Alpine Building Maintenance

Alpine Building Maintenance gets it: Details make the difference.

Even your workspace needs a “facial” every now and then.

Deep cleaning the metaphorical pores of your office is one of Alpine's top priorities. After all, TLC to these understated, frequently neglected and vulnerable areas is essential to extend the lifespan of your facility’s floors, carpets and office furniture.

Facility managers must complete countless general tasks daily. However, there are many overlooked facility cleaning and maintenance activities that will make or break the difference in meeting your cleanliness and hygiene goals. Alpine's cleaning experts have compiled a short, quality guide of the often-forgotten cleaning activities to help facility managers keep their space neat and tidy.

Here are 6 of the most commonly overlooked cleaning activities that you may want to add to your building’s to-do list.

1. Deep clean your desks

Give your space the breath of life, and revitalize your office furniture. Start by decluttering all horizontal surfaces, and then take special consideration when disinfecting high-frequency touch points like your phone, trash bins and all handles. Not only will this benefit public perception, but it can also boost morale while significantly improving the quality of work due to a more organized process. Above all, maintaining a clean space is a safety precaution Alpine Building Maintenance takes personally to reduce the spread of germs that make people sick — so cue the Bee Gees and keep it alive with diligent and routine wipe-downs.

Pro-tip: Remove your trash after cleaning and, if you can, crack a window to prevent any cleaning chemical smells from lingering in the air.

2. Go beneath the upholstered surface

Improve your office space turnover rate from the ground up by prioritizing the long-term retention of your work furniture essentials. With people occupying the the space ~8 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Carpets, curtains and even couches need more than a periodic passing glance from a vacuum to keep them in good shape. Investing resources into a deep clean for these neglected areas can not only improve occupant health, but it will also breathe fresh life into a space. Considering this is the foundation of all the important deliverables, give it the time and attention it needs.

3. High dust

What's high dusting, you ask? It’s a constantly neglected practice — so take a moment to get into those often referred to as hard-to-reach “overhead cleaning” areas. While we tend to clean areas we can easily reach, the reality is that dust really collects in all areas of your facility. The common POIs (places of interest) would be high windowsills, overhead vents, HVAC ducts, plumbing pipes, and even walls and ceilings.. By regularly removing the build-up of these more high-living dust particles and cobwebs, you’ll avoid the dust settling and “cake-on” due to humidity. When this happens, it makes it much harder to clean which could end up costing you a lot of time and money.

4. Inspect your gadgets

Take inventory of all your furnishing. Find out what the status of the floor, rugs and furniture pieces are to ensure all materials are free from grime and harmful bacteria. Mould and mildew can build up on even the most mindful of facility managers, so check in the cracks, under all coverings or in any area where moisture and food particles may hide. While you're at it, be sure to check the condition of all nearby fire extinguishers.

Underestimated pro-tip: Ensure the coefficient of friction testing and slip and fall prevention in your area is in check.

5. Replace what's damaged

While it may seem obvious, the human nature loves to brush a problem off and put it on the Tomorrow's Problem list. Our best advice: don't do that. Treat your facility right and prioritize replacing what you discovered was not up to standard. Take special note of rugs, curtains, furniture or other damaged pieces in the room that may be due for renewal — and then follow through. Listing all furnishing items with a status of “good”, “still okay” and “needs replacing”, could help you prioritize cleaning efforts, as well as assist you with earmark funds for your next budget.

6. Create a hygiene policy

Break up your area's long-term relationship with those toxic germs and reset your standards. Consider investing time and money into creating documentation for how you intend to keep your space. Why? Because it'll bridge the gap between a messy hand-off (pun intended) and a seamless transition should you decide to change service providers or facility managers.

Pro-tip: Extend this policy with the occupants of this space to ensure they are familiar with cleaning arrangements, what is expected of tenants, and where they can dispose of recyclables, organics and overflow trash on special occasions.

TL;DR: Wash, rinse, repeat!

It's basically like maintaining a clean fridge, but at a larger scale. Make sure nothing goes unnoticed for too long and spoils, remove/replace what has, and become the proud author of a system that makes you swear you'll never get behind on again. Just in case (when) you do, however, know there's a cleaning service that can bail you out.

While personal workspace maintenance is essential, professional deep-cleans guarantee removing this build-up safely and effectively. Dust and dirt accumulate over time, but if you apply these tips and focus on both the high-traffic and overlooked areas, the benefits will deliver in spades. From cutting costs on replacing furniture, to ensuring the safety of occupants and guests, to restoring life and pride in your space, and so much more, a clean work environment is the backbone of a high-functioning office.