How Your Workplace Environment Impacts Employee Retention

Behind the Walls: The Hidden Pest Problems You Can't See (But Should Worry About)

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:50 GMT

Behind the Walls: The Hidden Pest Problems You Can't See (But Should Worry About)

Your office might look great at first glance, but what about behind the walls? Clean toilets and freshly hoovered carpets don’t automatically mean a pest-free building.

Offices and commercial buildings offer a home, warmth and food to all kinds of pests, from creepy crawlies to small furries. Some of these critters are in plain sight, but others can lurk unseen, making them harder to deal with.

Unfortunately, it’s the undetected pests that can cause the biggest problems for your business.

We’re here to help you identify the most common hidden pests and let you know the solutions to get rid of them - for good.

Common Hidden Pests

While you might sit in your office feeling confident that you don’t have a pest problem , a family of mice might be chewing through your internal server wires, wasps could be building a nest by the customer entrance, and birds could be leaving a mountain of droppings so heavy parts of your roof may become structurally damaged!

Hidden pests are always the ones that take commercial buildings by surprise, and lead to consequences that range from disgusting to inconvenient to life-threatening.

Here are just some of the most common pests that you don’t usually know about until it’s too late…

Rodents

Rodents are often the first pests that come to mind. Most of us have spotted a rat scurrying in a carpark, underground, or in commercial bins. Outside. Where we would rather they’d be.

However, mice and rats often nest in wall cavities, attics and storage cupboards, gnawing on wiring, insulation and structural components.

Common signs to look for are droppings, chewed wires, packages in food cupboards, grease marks, urine stains, nesting materials and scurrying sounds.

The risks associated with rodents are disease, issues with equipment (electrical fires, equipment malfunctions, contamination) becoming overrun - a female mouse can have up to 140 offspring in her lifetime!

How to get rid of rodents: the most effective methods for getting rid of rodents include trapping, baiting, exclusion (which means blocking their entry points) and sanitation to remove anything that could attract them..

Insects

Beetles and bugs may be tiny, but don’t let their size fool you - they can do serious damage, like causing structural issues and triggering allergies.

The most common bugs and insects we deal with are:

Furniture Beetles
House Longhorn Beetles
Silver Fish
Bedbugs
Carpet Moths
Wasps
Bees
Ants

Common signs of an insect infestation include sawdust, holes, bite marks and bad smells.

The risks of a bug problem are structural damage, health risks (bites, stings, allergies) and contamination of food.

How to get rid of insects: We would generally use insecticides, traps, blocking possible points of entry and of course professional pest control for the long term.

Birds

Birds can nest in attics, chimneys and other hidden areas and pose a specific threat during times of bird flu outbreak. Pigeons, in particular, will return to the same spot for life, so you could have a 30-year problem on your hands as generations of pigeons nest in your building, leaving droppings, feathers and dirt behind.

The risks from birds include disease, constant mess from droppings that can damage property and structures and blocked drains.

How to get rid of bird droppings: The first port of call will usually include bird proofing the most likely areas for nesting, such as protruding parts of roof or wall structures. Other tactics include nest removal and more personalised pest strategies.

The Importance of Proactive Pest Control

Prevention is the best line of defence regarding pests in your building. If they can’t get in or survive in your office or commercial property, then they can’t thrive, multiply and do damage.

So what can you do to keep pests at bay and ensure a pesky problem doesn’t become a bigger issue?

Regular inspections are a simple place to start. This can help you to identify potential pest activity. A pest control professional will know what to look for and will know which pests you’re dealing with, depending on what they find.

Sealing entry points is another helpful way to prevent pests from getting inside in the first place. Whether it’s bugs, birds or rodents, they’re making their way in somehow, and covering, filling or blocking those entry points can stem the problem at its source.

Maintaining a clean and clutter-free environment is one of the best things you and your team can do to reduce attractants. This can mean no food waste or rubbish left out or unsealed, which could attract mice, rats, ants and flies.

Professional Pest Control

Rather than take on the critters yourself, it’s usually best to get in the pros. Especially if you want a lasting solution.

But what should you look for in a pest control company?

Expertise - A pest control professional will have specialist knowledge of pest eradication methods and tools. Without this expertise, you could pay a premium and never see results.

Experience - Your pest control professional should have a background of experience in dealing with the kinds of hidden pests you want to prevent and remove and will know how to deal with them in the commercial setting specific to you.

Safe Solutions - Without professional expertise, some pest control methods could pose safety risks, such as mouse traps left exposed. Protect against future problems with pest solutions that are safe and effective.

How Would You Know If You Had Hidden Pests?

Pests are a common issue for businesses, and they can go undetected for some time. Once discovered, fast, effective pest control can mean you reduce health risks, property damage and damage to your profile.

For professional pest control services and the peace of mind that pests aren’t running rampant in your walls, get in touch with the LNC team for expert guidance today.

How Often Should You Clean Your Office Windows? A Manager’s Guide

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:47 GMT

How Often Should You Clean Your Office Windows? A Manager’s Guide

Can you imagine one of your employees looking out the window on a beautiful sunny day, only to have their view obstructed by bird droppings and dirt buildup? And let’s not even think about what kind of impression that messy window will have on your visitors and clients.

The truth is, dirty windows might not seem like an important part of your business, but they can make a big impact - and not in the way you want.

A scruffy, unwashed window can influence how people (visitors and employees alike) view you. And with first impressions, you don’t get a second chance. So as an office manager, what can you do?

We’re going to share our insider information to help you know exactly when it’s time to pick up the squeegee or bring in a professional window cleaning team.

What Makes Windows Dirty?

Cleaning dirty windows is all about knowing the enemy. For office windows, it’s actually fairly easy to understand what can lead to dirty windows, what makes them worse and what can cause you to clean them more frequently.

Here are some of the main factors that affect how often you might need to clean your office windows :

Location and Environment

Urban vs. Rural - Offices in busy urban areas with higher pollution levels will generally require more frequent cleaning than those in rural locations.

Proximity To Roads - Windows facing busy roads or construction sites will accumulate dirt and grime more quickly.

Weather Conditions - Exposure to rain, snow or strong winds can impact how quickly your windows get dirty. For example, several times a year, the UK gets smothered by a distinct red dust from the Saharan desert.

