Taking it seriously
March 1st 2006

Buying contract cleaning should be taken as seriously as buying a piece of factory equipment, according to Kärcher, one of the world's largest manufacturers of cleaning equipment

Lee Norton, sales & marketing director commercial / industrial from Kärcher UK, says: "A manager of a meat processing factory, for example, would not order an expensive piece of slicing equipment without specifying the speed and rate of slicing required, the slice thickness options and the tolerances within which it had to operate - and there should be a similar specification process when buying cleaning."

First on Norton's checklist for managers is to look for contract cleaners who work in partnership with their equipment suppliers.

A good deal on paper will not necessarily turn into a good clean in practice if the contract cleaners are not using the most efficient, up-to-date machines. Similarly managers will not get best value for money if the cleaning company has the latest kit but is not using it properly.

Some managers might be so keen to ensure the best equipment is used that they take this a stage further by specifying which machines they want used in their premises.

They then agree the use of this equipment with their contract cleaning companies who actually go in to do the cleaning.

While this tactic might be a little excessive for everyone, it is worth choosing a company that has a good relationship with its machinery supplier.

This approach means that the equipment supplier can be involved in the setting up process from the beginning. (A contract cleaning company might be great at managing the cleaning process but its personnel do not necessarily have the expertise to specify the cleaning kit.)

Site visit

Next on Norton's list is to insist on a site visit at the start of any contract set-up process. Only by seeing the site can a supplier specify the most appropriate machines for the job.

For example, a Kärcher KM 85/50W is a walk-behind, powered sweeper for collecting dirt, dust and litter and can be supplied as battery or petrol-powered. "If it's going to be used in a warehouse environment, for example, it would need to be battery-powered. But if there was a large expanse outdoors to clean, then petrol power would be more efficient," says Norton. "Similarly, it's important to get the right size of machine for the job: a much larger expanse of factory space demands a bigger sweeper, such as our KMR 1250, a ride-on machine that can be supplied as battery, petrol, LPG or diesel powered depending on its usage.

"The correct size of machine for purpose will ensure maximum efficiency of clean, and won't put undue pressure on equipment too small for the task."

Likewise, it is only by visiting a site that equipment specialists can identify the types of flooring in place and specify the correct type of equipment to clean them.

Getting going

Before confirming a new contract, it is sensible to opt for a "live trial" with all the equipment and staff that would be used once the deal is confirmed. This trial can be relatively short - a few days - or over a longer period of several weeks or even months. Only by testing the system and the machines in situ can managers be sure that they will deliver what is expected.

The trial period is a good time to ensure that staff are fully trained, both on matching customer's needs and on getting the best from the equipment. Kärcher is unusual in this area in that it has a dedicated training manager and facility to deliver this training and is BICSc (British Institute of Cleaning Science) approved.

The company also runs "train the trainer" courses for cleaning supervisors working for Kärcher's contract cleaning partners.

These ensure that supervisors have all the knowledge they need to cascade equipment training to cleaning operatives.

Following training, cleaning operatives are given a basic maintenance guide and an easy-to-use cleaning guide.

After sales service

The final area for consideration is the backup service on offer. Managers should look for a minimum of 24hour recovery - to get equipment up and running - and, ideally, the availability of machines on loan to cover any breakdowns. For many managers, the reassurance of continuous cover for their cleaning service is no longer a "nice-to-have" but a "need-to-have" given the potential impact any lapse in health and safety could have on business.

Finally, it is also important to discuss how the contract cleaning firm will manage issues such as the process for reviews, coverage of sickness and other absences, insurance, day-to-day supervision and cleaning audits.

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