ServiceMaster Clean is an international organisation with businesses all around the world, so when it comes to commercial cleaning, we are the experts.

The ServiceMaster Clean Canada brand manager Gavin Bajin has put together this very useful post explaining how businesses around the world can survive a ‘twindemic’ this winter. Meaning, with COVID-19 still active during its second wave and the flu season upon us we need to be more vigilant and cleaner than ever before.

Give Gavin’s post a read here – https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/protecting-workplaces-from-a-twindemic/

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford (Owned by Siva Kugathas) are on a winning streak, and this time they’ve won with the International Brand Brilliance Awards, specifically in the small to medium businesses with Turnover under €20m category.

The Brand Brilliance award was selected by judges after a healthy debate, and the winner was the star entry that encompasses the very best of Business Brilliance over the year. This award was to go to the candidate that best demonstrated consistent growth, strong financial performance and Brand recognition. Judges looked for evidence of exceptional delivery, site engagement and functionality, security, innovation and ethical practice. They also looked at how the staff are engaged and developed, how the organisation’s strategic vision is led, managed and implemented, and evidence of a plan for sustained growth.

To add to the recognition, Siva and his team also came second in UK Business of the Year Award. This award is designed to celebrate a UK company whose growth, ambition and quality of management has enabled it to out-perform its peers financially, and for a company that has delivered on a compelling business strategy.

2020 has been a very successful year for CS Guildford, Thames Valley, Bracknell, Luton & Watford, as they have adapted to the ever changing COVID-19 situation and been able to support their clients where needed. Building blocks are in place to make 2021 even better.

“I couldn’t be happier to receive more recognition for our commitment to customer service & going ‘Above & Beyond’ in all that we do. The cleaning industry is an industry that has perhaps been overlooked in the past but due to COVID-19 may be valued more by many. I always strive to be the best in what I do and these awards are further validation of this.” Siva Kugathas, Franchisee.

Want to know how Siva and his team can help you with your commercial cleaning requirements, contact them here.

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford (Owned by Siva Kugathas) have won yet another award. This award shows the exceptional dedication to customer service and business growth in the ‘Transformation’ category of the HSBC British Franchise awards. The transformation award is for business owners that have taken on an existing business and transformed it from good to great.

As always, there was stiff competition including from a rival commercial cleaning company, but Siva and his team have an exceptional story that showed their dedication to the ServiceMaster ethos of going ‘Above and Beyond’ in all that they do. Siva has developed a culture of providing exceptional customer service and staff development, which has resulted in strong growth and expansion for the company in all areas.

Siva purchased ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford from the previous owner in January 2017, and due to their commercial success, the business quickly expanded into the Thames Valley & Bracknell areas followed by Watford & Luton earlier in 2020.

“I feel incredibly proud to be recognised for our commitment to customer service & going ‘Above & Beyond’ in all that we do, in an industry that has perhaps been overlooked before COVID-19. I always strive to be the best in what I do and this BFA award is validation of this.” Siva Kugathas, Franchisee.

 

Want to know how Siva and his team can help you with your commercial cleaning requirements, contact them here.

Owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Durham & Teesside, Chris Blewitt picked up three awards at the annual ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Award Ceremony this year, ‘Rookie of The Year’, ‘Growth Award for Turnover Greater Than £100,000′ and ‘Recommending a New Franchisee’.

The Rookie of The Year award is given to those who are new to the ServiceMaster brand and have performed to a high standard and grown successfully in their first few years of trading.

Chris won the Growth Award for having a yearly turnover greater than £100,000 for 2019. This is a fantastic result from Chris and his team to reach a turnover this high.

A brand-new award that ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services issued this year was the ‘Recommending a New Franchisee’ award, which was given to Chris because of recommended another individual, Asim Sibtain, to buy a franchise and the sale was made in August this year.

Chris Blewitt, owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Durham & Teesside said;

“I am delighted to have picked up the 3 awards at the recent ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services awards ceremony. In particular, it was great for us to be awarded the ‘Rookie of the Year’ for the best new coming business. It is a credit to the hard work of our team. Starting as the first brand new franchisee in almost 10 years was a bit daunting but with a lot of hard work and the support of ServiceMaster, in less than 3 years we have built a sizeable business from scratch with significant plans for growth in 2021”.

We look forward to seeing Chris’s business grow and with his attitude and work ethic, we’re sure these won’t be the only awards he’ll receive while owning a ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services business.

The Sleep Easy for YMCA is starting to become a regular experience for Siva Kugathas of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford, as this year is the 2nd time him and his team has taken part.

Due to COVID-19, Sleep Easy 2020 during October was set up differently this year, and the participants were not sleeping as a group, instead as separate bubbles.  Siva and a few members of his team Kinga D, her daughter, Nicole, Alexandra and Kinga T slept the night on the flat roof of their office. Also, Agnes and daughter Maja joined in by sleeping outside in the back garden!

The camp-out started at 7PM with a Zoom call to the YMCA, which included the agenda for the evening, some photos and their participation certificate attached. The video chat continued with bedtime stories being read to the children, an Elvis impersonator performed for the attendees, as well as a fantastic fire dance performance!

 

All in all, a great night was had by Siva and his team along with all of the other attendees to The Sleep Easy YMCA event. The money raised altogether for this event was a whopping £27,000!!

 

What it will be like next year, we don’t know that, but what we do know is that Siva and his team will 100% be participating again!