Building Type and Usage

High-Rise Buildings - It makes sense that the higher floors tend to accumulate less dirt from street-level dirt and pollution, but they can catch more bird droppings!

Ground-Level Offices - Windows at ground level are more prone to dirt, smudges and accidental contact.

Office Layout - Open-plan offices with large windows between workspaces require more frequent cleaning as dirt is more obvious, more quickly.

Business Type and Image

Client-Facing Businesses - Offices that receive clients or visitors will need more frequent cleaning to maintain a professional image.

Seasonality

Spring and Summer - Increased pollen and dust in the air means more frequent cleaning during these sunnier seasons.

Autumn and Winter - Rain can leave streaks and smudges on windows, requiring more attention, more regularly in the chillier months.

By bearing these factors in mind, you can understand how frequently your windows may need cleaning to keep them looking spotless - and it’s pretty frequent!

The Impact of Dirty Windows

Dirty windows in your office or commercial building will be impacting your business, whether you are aware of it or not. The murky or grubby panes of glass don’t just make the views inaccessible, they;

Look Unprofessional - Every touchpoint your customers have with you builds up an image of your business. Dirty windows tell them you may not be professionals who take your public profile seriously.
Feel Grimy - Don’t forget about the people on the inside looking out through smeared, dirty windows. Poor window upkeep can lead to low staff morale, especially when you’re obscuring their connection to the outside.
Make It Darker Inside - Even one messy window affects natural light, picture how much you’re blocking the light when you have hundreds of dirty windows in an office. And less natural light can lower mood and productivity in your team.
Be Unhygienic - Dirt and grime build-up isn't healthy, especially when bird poo is in the mix. Windows that are smeared with dirt, grease and droppings can pose a hygiene risk.

The Ideal Office Window Cleaning Schedule

The best schedule for cleaning your dirty office windows is going to be dependent on the type of window and where they are in your building.

Monthly Cleaning
Windows in reception areas, waiting rooms or conference and meeting rooms ideally need cleaning monthly. This is especially true for offices with large, street-facing floor-to-ceiling windows, like estate agencies, solicitors or accounting firms.

Quarterly Cleaning

Cleaning other windows quarterly is ideal to keep them shining and clear without overdoing it.

Some offices can have internal windows, which don’t need as much attention. You can clean these windows every six months.

Window Cleaning Tips

The outside of your windows should ideally be left to the pros, but if you want to reduce your window cleaning bill, you could do the inside of the windows yourself. If you’ve got time, here’s the best way to do that:

Gather Your Supplies: Microfibre cloths, a squeegee, a spray bottle, warm water and white vinegar or chosen window cleaning solution.
Prepare The Windows: Dust or wipe down the windows to remove loose dirt and debris.
Mix Your Cleaning Solution: Fill the spray bottle with warm water. You can add a small amount of white vinegar for extra cleaning power.
Spray And Squeegee: Spray the window with the cleaning solution, then use the squeegee to wipe from top to bottom, overlapping each stroke.
Dry and Buff: Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth to dry the edges of the window and buff away any remaining streaks. Allow about 10-15 minutes per window if you are also cleaning sills and frames.

Benefits of Professional Office Window Cleaning

While you might have time to clean the internal windows in your office if you’re lucky, it’s still likely that you’ll be pushing a more pressing task to the side to do that. That’s where professional window cleaners come in.

When you use pros to keep your windows spotless and crystal clear, you’re getting more than just a clean window. You’re getting:

Expertise and Efficiency - Ever cleaned a window and found more streaks than before you began? Professional window cleaners have the training and experience to clean windows quickly and effectively.

Safety - Cleaning windows, especially at height, can be dangerous. Professionals have the necessary insurance, safety training and equipment to minimise risks.

Quality Results - Professional cleaning ensures streak-free and sparkling windows, enhancing the overall appearance of the workspace.

Time Savings - Outsourcing window cleaning frees your employees to focus on their core responsibilities. And unless you include window cleaning in the job description, you will have far happier staff!

LNC Services has experience providing professional window cleaning for various types of commercial properties throughout London, Croydon and beyond. We’re known for delivering sparkling clean windows with stellar customer service to match.

Picking a reliable, experienced commercial window cleaner like LNC can be the difference between crystal-clear windows that set the standard and built-up dirt that darkens your reputation.

Got Dirty Office Windows?

Dirty windows affect your business in ways you might not realise, so regular cleaning is a must. A professional window clean means you get lovely, bright natural light and a boost to your brand profile - booking a clean every few months means never having to think about it again.

If you’re tackling the job yourself, keep in mind the time of year, your location and where your windows are to decide on a window cleaning schedule that works for you.

If the idea of scrubbing glass doesn’t appeal, just get in touch with us here , we love nothing more than leaving a building gleaming!

Messy Office, Messy Mind? The Real Link Between Clutter and Morale

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:44 GMT

Messy Office, Messy Mind? The Real Link Between Clutter and Morale

Feeling overwhelmed by the clutter surrounding you at work? You’re not the only one. Many businesses lose track of their organisation methods when busy periods strike, and just like that, you find yourself with piles of paperwork, cupboards of old tech and altogether too much stuff.

But while the likes of Marie Kondo have done wonders for household clearouts, the concept of ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ can apply to work too. Messy, cluttered workspaces can impact more than just the amount of space you have. They can affect employee morale and mental well-being, too.

Let’s take a look at the connection between mess and morale - we’ll share our tips on how you can keep on top of your stuff and what to do if you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of keeping an entire office organised.

The Psychology of Clutter

A little bit of mess might seem harmless and might even be excused by tight deadlines and busy roles. The problem is that research shows us how profound of a psychological effect clutter can have on your team.

And the more mess you’re exposed to, day after day, can lead to some not-so-productive problems like:

Visual Overload: Clutter in the workplace and especially at a desk creates visual chaos, leading to an unavoidable rise in feelings of overwhelm and stress. Not exactly the way you want a productive team to feel.
Distraction and Focus: Clutter like unfiled paperwork, rubbish on desks and boxes in walkways can disrupt concentration and make it difficult to focus. This might seem obvious, but we can go blind to the clutter constantly distracting us and wonder why we’re struggling to focus!
Sense of Control: A cluttered environment can make employees feel like they lack control, which doesn’t do much to help foster creativity, innovation and teamwork.
Emotional Impact: Clutter can bring feelings of stress and overwhelm, and sometimes not even in obvious ways. If your staff report feeling a background sense of stress they can’t really explain, it could be down to clutter.

