Do you vacuum your carpets every day assuming that’s the best way to keep them clean? Then maybe you’re wrong! Vacuuming only lifts the superficial dirt and debris found on your carpet.

Carpets are those humble ornamentations of the house that get stepped on continuously day in day out with dust, dirt, grease and grime from the outside. So, a simple vacuum routine is just not enough to lift it out of the dull, cloudy overlay which builds up over time.

Worried how to get back the bright fresh look for your good old carpets? Let’s find out….

Deep Cleaning your Carpets

To really give your carpets a deep, thorough clean, you will need to either seek professional help from a company that provides carpet cleaning services or get yourself a Carpet Shampooer.

So what exactly does a carpet shampooer or carpet cleaner do? Basically, a carpet cleaner uses warm water, detergent and spinning brushes to remove stains and deeply embedded dirt and grime from your carpets. Your carpets will be revived and get a new life! However, these machines don’t come cheap and are bulky. Thus, before buying one, ask yourself these questions.

1. How often will you be cleaning your carpet?
2. Is there heavy footfall?
3. Is the space heavily carpeted / wall to wall carpeting or just a couple of carpets?
4. Do you have storage space?

If you have answered positive to the above and decided to buy a carpet washer, it’s time to choose one that will be most suitable for you.

Five Carpet Shampooers to Consider

Based on a popular online site, here are some recommended best sellers.

1. Hoover FH50150 Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner

Touted as the Best Overall cleaner, this machine is high on performance. Comes with rotating brushes that provide all around cleaning and heated air to lift stains and make the carpet drier. This cleaner is also considerably light weight.

2. Bissell Proheat Advanced Carpet Cleaner

This cleaning machine is the most budget friendly. Its ability to get rid of tough stains like mud, food and drinks makes it a favourite. Its Heatwave Technology helps maintain water temperature throughout the cleaning process.

3. Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner

As the name suggests, this is best for homes with pets. With a pet stain and odour removal technology, you can consider this shampooer if you have pets. It also come with a pet hair collection basket. However this cleaner is not too friendly on the pockets.

4. Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner

The Best Professional cleaning machine is the Rug Doctor. Good for rugs with heavy traffic. The quick dry feature takes only 4 hours or less for carpets to dry. Also comes with an upholstery tool to clean soft furnishings. However, this is one of the heaviest cleaners.

5. Bissell 86T3/86T3Q Big Green Deep Cleaning Carpet Cleaner

A high-end carpet cleaner compared to its counterparts, this cleaner gives a deep and thorough washing. It has a large water tank, saving you trips on refilling. This machine also has a quick dry up time of about 3 hours. Being a professional grade cleaner, it is unfortunately pricey, heavy and bulky.

Specifications of the machine to consider

Besides knowing what the different brands and models have to offer, you also need to take in to consideration a few more things. A list of points to note is as follows :-

1. Tank capacity
2. Length of power cord
3. Weight of the machine
4. Extra attachments such as upholstery cleaner
5. Noise
6. Heated air dryer

DIY or Cleaning Service Providers?

Going the DIY way may be an option for some but, many would still prefer to engage a cleaning service company especially for businesses. Lack of storage space for bulky machines and having to purchase different shampoo solutions to suit the various cleaning needs can be a put off for many.

As mentioned earlier, purchasing a carpet cleaner really depends on the need and frequency of use. Professional cleaning companies are already equipped with the right tools and solutions. Their equipment is also more powerful ensuring a deep and thorough cleaning. Hiring a reputed cleaning service provider is therefore more than a convenience.

Did you know that almost one third of your life is spent at work? Living in Singapore, a 40 hour work week and more, is the norm. With so many people spending a majority of their awake hours at the workplace, it would be wise to make office spaces, conducive and as comfortable as possible. Investing in employee wellness by keeping the office clean raises energy levels and creativity, boosts morale and hence, increases productivity. A clean workplace also makes your clients feel confident about your business. An unkempt workplace gives a careless impression and customers may assume you won’t care about their business needs too.

Raising the bar for Workplace Productivity

Besides a clean office, individual work space, furniture and office ergonomics also improve work standards. Good lighting, comfortable temperature, green or flowering plants as well as choosing the right colour scheme to stimulate your employees all make for a positive and productive environment.

Fortunately for us in Singapore, government agencies like the National Environment Agency (NEA) and SkillFuture SG (SSG) are always trying to raise cleaning standards here through training and up-skilling the workforce, adopting technology and more.

So how can one keep their office actually clean? With so much online information available these days on effective cleaning methods, it can get overwhelming! So, to keep it simple yet applicable, here’s a sequence of handy tips to clean any office space effectively.

5 Office Space Cleaning Routine Tips

Source: Office Space Cleaning Guide by NEA

1.      Preparation and Inspection

• Wear appropriate gear.
• Check condition of tools and equipment.
• Display safety sign.
• Check and report any damages in the property.
• Identify hazards or risks at work area.
• Check for spills.

2.      Removing Spills and Stain on Carpets

• Check for colour fastness on the carpet.
• Remove furniture and obstacles.
• Spray carpet cleaner and clear spill with absorbent paper.
• Spray water and use cloth to blot till spill or stain is removed.