In light of what is going on in the world, it’s great to have some positive stories. So, it is wonderful to share that local resident Austin Sibtain has invested in a new business in the area. Austin has invested in a ServiceMaster Clean franchise to offer Commercial Cleaning Services throughout the Wembley & Kensington areas.

Austin was born in London, is one of three children, went to school in London and then on to Warwick University to study Economics. Having worked in the financial sector in London, the Middle East and Far East, for a number of blue chip organisations such as Barclays & Coutts Private Bank, Austin has gained respect for high work ethics and standards and adheres to follow them in every interaction.

Due to his previous experiences managing demanding clients, Austin is experienced at providing a service precisely, accurately and to meet expectations. Quality of Service is a must and Austin will be bringing these values to his cleaning business. “Do the best you can in whatever you do” and “Do it with a smile!”.

Austin has previously headed up a trust company London office with over 20 staff, so understands that sorting the office cleaning may not be the top priority for many business owners, but appreciates the critical importance of image, presentation and the right perception, for ANY business.

For many years, cleaning has been seen as a low-level job role but with the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the country, cleaning is now being recognised for the important role it actually plays. Austin believes that the imperative to ensure that physical premises are clean and staff & clients protected, will become just as important as having good compliance and risk practices in place.

Working with such an established brand as ServiceMaster Clean means that Austin can offer exceptional cleaning services with his dedication to quality of service and local commitment, whilst having the backing and support from a national brand and network.

“Throughout my career I have worked with the ethos that whatever you do, you should do it properly. To some, it may just be seen as cleaning but there is real value in getting the cleaning right, especially in light of COVID-19. At the end of the day, I’m here to assist my clients”, said Austin Sibtain, owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Wembley – Kensington.

“Having such a good work ethic, attention to detail and business knowledge, we know how successful Austin can be, we’re excited to see him succeed and become one of the leading ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services businesses within the network”, added Guy Strang, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Brand Manager.

We wish Austin all the best with his new business venture and we’ll be here to help in any way that we can along his journey.

Find out how Austin and ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Wembley-Kensington can help you with your commercial & office cleaning requirements by visiting their local web pages.

In light of what is going on in the world, it is great to have some positive stories. Michal Karwerski has been in the cleaning industry for more than 15 years. He originally started as a daily cleaner working for a local commercial cleaning company and working his way up the ranks, being promoted to supervisor and then area supervisor.

Having gained years of experience and getting to know the industry from the ground up, Michal knew there was opportunity for a reliable and professional cleaning company, so made the decision to start his own cleaning business just over 5 years ago, which became a ltd business in 2017.

During this time, Michal has grown an established business, as he saw the emphasis and change in attitude towards cleaning grow during the COVID-19 pandemic, he made the decision to invest for the future and join the ServiceMaster Clean franchise. Michal has worked for a ServiceMaster franchise before so knows the brand and sees joining the network as an opportunity to grow further.

Working with such an established brand means that Michal can continue to offer the same great local commitment, whilst having the backing and support from a national brand and network.

“I have lived and worked in Stratford-upon-Avon for the best part of 15 years. I am really pleased to be investing in ServiceMaster; as it gives me a fantastic opportunity to bring jobs and services to my local area”, said Michal Karwerski, owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Warwick.

“Having such a good knowledge of the cleaning industry from the ground up and having grown and developed his own business over recent years, we know how successful Michal can be, we’re excited to see him succeed and become one of the leading ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services businesses within the network”, added Guy Strang, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Brand Manager.

We wish Michal all the best with his new business venture and we’ll be here to help in any way we can along his journey.

Find out how Michal and ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Warwick can help you with your commercial & office cleaning requirements by visiting their local web pages.

Amandip Bahia has owned a Merry Maids residential cleaning business since 2017 and although the residential side of the business has seen difficulties this year, residential cleaning has seen a noticeable increase over recent months as professional cleaning has become more of a priority. Amandip understands that a priority for many at the moment is to maintain high cleaning standards and having built a successful cleaning business over the last few years, has made the decision to expand his services and invest in a commercial cleaning company, namely; ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Nottingham & Derby.

With his business expansion, Amandip will be able to put his knowledge and expertise to use and provide professional daily and regular cleaning services to businesses, schools, nurseries and healthcare providers among others.

His aim is to grow the commercial side of the business in the area and as it grows, create job opportunities across the area.

Having owned businesses within the domestic cleaning sector, Amandip’s knowledge of the cleaning industry, attention to detail and cleaning operative management means, Amandip has all of the experience needed to provide exceptional service to his commercial clients; and as part of the ServiceMaster Clean network, also has the support and backing of a national network and over 60 years of cleaning experience in the UK.

“‘Having owned a successful residential cleaning company, I have decided to expand into the commercial cleaning sector, under the Contract Services franchise network, as I believe there is an opportunity to develop a business in this area.

I am looking to grow a successful business which would not only help the local businesses but also create local job opportunities”, said Amandip Bahia, owner of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Nottingham & Derby.

“Having grown and developed his Merry Maids business over recent years, we know how successful Amandip can be and we’re excited to see him succeed and become one of the leading ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services businesses within the network”, added Guy Strang, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Brand Manager.

We wish Amandip all the best with his new business venture and we’ll be here to help in any way that we can along his journey.

Find out how Amandip and ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Nottingham & Derby can help you with your commercial & office cleaning requirements by visiting their local web pages.