The Impact of Clutter on Morale

As a business manager or owner, you know your team needs to feel valued and comfortable to be productive at their jobs. A messy office could be the hidden problem holding them back from their full potential. Since mess can get in the way of communication and morale, clutter can ultimately start hurting your business as a whole…

Poor Productivity: Poor focus, difficulty finding documents, wasted time searching for items and distractions.
Anxiety Issues: Messy workspaces contribute to stress, anxiety and burnout, partly due to mess raising cortisol levels.
Feeling Neglected: Mess makes people feel like they don’t matter and leads to feeling frustrated and disgusted by their own workplace!
Team Dynamics: If lots of things lying all over the place is the norm, staff can begin to share the same laissez-faire attitude with their work.
Health Concerns: The accumulation of clutter can lead to an increased risk of illness due to the dirt, bacteria and rubbish.

Creating a Clutter-Free Workplace

Now that you know just how mess and clutter can endanger your business and your team, what can you actually do about it? Clutter is a common problem, but there are a few easy strategies you can put in place to give your team the clean and clear environment they deserve:

Consider Implementing Decluttering Strategies Like…
The "one in, one out" rule that instructs you to throw away one item for every item you bring into the office. For example, if you bring in a new coffee mug, an old, broken or unused one needs to be thrown away or donated to your local charity shop. Or other easy rules like the KonMari Method of removing objects that don’t ‘spark joy’ or bring usefulness.
Effective use of storage solutions, such as filing systems for documents or boxes and shelving for products. You could also consider digitising documents to shift the physical clutter of paperwork.
Recycle old tech. If you have company printers, servers, laptops or other industry-specific tech that is no longer fit for purpose, consider recycling them to save space and update your systems.
Work In Simple Organisation Tips For The Whole Office…
Implement a clean desk policy, bringing in a culture of clearing off and wiping down desks at the end of the day. Adopting a cleaning schedule can be a great way to blend this into the regular workday and share the load of cleaning responsibilities .

Use labels and organisers to quickly and cheaply bring order to chaos.

Create designated spaces for different items, such as a cupboard for stationery and a storage room for unused furniture.
Don’t Forget The Role of Leadership In A Tidy Office…
Leaders should set clear expectations, provide resources and lead by example. The same applies to office cleanliness. By allowing clutter to build up, you set a standard for your team to follow, so creating a tidier standard can set you up as a trusted leader.

The Benefits of a Clean and Organised Office:

If the thought of implementing decluttering methods in your office feels overwhelming, just think of the benefits you’ll start noticing immediately.

Improved Focus and Productivity: A clutter-free workspace makes it so much easier to concentrate on the task at hand!
Reduced Stress and Anxiety: An organised environment creates a sense of calm, and that’s exactly what staff need when they get to work.
Increased Creativity and Innovation: A clear space can encourage creativity, as it’s easier to follow ideas without mess in the way.
Better Communication: A tidy workspace facilitates teamwork, as there are fewer obstacles in the way - literally.
Positive Company Image: A clean and organised office creates a professional impression for your business, not a messy one.

LNC Services: Your Partner in Combatting Clutter

Sometimes, it takes more than a little tidy-up to get things organised. You can call in the specialists if your cleaning schedule is taking you away from your central role. At LNC, we have worked with a huge variety of businesses to turn messy spaces into productive ones and keep them that way.

Here are just some of what we can do:

Deep cleaning and decluttering
We can clear out the lion’s share of clutter if it feels too daunting to do alone and give you a clean slate to start with.

Ongoing cleaning and maintenance
The first clear-up can be fun, but maintaining that level of cleanliness while juggling other responsibilities may be unrealistic. We’re here to help keep things clean and tidy.

Equipment deep cleaning
We can professionally and carefully deep clean your computers, telephones, audio-visual equipment and other tech, removing dust and grime without damaging anything.

Pest control
Unmoved clutter or rubbish buildup can create the ideal home for unwanted critters like mice, spiders, ants and more.

Let us handle the clear up , so you can focus more on what matters most in your role.

Clear Clutter, Boost Morale

Clutter in your office doesn’t just lead to inconvenience and chaos, it’s directly reducing productivity and morale levels. Because clutter and mess can have such an impact on team spirit, communication and safety, it’s time to prioritise a clean workspace.

By decluttering and organising your office with the help of a commercial cleaning professional, you can empower your employees to do what they do best. Minus the mess. Get in touch with the expert cleaning team here at LNC to find out how we can help take the cleaning stress out of your hands.

How to Choose the Right Commercial Cleaning Service for Your Business

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:39 GMT

How to Choose the Right Commercial Cleaning Service for Your Business

A clean and well-maintained workplace has a big impact on your employee’s morale levels, their productivity and your brand image. No wonder business managers are finding it stressful to pick their commercial cleaners.

If you’ve decided to outsource your workplace cleaning, you’re on your way to making things a lot easier - and more efficient. But there's an overwhelming number of cleaning options available - meaning it can be hard to find the right fit!

We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the selection process and ensure your commercial place of business is reliably squeaky clean.

Understanding Different Cleaning Service Levels

The first step to knowing which cleaning service you need is to understand what types of cleaning are available to you. Bear in mind that many cleaning providers offer a combination of these options, while others specialise in only one, so it’s important to know exactly which services you’re getting for your money…

Deep Cleaning vs. Standard Cleaning:

Deep cleaning involves going into the areas and nooks that others may not even consider cleaning, such as sanitising light switches, cleaning behind appliances and dusting smaller detailed areas. You wouldn’t necessarily need this service frequently; it would be more like monthly.

Standard cleaning focuses on the tasks that build up on a daily basis, such as emptying recycling and rubbish bins, vacuuming and wiping down frequently touched surfaces. You would expect this service weekly, if not daily.

