Steve Hanson

No matter what kind of cleaning business you own, one of the keys to improving profits is to clean more efficiently. The more efficient you are, the faster you clean. And that means you'll have more time to focus on growing your business (if you do the cleaning yourself). Or if you have employees it means less payroll spent on poor-performing employees.

If you're a one person operation, then you need to find ways to improve your own performance. And if you have employees, then you need to find a way to train each employee consistently so each person is working to your exact standards.

Here are some tips for saving time and cleaning more efficiently:

1. Avoid backtracking. Nothing wastes more time than walking back and forth across the room or walking back to the other side of the building because you forgot something.
   
   
2. Use both hands. You have two hands so use them. Use one hand to spray chemical on to your rag and use the other to wipe. Use one hand to steady an object while using the other to clean it. Think about the tasks you're performing and see if you can save time by using both hands.
   
   
3. Clean from high to low. The rules of gravity apply to cleaning. If you clean high areas first, chances are some of the dust and debris will fall onto the lower surfaces. This means you can clean up any mess when you clean the low areas.
   
   
4. Use the right tools and equipment. What are you using to carry your cleaning bottles, cloths and brushes? If you're not using a caddy or apron, then you're probably running back and forth to grab the chemical or tool you need (See #1).
   
   Are you using a vacuum cleaner that has on-board crevice tools? This type of vacuum allows you to grab the tool you need, when you need it, without having to remember to come back to get into a hard to reach area. These are just two examples of using tools that save time and allow you to work more efficiently.
   
   
5. If you're working too hard, then find a more efficient tool or chemical. If you're getting winded from working so hard in one area, then it's time to re-evaluate to see if there's a better cleaning chemical or tool that will do the hard work for you. For example, if you're trying to clean a greasy spot on a countertop and your all-purpose cleaner isn't working then you might want to try a degreaser or citrus cleaner that is meant to deal with this kind of problem. Or if you've got a carpet spot you're trying to remove with a spotter and rag, and are having a problem with the spot spreading, then it's time to invest in a portable extractor. A portable extraction machine can rinse out the spot and pull up any excess water and chemical residue.
   
   
6. Keep moving if it's not dirty. Some surfaces don't need to be cleaned as often as others. For example, vertical surfaces like sides of desks don't need to be dusted as often as horizontal surfaces that hold more dust.
   
   
7. Take care of your tools and equipment. When you don't take care of your tools and equipment they won't perform as well. If you don't empty you vacuum bag until it's full, it will have to work harder to pick up soil and will burn out faster than if you empty it when it becomes half full. If you don't change your squeegee rubber you'll eventually get streaks and will have to take more time to clean. If you don't clean your mop heads they'll leave soil on the floor so you'll have to work harder to get the floors clean.
   
   
8. Keep your tools and equipment organized. If you don't keep things in the same place you'll eventually lose something and will waste time tracking it down. Or if you don't keep your cleaning chemicals in the same place in the caddy you'll pick up the wrong bottle by accident and possibly ruin the surface you're cleaning.

Sometimes working more efficiently means putting thought into the methods you use to clean, as well as the tools and equipment you use. If you're serious about improving your profits, then you need to take a serious look at your cleaning company's methods, tools and equipment to see where improvements can be made.

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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.