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Mid Anglia had a call late one evening, approximately 6pm from a Main GP practice in the local area where a patient had come into the GP with severe breathing difficulties. It was confirmed this was due to COVID-19 and the patient was subsequently transferred to Addenbrookes hospital. All areas used by the patient were isolated by the client and they called ServiceMaster Clean Mid Anglia for assistance in getting the areas deep cleaned, decontaminated and suitable to be used again.

sanitisation

After receiving the call, ServiceMaster Clean Mid Anglia assigned a cleaning team who were on site for 7am the following morning. The cleaning team were issued full PPE and under the circumstances were provided with full face coverings to reduce the risk to the cleaning operatives.

The team wiped down all touchable surfaces using disposable cloths, including, sinks, treatment beds. A three stage cleaning process was used, firstly with SaniMaster 6 then high pressure steam cleaning followed by re-cleaning with SaniMaster 6. This process was repeated on the floor areas.

Once the clean was completed all PPE was disposed of as contaminated waste and all equipment was sanitised afterwards to ensure there was no cross contamination.

Due to the rapid response of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Mid Anglia and availability of cleaning operatives the GP practice was up and running again and accepting patients by 10:00am.

Although many businesses have had to close their doors during this unprecedented lockdown, many of our existing clients have had to remain open to provide valuable services. ServiceMaster are proud to be able to help our clients and any other companies struggling to fulfill cleaning requirements during this difficult time.

At work, you may be exposed to a number of germs, especially when flu season rolls around. Sick coworkers likely touch a variety of surfaces on their way in and out of the office, including shared spaces like the kitchen, bathrooms and conference rooms. Their germs can linger on tables, office equipment, door handles and other surfaces for significant periods of time, putting you and other staff members at risk of getting sick.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help prevent getting sick with the flu or spreading germs, find out three cold and flu prevention tips from the professionals at ServiceMaster Clean.

Washing your hands

Washing your hands regularly is one of the best ways to prevent getting sick year-round. In the winter months when viruses can remain active longer due to colder temperatures, proper handwashing becomes more important. Use these tips to wash your hands correctly:

  • Wash your hands regularly throughout the day with warm water and soap. Dry your hands thoroughly with disposable towels.
  • Always wash your hands after using the bathroom. These spaces are havens for germs.
  • Wash your hands after coming into contact with any bodily fluid. This includes your own.
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. Keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you at your desk or in your personal bag or purse.

Cough Etiquette

Coughing is something we all do, and you don’t have to be noticeably sick to cough here and there throughout the day. Using proper techniques when you cough can help alleviate the spread of germs. Teach your staff members these tips to help remind them to cover their cough at work:

  • Cover your mouth with a tissue when you’re coughing, if possible.
  • Dispose of tissues immediately in a nearby wastebasket.
  • Cover your mouth with your hands or cough into the crook of your arm when you don’t have access to tissue.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after coughing.

Keep Your Surroundings Clean

A clean workspace can help keep germs to a minimum and potentially even increase worker productivity, especially if frequently touched items and surfaces like keyboards, doorknobs and phones are disinfected regularly. Help reduce the number of germs in your office throughout the day by enforcing these cleaning steps:

  • Clean and disinfect daily. Wipe down high-touch surfaces with disinfectant wipes or low-level disinfectant products to help kill germs in shared spaces as well as your own work area.
  • Stock up on supplies. Make sure your office has an adequate amount of tissues, paper towels, soap, hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes to keep the office clean every day.
  • Allow sick employees to go home. If an employee starts feeling sick at work, let them go home before they have an opportunity to infect the staff around them.

Keep in mind that if your employees show cold or flu symptoms throughout the year, including fever, muscle aches, fatigue and bouts of coughing, ask them if they begin feeling better when they spend time away from the office.

Along with having your staff take an active role with cleaning throughout the day, a janitorial crew can help reduce the number of germs and infections lurking in your office. If you need help keeping cold and flu symptoms to a minimum while you’re at work, call on the experts at ServiceMaster Clean. Our commercial janitorial services can help keep your office clean and healthy. We’ll even work with you to create a detailed, comprehensive cleaning regimen that meets your facility’s unique needs and schedule. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business.

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford has been shortlisted for The Give A Grad A Go Employer of the Year Award at the prestigious 2020 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards. Previous winners include fitness sensation Joe Wicks, Timpson CEO James Timpson OBE, DPD UK, Hotel Chocolat, dementia newspaper Daily Sparkle and online fast fashion success story Missguided.

“I feel incredibly proud to be recognised by the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards and to be shortlisted as a finalist. I always strive to be the best in what I do and feel it is important to provide a positive workplace for all of my employees. I have been delighted to be able to offer opportunities to graduates and non graduates and this award would be a validation of our efforts to become a first class employer.

Compared to some businesses we are a small company but with our commitment to providing a first class service to our clients as well as investing in development of our team we have grown rapidly over the last few years, I am so proud to be in the list of finalists and competing against national businesses. Being able to take my team to the awards ceremony to celebrate the success together would be the icing on the cake as we wouldn’t be where we are without them.” Siva Kugathas, Franchisee.

“When it comes to business recognition, the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards are the ones to win. They allow any successful organisation to tell their story, from large private and public companies, to thriving entrepreneurial businesses, promising start-ups and established SMEs,” said Sarah Austin, Awards Director.

“Winning a Lloyds Bank National Business Award comes with significant business benefits, including increased brand awareness and reputation among customers and partners, valuable insight into best practice and employee recognition and retention.”

Siva Kugathas and ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford, Bracknell, Thames Valley, Luton & Watford have already won several business awards and proud of their commitment to providing excellence in the commercial cleaning industry.

Find out more about Siva & the team here – ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford.

A veteran in the franchising industry, our very own, Siva Kugathas has been shortlisted in the Transformation category at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards, taking place at the Vox, Birmingham, on November 30.