Hard Floor Stripping vs. Cleaning:

If your office space has hard flooring, it can be difficult to know what type of cleaning it requires. Hard floor stripping and resealing involves a complete, restorative overhaul of your flooring and may take some time. You would request this if your flooring is showing signs of deterioration, such as a worn-out finish.

Regular hard floor cleaning, on the other hand, is an essential, regular task that prevents the build-up of grease, dirt and debris.

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning:

Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning uses specialist cleaning products and methods to ensure your upholstery and carpeting is free of dirt, stains and allergens. It’s a much more intense and reliable form of cleaning than you might get from spot-scrubbing a stain on a carpet.

Window and High-Level Cleaning:

Cleaning windows or areas at a high level, such as a high-ceiling foyer, requires specialised equipment and expertise. There are different risks and challenges when cleaning windows at height, so having a professional cleaning team is invaluable.

Regular window cleaning provides a spotless first impression for your business and maximises natural light.

IT Equipment Cleaning:

Many businesses overlook the importance of cleaning and sanitising computer keyboards, mice, telephones and other equipment to prevent the spread of germs and keep your office functional. With a cleaning service specialising in carefully and effectively sanitising IT equipment, your team can stay productive and hygienic.

Sanitary and Hygiene Unit Supply:

Having the proper cleaning and sanitary supply team in place for your bathrooms is essential to keeping your employees safe and happy. And hygiene is certainly not an area you want to skimp on, as this is an essential service.

Choosing the Right Frequency and Service

How frequently should you have your requested cleaning service? There’s more to consider than you might think, as too much and too little can do harm to your business in the long run. Here’s how to pin down the exact cleaning frequency for your workplace…

Factors to Consider

Type of Business: A busy office, for example, might need more frequent cleaning than a small retail shop.
Foot Traffic: High-traffic areas require more attention, more frequently.
Industry Regulations: Some industries have specific hygiene requirements, like nurseries or doctor’s surgeries, giving you clear parameters for cleaning frequency.
Employee Preferences: Consider employee feedback and preferences for cleaning schedules, such as more frequent communal space cleaning.

Creating a Cleaning Plan

A cleaning plan is the next step to knowing your cleaning service needs.

Spend time thinking about your workplace in the span of a month, when is it the busiest? When would cleaning fit in with the least disruption? Do some areas need more frequent cleaning than others? What do your team comment on the most, for example, smelly toilets? This information can help create the basis of a cleaning plan that you can discuss with a professional and flesh out the details with someone who knows what keeps a business running cleanly.

It can be helpful to write out an example cleaning plan to give you a clear picture of what needs to get done and what you might have overlooked in the planning process.

Example Cleaning Schedule

Here’s an example of a cleaning plan. You can write out your own, using the frequency headings, and visualise the areas of your business place and the cleaning tasks that each space requires.

Daily Cleaning (High-Traffic Areas):

Emptying bins
Wiping down high-touch surfaces (door handles, light switches, etc.)
Cleaning and sanitising toilets/showers
Vacuuming or sweeping high-traffic areas
Spot-cleaning spills

Weekly Cleaning:

Thorough cleaning of all surfaces
Mopping hard floors
Vacuuming carpets
Cleaning kitchens and break rooms
Emptying and cleaning refrigerators

Monthly Cleaning:

Deep cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens
Window cleaning
Dusting light fixtures and high surfaces

Quarterly or Annual Cleaning:

Hard floor stripping and resealing
Deep cleaning of upholstery and furniture

What To Look For When Choosing A Commercial Cleaning Company

Once you understand the services on offer and have a good idea of what your business needs (and how often), it’s time to look into the commercial cleaning companies you’re considering.

Browse their website, social media, reviews and any physical documents they might have given you for the following insightful info…

Experience

Which services do they have experience with, and how long have they been doing it? A professional who is right for you will have experience cleaning commercial spaces just like yours.

Reviews

What is the general feeling from their reviews? If a specific issue is picked out repeatedly, such as poor communication, this could be a red flag.

Service range

Do they offer the specific services you’re looking for? For example, it wouldn’t be productive to ask a hard floor cleaning company to clean your bathrooms if that’s not their area of expertise. At LNC, we offer a range of services, including eco-friendly cleaning to suit eco-conscious businesses.

Insurance

Do they have the proper insurance in place to protect you and your property while they're in your commercial space? You may need to dig a little deeper or ask the company directly for this.

Communication

Are they able to respond to your emails, calls or messages within a reasonable amount of time? If it takes a while for them to call you back, it might be a sign that they aren’t on top of their communication.

Ethical business practices

Do they pay their expert cleaning staff a fair wage? At LNC, we pride ourselves on excellent customer service, but we know that it starts with our team getting a fair wage. We pay our staff the Living Wage, as opposed to minimum wage, where possible.

Looking For The Right Commercial Cleaner For You?

The right commercial cleaning service for your business depends on your building and your needs. Having a clearer understanding of the services and considerations can help you make the best decision.

Looking for a reliable commercial cleaner near you? Get in touch with our friendly team here at LNC, and we will provide you with a clear and free quote to get started.

It's All Your Fault! The Role of Leadership in Promoting a Clean and Safe Workplace

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:36 GMT

It's All Your Fault! The Role of Leadership in Promoting a Clean and Safe Workplace

Who is responsible for a clean, organised workspace? The cleaners? The staff? Leadership?

The answer is all three! But is your leadership style making your office a breeding ground for germs?

The way leadership behaves around matters of hygiene and safety will directly influence employee attitudes and actions about it too. And in some cases, this can inevitably lead to some dangerous cycles of poor workplace hygiene.

So, what should business leaders do to ensure a hygienic and productive work environment? Read on…

Leading By Example

As a leader in your business, there are a few ways to put the phrase ‘lead by example’ into action. This is the most efficient and effective way to manage your team’s attitude to hygiene and workplace health and safety, but it starts with you…

Commitment
It’s essential for you to demonstrate a commitment to safety and hygiene through your own actions, setting a strong example. This can look like keeping your desk tidy and free of lunch debris, recycling in the proper bins or participating in safety training rather than giving it a miss.

