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21. August 2019| by Ankars

How To Take On Communal Cleaning


Ever walk through your office kitchen and cringe at the number of dirty dishes lying in the sink? Or have you ever noticed how untidy the break area is left after lunch every day? It can be frustrating and stressful for any office manager just as much as it is for the rest of the team. Not only will employees feel less motivated to perform in a chaotic space, but it can also be unhygienic and harmful to your office’s occupants. Before you urgently start procuring contact details for commercial cleaning businesses in the area, you may want to start a clean-up of policy and culture in your workplace.

Unfortunately, sometimes employees feel that they aren’t being paid to clean up after themselves or to keep their surroundings in a neat condition. They may feel that the responsibility is not theirs and should fall on others. This is a cultural issue within your commercial office cleaners, and you need to address it as a priority, but how do you do it?

1) Start Communicating Clearly 

It’s time to gather your employees and talk to them about the cleanliness of the workplace, why they should keep communal areas clean and how their disregard affects their output and mood. You’re likely to get some pushback, so it’s important that you hear out their concerns without singling out any specific people. Rather give examples to validate the cultural shift.

2) Implement Guidelines

Based on the outcomes of your sit down with the rest of the office, you can determine problem areas and how to tackle them. It’s vital that you implement policy changes immediately so that your employees remain on board and see your willingness to work in a cleaner environment. Place clear signs around the kitchen reminding people to wash up and pack away their dishes. Allow employees a 20-minute break on a Friday afternoon to tidy up communal areas and their desk, incentivising them with going home early.

3) Stick To Your Policies 

Often policy changes only really last a few weeks and that’s because people tend to get lax about it. It’s crucial that you motivate employees every week to regularly update them on how they’re doing. It’s also advisable to immediately alert them to when these areas are falling behind, instead of waiting for it to become overwhelming.

Lastly, if you still aren’t achieving the required level of cleanliness in your kitchen and breakroom areas, it’s time to search for commercial cleaning businesses that can help you. It is possible that your team just can’t find the time to clean up those areas and you need to be reasonable with how to deal with the problem. Contact Ankars Commercial Cleaning North Melbourne, as we’re dedicated to helping you work in a healthy and stimulating environment.

Related Tags: Cleaning Office Services, Cleaning Service Melbourne

Norman and staff at Ankars Cleaning Services have been responsible for the cleaning of our West Melbourne office buildings since 1996. We have found them to be extremely reliable as well as willing...
Jennette McGregor, Silman Group Office Manager