1 | Say hello! Acknowledge your cleaning team
It’s easy to forget a simple ‘hi’ as you pass your cleaners sometimes, they often work silently in the background. However, a little acknowledgement can make a big difference to your cleaners, their performance and their morale. Don’t be afraid to say hello or engage in polite chit-chat just as you would do with any other colleague. Everyone needs social interaction and those ‘water cooler’ moments every so often. Cleaners may be shy, but they like to feel part of a bigger team just like anyone else.
2 | Thank them for a job well done
Cleaners thrive on positive feedback from their customers and building users whether it verbal, written or through their manager. By sharing praise for a job well done to them personally and or highlighting their work in team meetings and channels, it will make a huge impact on the lives of your cleaners. They will undoubtedly be more engaged, work harder and stay in their jobs longer.
3 | Clear your desk at the end of your shift and shift the clutter
If you want to really make friends and influence your office cleaners, make their lives abundantly easier by clearing your desk and the area around it when you leave for the day. Cleaners don’t like causing disruption or having to meddle with your personal items, but sometimes it may be necessary to complete their duties. Ultimately, they only have your health and safety in mind when cleaning your personal space so try to keep it clutter free and they will thank you!
4 | Load things into the dishwasher where possible (and load it neatly)
This is common courtesy to both your cleaners and your fellow colleagues, especially if you don’t have cleaners onsite during the day. Sinks stacked with dirty crockery are a nightmare for most office workers and make for an off-putting environment in between cleaning shifts. It’s certainly not a great sight for visitors either. Whenever possible, do your bit to help your cleaners and put what you use in the dishwasher straight away. If you can’t, rinse the item and leave it neatly stacked ready for your cleaner to load it into the next cycle. It’s a great habit for work and home!
5 | Keep on top of your food items in the fridge
There is always a battle for cleaners who are responsible for fridge cleanliness over what to keep and what to throw out. The line between what management want, and what individual’s want, is often wafer thin. For the sake of harmony in the kitchen, we recommend having a clear company policy and defined rules about office fridges and food items that perish. These clear guidelines will really help your cleaning teams make considerate and appropriate decisions about what food is discarded daily or weekly and avoid upsets.
6 | Include them in your work socials and company events when possible
For many offices, cleaners are considered and treated like any other member of the team. This enhances their loyalty, commitment and dedication and is hugely valuable in creating long standing, experienced and reliable cleaners. If it’s feasible, consider inviting them to company events or internal parties too. This will go a long way in showing you value them as individuals, and you value the important role their work has in keeping your office running smoothly.
7 | Do your bit and be mindful
Washrooms can be challenging places to keep clean and we all play a part. Whether it’s simply flushing the toilet after use (yes, we said it!), reporting issues when you see them, or putting wastepaper towels in the appropriate receptacles; there are tons of little ways we can make our cleaners lives that little bit easier. By considering the feelings of those who have to clear up after us (and indeed your colleagues too), we can make simple but instant marginal gains toward an improved working environment for everyone.
8 | Put in a good word for paying Real Living Wage
Post-pandemic, as the importance of cleaning was brought to the fore, we saw a huge increase in organisations opting to paying the real Living Wage to their cleaning and facilities teams. If your company is one of those not yet paying Living Wage, put in a good word or vote for it if you are able. We’ve heard first hand from our people what a massive difference it makes in their lives.
You can watch some of our Living Wage rate employee testimonials here >
9 | Celebrate your cleaner’s birthday
If you can – find out the birthdays of your cleaning team and prepare a card or some goodies to show your appreciation on their day. It can be a small gesture, but we guarantee, to your cleaners – it will make a huge difference.
