All posts by always

Fall cleaning tips for businesses in the Portland area.

Blog, ,

Fall is a beautiful time of year as the vibrant colors of Spring and Summer begin to fade into the brilliant shades of leafy sunset shades. It is also when loose leaves begin to fall and litter the lawns and walkways of homes and businesses. Aside from being a time to focus on keeping outer areas swept clean, it is also a time of year that is good for keeping up with organization and starting new projects.

Turn the infamous “Spring Cleaning” into a biannual event.

Who says that cleaning out the old and getting to that list of projects for around the office is just a once a year event? Taking time in the fall season to clear out excess around the office is a great way to keep things from cluttering store rooms and file cabinets. A good time to tackle it is from mid to late fall. While the leaves are being kept cleared off the walks and ledges outside, the same sort of fastidious cleaning can be done indoors.

Take time to have the out of sight areas tended to.

One important task to get to during the fall season is cleaning out air ducts and getting to the out of way areas for top to bottom dusting. Hiring a commercial cleaning company can help get your business in good shape for the winter months and beyond. Dust, dirt, and other undesirable particulates, sometimes including mold, can accumulate in air ducts. When colder weather begins to set in and heaters are turned on, the warm air can really rile up and distribute these settled health hazards. Itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and many other sinus issues can be created or made worse by working in a building with an unclean air duct system. This is especially true for the colder months when less fresh air is taken in and people tend to remain in doors more. Having a good in depth dusting from top to bottom and the ducts cleaned can dramatically improve the air quality inside buildings and reduce the number of sick days throughout the year.

Use a commercial cleaning company to help.

If your business does not already use one, hiring a commercial cleaning company, for at least an assessment, can help you find potential trouble areas. Trained janitorial professionals can spot areas that may be neglected or overlooked by your current cleaning staff, or can tend to jobs that are out of your company’s liability comfort zone. Dusting and touching up areas over head height that require a ladder, outside surfaces, and other such areas that are either hard to access or pose potential hazards to less accustomed workers can often be handled with great ease by the staff of a reputable commercial cleaning company. There are several in the Portland, Oregon area that offer free evaluations and most will give you a comprehensive assessment of what it would take to reach your janitorial goals. For all the benefits, which include more efficient work flow and less sick leave, there is no reason to not have good “Fall Cleaning.”

Why is pays to invest in a professional janitorial service

Blog, ,

There may be a lot of options when it comes to finding a commercial cleaning company in the Portland, Oregon area, so much so that it may be asked if using a janitorial service even worth the hassle of finding a good one. For business of all sizes and industry, using a reliable janitorial service can not only be beneficial to your budget, it can mean the difference between repeat business and not. When your store or office is disorganized or messy, it tends to generate negative feedback from customers and can tarnish a business’s reputation.

The difference between using a commercial cleaning company and on staff workers.

When you employ a janitorial staff, like other members of the crew, there is an issue of training, insurance, and benefits that can make the cost to maintain an in house department much more costly than hiring a service. With the abundance of available choices, finding a reliable commercial cleaning company in the Portland area is easy and affordable. You can find a single company to handle all of your cleaning needs. From windows to basements, commercial cleaning companies can offer you the services you need, and within a set budget that works for you. Additionally, hiring an outside company means you are getting people with proper training from a company the specializes in janitorial needs. This also means that not only will the job be done well, it will be done to the best standards and with the best techniques your company may not be aware of. Letting someone else worry about proper cleaning allows your business to focus on what really matters, your business.

Accountability and insurance.

 One of biggest benefits to hiring a commercial cleaning service, aside from getting an important job done well, is their accountability practices. While reputation makes or breaks a business, for cleaning companies, it is particularly important for them to maintain a good reputation. They have to not only prove they are capable cleaners, they have to prove they can be trusted. A lot of businesses look to hire cleaning to be done after hours so it will not interrupt daily affairs. Trying to mop, vacuum and other types of cleaning, such as dusting, can get in the way of workers or customers ,and end up making a bad impression. Unless you normally have an after hours crew, hiring a company means you are allowing people into your establishment with only their own supervision and any surveillance system that you use.

Any commercial cleaning company worth their salt will not only prove that they are trustworthy, but they will also have impeccable accountability for their work. They will also carry insurance to ensure that if anything goes wrong that it will be covered.  Aside from being insured and trustworthy, a good commercial cleaning company will also be able to provide previous and current customer recommendations for future clients. Their reputation will precede them, and it will be well earned for how well they perform and reliable they are.