Set Clear Expectations
You’ll need to communicate what you want from your team if you want them to understand what’s expected of them regarding cleanliness standards and hygiene practices. This can involve clean desk policies that involve disinfecting the desk spaces at the end of the day or providing clear guidelines for using and cleaning communal spaces.

Providing Resources and Support
Providing the right resources at the right time is your best weapon against poor hygiene and health practices. You can give employees the support they need to maintain clean workspaces with cleaning supplies, training on cleaning techniques and investing in professional cleaning services.

Transparency

Leadership needs to be approachable and open to feedback regarding safety and hygiene concerns - even if it is critical of themselves. Be aware of how you respond to health and hygiene worries or questions, and be open with your team about your hygiene strategies.

Creating a Culture of Cleanliness

One of the most effective ways to create a sense of ownership and responsibility among your team for workplace cleanliness? Involve them in the process!

Encourage your employees to take the initiative. Give them the resources, training and independence they need to maintain hygiene standards in their own spaces such as in cubicles, desks or communal areas. Then give them space to do it themselves, providing helpful feedback to keep standards high.

And of course, it doesn’t hurt to recognise the individuals who consistently maintain high standards. But be sure to assess cleaning practices regularly and identify any glaring areas in need of improvement. Get feedback from employees and stay updated on best practices, and your workplace will be shining with easily maintained cleanliness.

The Benefits of a Clean Workplace

You don’t need to be reminded why a clean workplace is better than a hazardous, disorganised and dirty one, but there are some key benefits many office managers and business leaders overlook when considering just how much of an impact good hygiene has on a team.

Improved Employee Health and Well-being: A clean and organised workplace can reduce the spread of germs, minimise hazards and promote a healthier environment for your employees. Who wants to work in a grimy, illness-riddled office?

Financial Benefits: A safe and clean workplace can reduce costs associated with accidents, days off and legal liabilities, which can quickly come to thousands of pounds, if not hundreds of thousands.

Increased Productivity and Focus: A clean and organised workspace can improve concentration, reduce distractions and even boost productivity, as tidy spaces are linked to better focus.

Enhanced Company Image: A clean and well-maintained workplace creates a positive impression on clients, visitors and potential employees (rather than a messy one!)

Boosted Employee Morale: A clean and hygienic environment shows employees that their well-being is valued, leading to increased job satisfaction and motivation to focus on doing what they do best.

LNC Services: Supporting Leaders in Creating a Safer Workplace

The key ingredient to a successful leader? Support! You’re not alone in maintaining a safe and hygienic workplace, and you shouldn’t have to be; cleaning an office or commercial space should not be a one-man job. Upholding professional standards of cleaning means using the professionals, and LNC Services can be a reliable partner in helping you maintain a clean and safe environment.

Our services support workplace safety and hygiene through…

Deep cleaning
Regular cleaning and maintenance
Supply and replenishment of consumable goods
Sanitary and feminine hygiene units supply
Carpet cleaning
Computer, telephone and audio-visual equipment deep cleaning
Tech and desk cleaning
Touchpoint disinfection

Our cleaners are talented, passionate and experienced, so you can enjoy some peace of mind knowing that you’ve put your workplace hygiene in the hands of the experts.

Your Role As A Leader…

Leaders play a critical role in shaping the health and safety culture of a workplace. It’s not glamorous, but proper cleanliness is essential if you want employees to be safe, happy and productive in their work spaces.

Looking for professional cleaners to support your team’s cleaning efforts? Get in touch today for your free commercial and office cleaning quote.

Emergency Response Cleaning: Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:01 GMT

Emergency Response Cleaning: Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?

The thing with emergencies is that often they’re also unexpected. But unexpected doesn't have to mean unprepared - anyone with even basic first aid can tell you that knowing what to do when something bad happens is the first step in reducing the impact of a disaster.

So, how is your emergency response cleaning plan? For most, it’s probably non-existent because, frankly, there aren’t too many risks. Or so you might think. Cast your mind back to November 2019. Did you know then what the coming months would bring? The masks, the endless cleaning, the distancing?

And it’s not just pandemics that need to be planned for - fires, floods, vandalism, contamination, spills - they’re just a taster of what you should have considered.

Thankfully, you’re reading this before a disaster strikes, so you can take notes and make that plan! Here’s what you should consider…

Types of Emergencies That Might Affect Your Workplace

There’s no way to plan for every bad case scenario, but there are certainly ways to prepare for what’s possible. In your business you juggle a lot of plates, and an emergency can bring them all crashing down, but with an emergency response cleaning plan prepped to go in these cases, you can limit the damage.

Some of the types of emergencies where you’d benefit from a cleaning plan would include:

Natural Disasters: Floods and storms are the most likely candidates, even here in the UK. Flooding is a real possibility in many counties and storms can do serious damage to your buildings and procedures.

Fires: Electrical fires, kitchen fires and arson are the main culprits for causing havoc in the workplace.

Water Damage: Burst pipes, roof leaks and appliance malfunctions can cause serious water damage leading to delays and interruptions if they’re not cleaned up fast.

Vandalism and Break-ins: Property damage, graffiti and broken windows can either make an office unusable, or be a small setback that’s easily reversed so your team can get back to work as soon as possible.

Biological Contamination: Spills, sewage backups, mould outbreaks and pest infestation aren’t pleasant things to think of, but they’re even worse to experience. These are times when you’ll wish you’d set up your emergency response cleaning plan in preparation for this.

Health: Flu, Covid, blood pools from accidents, viruses or superbugs can all lead to scary health concerns at work. With a professional cleaning team, your workplace can be safe, clean and compliant even in a health emergency.

Developing Your Emergency Response Plan

As a business owner or manager, you’ve done your fair share of strategy development. Creating an emergency response cleaning plan is no different. There are several factors to consider so that you’ve got all your bases covered:

Risk Assessment: Identify potential hazards and vulnerabilities in your workplace through a risk assessment (which we can also help with here at LNC as part of our facilities management services) .

Emergency Contacts: Create a list of essential contacts (this should include emergency services, trusted cleaners, electricians and plumbers like LNC Services provides all in one, your insurance provider and key personnel like keyholders and managers).

Evacuation Procedures: Establish clear evacuation routes and assembly points so that in the event of an emergency, your team knows exactly what to do and where to go without delay.

