8 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing Your Next Cleaning Company

Let’s face it: Your task isn’t easy. Something triggered you to pick up the phone or hit Google with local ideas for cleaning services. We’re in the Washington, DC area and you have thousands of commercial cleaning companies to choose from, and many of them aren’t making it that easy to decide on. 

Below is a simple guide of some of the questions you should be asking when picking your next janitorial services company. 

What is your experience with cleaning businesses similar to mine?

While we are a company newcomer, our experience spans decades. Many of our team have vast experience across multiple niches. Not only that but the ownership of Clean Line Janitorial Services has nearly 30 years of experience in the commercial cleaning space, with experience cleaning small offices and office suites, medical facilities, banks, gyms, office buildings, schools, places of worship, and many more. Whether big or small, we have what it takes to keep your facility clean. 

How do you handle quality assurance?

A cleaning company is just as good as their Quality Assurance program. Over our years of experience, we’ve found that the Number One complaint that prospective clients provide as a reason to wanting to switch was inconsistent cleaning. One day it’s great. Another day it’s terrible. It’s an up and down cycle that’s frustrating.

We utilize a 3-step process that combines communication, a quantitative measurement of clean, and a survey system. Image is everything and a quality cleaning company will reflect that image. 

I hate contracts. Are you going to lock us into an agreement forever too?

Have you ever signed a contract only to realize you’re stuck? It’s a terrible feeling, isn’t it? We’re right there with you. You can cancel our agreement at any time for any reason without any cancellation penalties whatsoever. All we ask is a 15-day head’s up so we can transition the removal of our supplies, equipment, and make plans to keep our employees employed by securing a location elsewhere. It’s almost like the anti-contract contract. 

How do you manage communication and service follow-ups?

Communication is key and it’s one of the tenants of our QA program. We encourage open dialog. If we feel we’re missing the mark, definitely let us know. Part of our internal process is to do our own assessment on the job and we’ll accomplish this through a management team. But we’ll also send out optional surveys to you or your team because your opinion matters. Not only that, but we encourage regular joint inspections. At the start of every job, we provide all of our contact information should any needs arise. 

How do you handle special cleaning requests or emergencies?

We’re here….let us get that for you. Within our agreement we list out a special rate should you need us to clean an additional day, cover that next holiday party, or take care of that unexpected cleaning emergency. 

What’s your commitment to a green cleaning program?

Keeping and using eco-friendly products should be everyone’s priority. You don’t have to be tie-dye wearing and tree hugging eco-warriors to appreciate that not everything our industry uses is safe. It’s not. As science is exploring long-term effects of prolonged chemical exposure we’re all learning that it’s not all safe. Common compounds in cleaning chemicals like VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, or a mouthful like trichloroethylene, we are just now realizing that these can cause cancer and Parkinson’s Disease, respectively.

Clean Line Janitorial Services is committed to using safer alternatives. Moreover, our leadership has a past membership with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and cleaned LEED-certified properties. We currently utilize best practices found within a GS-42 certification. This means that we’re using eco-centric cleaning processes and Green Seal certified products which are safer and better for our environment. 

What cleaning services are included in your standard contract?

We tailor our services to YOUR needs. Our past experience includes walkthroughs in over 1000 buildings in the Washington, DC area. There is no cookie-cutter approach to a cleaning service. Every location has different needs and our janitorial and cleaning services are fully customizable. We’ll do a walkthrough and receive your input and offer ours, and from that, create a custom plan for your facility. 

“When can you get started?”

These are the words we want to hear! Our process is to do a walkthrough with you at your facility to assess those needs. We are typically looking to determine your cleaning needs based on the use of your facility while incorporating surface types, frequency, scope of work, property layout, and cleaning needs while eliminating any disruptions by a cleaning crew to your employees and guests. 95% of our business occurs after-hours. We put everything in a proposal and feel free to use that as a guide to compare other cleaning services you might invite to bid too. In terms of a start date? Well, we’ll leave that for you to decide. We’d love to work with you. 

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Clean Line Janitorial Services provides janitorial and porter services to facilities throughout the DMV. Give us a call to 703-541-9761 or email cleanlinejanitorialservices@gmail.com for your FREE, no-obligation comprehensive guide and proposal for services at your commercial office or facility.