Siva, who before taking over the ServiceMaster Guildford franchise in January 2017, had already had a career in franchising for over 20 years with both KFC and Pizza Hut, used all that knowledge to transform the business, with turnover now 10 times that of when he first took on the resale.

He chose ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services, a contract commercial cleaning specialist franchise as he believed the potential for growth was evident.

“I am always looking for different and unusual ways to promote my business. In 2017 I featured on Eagle Radio in a carpet cleaning video for “National Clean Your Floors Day.”

Yes, that’s right, a video for radio. It was posted across the radio stations social media platforms and had great results. From this short video, I was noticed by a local company and secured a contract worth £100,000. It’s so exciting when trying something new has such a positive impact on your business.

I already feel incredibly proud to be recognised as a finalist in the BFA Awards. To me, they are the pinnacle of franchise industry awards and winning would be the ultimate achievement. I always strive to be the best in what I do and a BFA award would be a validation of this.” Siva Kugathas, Franchisee.

Pip Wilkins QFP, CEO of the bfa, said:

“In little more than three years, Siva has taken an existing franchise unit and increased its turnover tenfold. This is a fantastic achievement and it has also benefitted people in the community as he has gone from hiring one supervisor to one office manager, one operations manager, three area managers, one sales executive and seven mobile cleaners.”

Andrew Brattesani, Head of Franchising at HSBC, added:

“From the offset, Siva was determined to double the size of his business in 18 months. He focused heavily on maintaining relationships with the existing client base and receiving monthly feedback from customers, as well as putting staff retention at the centre of his objectives.”

Siva will go head-to-head against three other franchisees in November.

Good luck Siva!

Maintaining a clean work environment has always been important, but with the global COVID-19 pandemic, regular cleaning, disinfecting and hygiene have become more important than ever.

Trying to run a business right now is more challenging than ever. How do you keep people safe, while still doing the volume of business you need to keep the doors open? How do you protect your employees?

There are several important steps to take, from supplying protective gear to enforcing the guidelines laid out by the government and local health authorities. Keeping a clean place of business is one of the most crucial parts of protecting you, your workers, and your customers.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting are key in preventing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. And the safest, most thorough, most reliable way to keep your workplace clean is by enlisting the help of commercial cleaning professionals. Commercial cleaners offer the best protection possible to your business. They bring top-notch experience in fighting new viral threats.  With regular cleaning provided you can focus on your core business while knowing that your employees and customers are safe.

What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Understanding what this virus does, how it’s transmitted, and how to take preventive measures against it are all part of the solution. With so much new information coming in all the time—and a lot of confusion about certain facts—knowing more about the new coronavirus can be an incredible help.

COVID-19 stands for Coronavirus Disease, 2019. The specific coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2, you may hear people use all three of these terms.

There are at least seven different coronaviruses that can affect humans. Several of them are very serious, causing conditions like SARS or MERS.

Common COVID-19 Symptoms

The new coronavirus primarily affects the respiratory system, causing coughing and shortness of breath. You may also experience fever, muscle pain, or a loss of taste or smell – NHS COVID-19 Symptoms.

Despite this wide range of symptoms, some people may not experience any symptoms at all, part of what makes this virus so dangerous is that people can have it without knowing. If someone with no symptoms—an “asymptomatic carrier”—goes out in public without a mask on, that person can spread the virus to others without realising it.

As someone responsible for a premises where people gather, helping prevent that spread is on you. You’ll want to do everything you can to ensure that an outbreak doesn’t occur at your place of business, including calling professionals to help disinfect all surfaces, so that this disease doesn’t transfer from an employee to employee, or employee to a customer, or vice-versa.

Preventing the Spread in Your Commercial Space

COVID-19 is highly virulent, and it may be transmittable in more ways than researchers originally thought, which means that fighting it is as tough as it is important. However, there are things that you can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

  • Comply with UK Government guidelines and local council guidelines about business closures. If you’re allowed to open your business but conflicted about whether it’s wise to do so, consult with your local health agencies about the potential risks involved
  • Ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is available to your employees and maybe even your customers if needed
  • Consider requiring PPE for customers entering your store, in order to maintain as safe an environment as possible
  • Communicate expectations to employees on wearing protective gear, how to responsibly interact with customers, and on the importance of staying home if they have any of the above symptoms
  • Follow guidelines about cleaning and disinfecting procedures, clean often, and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched, even if everyone is wearing protective gear
  • Dispose of and replace disposable masks and gloves as appropriate. People, especially ones who aren’t used to wearing gloves, may touch their face with gloves on, at which point the gloves are potentially spreading a virus, rather than protecting against it
  • Be prepared to take action in the event of contamination. If someone who is suspected or confirmed to carry coronavirus after a test visits your business, be ready to cordon off the area and air it out, ideally for 24 hours, before thoroughly disinfecting it
  • Know and follow industry-specific guidelines. Check to see if the government or your industry’s governing body has issued guidance specific to your business, for instance, hospitals should promptly identify and isolate possible COVID-19 patients. Restaurants and bars may consider changing their layout so that parties of up to 6 are separated by at least six feet while waiting and dining

How Can Commercial Cleaning Help?

Commercial cleaning can help in the fight against viral infections by bringing the right tools and the right experience to your business.