Why a Commercial Cleaning Company Makes Sense For Your Business

Blog,

Everyone’s house gets dirty, but as business owners we don’t often think about the cleanliness of our offices. What does a little dust and debris matter when there are so many more important things you need to worry about? The thing is, the cleanliness of your office is very important because it can affect the productivity of your employees.

Today we’re going to look at several reasons why a commercial cleaning company makes sense for your business.

It’s Easier Than Cleaning It Yourself

Let’s face it, no one loves to clean, especially when they still have other work to do. So in many cases it is simply easier for you to hire a commercial cleaning company to do the cleaning for you

This means you and your employees will spend less time tidying up the joint, and more time getting actual work done. That means higher productivity and more money.

It’s Cheaper Than Cleaning it Yourself

While this may not seem like a true statement, often times it is actually cheaper to hire a commercial cleaning company than to have your employees do the cleaning themselves. The reason is that you still have to pay them to do the cleaning, so you have do deal with man hours, as well as the fact that they could be using that time to do something productive for your business besides cleaning.

It’ll Make Your Employees More Productive

We’ve mentioned this a couple times now, but there have been many studies that have shown that the cleaner and more organized your office, the more productive your employees are. People just don’t work efficiently when they have to deal with a mess all of the time. While a lot of this is just making sure that your files are put in the right place (filing cabinets) and all of your office equipment is taken care of, some of it is ensuring that the bathrooms are clean and the floor is clear of detritus.

In the end a clean office means more production from your staff. More than that, however, it means happier employees. There have also been studies that show people who work in organized and clean workspaces tend to be happier in both their lives and their jobs than people who work in a mess.

That’s why a commercial cleaning company makes sense. While it may mean an added expense, it will pay for itself quickly with cleaner offices and more productive employees. In the end, that is all you are really trying to do. 

How to Find a Great Commercial Cleaning Company in Portland

Blog, ,

Things get dirty. It is a way of life. Even when you do the best to keep things tidy, things get dusty, and eventually office detritus and paperwork just piles up. Before you know it, your office looks really bad, and your employee’s productivity is suffering because of it. That’s when you know it is time to call a Portland commercial cleaning company. Today we’re going to look at how to find a great commercial cleaning company.

Look at Your Options

The first thing we suggest doing is looking what Portland commercial cleaning companies are available in your area. You’ll have a few companies to choose from. This step is relatively easy, just Google for companies near you, and make a list of the ones that look legit and meet your requirements.

Look for Reviews

Your next step is to look at the reputations of the companies you’ve added to your list. You do this by going online and looking for reviews of their services. There are many sites online that specialize in reviews of companies like this, including sites like AngiesList.

This is probably the most important part of your search, because it will help you narrow the list down to the most reputable company. Remember that every company will have a negative review or two online, even the best ones do because no company is perfect. Your goal here is to look at the big picture. Is the overall review of most of the customers positive or negative? If most people find the company respectable and reliable, then they should give you the same level of service. If, on the other hand, there are a lot of negative reviews (especially reviews that all site the same problems), then you should steer clear.

Contact the Companies for Quotes

The next step is to focus on price, as that is often the second piece of the puzzle that you’ll use to narrow down your list. You alone know what your company’s budget is for this service. You’ll need to use that information to figure out what combination of reputation, services, and price you need to meet. The company you choose should provide you value. The best option is almost always the most expensive, but that doesn’t mean the ones that compete on price are bad services. So look for the best combination of price and reputation, as well as services.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, your job is to choose the best Portland commercial cleaning company you can afford. It’s all about getting the best service for the best value. You can use the tips above to help find the company that meets your needs.  Always Quality Cleanings has been providing expert janitorial and cleaning solutions to businesses throughout the Portland OR area and can help you with your commercial cleaning too!

3 Steps to Keeping Your Office Clutter Free

Blog, ,

There have been many studies that say that the cleaner your office is, the more productive your employees are. People tend to like working in clean conditions, so it isn’t surprising that their productivity is impacted when they work in cluttered spaces. Today we’re going to look at three ways you can keep your office clutter free, and why you should consider hiring a Portland commercial cleaning company to help you keep them that way.