Communication Plan: Outline how you will communicate with employees, customers or site visitors during an emergency. This may involve speaker announcements in a commercial space or calls to key staff on each floor in an office.

Cleaning and Restoration: Detail the steps to take for cleaning and restoring the workplace after an emergency. Your professional cleaners can help to advise on this.

Training and Drills: Conduct regular training and drills to ensure employees are prepared and there’s no room for mistakes should the worst really happen.

The Benefits of Professional Emergency Response Cleaning

Your emergency response cleaning plan will save you a lot of hurt, delays and expense while ensuring you stay health and safety compliant and prepared. Every business should have emergency response cleaning at their fingertips, already set up to go, because preparation like this gives you:

Minimised Downtime: A quick response can help businesses resume operations faster, so you don’t get behind even in an emergency.

Reduced Costs: Professional restoration can help salvage property and minimise repair costs so your business isn’t as deeply financially affected.

Health and Safety Compliance: Professional cleaning ensures a safe and healthy environment, as well as making sure you stay compliant with necessary regulations.

Peace of Mind: Having a trusted partner to handle emergencies allows businesses to focus on recovery, not anxieties.

The Role of Emergency Response Cleaning

Emergency response cleaning covers more than you may realise. It’s not just mopping up a few hazardous spills.

In the case of an emergency, you must first secure the area, assess the damage and contact the professionals you’ve agreed to use in these circumstances. We’ll get to you as soon as possible, and response time is the exact kind of thing you can discuss in more detail when creating your plan with us.

In a snapshot, our specialised cleaning and restoration services look like:

Water damage restoration (this involves extraction, drying and dehumidification to prevent further moisture damage)
Fire damage restoration (we provide smoke and soot removal and odour control to make your workplace usable and pleasant again)
Mould remediation (when mould has taken over and caused serious health risks)
Biohazard cleanup (think overflowing toilets or body fluids following a sickness outbreak)
Debris removal and site cleanup (following floods, vandalism or storms this can be a big task)

Ready For The Worst?

Emergencies can happen at any time, and being prepared is a crucial way to come out on the other side unscathed. With an emergency cleaning plan in place your professional cleaning crew be ready to spring into action in the event of fires, floods, viruses and more. With everyone prepared, you can maintain a safe, hygienic and compliant workplace.

Looking for commercial cleaners you can trust in these tense situations? Get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll help you get a plan in place for peace of mind.

The Hidden Costs of Poor Office Maintenance What You’re Losing Without Realising

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:55:26 GMT

The Hidden Costs of Poor Office Maintenance: What You’re Losing Without Realising

Office maintenance can be like an iceberg - what you see on the surface isn’t the full scale of the issue. Because of this, your office may be more at risk of maintenance issues than you know.

Small problems, like leaking taps or fraying carpet edges, can indicate much larger problems looming ahead. Ignoring them can mean slowly sinking your business…

In this blog post, we'll dive deep into the hidden costs of ignoring office maintenance and show you why a proactive approach is not just a good idea but a smart investment in your business’s future success.

The Financial Impact

One of the most considerable consequences we have seen of poor office maintenance is financial cost. This, unfortunately, comes in many shapes, as office maintenance runs deeper than many business owners realise.

Office maintenance issues can lead to…

Increased Energy Costs
Inefficient heating systems, old lighting, failing window and door seals, and poor insulation could result in increased energy costs. Addressing these things means saving money in the long run, simply from energy-efficient upgrades and regular maintenance.

Unexpected Repairs and Replacements
Neglecting minor issues can lead to major breakdowns and expensive repairs or replacements. For example, a small roof leak can cause extensive water damage to the inside of a building if left unaddressed, or a faulty electrical system can lead to a fire.

Decreased Property Value
A poorly maintained office can negatively impact its value, making it harder to sell or rent out in the future. While this may not be an immediate cost to you, it does deeply affect your prospects, particularly if you wish to move your business from the building because the maintenance issues have become unmanageable.

The Productivity Drain

Equipment Downtime
Broken or glitchy equipment can disrupt work and lead to lost productivity - people end up scrolling Facebook while they wait for issues to be solved. Or you end up sending the team home while the equipment is fixed - costing you time and money.

Uncomfortable Work Environment
Things like bad lighting, poor temperature control, or uncomfortable furniture can negatively impact employee happiness, focus and well-being. In fact, you have a legal obligation to ensure people are comfortable at work, - and why wouldn’t you want them to be, it’s where they spend the majority of their time, after all!

Safety Hazards
Neglected maintenance can create safety risks, such as tripping hazards, electrical faults or fire hazards which can lead to injuries and more legal action!

The Impact on Employee Morale
A poorly maintained office can reflect negatively on the company and its management, leading to low employee morale and disengagement.

Dealing with constant maintenance issues can create frustration and stress for employees, impacting their job satisfaction. And a neglected workplace can contribute to higher employee turnover, leading to more recruitment and training costs. In short, prioritising your office maintenance can save you a host of serious workforce problems.

The Benefits of Proactive Maintenance

Office maintenance doesn’t have to be doom and gloom, though. In fact, taking care of your building (and therefore taking care of your employees, ensuring they can stay productive) means better business.

Here are some of the ways we’ve been able to help businesses by providing proactive office maintenance support…

Saving Money - Businesses can save money proactively by identifying and addressing issues early, avoiding higher repair costs or total replacement. This is the case where you’re starting to notice signs of building issues, like leaking taps or flickering lights, which indicate a larger overall problem. Fixing the little problems early on can mean avoiding the big problem altogether - and the bigger cost that goes with it.

Improved Productivity - A well-maintained workplace with functioning equipment and a comfortable environment makes for more productivity and efficiency. For example, an employee trying to do delicate work under poor lighting won’t be able to carry out their task efficiently and safely. They may get headaches or be unable to concentrate. Simple fixes like this can make a world of difference.

Enhanced Employee Morale - A clean, safe and well-functioning office shows employees that they are truly valued, increasing job satisfaction and loyalty. Most of all, knowing that your employers are putting your wellbeing and comfort first lets them know they are appreciated, and you could see reduced staff turnover and a happier workforce.