  • Our commercial cleans occur at regular, scheduled intervals that you can depend on. This ongoing preventative measure can help reduce the risk of viral infections for the long haul
  • All of our cleaners are equipped with the right equipment needed for the job at hand. So, you don’t have to worry about whether your disinfectant is approved to fight COVID-19
  • Our cleaners are thorough and are trained to a high standard with cleaning high touch point areas on your premises
  • Our cleaners are trained in cleaning and disinfecting businesses of all kinds, from office buildings to hospitals,

Letting someone else handle your cleaning frees you up to focus on the reason you opened a business in the first place and do the work that you’re good at—the work that you like to do—and let other people use their expertise to handle the cleaning for you.

Find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services here and ask for more information on how we can help.

The entire office culture across the UK has completely changed and most businesses will not return back to normal, instead a ‘new normal’ will have to be put in place.

Following lockdown, many businesses are gradually starting the process of getting their staff back to work and there are changes to the offices that have had to be made post-coronavirus.

Returning to work will have to happen in stages and the transition time will be stressful for all involved.

 

What returning to work will look like

Offices around the world are having to change the way they operate, it that means doing flexible working, for example, three days in the office and two days working remotely, or limiting the amount of staff in the offices completely, is something that has to be done.

Having an office presence is important for both processes and cultural practices and it’s going to be tempting to revert back to pre-pandemic. To help stop the spread of COVID-19 this needs to be watched carefully and enforced within the office environment.

There are three employee segments that can be considered:

  • Fully Remote working (All work can be completed at home, like a marketing role for example)
  • Hybrid Remote (As mentioned above, working at the office and at home on split days)
  • On-Site (For those that physically have to be in work, like tradespeople, cleaners etc)

 Get together with your employees and ask them what they’d prefer and if suitable for the type of business bring in the practices they want.

Redesigning the workplace

The pre-pandemic typical office was likely a mixture of private offices and open desks with staff sat side by side, meeting rooms and shared amenities. Well, this is not the case now as new measures have to be in place to keep your staff safe.

Businesses need to create workspaces to keep all employees safe, here are a few examples:

  1. Social Distancing measures must be put in place, meaning the staff are more spread out, although this does mean less staff will be allowed in the offices
  2. Bring in separate cubicles for all employees, protected with screens if needed, block off alternative desks in open-plan offices
  3. Staggered break times to ensure only a limited number of employees are in break out areas at any one time
  4. Introduce a one-way system around the office premises to ensure staff are socially distanced as much as possible
  5. Hand sanitising stations at entry and exit points, also if possible on all employees’ desks

Now is the time to initiate change

Employers around the UK need to start experimenting with bringing their employees back to offices if this isn’t possible then make working remotely more efficient by introducing more organisational digital software.

Experimenting isn’t going to hurt, if something doesn’t work for your company, try something different.

New cleaning measures are a must

Cleaning your office more effectively during and after the pandemic is vital and new cleaning regimes MUST be implemented to keep all employees safe.

Your new cleaning regime should include regular cleaning of high touch point areas on top of your regular cleaning, more frequent cleaning in high traffic areas should also be considered.

If there’s a case within your offices then a deep clean, disinfection and sanitisation should be considered before allowing people back into a possibly contaminated space.

Getting the right cleaning regime in place now, supported by the right professional cleaning company, offers reassurance for you, your employees and any visitors to your building.

If you have been doing the cleaning yourself or not getting the right level of support from your cleaning company it’s time to get in touch with your local ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services company, where you know you can rely on local commitment with national support and over 60 years of experience in the cleaning industry in the UK.

 

COVID-19 hit the world by storm towards the end of March and has quite literally changed the world as we know it.

With the government opening schools back up and trying to enforce normality as much as possible, there are still a few changes that need to happen in schools and nurseries to keep all children and staff safe.

Handwashing – Can you make it fun?

Teaching children how to wash their hands properly with soap and water doesn’t have to be hard and it is the main way that we can do to keep all within schools and nurseries safe.

Especially with younger children making the cleaning hands procedure fun is vital as it’s going to be the way of life for a while to come. Here are a few ways of making cleaning hands fun;

  1. Encourage them to sing a song when cleaning their hands, like a nursery rhyme for the younger ones and for the older ones their current favourite song
  2. Alternatively, you can make up a song in the classroom and get them to sing this instead
  3. Tell them something like if you clean your hands regularly you’ll become a superhero and give you the powers to bit the bad guys

Here’s a song released by the NHS to help with the cleaning of hands – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg

School reopening: pupil hygiene and wellbeing posters

Adults – Lead by example

Making sure as an adult you are cleaning your hands as regularly as the children and joining in with the sing-a-long is vitally important, because children learn from adults around them.

So, making a habit of washing your hands, disposing of paper towels correctly etc, your children will be more likely to copy this behaviour and continue to do so.

Always make sure you’re socially distancing with colleagues and children where possible as this will help stop the spread

Keep your eyes, ears and noses out for symptoms

Making sure you’re keeping your eyes and ears out for symptoms including, a high temperature and a new, continuous cough is important for the health of your entire school or nursery. Other symptoms can include a loss of smell or taste, so it may be a good idea to potentially check the children’s sense of smell every so often.

You can also tell the children to let you know if any other child mentions any of these symptoms so that the correct measures can be followed.

Make sure to follow NHS guidance with every potential COVID-19 case.

Always outdoor play where possible

As schools have started to open new ‘social bubbles’ have been formed in order to allow children to once again play with each other outside. Most schools have adopted a class or year group bubble which includes all of the teachers associated with that class or year group as well.

Social interaction is important for the emotional wellbeing of children, therefore outside playing being prioritised in the key decisions to open up schools.

Always make sure the children are washing their hands by following the correct procedures after every break time.