Get Rid of the Unnecessary Clutter

The first step is to get rid of the things that you don’t need. Every office has piles of papers and folders lying around that aren’t really needed. These things should be placed in file cabinets or in file storage. Removing the things you don’t need on a daily basis is the first step, because otherwise you just end up moving things around, and nothing actually improves. Keeping that sort of stuff around is the equivalent of sweeping the dust under the rug. It might look cleaner in the end, but it really isn’t.

Clean it Up

Once you’ve decluttered, it’s time to actually clean the offices. This means dusting, washing the windows, removing dead plants, cleaning the bathrooms, and vacuuming the floors. This is the first place where a Portland commercial cleaning company could come in handy. The larger your office, the harder it will be for you to do this on your own. A company can help you not only maintain the cleanliness of your office (more on this later), but can help get to clean in the first place.

Hire a Cleaning Company to Maintain It

Once you’ve cleaned your office, the last thing you want to do is redo it all again in a few months. You’re always telling people to work smarter, not harder, right? Why should you spend time and money to continuously declutter your office, when you can clean it right the first time, and then just maintain it in that clean state?

Hiring a commercial cleaning company might sound like a way to just spend some money, but it can have a huge impact on the productivity of your office. Your office will stay clean, and it won’t even take that much effort on your part. The cleaner the office, the happier your workforce.

In order for this process to work, you need to train your employees to keep the unnecessary items where they belong: in storage. Even the best cleaning company won’t be able to file away your papers. Keep the files where they belong, in the cabinets, and then make sure your employees know that they need to keep their work items organized. Do that, and with the addition of a commercial cleaning company, your office will always look its best.

7 Tricks to Spring Clean Your Office

Blog, ,

Like it or not, your office is where you spend a big portion of your day. A recent study found that there is a correlation between how clean your office is and the amount of work you can get done each day. If you’re not lucky enough to have a commercial cleaning company on hand to do the cleaning for you, we’re going to show you 7 simple tricks you can use to make spring-cleaning your office a little easier.

#1 Start Small

No matter the size of your office, the best way to get started is to start small. Don’t think about the amount of work you have to do in order to clean the whole office; instead think about how little time it’ll take to clean that one bookshelf or that one corner. Each little bit you do will contribute to getting the larger job done.

#2 Avoid Clean Clutter

We all need our stuff, and we like it close by. However it is important that you actually have room to work. Only keep what is absolutely necessary within arm’s reach. Obviously this will include you computer, your writing utensils, and your pad of paper.

#3 Find a Place to Put Your Paper

The floor is not a filing system, no matter how hard you might try to make it one. Obtain file cabinets and desk baskets to store needed paperwork so that it doesn’t end up strewn all over your office.

#4 Get Rid of Unnecessary Stuff

Stuff is great, but you don’t need it all in your office. If you don’t use it or don’t need it, get rid of it. If you can’t stand to part with it, take it home or put it into office storage.

#5 The Drawers of Catch All

Office drawers are the equivalent of a closet. You shove stuff in there to keep it out of sight and out of mind. But that’s a messy system, and it’s inefficient. Go through your drawers and organize. Get rid of detritus and unnecessary items. This way, even if the rest of your office is a mess, your drawers will be clean.

#6 Your Computer Office Needs Cleaning Too

If you’re your own IT department, then you’ll need to take care of things like virus scans, defragmentation of the hard drives, and organizing electronic files. Our best tip for this, is to simply remember that the Windows desktop area is not a folder to store everything on your computer.

#7 Find Your Zen

What is clean to one person is a mess to another. It’s a deep thought, but extremely true. Know what is the right amount of clean for you, and then shoot for that goal. Not every person functions the same, and if a little bit of organized clutter actually makes you more productive, then that’s what you should aim for.

Always remember that if it gets too out of control and self-organized spring cleaning is out of the question, you can always look for a commercial cleaning company to come help, such as Always Quality Cleanings in Portland OR. Let us help make your office “spring fresh” all the time!

Why Commercial Cleaning in Portland OR is Important

Blog

It is common to have flu, cold and even stomach illness outbreaks around the office. Today with offices holding hundreds or even thousands of employees, cleanliness does prove to be a tall order. It is important to note that people drag around dirt and germs from different places to the workplace among them the public commuting system. Public buses and trains have some of the dirtiest surfaces known. Another interesting fact to keep in mind is that the best breeding ground for germs is in dirty conditions where bacteria abound. Commercial cleaning in Portland OR comes in handy when getting rid of dirt and germs and sanitizing the workplace for healthy working conditions.

