Steve Hanson

If you have a commercial cleaning business, then you probably store most of your supplies and equipment in a supply closet or "janitor closet". Did you know you can find out just how well-trained workers are by the cleanliness of the supplies and equipment in storage areas? The messier and dirtier you find things, the more likely it is that your employees aren't being trained properly on the importance of maintaining equipment and keep their storage closets clean.

So take some time this week to visit your supply closets and look for these warning signs:

• Is there trash in the janitor cart or brute? All trash should be emptied every night, with none left over for the next day.
  


• Are the shelves well-organized or are they cluttered and messy? Shelves should be organized so that chemicals are stored together, paper supplies are together, can liners are together, etc. Heavy, bulky items should be stored on bottom shelves for safety reasons.
  


• Are the mops and brooms hung up? Mop should never be left in the mop bucket and the mop head should be left upright or hung up to air dry. Brooms should also be hung up or standing upright - never let the broom rest on the bristles.
  


• Is the mop bucket empty and clean? Dirty mop water should never be left in the bucket. It should be empty and rinsed out.
  


• Is the vacuum cleaner bag full? If it has a magnet bar is it full of staples and paper clips? Is the vacuum cleaner dusty? Vacuum bags should be emptied at the end of each shift, magnet bars should be free of metal and the vacuum should be wiped clean.
  


• Is the floor free of clutter? Everything should have a home and nothing should be left laying around.



• Is the closet locked? If not, it should be or you might have building employees coming in and walking off with supplies and not returning them or putting them back in the wrong place. Make sure your employees are trained to lock the doors when their shift is over.

If you train your employees on the proper way to store supplies and equipment, then you set the standard for your expectations. Be sure to follow up regularly to make sure they're remembering to follow the rules of cleanliness and safety and everyone will be happy -- you, your employees, and your customers too!

Copyright (c) The Janitorial Store (TM)

Thoughts or comments? Please consider posting them to the discussion forum

Would you like to reprint this article in your newsletter, on your web site, or on your blog? You sure can! As long as the article is complete and unaltered (including the author information below). Send a copy of the reprint to us by filling out the contact form, including the URL of the published article. (Make sure all links are live if placed in an e-zine, on a web site or blog.)

You must include the following information at the end of each article you reprint:

Copyright TheJanitorialStore.com. All Rights Reserved.
Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.