Listening is important

The children in schools and nurseries are bound to be worried or concerned because of changes to their daily routines and because of certain things they may have heard or read in regards to the coronavirus.

As a teacher, or caregiver it’s important to reassure them that you are there to listen if they’re feeling scared, unsure about something they may have heard and being there for them in these different times.

If you’re unaware of what to tell the children then there are a few different websites you can head to that will help with this;

Talking to children about coronavirus (Young Minds)

Talking to children about the coronavirus pandemic (Mental Health Foundation)

Regular cleaning is vital

Regular cleaning in schools and nurseries is vital to ensure the health and safety of the children and staff on the premises.

That is why all schools must have a new daily cleaning schedule put in place, and that is where we can help, find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services for more information today.

Workplaces, Schools and other buildings with high levels of people frequenting them can be a common place for germs to be spread, the higher the number of people the greater the risk. Bacteria and viruses can be spread very quickly from person to person either by touch or in the case of COVID-19 in droplets in the air.

It has never been more important to promote good hygiene in the workplace and reduce the risk of infection.

Every business, school and healthcare facility will have different hygiene requirements based on the size and function, some will also have specific requirements to the industry they are in. But what does apply to all, is that since16th March when most of the UK went into lockdown, and from the time we were first made aware of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most important messages has been the importance of good hygiene.

As a business, school, healthcare facility or other industry, it is important to encourage people on your premises to follow good hygiene guidance and ensure there are facilities available to allow this. Use signage to remind people at strategic locations about hand washing or face coverings, one way systems or other requirements on your premises to help encourage compliance.

There is clear advice about how important good hand wash is and how to wash hands effectively. We have been advised that you must wash your hands for a good 20 seconds and this NHS video shows you the best way to wash your hands clearly https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/.

If you, your employees and your visitors make the effort to wash their hands properly, it is also important to ensure they don’t then contaminate them straight away. Drying hands properly is also important. Businesses use a variety of methods for hand drying from normal towels to hand dryers or paper towels, the most hygienic method to dry hands is by using paper towels that can be disposed of after use.

If it is not possible to have hand washing, hand gels should be made available. These should contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective against COVID-19. You can get further information from HSE about hand sanitisers here https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/hand-sanitiser/index.htm

As well as maintaining good personal hygiene, it is also important to ensure good hygiene throughout the premises. Put in place a robust regular cleaning regime to keep high touch point areas clean as well as the usual surfaces that can harbour germs such as desks, kitchens & bathrooms. Areas that are highly frequented by people should be cleaned on a more frequent basis.

If you need help with creating a suitable cleaning regime, get in touch and see how we can help. ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services are already helping businesses across the UK open safely and have more than 60 years of experience providing commercial cleaning in the UK. We can help with your daily cleaning, high touch point cleaning, sanitisation and provide cleaning products and consumables. We’re here to take care of the cleaning, leaving you to take care of your business.

Were here if you need us.

One of the most important moments in containing the spread of COVID-19 is when you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in your business. Taking appropriate steps to clean and disinfect after the possible or confirmed case is critical in keeping you, your employees, and your customers safe.

While the infection risk from a COVID-19 contaminated environment decreases over time, it is not yet clear at what point there is no risk from the virus.

Scientists know that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through respiratory droplets. (Respiratory droplets are the little bits of liquid that are exhaled when someone speaks.) But they’re not yet certain about infectious aerosols. (Aerosols are the smaller, much more numerous particles that people breathe out.) Research indicates that there is at least a chance that these smaller particles of breath can carry the virus. If that’s the case, then it’s possible that the virus could travel further and linger in the air for longer than initially thought. However, studies suggest that, in non-healthcare settings, the risk of residual infectious virus is likely to be significantly reduced after 48 hours.

While researchers are still figuring the details out, there are actions you can take to protect you, your employees and your visitors.

  • Close off any areas the person with a suspected or confirmed virus visited.
  • Open outside doors and windows to increase ventilation, while still indicating that people should not enter the area.
  • If you can, wait 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection. If you can’t wait 24 hours, wait as long as you can.
  • Cleaning staff should clean and disinfect every area visited by the person with a suspected or confirmed virus, as well as anything they may have touched.
  • Ensure cleaning staff have suitable PPE. Use a disposable mask, gloves, and coveralls.

More information for cleaning in non-healthcare settings outside the home can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings#left-area.

Details for the Test & Trace system for employers can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-workplace-guidance

If you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in your building, consider getting the professionals in, at ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services, we can provide a deep cleaning and sanitisation service for your building as well as ongoing professional cleaning services. That way you know you are in safe hands.

Were here if you need us.

Many businesses in the UK have now been allowed to open but, as we start opening our doors and navigating our way through the new normal, maintaining high cleaning standards is just as important as ever. COVID-19 has not gone away so maintaining high cleaning standards in the workplace should be kept in place to help reduce spread of the virus.

There are several steps available to you as a business owner to help control and reduce the spread of the virus. Where possible reducing person to person contact is the most effective method, if people don’t come in to contact with the virus they can’t catch it. Obviously this isn’t always possible, and especially difficult for some businesses. Where people are more likely to come in to contact with each other, PPE is the next preferred option but again, this isn’t always possible. If your business is open suitable cleaning and  disinfection regimes should be put in place.

COVID-19 Cleaning Tips

Here is some basic information to know and first steps to take in order to maintain the cleanest, safest environment that you can.

