Looking back on the past two years, it’s safe to say that businesses have faced many challenges that will forever change how they approach cleaning. Supply shortages throughout the pandemic showed businesses how much the supply chain influences day-to-day operations.

A supply chain study by Ernst & Young last year found that only two per cent of companies were fully prepared for the pandemic. Alternatively, serious supply chain disruptions affected 57 per cent of businesses, with 72 per cent reporting some form of negative effect.

As we move toward the post-pandemic era, additional challenges such as labour shortages pose a serious risk to keeping facilities clean. Heightened expectations around cleanliness are here to stay and using a professional service provider can help avoid lapses in cleanliness and instill confidence in customers, employees, and other building visitors as facilities return to full capacity.

The future of the industry

During the pandemic, consumers became more aware of germ transmission. Consumers expect businesses to take every precaution necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as the “forgotten” viruses such as norovirus, influenza and rhinovirus. This will continue long after the pandemic is over. In fact, more than nearly two-thirds of Americans say they want to continue to see public facilities frequently disinfecting and sanitizing restrooms post COVID-19 pandemic.

Having the ability to source cleaning chemicals and essential supplies will continue to be important as businesses prepare for increased foot traffic. Professional service providers eliminate the hassle of tracking down supplies and can help ensure that facilities are adequately stocked.

The benefits to your bottom line

Partnering with an outsourced service supplier provides the following benefits:

• Eases daily maintenance: Experiencing a disruption in the supply chain or panic-buying at retail stores can be avoided when partnering with a service provider. For example, some providers offer chemical dispensing systems, which connect directly to the waterline and dispense properly diluted chemicals at the touch of a button. This helps avoid improperly mixing dangerous combinations of chemicals and decreases spending on ready-to-use chemicals, which frees up capital and saves space.
• Additionally, some service providers can offer periodic deep cleans with high-pressure cleaning and extraction equipment, specifically in washrooms, which eases daily washroom maintenance. Using intermittent high-pressure cleaning helps remove deeply embedded dirt and bacteria in washrooms. It also extracts soil and dirty water to prevent cross-contamination and odour-causing bacteria and removes build-up that can’t easily be reached by brushes and other conventional tools.
• Cleaner facilities: Having an adequate stock of cleaning chemicals, washroom supplies and other tools such as microfibre wipes can help enable staff to clean washrooms effectively. Lacking these essential products can strain cleaning operations and detract from the facility’s overall cleanliness.
• Premium offerings and services: Thorough and professional cleaning of facilities is critical in reducing the spread of germs. Most cleaning services only perform a quick wipe-down of high-touch surfaces or emptying of trash; and that’s assuming that businesses can find the labour. Professional service providers have the skills, knowledge, proper equipment and manpower to provide a quality clean that helps reduce the spread of infection.
• Long-term cost savings: It’s critical that businesses avoid cutting corners on cleaning processes as it will cost more in the long run. For example, a negative online review about restrooms would deter 91 per cent of Americans from a hotel and 89 per cent from a restaurant, which can result in lost business. Additionally, 42 per cent of a floor’s finish can be removed within the first six feet of an entrance after only 1,500 people have entered the building. Floor replacements can be costly. Implementing a comprehensive mat rental program prevents dirt and debris from entering the building to help protect your investment.
• Better first impressions: A clean facility can make or break a customer’s first impression. Washrooms made up 44 per cent of complaints in 2020, and 95 per cent of customers won’t return to an establishment with a dirty washroom. Items like toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, sanitizers, trash bags, and other cleaning and hygiene supplies run out at uneven intervals. This makes them difficult to track and replenish regularly. Professional service providers regularly restock items and follow maintenance schedules, which keeps customers and employees happy and satisfied.

Ultimately, heightened awareness around cleaning will continue. The COVID-19 pandemic tested supply chains like never before, and an increase in foot traffic may have the same effect.

Using an outsourced service provider can help businesses meet heightened public expectations of cleanliness by helping to create a reliable supply chain and help instill confidence in customers, employees and others visiting their facilities.

John Engel is the director of marketing for the Facility Services division of Cintas and is currently responsible for product line management and development.