News and blog posts by CS Bradford

We sat down with Stuart McCaig, the new owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Bradford.

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services in Bradford is now under new management, having been sold by the previous owner, Clive Jones, to former data analyst Stuart McCaig.

We sat down with Stuart to see how he’s been getting on with his new business and discuss his aspirations for the future.

Get to know the owner

Before joining ServiceMaster, Stuart worked as a contractor and a permanent data analyst for Lloyds Bank.

“I did a multitude of tasks, but towards the end, it was data analytics, and for my final big project, I was involved with a large-scale legal tendering process,” he says.

This background has informed his approach to decision-making and his direction.

After many years at Lloyds, he says he “wanted to be the master” of his “own path.”

So, he decided to step into something new.

After speaking with Clive and spending time in ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Bradford, Stuart decided to take it on.

He is now ready to bring his committed, methodical and driven approach to contract cleaning.

Stuart’s Customer-Centric Approach

Embarking on his new path, Stuart says his focus is supporting clients to create a better cleaning experience.

His data-driven background means he recognises how to see what is of value for business and is committed to client satisfaction.

“My goal is making sure that the customers are being serviced in the way they should be,” he says.

“If they entrust us with what is essentially quite a simple task, their cleaning needs, we will do everything to ensure these needs are met.

And if, for some reason, they’re not, we will endeavour to put that right. I’ll spend every waking hour trying to ensure the business is where it needs to be and making sure they’re happy.”

“I’ll go Above and Beyond to make sure they’re happy the service we provide is what they expect.”

What ServiceMaster Clean Offers

At ServiceMaster Clean, we know that every business is different, and you may have different needs and priorates to your neighbour.

That’s why our cleaning services are bespoke.

Our teams work closely with you to understand what is important to you and go above and beyond to deliver at the highest standards every time using the best tools, staff, and know-how, backed by 60 years of industry-leading experience.

See how ServiceMaster Clean can help you.

If you’re in Bradford and would benefit from contract cleaning services that focus on the needs of your business to get the best value results for you, call Stuart and his team on 01274 299 874 today.

Or nationwide, find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services business for a free, no-obligation quotation on our range of expert cleaning services.

Would you pass your next CQC audit?

As a care provider, be it a GP Surgery, dentist, care home or private clinic, it is essential that you maintain stringent hygiene standards.

Maintaining a clean environment:

  • Ensures patient and staff safety
  • Prevents and controls infections
  • Reassures patients

But following the update to the UK government’s National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness, care providers must ensure they adhere to specific criteria regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC is an independent regulatory body operating throughout the UK that monitors, inspects, and regulates health and social care providers.

New frameworks – CQC Key Questions and Quality Statements

The new framework employed by the CQC ensures that care providers adhere to standards across five key areas:

  1. Safety
  2. Effectiveness
  3. Care
  4. Responsivity
  5. Leadership

These are known as quality statements. Which the CQC defines as “the commitments that providers, commissioners, and system leaders should live up to.”

To ensure your premises meets safety standards, they must be clean, well-maintained and hygienic.

How to pass your next CQC audit with flying colours

At ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services, we have:

  • Years of experience in the CQC market
  • Industry-leading specialist technology to clean spaces and equipment
  • Solutions and support with the paperwork required for audits

So, you can trust ServiceMaster Clean to keep your premises safe, CQC compliant, and looking good.

With ServiceMaster Clean, you’re in safe hands.

And we’ll make it work for you.

We know it’s never a one-service-suits-all, so we work closely with your teams to understand how you use your space.

We’ll also consider feedback from previous audits, tailoring our services package to fit you.

For:

  • Defined cleaning specifications
  • Flexible hours (to suit your practice)
  • A trusted, nationwide brand
  • Industry-leading technologies to help tackle specialist cleaning requirements
  • Dedicated management and regular site visits/ audits
  • Safe and systemised cleaning
  • Quick response and callouts
  • A team you can trust

Trust ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services to pass your next CQC audit with flying colours.

Are you worried about your next audit?

Don’t let stress about an audit impact your people or services.

Trust the professionals.

For specialist CQC-compliant cleaning trusted to deliver every time, call 0845 201 1184 or find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services business today.

