it doesn’t mean shag carpets are easier to clean. The fibers of shag carpets can easily get damaged when vacuuming. Vacuums have strong suction that causes these carpets to shed as their fibers get sucked in. The fibers become frizzy or generally come loose with regular vacuuming. Simply vacuum with the hose attachment to prevent this from happening. That way you can get deep into the fibers of the carpet without damaging the weave.

9. Keeping Your Carpets Clean With Shoe Caps

Are you planning an event that will result in high foot traffic on your carpets? If so, you need to have the guests wear a pair of shoe caps inside the house to minimize the damage to the carpets. This will help blunt out imprints from boots, stilettos, and running shoes. It will also keep people away from tracking too much dirt into the house. Prevention is very important when maintaining the prized carpets in your home.

10. Runners and Area Rugs Are Your Friends

You will love showing off the fine carpets in your home when you organize gatherings and host parties. But foot traffic has no mercy on the carpets. Your carpets will wear out faster without proper care. Buy area rugs and runners to place along with the areas that will receive the most amount of traffic in your home. Just remove these items when you have guests. It will help save a lot of time with vacuuming and keep the carpets looking new for longer periods of time.

Carpets are available in many shapes, sizes, and colors. You need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when cleaning the carpets in your home. Please feel free to leave a comment on our blog if you happen to know another trick to deal with carpet stains.

vestibule with area rug

Learn How To Get Mould Out Of Your Carpet

What exactly is Mould?

Mould is a kind of fungus, one that primarily grows in very humid environments. In your home, this can be places like your basement or bathrooms, but also certain home appliances, like humidifiers or your air conditioner. Mould is something you can find any place with the right combination of oxygen, heat, moisture, and a food source. Food sources can be things like plants or fiber, and in your home specifically, they might be walls, pipes, leaky roofs, or any flooded area. Mould actually travels through the air, where it exists as tiny spores looking for any wet area where it can cling and then breed. Mouldy areas need to be something you deal with promptly, because you want to take care of it before spores contaminate any other areas.

Check out this Health and Safety Fact Sheet from the Ottawa Public Health website

Mould is an irritant and allergen at the same time. On top of just looking physically ugly, it can trigger physical reactions in people ranging from minor allergies all the way up to serious health risks. Common symptoms include but are not limited to skin rashes, headaches, trouble breathing, and red and/or watery eyes. Mould spores might also get into someone’s lungs and trigger asthma. Many people think that mould allergies are like pollen allergies, in that they happen in certain seasons. However, mould allergies can happen all around the year. Given that, everyone needs to watch out for mould showing up in any buildings they spend time in.

Removing Mould From Your Carpet

There are many potential problems that can happen with your carpet, and mildew and mould are likely the worst among them. On top of their unsightly appearances, they are both unhealthy, result in unwanted odors and smells, and are associated with many different respiratory ailments. Places with humidity and warmth are inviting to mildew and mould. Spores are typically airborne, which means they can spread throughout your home with ease. They might also be something you or others inhale into your lungs, where they can result in health issues. Typically speaking, exposure might lead to numerous allergic symptoms, including but not limited to fatigue, wheezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, sneezing, itching, runny nose, difficulty breathing, headaches, and asthma attacks. If your carpet has undergone water damage without being appropriately dried, then mould might have developed or could be in the development process. This is why it’s so crucial that you act quickly to make sure that your wet carpet is dried appropriately.

man pointing our mould area on carpet

Unfortunately, in many cases, the only truly effective way of removing carpet mould from your home is to remove the carpet itself and replace it. However, if the infection your carpet has is rather mild or tame, you might be able to try and remove it on your own. You could get lucky and knock this problem out in your first try. If you have a persistent mould problem, then contact a professional carpet cleaning service like WeCleanCarpets.org.

First Things First

Open all your doors and windows so you can let fresh air in and have the chance to circulate. Anytime mould spores get perturbed, they’re going to get airborne again, meaning that they can travel easily into your lungs. Given that, be sure that you are avoiding direct contact with any mould present as much as you can. Use gloves, safety goggles, and most importantly, a mask. Also make sure that children and pets stay outside of the contaminated room. Some of your home’s occupants might be more susceptible than others to mould, including anyone with existing respiratory ailments, anyone with a low immune system, and the elderly. If you can, get them out of the home completely while you do this.

Removing The Mould

Mould usually gets rather attached to the place it calls home, meaning it’s not going to be easy to convince it to move. Mould adheres to carpet fibers in ways that mean you need to scrub it thoroughly for it to go away. If you have a manageable area of mould growing, then you can mix one part of white vinegar, bleach, or Lysol to four parts of fresh water. Spray your carpet with whatever solution you create, before letting it set for a minimum of 15 minutes. Next, get a clean cloth and another solution of warm, soapy water. Dish-washing soap is fine here. Use it to scrub the area. Then, use a clean cloth and fresh water with nothing else in it to rinse the area. Follow this up with another spray of your solution to repeat the process. Once you have done the whole process a second time, vacuum any mould and dirty away. Make sure you prevent future mould growth by getting all the water from the carpet. Once you vacuum up the water, open up your windows and put industrial fans in place. Utilize a dehumidifier in order to free the room from lingering moisture. As stated, when mould gets seriously stuck in your carpet, you might have no way out but replacing it. When you finish, change or clean your vacuum filter in order to keep your home free of mould yet again.

When You Should Contact A Professional

You can attempt cleaning this on your own if the area isn’t very big. On the other hand, if your problem area is more than just a few square feet, you need to consult a remediation professional. Cleaning up a small area could automatically release the spores up into the air, and this can mean health risks for all occupants of the entire building. As a result, attempting to clean up larger amounts might result in serious health problems that cost a lot more than professional cleaning would.

You need to think about bringing in a specialist when the following happen:

  • You have issues spread past just a few square feet of area.
  • Your home or building occupants are suffering from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues.
  • Repetitive cleaning isn’t working.
  • You just don’t know how extensive the issue really is.
  • You can smell mildew in your carpet.

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