How LNC Services Can Help

At LNC Services , we have the expertise in facility management and preventative maintenance that can save you money and facilitate a more productive team.

We can;

Conduct thorough inspections to identify potential issues
Develop maintenance plans to address specific needs of your busines
Provide fast and efficient repairs and maintenance services
Help businesses make the most of their facilities and reduce costs

Without this kind of professional support for your building, maintenance can quickly become an overwhelming and worsening issue. With our experienced help, we can keep your building well-maintained and your business thriving.

What Can You Do Now?

Neglecting office maintenance is expensive and can impact your business's finances, productivity, and employee morale. By working with a professional office maintenance team, you can save on repair costs, improve productivity and enhance morale. Get in touch with our knowledgeable team here at LNC today and get started with your office maintenance quote.

The Hidden Dangers of Ignoring Pest Control in Commercial Spaces

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:54:46 GMT

The Hidden Dangers of Ignoring Pest Control in Commercial Spaces

Imagine sitting down for dinner in your favourite restaurant and catching a glimpse of the kitchen. To your horror, you spot a mouse scurrying across the floor. It probably wouldn’t be your favourite restaurant for long…

The same applies to your business.

Pests can be an everyday problem in commercial spaces - if left they will overrun a space, causing more trouble than just being a nuisance. A recent article by The Guardian revealed that the NHS had more than 18,000 pest incidents in the last three years, with 6,666 occurring in 2023. It cost the NHS £3.7m in pest control - and had they ignored the issues, that figure could have easily doubled.

Pest control needs to be something you give some attention to in your business, here’s why…

Health Hazards of Pests

It won’t come as a surprise that pests can carry and transmit a variety of diseases to humans. That means the presence of even a small number of pests can put you, your team and visiting customers at risk.

But it gets worse. Did you know each pest has its own speciality of diseases and illnesses that it can spread?

Rodents (mice, rats): Rodents spread diseases like Salmonella, Hantavirus, and Leptospirosis through their droppings and urine. Because mice and rats are often timid creatures, it’s possible that you won’t even realise that mice have been walking over your countertops and desks, trailing dirt and disease - until you have a full rodent infestation.

Cockroaches: Cockroaches are more common in the UK than many realise, and they’re a big issue for health concerns, as they carry bacteria and allergens that can trigger asthma and allergies. Cockroaches are also quick breeders, meaning this risk can increase steadily over time and become a much bigger problem unless caught early.

Flies: Flies contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria, leading to food poisoning and other illnesses. This is because, when flies land on something they wish to eat, they first regurgitate their stomach contents to make the food easier to digest. So if you’ve seen flies landing on food or on the rims of tea cups in your office, it has likely become contaminated.

Birds: Bird droppings can contain diseases like Histoplasmosis and Cryptococcosis. In recent years, avian flu - or bird flu - has become a concern in areas where birds are likely to leave droppings. And because in rare cases avian flu has been known to affect humans too, it’s important to take those bird droppings seriously.

Property Damage and Financial Loss

Many businesses aren’t aware that pests can cause significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. But we have unfortunately seen instances where unmanaged pests have caused havoc and profit loss.

Here are just some of the situations we’ve seen when pest control hasn’t been prioritised…

Rodents: Have gnawed on electrical wiring, causing fire hazards and equipment damage.

Woodworm: Have weakened wooden structures, leading to costly repairs.

Birds: Have left their droppings on surfaces, permanently corroding building materials and clogging gutters.

Insects: Have infested stored goods, leading to product loss and considerable financial damage.

Impact on Business Reputation

Sadly, pest infestations can tarnish a business's reputation and lead to customer complaints and negative reviews. This happens because customers know the value of a clean and hygienic business space. If they see evidence of pests on your property or in your buildings, they will know that you haven’t prioritised keeping your space and your customers safe and healthy.

You could see a loss of customers and revenue from this, all due to a perceived lack of cleanliness and hygiene. Let’s return to our original scenario - seeing mice in the kitchen of your favourite restaurant. Consider whether you would go back to that restaurant… or if you would write it off as a health hazard and find a new establishment to dine in.

And of course, if your pest issue becomes out of control and does put your people at risk, not meeting the professional standard for health and safety, you could face fines and legal repercussions in some industries.

The Domino Effect: Pest Infestations and Employee Morale

Your customers and finances aren’t the only things that will be affected by an uncontrolled pest population. Pest infestations can create a stressful and unpleasant work environment, leading to decreased employee morale and productivity.

If you allow mice to inhabit work areas, flies to infest communal spaces or insects to cause disruption, then people will be less invested in your business. This could possibly translate to more absences and the likelihood of employees quitting.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but a pest-free workplace is essential for employee well-being and your overall business success.

Proactive Pest Control: An Investment in Your Business

At LNC, we work with all types of businesses to manage pests so you can keep on top of the issue.

Business managers and owners choose us to deal with their pest issues because we know the value of being fast and discreet. You don’t want to broadcast a pest issue - especially if you’re taking preventative action. And you want the pests under control as swiftly as possible. We utilise specialist methods and good old fashioned experience to ensure your commercial space is pest free as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Ignoring pests might feel like you’re saving money, but the real costs of an infestation is high. Working with a professional pest control service can protect your business in the long run.

Get Ahead Of Your Pests Before It Becomes A Problem…

Don't wait for a pest problem to escalate. In many cases, businesses don’t even realise they have a pest issue before it becomes a massive infestation, so any signs of pests must be taken seriously immediately. Contact LNC Services today for a free consultation and protect your business from the hidden dangers of pests.

Green Clean: How Sustainable Office Cleaning Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:54:13 GMT

Green Clean: How Sustainable Office Cleaning Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

When you think of reducing your carbon footprint at work, you probably think of reducing paper use or switching to a water filter rather than single-use plastic bottles (with good reason; it's estimated that 5 million tonnes of paper still end up in landfills and approximately 5.5 billion plastic bottles ). But there's an often overlooked area where you can make an even bigger impact than recycling.