Client Problem:

This company had their own in-house cleaners for many years. The in-house cleaners could no longer work for them so the company needed to find an alternative solution before they were left without a cleaner.

They discovered we were locally based in Bradford and had checked our positive Google Reviews, then got in touch.

How we helped

Initially we spent time with the customer to identify their specific needs and their requirements. We then carried out a full survey of their premises.

After the detailed survey, we spent time designing detailed Cleaning Schedules for the Offices, Toilets and Kitchen Areas. The Cleaning Schedules were then emailed to the prospective customer, followed up with a detailed quotation.

During the initial survey we advised that if we were successful with our quote, we would provide a full risk assessment before commencement of contract including provision of cleaning materials and equipment and detailed site documents.

The key benefit of using our business is our commitment to high quality of service, we have a network of excellent cleaners in the Bradford region and our business had been established for 25 years.

The benefit

We were able to start promptly, in fact within just two weeks of being awarded the contract. We are also able to supply washroom consumables such as paper towels, soap and toilet rolls, making it easier for the client.

The client will receive regular communication, quality control audits and supervisory checking

To find out more about how ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Bradford can help you with your Daily Office Cleaning, get in touch today 

Natural wood worktops can absorb bad odours.

A natural method of eliminating bad smells is to rub lemon juice over wooden surfaces then leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Afterwards just rinse away with a clean damp cloth.

  1. Keep Granite free of sand and dirt, especially on flat surfaces – the grit can scratch the stone. For worktops, and tables, dust with a dry cloth, then wipe up spills immediately to avoid staining. To clean granite worktops use only warm water and wipe with a soft cloth or sponge. Soak caked-on food before wiping, preferably with a small amount of soapy water. 
  1. To remove difficult stains due to build up – if stain is water based, then soak with hot water, then blot away with kitchen towels. If stain is oil-based, then use very small amount of nail varnish remover and soak stain for ten hours, then rinse with cold water.
  1. Get an old pair of socks to clean blind slats. Use one hand with a sock to wipe dust off the slats. Swap socks, then wet the second one with hot soapy water, to intensively clean the blind. Switch socks again, turn the dry sock inside-out to dry and polish the slats.
  1. Washing blinds (plastic or aluminium) can be achieved either by washing them with soapy water in situ, then rinse afterwards or by taking them down and washing them gently in a shower or bath tub.
  1. Storing drinking glasses the correct way – When you store glasses, you should store them upright instead of upside down. This will prevent stale air within the glass, and prevent chipping of the glass rims.
  2. When washing glassware by hand, avoid too many suds. To remove stuck-on food use bicarbonate of soda, but nothing more abrasive. Rinse glasses in a bowl or sink of hot, clear water. Finally, handle glasses by the bowl, not the stem.
  3. Removing lime build-up on glassware. Fill a large plastic container or bowl with white wine vinegar and give each glass a 20 minute bath. Then rinse with running water – then allow to air dry.
  1. After you have a shower, clean the grime afterwards with hot water.
  2. Use a multi-surface cleaner (with bactericidal agent) to clean and sanitise walls and grout or shower panels.
  3. To clean tile grout, make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and bleach (wear protective rubber gloves and eye protectors) – smear on with an old toothbrush then leave for 30 minutes, then rinse away.
  4. To clean shower doors – use white wine vinegar on a regular basis.
  5. Scrub shower door runners with  white toothpaste and a damp cloth.
  6. Shower heads must be cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis to prevent Legionella bacteria. Detach shower head, then place head in sanitised solution for 1 hour.

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, cleanliness and hygiene are more important than ever. As we all try to go back to work, keeping the work place properly clean also means helping keep it safe, so it’s important to get it right.

If you are doing the cleaning yourself here are some tips on getting it right.

Make sure common areas are cleaned regularly

All common areas such as reception areas, walkways, stairs and hall ways should be dusted and vacuumed (or mopped of a hard floor) on a regular basis, the frequency will depend on the volume of traffic. Obviously if you have a reception area that customers or visitors use the appearance of these areas says a lot about your company as well.

Cleaning and Sanitising of surfaces

Especially during COVID-19, surfaces should be cleaned and then sanitised to reduce risk of the virus, an approved cleaner should be used and full details can be found at www.gov.uk. Usually an antibacterial product should be used.

