How does increased holiday foot traffic impact the need for professional and specialized cleaning services?

Cleaners and restorers need to be aware that there are different levels of cleaning that professional firms like ours provide. Deep cleaning is needed, but this needs to be done in the months leading up to the holiday season. Now firms need to focus on low moisture cleaning methods that can quickly address and maintain the high standards that property owners and managers currently have when it comes to carpeting. Being aware of the added amount of garbage that people have is important as well.  Trash should also be dumped frequently to prevent issues with malodors and pests.  A cleaning building is a building that is free of pests and smells nice.

What are the most forgotten and overlooked cleaning tasks? Baseboards? Walls? Carpet? Desks? Something else?

The biggest missed opportunities for cleaners are in taking care of the touchpoints in the building. As professional cleaning companies we must treat the entire building.  Light switches, handrails, and other areas that people commonly touch need to be cleaned so that the potential spread of viruses and bacteria can be limited and prevent companies from downtime at a critical time of the year. Baseboards are also commonly overlooked, but the touchpoints in the building need to be a paramount concern.

Are there any restoration issues that tend to spike over the holidays during the winter season like frozen pipes, water damage, etc.?

This is the time for water damage from frozen pipes and small fires. With cold weather comes a greater opportunity for damage to breaking pipes, this is an obvious concern.  A less obvious concern comes from fires.  People tend to plug in lights and other decorations, and in some cases light more candles.  This can create fire issues that can cause significant damage to structures, not only from the issues with the smoke and soot, but also from the water used to put it out.

How can businesses balance their workload with a more intensive or frequent cleaning schedule?

Planning and communication is the key. Find the times when you are not as busy, or when you are closed, to have your cleaning professionals comes in with unfettered access to the areas that need to be addressed. If there are specific areas that need to be addressed, do not assume that the cleaning crew is going to know the areas you have the most concern about.  Tell them the areas that need extra attention so they can make sure your building is in tip-top shape.

When is the best time to schedule a professional deep cleaning? Before or in-between holidays?

Professional deep cleaning should be done a couple of months before a big event or holiday, and then again, a few months after. This should be coupled with maintenance cleaning in between.  Your organization is a place that you are proud to work in, you should have the same enthusiasm for the building you work in.

How do you choose between a.) sanitizing b.) deep cleaning and c.) disinfecting for different spaces?

Deep cleaning and sanitizing go somewhat hand in hand when it comes to cleaning your building in the manner that it is handled by Voda Cleaning and Restoration. Disinfecting goes a step beyond.  When disinfecting a structure you want a more holistic approach.  Consider cleaning bathrooms, air duct systems (HVAC), and other surfaces using antimicrobial treatments that will continue to ward off harmful pathogens even after the cleaning has been done. Disinfecting will kill a higher number of microorganisms on hard, nonporous surfaces than sanitizing will. This is not a “spray some bleach” type of solution.  The surface must be cleaned, then a disinfectant needs to be applied properly so that you’re certain that the proper level of cleaning is maintained throughout the structure.