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A graphical rendering of the coronavirus. Photo courtesy of the CDC.

Common Questions and Coronavirus Resources for Cleaning Teams

Cleaning teams are on the front lines of helping confront the novel coronavirus pandemic. As the situation changes quickly, it’s not always clear where to find the right information. Here are a few questions we’ve heard within the janitorial community recently, as well as resources to help you find more information. What cleaning products can I use against the coronavirus? The CDC has compiled a list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2. A few tips Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Inspecting the Inspector: How to Get Consistent Scores from Your QC Team

One inspector goes through an office and rates the carpets as a 3. Another comes through and gives them a 4. That might not seem like a big problem — but it is. It means you can’t trust that your data is telling the truth about your quality. Quality control data is only as good as your inspections, and consistent data is key to seeing the real trends going on in your facilities. The data you Read more…

By Gina Meeks, ago

What’s the Best Way to Use Pictures in Janitorial Inspections?

It’s amazing what photos can do for janitorial and facilities inspections. There’s just no better way to capture the conditions on-site, get examples to share with your team, and ensure that problems have been fixed. Plus, they’re fast! On the flip side, not every inspection needs a photo. Knowing when to include photos, what to capture, and how to organize that data will help your team communicate quickly and effectively. Why include photos with an Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Mark Heller Sees Healthcare Changing. Here’s How Facilities Teams Can Keep Up.

Mark Heller is the president of Hygiene Performance Solutions, a consulting and coaching firm. He works with hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other organizations to help them improve their cleaning and disinfecting processes. His experience as a healthcare executive — and advising other organizations — gives him incredible insight into the forces affecting healthcare housekeeping and environmental services teams today. We talked with Mark to hear his thoughts on why healthcare cleaning is unique, how to Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Kathy Patton Has a Mission to Help Others — And an Incredible Strategy for Introducing New Software

Kathy Patton has a unique job in the custodial industry: she’s the Business Development Coordinator for the Contract Services Division of Licking/Knox Goodwill Industries, Inc. (That’s right, Goodwill offers custodial services — more on that in a minute.) Kathy’s prior experience in the technology industry, along with the special population she works with, make her an amazing source of insight for introducing new technology to custodial employees. We talked to Kathy to learn how she Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Live from the Floor at ISSA Show 2019

ISSA Show North America 2019 is heating up in Las Vegas — even though Day 2 is kicking off with a rare rainstorm. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by Booth 574 to say hi! One of the best parts of ISSA is all of the education and expertise being shared. Yesterday, we had the chance to sit on on a talk by Pam Washington, the CEO of Build My Cleaning Business. She shared some Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Improvement graph on paper

How to Set Quality Control Goals for Your Team

We talk a good deal about quality control in the janitorial business, but we’ve found that many teams skip past a key step: setting goals. We’re going to dive into the why and how of setting goals for your janitorial team to improve your business. Why create janitorial quality control goals? Creating a quality control process is key to establishing a continuous improvement cycle. Goals help you deliver consistent quality and quantified feedback to employees, Read more…

By Gina Meeks, ago
Matt Gornick, founder of OrangeQC, talks with Judy Gillies, president of The Surge Group

6 Top Tips for Janitorial Teams from The Surge Group’s Judy Gillies

Judy Gillies is the president of The Surge Group, a cleaning consulting company in Toronto. She’s a CPA who has found the jump from finance to janitorial a natural fit. “Cleaning is a lot about numbers,” she says. When businesses ignore that, they do so at their own peril. Today, The Surge Group runs third-party audits to help companies and organizations find out what’s working (and what isn’t) with their cleaning programs. We recently caught Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago

The Three Types of Inspection Forms High-Performing Janitorial Teams Rely On

By now, you probably know that janitorial or facility inspections are the key to getting a realistic picture of how things are going at your facilities. (If this doesn’t sound familiar, be sure to check out our Definitive Guide to Creating a Janitorial Checklist.) So what are the different types of inspection forms, and how should you be using them? We’ll break down the three core inspection forms you should be using to track your Read more…

By Gina Meeks, ago

How Northwestern University’s Residential Services Team Went from Paper Inspections to Data-Driven Decision Making

We first met Johnathan Winters, the Senior Associate Director of Residential Services for Northwestern University, at an ISSA conference back in 2012. At that point, the Residential Services team was still doing inspections on paper, and Johnathan was looking to take things digital. We’ve been working together ever since. Johnathan recently shared more with us about how his team now puts real-time inspection data to good use. Today, data shapes how the team does everything Read more…

By Rachel Matuch, ago