Keep kitchen & bathroom areas clean

Office and shared kitchen areas are particularly prone to bacteria. These areas should be cleaned on a regular basis with a suitable antibacterial cleaner. You should ensure you pay particular attention to sink and any appliances that employees use on a regular basis. During COVID-19 you should use an approved cleaner

Keep the office/building rubbish free

Bins can be breading grounds for bacteria and other bugs, have bins placed strategically around the office and building (more bins aren’t always better) Bins should have liners and should be emptied regularly.

Have a tidy desk policy

Messy desks can be a distraction but cluttered desks are also more difficult to clean. Desks are high touch points and should be cleaned and sanitised regularly to help maintain a healthy work place.

Have a system

Have a cleaning system that you work to, know what area you are cleaning when. This way you know that you are cleaning all of the areas when they should be and will be less likely to miss spots.

Clean high touch point areas more frequently

High touch point areas are just that, they are being touched more frequently than other areas, so they should be cleaned more frequently than other areas to help keep them clean. This is especially important during the COVID-19 to help reduce any spread of infection.

Get the professionals to do it for you

As a business owner or manager, you probably have more important things to spend your time doing than the cleaning, so outsourcing the cleaning to a professional contract cleaning company is a good choice to make. Your cleaning can be fully managed for you and right cleaning company will focus on the day to day cleaning so you can focus on your business.

 

  1. Clean your curtains once per year. Check the manufacturers label first. Curtains can either be machine-washed, hand-washed or dry cleaned. If curtains can be machine-washed use the delicate cycle. Be gentle when drying curtains in a machine. Take them out straight away to prevent wrinkling, or hang them when they are slightly damp.
  2. Keeping your curtains free of dust is important for your health. Start at the top and work down. Be sure to clean the places where dusts tend to collect. These are normally the hems and tops. If possible, use the upholstery attachment and vacuum the matching pelmets at the same time.

An effective way to prevent blocked drains.

Pour 50ml of bicarbonate soda down the kitchen sink – then put 50ml of white wine vinegar. The result will be plenty of fizzing and bubbling. After half an hour, rinse out the sink with cold water.

Give your china a make-over

  1.  To lift tea stains from cups mix 2 tablespoons of bleach in a litre of water. Soak each cup in the solution for no longer than two minutes, then rinse immediately.
  1. To remove unsightly black spots , sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on a damp cloth and gently rub the spot. An alternative is to use some non-gel toothpaste.

Cleaning in Roman Britain – What have the Romans ever done for us?

In the classic film Life of Brian, John Cleese posed the question to his colleagues “What have the Romans ever done for us?

Well apart from introducing:

Aqueducts, Sanitation, Roads, Irrigation, Medicine, Public Baths, Education, Freshwater System, Wine, Safety and Peace.

Not a lot really!

When the Romans invaded our shores in AD43 they really changed just about everything, because they were not impressed with how the British people lived at all. They must have thought the Brits were an uncouth, smelly and uncivilized ragtag race that really needed sorting out.

For starters the Romans built an excellent network of straight paved roads across the country, built brick and stone buildings and taught the British how to speak the Roman language – Latin. Much of the English language today is based on Latin. Britannia itself is a Latin name.

In terms of Architecture, many of our towns and cities in Britain today, imitate the buildings of the Roman world. For example the world’s largest Indian restaurant (Akash) in Cleckheaton near Bradford has a very impressive Roman front with large fluted columns, however  the staff in this excellent Indian eatery, do not wear togas.

BATHING & CLEANING

In terms of bathing and cleaning, the Romans really earned their laurels. They believed that good health came from bathing, eating, massages and exercise. Many Roman Citizens would  bathe frequently during the week.

The Romans saw bathing as a social activity as well as a way of keeping clean. Whilst the wealthiest of Romans would have their own bathing facilities in their villas, most Romans would prefer to bathe in a communal setting where business deals were often sealed. How civilized is that? – imagine doing all your business deals whilst sweating your socks off in a hot steamy room or Calarium.

Areas in Britain which had natural hot springs became ideally suited for baths such as the town of Buxton in Derbyshire (also known for excellent bottled water) and the city of Bath in Somerset.

