Questions to Ask When Choosing a Commercial Cleaning Company
Choosing a commercial cleaning company can seem difficult. It’s also incredibly important. Your commercial cleaning company is an integral part of keeping your facility functioning at a high level. Facility cleanliness matters – not just in terms of aesthetics, but also because cleanliness affects the physical health of your employees and the physical condition of your building. So, whether you’re considering hiring the services of a commercial cleaning company for the first time, or questioning whether or not the time has come to upgrade from your current cleaning service, take the time to gather the information you’ll need to make…
Meet The Wilburn Company: Terry Pearce, Project Manager
A little over 17 years ago, Terry Pearce started at The Wilburn Company as a part-time worker. It was just a side job for her at the time – a stress-free way to earn some extra money. Almost two decades later, Terry is a project manager at The Wilburn Company, and her now full-time job keeps her very busy. “I kinda got stuck here,” Terry laughs. “I just enjoy doing what I do. It was basically the environment and the people that worked with me that really motivated me to work for The Wilburn Company full-time. It was more fun…
Why We’ve Moved Past the Term “Janitor”
The term janitor has never had the best connotation. The phrase may take you back to your high school lunchroom’s janitorial staff who picked up the garbage and wiped down the lunch tables. You may have never seen janitors as much more than that. But janitorial companies’ staff do so much more than clean. They get rid of germs, cut down on pests, and work to keep you from getting sick. Have you ever thought that you owe your office janitor your health? Here at Wilburn, we are one of several janitorial companies who strive to elevate the crucial work…
The Science Behind Green Cleaning
Green cleaning is more than just a trend – it is now a staple of everyday life for millions of people around the world. It’s not just at home, though, as many businesses use a green commercial cleaning company. While we’ve written about green cleaning products, what green cleaning really means, and the importance of becoming Green Seal certified, it’s good to bring it back to the basics – what exactly is the science behind green cleaning? Science-based standards for green cleaning are what separates “I’m pretty sure this is green cleaning,” from “I know for a fact this is…
What It Means to Be a Green Cleaning Company in DC
Whether you’re in facility management or you’re just looking at different options for commercial cleaning in DC, you’ve no doubt heard about green cleaning. What, though, does green cleaning in DC look like today? Unfortunately, the meaning of the term “green cleaning” has become somewhat murky and ambiguous. Some commercial cleaning companies might say they use green cleaning in DC, but what exactly does that mean? After all, saying products are “green” doesn’t just make it so. Since green cleaning has become so popular, some cleaning companies look to capitalize on the trend. Instead of actually providing real green cleaning…
The Importance of Becoming Green Seal Certified
The world is a dangerous enough place without having to worry about getting sick all the time at work. While toxic chemicals will kill germs, they also do a number on your health as well. That’s why green cleaning is so important, and why becoming Green Seal certified is the highest standard in cleaning. We’ve been in the cleaning industry for a long time, so we’re intimately familiar with the common misconceptions around it. The pay is low; there isn’t any training; anyone can come into work, and they’ll be handed a mop and a bucket and told to go…
5 Tips from an Industrial Cleaning Company in DC
Washington, DC, is a beautiful place, filled with fine dining and entertainment. It’s just one of the many reasons companies choose to call the nation’s capital their home. While the beauty outside of your company is great, how does the inside of your building look? Which begs the question, how much do you think about industrial cleaning in DC? First impressions are just as important in business as they are in your personal life. When potential clients visit your facility for the first time, the overall appearance of your lobby – and especially your restrooms – can factor into whether…
What are Green Cleaning Products?
Today, It’s a Lot Easier for Your Company to Be “Green” There appear to be two camps when it comes to green cleaning and green cleaning products – one that believes that green cleaning is great, helps the environment, etc., and one that believes that green cleaning is not as effective, costs more, and is mostly just a little bit of soap in a lot of water. Today, green cleaning isn’t just about the environment. The focus isn’t just on being safe for Earth, it’s also on being safe for people, families, pets, and pretty much any living thing. Green…
Choosing the Right Janitorial Services in Baltimore
Whether your company is new to the area or it’s been a staple of the community for decades, finding the right janitorial services in Baltimore is crucial to your company’s success. Despite what some might think, not all janitorial companies are the same. Some janitorial services will do the bare minimum for your company. Some might say they use green cleaning supplies, but don’t have proof that what they’re using is actually a green cleaning product. Others will simply charge you an outrageous sum of money for something that could be done better for less. There are many reasons why…
What It Means to be a Janitor
Whether you call them janitors, custodians, maintenance workers, or simply cleaners, the people who clean and maintain our offices, hospitals, schools, churches, and shops are sometimes taken for granted, but being a janitor is nevertheless vital to our overall health and well being. In this article, we’d like to take the time to explain what the janitorial profession really means – and why janitorial work is so important. Here’s what it really means to be a janitor. Being a Janitor Means Keeping a Building Clean When people think of janitors, this is probably the first purpose that comes to mind.…
What Does Green Cleaning in Maryland Really Mean?