In a recent study on the dirtiest places around the office, it is interesting to note that the workplace bathroom ranks cleaner than the break room. According to evidence collected during the study, some of the regularly touched surfaces around the break room are the most contaminated surfaces around the workplace. Hiring a commercial cleaning company in Portland OR can easily resolve this.

Researchers measure the level of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) around the surfaces at the workplace to come up with a list of the dirtiest surfaces; most of which commercial cleaning in Portland OR can clean up. ATP is present in animal, vegetable, bacteria, and mold cells. Traces of ATP indicate that a surface has been contaminated by these cells. The implication is the creation of an optimum breeding ground for germs. Surfaces identified as the most vulnerable to germs due to their contaminated nature include refrigerator and microwave doors, keyboards, vending machine and water fountain buttons, break room sink faucet handles. Other contaminated surfaces include desk phones, computer mice, coffee pots and dispensers. Commercial cleaning in Portland OR can sanitize these surfaces by using reliable cleaning agents and practices to restore cleanliness around the office.

From the above list, it is possible to see just how much germs workers carry around on their hands as they come in contact with these surfaces on a daily basis. Having an effective way of managing your personal cleanliness especially with regard to using hand sanitizers can be a great start to addressing this issue but is futile if these surfaces are not also sanitized. Commercial cleaning in Portland OR understands the vital nature of a clean working environment; by thoroughly cleaning these contaminated surfaces regularly other personal cleaning agents such as hand sanitizers have a better chance of success. Cleaning the workplace reduces the severity of the contamination, which is even further reduced by using personal cleaning products to eliminate the transference of bacteria and germs from one surface to another.

A company’s workforce is their most valuable asset. Making sure they are working in a healthy environment enhances their productivity as there will be a reduced risk of outbreaks and the need for regular sick days which can disrupt business. By hiring a commercial cleaning company in Portland OR a clean germ free workplace can be maintained.

The Best Commercial Cleaning Company Will Keep Your Office Germ Free

Blog

Offices are full of people who always come and go to different places and meet at your work place. When someone catches the cold, cough, flu, or something and still went to work, you get worried of catching the germs and viruses to yourself that you start holding things with a tissue or cloth. In reality, the small closed area of your office made it easier for it to be disinfected before bugs and viruses start to scatter all over the place in a few hours. Your office needs a commercial cleaning company to ensure that your office is germ free even in the most unexpected places.

Start With the Dirtiest Place

The comfort room and the shared kitchen area are the dirtiest places in your office. The bathroom gets cleaned with ease using disinfectant sprays. But the shared kitchen contain much of the germs and viruses because these organisms love the environment in refrigerators, microwaves, water fountain, vending machine buttons and faucet handles. Do clean materials from these communal places before touching it and avoid using shared items like sponges. If you do have to wash something, just rinse it off with water and thoroughly clean it at home. A commercial cleaning company would recommend that you change to new sponges frequently to avoid this matter. And have some budget for hand sanitizers and disinfectants in the shared areas.

Keep Your Area Clean

You may have your own desk and computer at work, but that doesn’t mean that you’re free from germs. As you become more confident of your workplace, you neglect the fact that you carry these microorganisms around you. Your cell phone, keyboard, mouse, and top desk are the most populated area so regularly wipe these things with a disinfectant. Also, remove the crumbs of leftover food on your area because it attracts more germs and viruses towards you. You can do this by tapping on your things upside down to let the dirt fall off the trash bin. Always Quality Cleanings, a commercial cleaning company, can guarantee you a germ free work area.

Try to Prevent the Spread Before You Even Know It

The best way to keep of office clean is to take preventive steps. If you feel bad, don’t pursue going to work. Spreading your virus all over the office burdens everyone, not just you. Do cover your mouth and nose with a tissue then toss it directly to the trash afterwards. If you haven’t caught anything just yet, do always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to stop the germs from spreading. Always keep a hand sanitizer, preferably alcohol-based, at your pocket so you can sanitize your hands when you are outdoors. The best commercial cleaning company wants your office to be as clean as it can be. Be germ free, call Always Quality Cleanings.

Top Eco Friendly Ways to Clean Your Home

Blog

Living in an eco-friendly home is not a choice but a must, for the sake of your health. An environmentally friendly home can be created by cleaning with eco-friendly cleaning products that are less toxic and harmful to your health. Eco-friendly cleaning products ensure a clean environment with fresh air that improves your health. There are many benefits of living in a fresh and clean air.

