Hygiene for Commercial and Residential Cleaners
One rather delicate subject you need to address with your cleaning staff is personal hygiene and appearance. Your employees represent your company. They ARE your company in many ways. You want them to present themselves in the best possible light.
You can have the quickest, most-efficient, most-thorough cleaner in the world, but if there is an issue with their personal appearance or hygiene, some customers may not want them in their businesses or home. This is particularly true in house cleaning, since one on one contact with the homeowner is likely. However, the same principle applies to commercial cleaning businesses, especially if you employ a day porter.
While this topic may seem obvious for many, it needs to be addressed. Let's face it: some people are not as concerned about hygiene for various reasons. There are economic, cultural, and environmental reasons people do not practice what we call “good hygiene.” This does not mean these people are dirty, lazy, or ignorant. However, in a large portion of our society, there is a certain standard we need to meet to be deemed “acceptable.”
Daily bathing and clean clothes and undergarments are necessary to prevent body odor. This is particularly true in this business, as it a physical job, one prone to sweating. Well-groomed nails are important as well. If a client sees your employees with dirt under their nails, they are going to question how clean their home or building can be. This leads to another issue: GERMS! Dirty hands are a huge contributor to the spread of disease. Clients see dirty hands and nails as unhealthy. Train your employees on proper hand-washing procedures, including special care given to their nails.
Another major hygiene issue is bad breath. Again, imagine what your clients think when they are speaking to one of your employees, only to be met with a healthy case of halitosis. Proper care of teeth and gums is important. Again, perhaps your cleaner has a medical condition or cannot afford proper dental care, but this issue cannot be overlooked.
Clean and well-groomed hair is important, as well as a clean-shaven face for the men. Beards and mustaches need to be neat and trimmed. Use make-up sparingly, and avoid heavy perfumes or colognes. Minimal use of jewelry is acceptable, being careful not to wear long necklaces, rings, or bracelets that may interfere with the work being performed, or may damage surfaces in the course of cleaning. Footwear needs to be appropriate (no sandals or flip flops) and in good condition.
So what can you do as a business owner to make sure your employees are neat in appearance? Obviously, you need to physically monitor them on a consistent basis, and as uncomfortable as is may be, remind them how important it is be professional in appearance. If verbal warnings do not correct their behavior, you may need to provide them with a written warning. Providing them with properly-fitting and well-maintained uniforms, and ID badges, will help present themselves with the image you want to portray. You may want to provide hair nets for those with long hair.
Again, your employees are on the front-line in how people perceive your company. You want your image to be one of competence and professionalism. Do your part to provide your employees the things they need to help you achieve this goal. Provide them the guidance to help them correct any issues, as well as the physical items they need. Patience and understanding is a must, but this is YOUR business. Don't forget this important subject when training your employees!
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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at //www.myhousecleaningbiz.com.