Know the Terms

Knowing what you’re up against is a big part of fighting it. So’ here’s some clarification:

Coronavirus is a broad category of viruses. There are seven known coronaviruses that can infect people. They were first identified in the 1960s. You may hear people call this latest one “the new coronavirus” or “the novel coronavirus” to specify which one they’re talking about.

SARS-CoV-2 is the specific name of this ‘newest’ coronavirus, which was discovered at the end of 2019.

COVID-19 is the disease that is caused by SARS-CoV-2. The name tells you that it is the COronaVIrus Disease that was discovered in 2019.

It is also important to know the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, we have shared this previously in one of our other blogs ‘’Cleaning and Disinfecting

but as a little reminder…

“Cleaning” means removing dirt and impurities from surfaces. It doesn’t kill germs, but it decreases the number of germs on a given surface, this in itself will help reduce the risk of infection.

“Disinfecting” refers to killing germs, usually with chemicals like EPA-registered disinfectants. The surface may not necessarily look cleaner, and the germs may still be present, but they will be dead.

To reduce risk of infection from COVID-19 or any bacteria or virus, the best way is to use both of these processes. First, clean all surfaces to remove the bulk of the germs and to get rid of dirt. Then disinfect the surfaces to kill any germs that may remain.

Ensure you employees use suitable hygiene and hand washing procedures, especially in the workplace.

You and your employees should wash hands thoroughly, for the full recommended 20 seconds.

If hand-washing is not suitable an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol content should be used on a regular basis. Hand Sanitiser is now readily available in shops and online or see our previous blog for instructions on how to make your own. You can even download a copy of our Hand washing poster here.

If your employees feel unwell, they should not come in to work.

This should be a standard practice generally to restrict spreading any illness but, it’s especially important right now. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 should avoid others. Make sure your employees know that you expect them to stay home if they are feeling ill.

Keep your employees aware of the current Government Guidelines that they should follow if they experience symptoms of COVID-19 and how they can get a test.

For latest advice, see the NHS website.

Use PPE where suitable

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), is an important part of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. PPE includes face masks, gowns, and disposable gloves. These items are important, but they’re only effective if used well.

Masks are most effective when everyone is wearing them. People can carry the new Coronavirus without showing symptoms, wearing a face covering is a best practice for everyone. If your staff are required to wear facemasks, ensure they are aware of how they should wear them correctly (Covering the mouth and nose).

Gloves should only be used in suitable settings, they are only effective if they are disposed of and changed after each ‘single’ use. In most circumstances, it is more effective to wash hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitiser as mentioned above.

COVID-19 Risk Assessments

You are now required to have a COVID-19 Risk Assessment in place for your business. At ServiceMaster we have a Risk Assessment for our cleaners while they are on your site, they will follow guidance within the Risk Assessment which includes information on specific COVID-19 related issues, PPE and general cleaning activities.

How to clean and disinfect your building

If you’re taking the time and effort to clean your building yourself, now is the time to make sure you do it right. Just like with washing hands, the procedures are there for a reason. If you try to cut corners or reduce costs, you could put yourself or your staff at risk. Put together a cleaning regime to make sure you take care of everything you need to.

Sort the cleaning from the disinfecting

Identify what just needs to be cleaned, and what needs to be disinfected, as well. Many surfaces and objects may be fine with a regular cleaning. But High Touchpoint area will probably need to be disinfected as well. Download out High Touchpoint cleaning poster for a list of areas that probably need more regular cleaning and disinfection.

Don’t forget to clean outside spaces too. Think about areas that people touch, door handles, handrails, tables & benches etc. All of these places can harbour the virus for hours or days even though they are outside.

Likewise, if absolutely nobody has been inside your place of business for 7 days, your normal cleaning routine will be fine upon returning. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has not been shown to survive on surfaces for longer than a week. However, once people return and begin to carry out day to day activities, regular disinfecting will be necessary.

For more information see our previous blogs or see the official guidance for cleaning in non-healthcare settings outside the home from the UK Government.

Consider outsourcing to commercial cleaning services provider

Professional cleaners already have the experience and cleaning products needed to help keep businesses and workplaces safe. They have the protective gear that they need. They come in, do the work, and get out. You can focus on your business and keeping yourself, your staff and your customers or visitors safe, while your cleaning provider focusses on your cleaning.

Help prevent the spread of this or any other virus in your business

It’s important to do everything you can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That means enforcing rules about protective gear for your employees where appropriate. It means encouraging employees who feel ill to stay home. It means strictly following appropriate procedures for handwashing, cleaning, and disinfecting. And it means keeping the environment thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

One way to reduce risk is to leave the cleaning and disinfecting to the professionals. ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services can take a giant task off your plate and a giant weight off of your mind. Whether you’re in retail, foodservice, an office environment, a School or even a GP surgery, professional cleaners have the training needed to keep you safe.

Were here if you need us.

Commercial and janitorial cleaning services have become a much more important service since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

While a lot of businesses were forced to close during lockdown, many schools, healthcare providers and other vital service providers were required to stay open throughout the lockdown. Rachael Downer – Managing Director of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Surrey-London explains how they adapted to the new and evolving situation to keep their staff working safely and ensure their clients could too.

Dealing with the news

When lockdown was first announced, our first thoughts were to contact our staff to reassure them that we will do everything in our power to manage our teams through this unique situation and to reassure them that we would be talking to the sites that they worked at, evaluating the situation and putting steps in place to ensure every one’s safety above all.

Following on from this, our next priority was to contact all of our clients. It was important to us to contact our clients and immediately, assess what their requirements were and what we could do to help.  We also contacted our H&S advisors to ensure that we were adhering to new legislation and guidelines and ensuring both our staff and clients’ safety.