If you’re in the business of facility management in Maryland, chances are good that you’ve heard the term “green cleaning” used before. And, if you’ve looked into commercial cleaning services at any time over the past five years, the chances are nearly one hundred percent that you’ve heard of green cleaning. That’s because the rise of green cleaning in Maryland is one of the biggest janitorial trends of the past decade. And, as companies and consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious, it doesn’t appear destined to fade anytime soon. That’s a good thing. But what, exactly, does green cleaning really mean?…
3 Tips from an Office Cleaning Company in MD
It’s easy to ignore little things – a crumb here and there, a paper out of place, a bit of dust on your computer tower – but when you ignore little things for a long time, you may start to feel like your office has become filthy all at once. Cleaning your workplace a little at a time every day is vital to doing your best work. And, there are health benefits that come from no longer sitting surrounded by dust and dirt for 8 hours a day. As a commercial cleaning company, we’ll take care of your cleaning needs,…
How to Choose Commercial Cleaning Services in DC
The Washington, D.C. area has a unique office culture. The fast-paced, constantly changing style of DC politics has bred a similarly paced corporate culture in the surrounding area. For all of the change, though, there’s one thing that remains the same: there’s always cleaning to be done. At The Wilburn Company, we’ve spent nearly two decades providing commercial cleaning services in DC. Throughout that time we’ve learned that, regardless of political trends, there are always upper shelves that need to be dusted and carpet that needs to be cleaned. And our longevity extends to our employees: our supervisors average ten…
How to Respond to and Clean Up a Hazardous Substance
Commercial cleaning generally involves standard procedures like cleaning carpets or floors, dusting, or removing trash. Sometimes, though, there are situations that are out of the ordinary. As a commercial cleaning company with decades of experience, we’ve handled everything from everyday janitorial tasks to advanced professional cleaning needs involving hazardous substances in DC. When it comes to commercial cleaning of hazardous substances in DC, here at The Wilburn Company, we take the safety of our employees very seriously. That’s why we adhere strictly to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards 29-CFR 1910 guidelines when performing these response and cleaning procedures.…
The Most Effective Way to Open a New Construction Site in DC
There are certainly a lot of things to think about when opening a new construction site in DC – and it’s important to think of everything. After all, whether the facility is brand new or is being renovated for a new tenant fit-out, what makes a successful construction project stand out is an attention to detail. When the details are taken care of, the process tends to run smoothly for both the short and the long term. Hiring a knowledgeable janitorial company is one way to make sure that maintenance details are taken care of. With that in mind, here…
How to Make a Customer Complaint Go Away
As much as we’d like to say it isn’t the case, the truth is this: every janitorial company deals with customer complaints. With decades of experience in the commercial cleaning industry cleaning millions of square feet, we’ve encountered complaints before. Here’s what we’ve learned: the best way to make a customer complaint go away is to ensure that you have a proper Performance Measurement & Management Program in place to enable you to provide the highest level of service possible. If issues do occur, you must use that program to address them openly, and as quickly and thoroughly as possible,…
4 Common Commercial Carpet Cleaning Mistakes
Everyone knows that carpets get dirty, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t know how to properly clean them – including trained professionals. Thankfully, The Wilburn Company has decades of experience in the commercial carpet cleaning business, covering millions of square feet, so we think we’re qualified to give out some helpful advice. Below we’re listing four of the most common mistakes that commercial carpet cleaners often make which can drastically impact the feel, aesthetic, and longevity of your carpeted surfaces. Here they are in no particular order, as they’re all equally important! Cleaning Your Commercial Carpet Too Frequently…
How to Do Office Trash Removal the Right Way
You’re nearing the end of your sales season / big project / quarterly something-or-other, and it’s time to toss everything into archives or the garbage bin. Maybe you’re considering throwing everything into a pile in that meeting room you don’t use or sweeping it under the proverbial (or literal) rug. Save yourself some time and mess this season by handling your office trash removal fully and properly. Whether you’ve got file cabinets full of old reports or storage closets stacked with outdated electronics, it’s important to empty out and start fresh – but not all office trash removal can be…
How to Find a Commercial Cleaning Company
So, you need a commercial cleaning company for your office space. Maybe you want a one-time visit, maybe you want to schedule maintenance checks at regular intervals, or maybe you just want someone to talk to you about the potential benefits you could be missing out on. No matter the reason, you’re going to be sifting through a lot of potential options before you make a decision (unless you stop reading right here and contact us now). Below we’ll give you some tips about how to find a commercial cleaning company that’s right for you and your needs. We’ll hone…
Can You Over-Clean Carpet?
Developing an effective maintenance plan for your carpet is critical to maximizing your investment. The article below explains how cleaning a carpet too often can actually damage the very asset your are trying to protect. Keep an eye out for more articles in our carpet care series. When it comes to commercial cleaning, there are some practices that customers understand and are comfortable with, and there are some services that aren’t as familiar. Nearly everyone understands concepts like dusting, for example, or taking out the trash, because everyone performs those tasks at some point. The average person, though, rarely performs some…