Other communal baths were reliant on water, which was transported by pipes or by an aqueduct. The ingenious Romans then developed the forerunner to our central heating system or Hypocaust system which was used effectively in their villas.

How convenient it was in those days, when wealthy Romans would conveniently use the human energy of slaves to power their central heating, as opposed to using natural gas to switch on our boilers in our double glazed homes today.

CLEANING IN ROMAN BRITAIN

Larger Roman baths were called Thermae. An ingenious idea that could perhaps be viewed as the model for the modern day version of Centre Parcs with thousands of bathers – although in Roman times, the bathers would be mostly male.

CLEANING WITH STRIGILS

In Ancient Roman and Greek cultures, the strigil was used for cleansing the body by scraping off dirt, perspiration and oil that was applied before bathing. Sounds a bit painful to me. However these handy metal objects were also extensively  used by male athletes. The standard design was a curved metal blade and they were often found in tombs with a bottle of oil.

Other so called cleaning procedures in Roman times, such as using urine to loosen dirt from clothes (before it was washed) have not survived  the modern way of cleaning today – unless of course you are Bear Grylls.

VISITING A ROMAN BATH

In Roman times the communal Roman bath would be arranged as follows.

  1. Changing Room – place to undress clothes with some slaves to assist
  2. Tepidarium (warm room) place to relax and unwind
  3. Calarium (hot steamy room) – place for body to sweat

In this area, slaves would rub perfumed oil over the body of their master, then scrape off with a Strigil

  1. Frigidarium – cold bath to swim in

Many modern spas throughout the world are based on this model, including the beautiful baths in Bath itself.

So next time you have a hot bath, and contemplate the hot soapy suds near your toes, just ponder – if the Romans hadn’t invaded our shores, us Brits wouldn’t be as clean as we are today.

 

Two Yorkshire-based commercial cleaning franchise owners are taking part in their second Longest Day Golf Challenge, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Adam Marcham and Clive Jones of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Huddersfield and Bradford, respectively, will take part in the challenge at Meltham Golf Club, which is situated against the Pennine Hills, near to Huddersfield on June 22nd and are aiming to raise over £500 in the process. During the feat, the duo will complete 72 holes, walking over 24 miles, taking more than 600 shots between them.

Adam Marcham, general manager, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Huddersfield, said: “This is the second time we’ve taken part in this challenge and whilst it’s hard work, it’s all for a great cause. We’re hoping to raise over £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support and taking donations on our Just Giving page.”

Clive Jones, director, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Bradford, added: “We’ve been practicing our games in preparation; our clubs are ready, golf balls are stocked up and we’re raring to go. It’s just the impact on the ol’ knees that you can’t prepare for!”

Adam and Clive are raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support via their Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/servicemasteryorkshire.

On a wet Sunday afternoon recently, my daughter suggested our family should watch a DVD of the film The Young Victoria. As usual, I had no say in the matter, because I would normally like watching sport, and I thought I was going to be bored stiff for two hours. Despite my early trepidation I actually enjoyed watching the film, because it completely changed my perception of Queen Victoria. My previous view of this long lived monarch was of a small, feisty and bossy person, who didn’t smile a lot and liked to dress in black clothes.  In contrast to my early opinion, the film The Young Victoria successfully dispelled the myth of her being a sombre Queen, but in a fact convinced me she was a confident and strong willed person with a warm heart.  I also found out during my research that she never actually said “We Are Not Amused”. Her enduring romance with the young Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was very enchanting.  After their marriage in 1840 they were truly devoted to each other, until Albert’s untimely death in 1861. After this, Queen Victoria was grief stricken for many years.

Queen Victoria was queen of Great Britain for 63 years – to date, the second longest than any other British monarch (Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest) Victoria’s reign saw great cultural expansion; advances in industry, science and communications; and the buildings of railways and the London Underground. She died in England in 1901.

In terms of cleaning and sanitation, the Victorian period underwent fundamental change, particularly with the expansion of industry and the growth of cities.

CREATING A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT IN THE WORPLACE AND HOME

The Industrial Revolution in the Victorian saw rapid change, whereby Britain became an economic powerhouse. Some enlightened industrialists realised they would get better productivity from their workers if they created a clean and safer workplace and a decent place to live.