The first step to living in an eco-friendly environment is to buy environmentally friendly cleaning products or to hire professional cleaners who will clean with eco-friendly cleaning products. Always Quality Cleanings in Portland OR has a broad selection of eco-friendly cleaning products for both the residential and commercial buildings. The company has a dedicated team of cleaners who use less-toxic chemicals in cleaning homes. They serve the Portland metropolitan area and have been providing services for many years. The company prioritizes customer service and strives to meet the needs of all clients.

How will Always Quality Cleanings in Portland OR ensure an eco-friendly home?

1). Always Quality Cleanings will replace the toxic products

The company is dedicated to environmentally friendly homes. It will therefore bring non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products to clean your home. By using eco-friendly products, it will be limiting pollution to the environment and also eliminating the health risk to your kids.

The cleaning products that bear the signs such as warning, danger, caution, or poison will be eliminated when cleaning your home. The company will also encourage you to not have these products in your home especially exposed to kids. Always Quality Cleanings Portland OR professional cleaners are trained to create an environmentally friendly home.

2). Always Quality Savings eliminates disinfectants and chlorine bleach

Chlorine bleach and disinfectants have side effects in health. Cancer disease could be a resultant of using these chemicals. To prevent this, Always Quality Cleanings provides alternative solutions to these chemicals. The company heavily uses natural products that are non-toxic and side effects free. It does not use chlorine bleach and disinfectants.

3). Cleaning equipment

Always Quality Cleanings strives to use renewable and natural products. It, therefore, eliminates the use of harmful products in cleaning. It saves the environment and also your health. Products such as sponges with harmful ingredients are eliminated. Only natural rags are used.

4). Always Quality Cleanings with water conservation

The company will strive to clean the home to provide a fresh and clean air while making sure that it conserves water. It will not waste too much water in all its cleaning solution.

5). Removal of hazardous household products

In addition to cleaning, Always Quality Cleanings can help with disposal of hazardous chemicals in your home. Do not dispose of them to the dustbin or in the drain. They can pollute your environment and subject your kids to serious health risks.

Trust Always Quality Cleanings in Portland OR with all eco-friendly cleaning solutions. The company will create a friendly and harmless living environment for the sake of your health.

4 Outdoor Summer Cleaning Tips | Portland Cleaning Company

Blog, ,

Summer is here! That means you are spending more time outdoors under the sun. To enjoy the most of your summer time, you need to get the outside of your home looking utterly neat – by cleaning the exteriors of your windows, your grill, your patio or deck, and even your outdoor light fixtures. But here is a refreshing thought: You do not have to break into a sweat to keep your outdoors looking vibrant. You only need these 4 simple tips to help ease your work.

Simple Summer Cleaning Tips To Help Ease Your Work

Exterior Windows: To clean windows you need a cleaning solution. In the summer, this might prove a bit tasking as the solution tends to dry too quickly leaving your windows with streaks, which always look unsightly from a distance. So, to get the best results clean your windows on a cloudy day during the summer. This will ensure your windows are looking sparkling clean and neat. While wiping windows is easy, it might be risky when cleaning windows above ground level.

The Grill: This is perhaps the easiest thing to clean that is outside of your home. You need only two basic household items to turn the grill from ho hum to eye-catching in minutes. Think white distilled vinegar and tin foil. Yes, these two items will effortlessly do the magic on your grill. Here is how: Make the tin foil into a ball that pretty much fits into your hand, and then gently apply the distilled vinegar on the foil before scrubbing the grate of your grill with it, and voila!

The Deck or Patio: It is tasking even to think about cleaning the whole patio or deck alone. Most people find it a laborious, challenging, and time-consuming venture. To make things easier for yourself, firstly break down the entire project – depending on the size of your outdoor area of course – into separate and manageable areas. This helps create a plan of how to thoroughly clean the entire patio or deck area without breaking into a sweat. Be simply creative while at it.

Another Imperative Summer Cleaning Tip

Outdoor Lighting Fixtures: Light fixtures gather bugs, dust, and pollen. But thankfully, a water and vinegar solution can help exhaustively clean out the interior and the cover of your light fixtures. You just need to douse a microfiber cloth into the said solution, and then wipe out all pollen and dust in the interior of the lighting fixtures, as well as their plastic or glass cover, and voila! Within minutes, you are finally done. All ready to relax and enjoy the clean, lively, and vibrant outside of your home. No need to break into a sweat this summer.