3.      Vacuuming and Cleaning of Surfaces

• Vacuum carpeted area section at a time starting from far end.
• Check for anymore spills or stains.
• Place back all furniture.
• Dilute cleaning chemical into spray bottle.
• Spray solution on cloth and wipe all horizontal surfaces starting from the edge.
• Rinse cloth when necessary.

4.      Cleaning the Pantry

• Display safety sign.
• Spray cleaning solution on spills or stains on floor.
• Clear spills using absorbent paper.
• Spray water and use cloth to remove spills or stains.
• Sweep floors paying attention to corners.
• Fill water and mopping solution in bucket.
• Dip mop in solution and wring.
• Mop floor section by section.
• Rinse mop before moving to a new section.

5.      Emptying Waste Bins

• Tie and remove used bin liner, keeping it away from body.
• Dispose it in service trolley.
• Clean the interior and exterior with sanitizer.
• Place bin with new liner.

After completing these 5 steps, assess the areas cleaned and check that work has been done according to requirements. Remove all safety signs and return all tools and equipment to the store. Wash hands thoroughly for good hygiene.

Conclusion

Even with these standards in place, it is up to the office admins and facility managers to ensure processes are adhered with regular inspections and evaluation.

Keeping up with the cleanliness of your office space can be difficult on your own. That’s why many business owners choose to hire professional cleaning companies to maintain their space. A1 Cleaning Services has a dedicated team of trained office cleaners to meet your needs.

Wikipedia defines a Common Area as ”area which is available for use by more than one person” and these can be found in almost all types of properties, be it a gated community or commercial property such as shopping malls

As such, your office also has common areas. This would include the reception area, lift lobby, the pantry, restrooms, corridors or walkways and more, depending on the type of establishment. Maintenance and cleanliness of these spaces are crucial to your organisation. So, in this post we’ll touch upon the scope of work which typically covers Common Areas cleaning and how best it should be carried out.

Reflecting Business Prestige and more

Your personal desk space reflects on your personal image. A clean and organised office area reflects how your customers perceive your business. It also improves the general morale of employees, making them happier and more productive. A high level of cleanliness in the common areas also sets the standard for keeping individual work space clean.

A good way to gauge the quality of cleanliness in your common area would be to put yourself in your client’s shoes. What impression would your client get when they enter your office premises?

So how to attain an effective cleaning job? Below are some guidelines to achieve this –

Essentials of Office Common Area Cleaning

Tools and Equipment required

1. Make sure you have the necessary tools and equipment ready on hand to carry out the cleaning. Cleaners should have appropriate protective gear such as gloves, uniform and boots.
2. Keep a checklist of all cleaning solutions and equipment and see that they are available and in working condition. You don’t want to start the cleaning only to find out you have run out of vacuum cleaner dust bag!

Pre-work Inspection

1. Thoroughly check the area to be cleaned. If there are spills or stains which may be a hazard, they need to be addressed immediately. Report any damages to your supervisor.
2. Display the safety sign at the work area before commencing. Clean up spills on hard floors using the appropriate cleaning solutions and wiping it dry.
3. Clean up stains on carpets using cleaning chemical. Use a white cleaning cloth to clean the spill or stain on the carpet to avoid colour runs.

Dry Mopping of Dust

1. Use a dust mop to clean hard floors. Unlike brooms, dust mops prevent dust from flying everywhere. Start from one corner of the room and mop in a turning motion, paying attention to corners.
2. Use a broom and dustpan to sweep up the debris, dust and litter collected by the dust mop. Us the broom to sweep out dust collected in the corners.
3. Throw away the debris into a lined rubbish bin.

Wet Mopping

1. Use a double bucket, one for water and another with diluted cleaning solution. A cleaning solution with sanitizer is a good option.
2. Dip and wring dry the mop in water first and then in diluted cleaning solution.
3. Mop the floor using a number 8 or letter S motion for effective cleaning coverage.

Cleaning Passenger Lift

1. Use sanitizer and damp cloth to wipe the button panel, interior lift doors, wall, mirrors and ceiling.
2. Mop the lift floor.
3. Wipe the exterior lift door with damp cloth and sanitizer.

Cleaning Stairway

1. Display the safety sign. Use a cloth to wipe the inside and outside of the door and the handle.
2. Dry mop the stairs.
3. Wipe the hand railings.
4. Wet mop the stairs. Remove the safety sign once floor is dry.

Cleaning and Emptying General Waste Bin

1. Tie and remove bin liner keeping it away from the body and disposing it in rubbish bag in the service trolley.
2. Sanitize the interior and exterior of the bin and wipe with cloth.
3. Place a new liner in the bin.

Inspection of Areas Cleaned

1. Check the work areas ensuring that it has been cleaned as per required. A checklist can be used.
2. Remove and dispose the rubbish at the collection point.
3. Remove signage only when floor is dry.

Returning Equipment to Store

1. Clean and return all tools and equipment to the store.
2. Check against the equipment list for making refills of cleaning solutions or replacement of equipment.
3. Wash and hang the gloves.
4. Wash hands for personal hygiene.

Conclusion

With these steps in place, you can be sure that your office reception and other common spaces will leave a good impression on prospective clients and business partners. Make cleaning your common area as part of your routine cleaning procedure with A1 Facility Services’ professional cleaners.