We carried out a full review of the services we provided or would need to provide for every one of our clients initially; most of our clients were unsure about what would be needed as nobody knew what the following weeks and months would bring. The cleaning services were and continue to be reviewed regularly to meet the changing needs of our clients.

In addition to the changing needs of our clients; we had the challenge of working with our staff who also had pressures on their schedules with increased child care issues, with schools being closed.

How we adapted

To help ensure our clients sites were cleaned and sanitised for themselves, their staff and their customers or visitors, we adapted quickly to be able to provide additional services and products for our clients. These additional services on top of our regular contract cleaning included things like: Fogging, touch point cleaning, review of specifications and budgets, PPE and even Display notices. These additional services and products meant our clients could meet their own cleaning & hygiene obligations without having to source additional supplies or suppliers, making it easier for them when there is enough to deal with.

We usually hold regular meetings with our clients to ensure we are meeting our clients service expectations and with the constant changes, we found that we needed to keep in touch with our clients more than ever. Obviously with social distancing, face to face meetings were not ideal so we made the most of remote methods (as many of us have done over these last few months) and kept in regular contact using Phone, email & Zoom.

As lockdown has eased and our other clients have been able to re-open, we are pleased to say that we have been able to get our teams back in and be able to provide our usual or adjusted cleaning schedule within 48 hours of instruction from our client.

Providing more for our clients

As more clients have opened, we have seen an increase in requests for our additional services such as; Fogging, touch point cleaning, review of specifications and budgets, PPE and Display notices.

In additional to providing these services and products, we have also provided extra  training to key employees to understand the science behind the virus and how bio-fogging can help and we are pleased to say our trained staff are now accredited to give extra reassurance to our clients.

Providing exceptional levels of service is and always has been a priority to us at ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Surrey-London and to ensure we maintained our services levels through the pandemic we increased the level of communication in respect of weekly updates on recommended services and update summaries on government guidelines, if we are all informed we are all safer.

As clients are getting back to business

At the height of the lockdown 60% of our clients were forced to close their business, now only 15% remain closed, due to the type of industry they are in. One of our main concerns as our clients came back was bringing our staff back off furlough in time to resume cleaning services rapidly.

In the main, this was actually very smooth, a couple of staff were very nervous about returning and in these cases we have placed cover staff on site and regular cleaners are on unpaid leave until they are comfortable to return.

Throughout the pandemic, our employees have been amazing!  The level of flexibility and understanding to take on new methods of cleaning and new times to deliver the service has been truly impressive. Both the operations team and support teams have adapted to new methods of working and we are delivering a service that makes our clients and staff feel safe in these very challenging times.

Cleaning on clique

Cleaning historically is not that important to many decision makers in businesses but cleaning ‘the right way’ has always been our number one priority at ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Surrey-London. Since the COVID-19 pandemic cleaning has very clearly become a much more valued service and we hope to work more in partnership with our existing clients to meet their needs for their unique environments.

With cleaning becoming more of a priority, not only have we seen requests from our existing client to increase or adjust their ongoing cleaning service, we have also seen an increase in enquiries. We have signed several new contracts recently. There is a growing trend of businesses that historically clean the building themselves want the reassurance of a professional compliant to ensure the cleaning is done the right way as well as clients who have just not received the right service from their existing clients.

Our new clients have required services including 24 hours on site cleaners in the construction industry, communal cleaning for offices and bio fogging services and due to our structure and ability to adapt we are well placed to be able to provide these services effectively. We look forward to our ongoing relationship with our new clients.

Our clients trust us and I believe this is imperative to any relationship working and lasting. They have seen that we have risen to the challenge that the whole world has faced and we have been able to offer flexible solutions to their challenges whilst appreciating the financial struggle some have found themselves facing. I believe going forward clients will expect more but there is a new respect for the cleaning industry which benefits all parties.

Give us a call on 0845 201 1184 or email us at enquiries@servicemaster.co.ukto ask how we can help with your commercial cleaning requirements.

Tom Jackson has owned Merry Maids Dudley since 2002 and due to his success, expanded this residential cleaning service in to Wolverhampton, Birmingham South and Solihull over recent years. Tom has built a highly successful business and as his business has expanded, he has been able to employ more and more local people  throughout the area he services. Due to his success and looking at ways to share his expertise, Tom made the decision to invest in a commercial cleaning company, namely; ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Dudley.

With his ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services business, Tom will be offering contract daily & regular cleaning to businesses, schools, nurseries & healthcare providers among others.

Having owned businesses within the domestic cleaning sector for nearly 20 years, Tom’s knowledge of the cleaning industry, attention to detail and cleaning operative management means, Tom has all the experience to provide exceptional service to his commercial clients; and as part of the ServiceMaster Clean network, also has the support and back up of a national network and over 60 years of cleaning experience in the UK.

“I’m looking forward to the new challenge utilising my experience gained from my Merry Maids domestic cleaning franchises and transferring it into the commercial sector”, said Tom Jackson, owner of Contract Services Dudley.

Tom strives on figures and being at the top, and that’s exactly where he currently is within the Merry Maids network. He’s looking forward to a new challenge to start a commercial cleaning business from scratch, grow it significantly within 2 years and employ 100-150 local people.

“Having been with ServiceMaster for nearly 20 years, we know how successful Tom can be and we’re excited to see him succeed and become one of the leading ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services businesses within the network”, added Guy Strang, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Brand Manager.

We wish Tom all the best with his new business venture and we’ll be here to help in any way we can along his journey.