By now, we have heard this expression many times: “COVID is changing everything.” This applies to the professional cleaning industry as well.
Due to COVID, private and public schools are analyzing not only what cleaning tools and methods are being used to clean their schools, but also who is doing the cleaning. Let us explain.
Many schools and school districts have in-house cleaning workers. These are people hired directly by the school, private or public, or the school district. Others have outsourced this work to private cleaning contractors. If asked which is better, all we can say is there are no easy answers. One system may work well for one educational facility but not for another. That is why both systems continue to exist.
However, outsourcing cleaning duties to a private contractor has significant benefits, many of which school administrators may not even be aware of.
But first, let’s look at some of the key benefits of having in-house school cleaning:
Scheduling. Many schools want to be cleaned at specific times of the day. This is often easier to accomplish when the custodial workers are employees of the school or district.
Control. Some educational facilities prefer to have direct control over their cleaning staff. This is usually not possible when working with an independent cleaning contractor.
Familiarity. School custodians often become part of the school “family.” They get to know the teachers, students, and very often, the families as well.
Security. Related to familiarity, in-house custodial workers soon learn who “belongs” in the school and who may be a stranger. In today’s world, this can be a significant benefit.
But of course, outsourcing school cleaning duties has its own benefits:
Cost savings. When a custodial worker is an employee of a school or school district, the school must pay employment taxes, worker’s compensation, health insurance, social security, and other employee-related expenses. None of these costs are a concern when outsourcing to a cleaning contractor.
Eliminating supply costs. Most cleaning contractors provide all their cleaning supplies, solutions, and equipment. With an in-house staff, all these supply costs must be paid by the school or district.
Hiring and firing employees. Firing employees of an educational facility can be difficult. Often, there are several steps, guidelines, and procedures that must be adhered to very closely. With an outsourced service, hiring and firing cleaning workers is handled by the cleaning contractor.
Supervision. With an in-house staff, school administrators may be tasked with custodial oversight. This is typically something they are uncomfortable with or unable to do. With an outsourced cleaning crew, the contractor is responsible for supervising the cleaning staff.
Training. High-performance, effective cleaning depends on the proper training of custodial workers. And now, with COVID, training is more important than ever. While vaccines appear to be right around the corner, proper and effective cleaning continues to be one of the most potent weapons schools have, to keep students and staff healthy.
Competitive pricing. School custodians are typically paid a straight salary determined by school administrators. This may help when preparing school budgets, but it does little to reduce cleaning costs. Private cleaning contractors compete for clients. Successful cleaning contractors emphasize training, education, and selecting more advanced cleaning tools such as the new generation of robotic cleaning systems. This helps them reduce their costs and, at the same time, improve cleaning effectiveness, making this a potential cost savings for both the school and the cleaning contractor.
So, there you have it. There are more things we can discuss, but for the most part, it comes down to this:
If educational facilities want to hire and manage their own custodial workers, then in-house cleaning is their best option. But if costs and time management are crucial concerns, outsourcing – to an experienced cleaning contractor – is the way to go.
Interested in learning more? Then get in touch today. We’re Service Keepers and we’re here for you.