Cleaning in Victorian Britain

One notable example was the creation of Bournville by members of  the Cadbury family in Birmingham in the latter part of the 19th century  They were successful in creating a model village, whereby the factory workers could live in well built houses and charge a low rent.

Another  fine example was the creation of Salts Mill and the adjoining  Saltaire village (near Bradford) developed by the Sir Titus Salt in 1853. The village of Saltaire still exists today, and is now recognised by UNESCO for its cultural heritage.

VICTORIAN VALUES – GOOD CLEANING LIVING

Self-improvement, hard work and progress were of paramount importance to Victorian Britain. Due to the growth of the middle class and increasing wealth through industry, social values changed considerably.  Home, hearth and family life became central to well-being, while there was a great desire to raise living standards.  The  Victorian household was a place where the family would congregate around the piano and sing songs.  Domesticity was a virtue encouraged in all women and a middle class wife absorbed herself in home- making or genteel pursuits such as needlework and reading. The rise of the middle class meant domestic servants (mostly women) would do the bulk of household chores including cooking the family meal or cleaning.

Personally speaking I am not sure my own family could hack the Victorian lifestyle, although to be perfectly honest it would probably do them no harm at all, and detox themselves from social media – imagine that!

HOW TO KEEP CLEAN THE VICTORIAN WAY – THE STAND UP WASH

We all love to have a quick shower in the morning. A quick nip and out of the shower cubicle, followed by a drying off with a towel and Bob’s your uncle – a nifty way of keeping clean and energy efficient as well.

In much of the 19th century, personal cleaning was very eco-friendly. This included the Victorian period, whereby personal hygiene was highly valued. The Stand Up Wash was commonly used by rich and poor alike, whether with hot or cold water.

 ITEMS USED FOR STAND UP WASH

  1. BOWL
  2. PAIL
  3. FLANNEL
  4. SOAP
  5. JUG OF HOT WATER (COLD WATER OPTIONAL)

METHOD OF STAND UP WASH 

  1. Pour small amount of water into the bowl.
  2. Dip the flannel into the water then wring out.
  3. Apply soap and scrub the body – one section at a time.
  4. Scrub, rinse and dry each part of the body before moving to the next.
  5. Dispose the dirty water in the pail.

This method of self-cleaning  allowed a person to remain almost fully dressed whilst washing because each area of the body was undressed, washed and re-dressed before the next was exposed.  Cleaning with style and such decorum!

PERSONAL  CLEANING PRODUCTS

In the Victorian era, personal hygiene underwent a quiet revolution. Louis Pasteur in 1860 demonstrated at the start of 1860’s that decay was caused living organisms present in the air, so if germs were everywhere, then cleaning became more important than ever.  A clean body neither generated bad airs nor harboured germs.

Carbolic acid remained one of the most popular disinfectants. Sold in liquid and powdered form at pharmacist’s shops, but also pre-mixed with soap , it offered a way of cleaning that went beyond looking and smelling pleasant. It’s own distinctive smell, came to mean ‘clean’ in the new, sterile sense of the world. A personal maid who smelt of carbolic soap came to be one who could be trusted and were more employable.  Today, a similar product would be Coal Tar soap, manufactured by Wright’s. The active ingredient would be tea-tree oil.

More to follow soon.

  1. Use a microfibre cloth to remove dust from a lamp. Include the light bulb in your routine. Dust build-up reduces bulb efficiency, wastes energy and increases your electricity bill.
  1. To remove dust from a lamp, first unplug the lamp and remove the shade and bulb. Begin by cleaning with a slightly damp wet sponge or clean cloth with water. Wipe clean, all areas of the lamp, starting with the base, and working up. Under no circumstances wet the socket or plug.
  1. Load dishes so they are separated and face the centre of the machine. Put glasses and cups between prongs, not over them. Use only dishwasher detergent in your machine – never use soap, laundry detergent or washing-up liquid.
  1. Do position large dishes or pans that will block the rotating spray of the dishwasher, or the flow of water to the detergent dispenser. Use a rinsing agent to speed up the drying of your dishes if you live in an area with hard water. If you live in an area with soft water, you do not require a rinsing agent.