Is Your Janitorial Service Program Sustainable

You have likely invested much time, effort, and money in your selection of a janitorial service provider for your school or commercial facility. Their ability to provide long-term cleaning services that meet your requirements will depend on the sustainability of their operation. Is your current janitorial service provider operating in a manner that will be sustainable into the future?
Sustainability Policy
Does your janitorial service provider have a documented Sustainability Policy?

Effective Restroom Cleaning and Disinfection

Whether you are a BSC or an internal operation providing cleaning services within your own facility your performance will be measured, in large part, on your ability to maintain restroom environments that are clean and healthy. Effective restroom cleaning involves not only the spraying and wiping of surface areas but also requires knowledge and application of various disinfection chemicals and procedures. A few points that should be considered.....

Selecting the Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor - Pt. 3

In our previous two posts Selecting the Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor Pt.1 and Selecting the Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor Pt. 2 we discussed several of the key factors that you should consider when hiring a commercial cleaning contractor for your facility. In those posts we covered, Communication of Requirements, Contractor Experience, or Selection and Training of Cleaning Staff, Quality Control, Green Capabilities, and Safety. In this post, we will conclude the three-part series by providing insights into areas related to:
  • Certifications
  • Value

SMO Announces the 2017 J.D. Murphy Team Member of the Year

We would like to congratulate our 2017 J.D. Murphy Team Member of the Year, Zenaido Diaz!  Zenaido was recently recognized at our 2018 SMO Team Member Awards Banquet where he received a plaque and $1,000 CASH.

Zenaido has been with SMO at Wake Tech Community College (WTCC) in Raleigh, NC since October, 2005. He was hired as a Cleaning Tech and was quickly promoted to Floor Tech.

Selecting The Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor - Pt. 2

In our last post, Selecting the Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor – Pt. 1, we reviewed three of the factors that should be considered when hiring a commercial cleaning contractor. In that post we discussed: Communication of Requirements, Contractor’s Experience, and Hiring and Training of Cleaning Staff. In this post we will highlight:
  • Quality Control
  • Green Capabilities
  • Safety Program and Record

SMO Team Member of The Month October 2017


Congratulations to Maria Vargas, our October Team Member of the Month! Maria has been working with SMO as a Cleaning Technician in Greensboro since 2003. She was nominated by her Account Manager, who said ‘Maria is a great employee – it seems like she never tires and she always works with a smile on her face.’


We asked Maria what she enjoys most about her job and being part of the SMO team: ‘I like the work itself, and how SMO treats me. I’m treated very well! I like the feeling of getting everything done right and cleaned correctly.’ Congratulations, Maria! We’re happy to have you on the SMO team!

SMO Anniversaries May 2018

SMO is very blessed to have many long-term team members that help make us an industry leader.  We would like to take a moment to recognize those who will be celebrating a work anniversary in May.  We are very appreciative of your hard work and dedication to SMO and our customers.  We are blessed to have you on our team.  Congratulations!


May Anniversaries

Name Years
Leroy Haywood 19
Duryea Taylor 13
Eudoxia Lara 13
Maria Murillo 11
Ibra Thiam 10
Emma Fuentes 9

SMO Team Member Birthdays May 2018

Its your birthday!  Its your birthday!  We would like to wish the following SMO team members a very happy May birthday.


May 2018 Birthdays


Name Birthday
Carolyn Woods 2
Naeema Graham 2
Dana Calloway 4
Ofelina Cortez 4
Steve Gardner 4
Jasmin Olmedo Mendoza 5

Selecting The Right Commercial Cleaning Contractor - Pt. 1

You want your facility to be a clean and healthy environment for your employees. Hiring the right commercial cleaning contractor is one of the most critical aspects of reaching that objective. As with the selection of any service provider your ability to hire a cleaning contractor that will meet your expectations will require that you assess several important factors.  Those factors would include:
  • Communication of Requirements
  • Contractor’s Experience
  • Hiring and Training of Cleaning Staff
  • Quality Control

Safety Huddle - Chemical Safety

The goal of the Safety Huddle program is to increase every team member’s safety awareness.  There will be a different topic every other month with important safety tips and information.  Managers and supervisors will be responsible for sharing this information with all team member.   

Purpose
Identify chemical hazards and take proper precautions to protect your health and safety whenever you work with or around hazardous chemicals.

OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard says that you have the right to know about chemical hazards in the workplace and how to work safely with hazardous chemicals.

3 Keys To Hiring a Winning Cleaning Staff


Any cleaning service provider is only as good as its cleaning staff. As our economy continues to improve, and unemployment rates continue to fall, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find, hire, and retain top-notch cleaning personnel. However, there are a few steps you can take to increase your odds of success in this increasingly competitive environment.
Understanding Your Local Job Market
To be consistently effective at hiring cleaning staff you must have an understanding of the conditions within your local market.

Is Your Housekeeping Quality Control Program Working?

A Housekeeping Quality Control Program is one of the most critical process assets within any cleaning operation. Your quality control processes are the backbone of your operation and, when properly developed and implemented, they provide the necessary inspection and corrective action routines to ensure that you are meeting the cleaning requirements of your organization.   An effective Program would cover the following:
Alignment with Goals and Specifications
Your Program should be aligned with your internal organizational goals and cleaning specifications and frequencies.

Improve Employee Engagement In Your Cleaning Operation

Employees are the most critical asset within any business enterprise. The people that make up a top-notch cleaning operation are hard-working and conscientious. They are the foundation of the industry and an asset that should be developed and fostered. The competition for skilled cleaning service employees continues to increase, making it increasingly critical that a cleaning service provider take proactive steps to ensure that it has an active, and effective, employee engagement program.
There are a few basic principles involved in achieving healthy levels of employee engagement…..
An Understanding of Purpose
We all need a sense of purpose that goes beyond the mere performance of our jobs.

SMO April 2018 Anniversaries

SMO is very blessed to have many long-term team members that help make us an industry leader.  We would like to take a moment to recognize those who will be celebrating a work anniversary in April.  We are very appreciative of your hard work and dedication to SMO and thankful to have you on our team.  Congratulations!

April Anniversaries

Team Member Years
Etta Tweedy 19
Maximina Cisneros 12
Raul Ortiz Rico 12
Elizabeth Granados Gonzalez 8
James Julian 6
Graciela Garcia Maya 6

SMO Team Members April 2018 Birthdays

Its your birthday!  Its your birthday!  We would like to wish the following SMO team members a very happy April birthday.


April Birthdays


Team Member Birthday
Gennie Pittman 1
Lamont Bennett 1
Antwan Meyers 2
Angelica Chavez Garcia 3
Dominique Woods 3
Allison Martin 4

3 Keys to an Effective Commercial Carpet Cleaning Program

One critical aspect of many cleaning services, whether internal operations or Building Service Contractors, is the cleaning of commercial carpeting. Few areas of a facility take as much daily abuse as carpeting. Commercial carpeting typically represents a significant investment. That investment can be protected by adopting effective carpet maintenance procedures. What are some of the components of an effective commercial carpet cleaning program?
A robust program can be broken down into three basic categories:
Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance will include the following:

Creating an Effective Green Cleaning Policy - Pt. 2

In our last post, Creating an Effective Green Cleaning Policy - Pt. 1, we reviewed the typical goals, roles and responsibilities as contained within many Green Cleaning Policies. In this week's installment we will discuss a few of the more operational aspects of a typical Policy.

Standard Operating Procedures
A typical Policy would contain procedural guidelines for the following:

Creating an Effective Green Cleaning Policy - Pt. 1

Does your cleaning operation have a "Green Cleaning" program? If so, is your green program supported by a Green Cleaning Policy? What are the typical components of such a policy? Green Cleaning Policies may vary a bit across different organizations; however, the most effective policies do share some common components and characteristics. In this article we will review the typical goals, and the description of roles and responsibilities, as contained within many Green Cleaning Policies.

The Advantages of CIMS Certification

In our last post, Is CIMS Right For Your Cleaning Operation, we touched on some of the advantages that a CIMS certification could bring to your cleaning operation. In this post we will provide some additional information and insights on the key advantages of CIMS Certification.

Improved Operational Efficiencies and Client Satisfaction
Whether you are a Building Service Contractor or an internal cleaning operation your ultimate objective is to satisfy your customers.

Is CIMS Certification Right For Your Cleaning Operation

Whether you are a Building Service Contractor or an internal operation providing cleaning services within your own organization you may be considering obtaining a CIMS certification. What does that involve? What are the advantages of being CIMS certified?
What is CIMS Certification?
CIMS stands for "Cleaning Industry Management Standard".