At LNC , cleaning is a passion for us - but green cleaning is even more so. Let’s take a look at how you can get closer to those corporate social responsibility goals without compromising your cleanliness and standards…

The Benefits of Green Cleaning

Eco-friendly cleaning methods are the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint and make your workplace more sustainable all at once. However, using environmentally friendly cleaning products and techniques has a few other benefits. Here are just some of them:

Reduced impact on the environment

It’s an easy thing to overlook, but harsh and toxic chemicals contribute a great deal to your company’s carbon footprint. If you imagine all of the chemicals used on a daily basis in your building, all gathered into one enormous bucket and then dumped out into the world, you can see just how important your cleaning choices are. These chemicals don’t disappear once they’re flushed or washed away. In fact, some can be impossible for water treatment plants to remove.

Healthier staff

By reducing your team’s exposure to chemicals, you’re directly supporting their well-being. When the people in your building are subjected to strong chemicals day after day, it’s possible to gain side effects such as headaches or skin irritation. This could be from apparently innocent cleaning practices such as bleaching toilet seats or using carpet cleaning powders. With a greener clean, your staff aren’t exposed to any intense chemicals in the office.

Effective cleaning

You may think that because eco products aren’t as harsh as general cleaning products, but that’s simply not the case. Green cleaning options work just as well as other cleaning products but in a gentler or different way. For example, the acid of lemon juice is just as effective in cutting through grease and stains as a more caustic product, but unlike manmade chemicals, lemon juice is safe to consume (although, we recommend using different lemons for your drink garnish to those used to clean!).

Using Green Cleaning Products…

Now that we’ve briefly covered the benefits of choosing green cleaning methods, let’s talk about the specifics of what that entails. Using green cleaning products is the most obvious option to adopt more sustainable cleaning practices in your building.

Traditional cleaning products often contain harsh chemicals that can harm both human health and the environment. They contribute to air and water pollution, generate plastic waste and even leave behind toxic residues on surfaces.

Switching to green products can reduce the carbon footprint of your business. You can start doing this by…

Looking for Eco-Certifications: Look for products certified by reputable organisations like Ecolabel, Green Seal, or the Leaping Bunny logo. These certifications ensure that the products meet strict environmental and safety standards.

Choosing Plant-Based Formulas: Opt for cleaners made with natural ingredients like citrus, vinegar, or essential oils. These are effective at cleaning while minimising harmful chemical exposure.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Many people may not realise, but there’s a real need to reduce waste in the cleaning industry. A lot of waste is involved, including chemical, water, energy and plastic waste. Consider how often a professional cleaner may need to replace their sponges or mops.

Your office cleaner or commercial cleaning team can easily reduce their waste by;

Reduce: Buying concentrated cleaning products in refillable containers to reduce packaging waste.
Reuse: Using reusable microfibre cloths instead of disposable paper towels for spillages.
Recycle: Recycling empty cleaning product containers and other materials whenever possible.

These small adjustments to your cleaning routine can make a real difference to your carbon impact. When these practices aren’t observed, wasteful methods can snowball, leading to an unsustainable workplace and an ever increasing carbon footprint.

Energy and Water Usage

Water scarcity is a growing concern, with projections of a 56% freshwater deficit by 2030 . The cleaning industry is a significant consumer of water, and there's a need to reduce its water footprint.

Traditional cleaning methods and products often involve excessive water usage, but it’s not the only way. You can reduce your energy and water use by;

Using energy and water-efficient cleaning equipment such as carpet cleaners. But when buying be sure to check its eco credentials.
Using cold water for cleaning, combined with effective eco-cleaning products, rather than relying on hot water.
Turning off lights and equipment when not in use, rather than letting them run.
Using microfibre cloths as these can achieve up to 90% water savings compared to traditional bucket-and-mop methods.
Consider electoloysed water cleaning for a deeper clean with no chemical usage.
Utilising rinse-free cleaning solutions, so as not to use water unnecessarily.

Partner with a Green Cleaning Service

Cleaning your office or facility may already be a sore spot or something that’s difficult to manage in your busy schedule. Having a reliable, professional cleaning team with a regular schedule can help you prioritise sustainability while also keeping your workplace clean and hygienic.

At LNC, we’re dedicated to eco practices and products, and we have already integrated green cleaning into our services. We can help you reduce your carbon footprint while making sustainability a more achievable, daily goal.

Want To Try A Green Clean & Boost Your Sustainability?

Sustainable cleaning practices can have a deeply positive impact both the environment and the workplace. You can reduce your contribution to toxic waste, improve your team’s wellbeing and still get an effective, thorough clean.

Consider implementing some of the tips we’ve mentioned, as even small changes can make a big difference in reducing your carbon footprint. If you’d like eco-cleaning professionals to keep your workplace gleaming, get in touch today - we’d love to help.

How Smart Buildings Are Transforming Facilities Management

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:52:16 GMT

How Smart Buildings Are Transforming Facilities Management

In today’s world, inanimate objects are ‘coming to life’ thanks to technology. Buildings can anticipate actions and automate responses, and everyday tools and devices can make your daily work life easier and more streamlined.

We’re talking about smart buildings. Smart buildings use a network of sensors and devices that collect data in real time. This data provides valuable insights that enable facilities managers to make more informed decisions about building operations and maintenance, simplifying their everyday tasks and helping them work more efficiently.

There’s no doubt that smart buildings are reshaping facilities management, but exactly how might this affect your workplace? Here’s how…

Using Data to Drive Decision-Making

Facilities management used to rely on working things out as you went along and ‘best guesses’. But now, smart buildings can collect crucial data for you and use it to shortcut the processes that otherwise would take hours to achieve and months to streamline.

The networks that smart buildings use can collect and analyse vast amounts of data from sensors, equipment and occupant interactions. The data you get back from your building can be tailored to what will be of most use. Some innovations include:

Occupancy Sensors: Detects the presence of people in different areas, helping to optimise lighting, HVAC, and cleaning schedules based on actual usage patterns.

Energy Meters: Track energy consumption for different systems (e.g., lighting, HVAC, equipment), enabling the identification of inefficiencies and opportunities for cost savings

Equipment Sensors: Monitor the performance and health of critical building systems, allowing for predictive maintenance and avoiding costly breakdowns.

How Data Helps…

Improved Efficiency: Data-driven insights allow for better resource allocation and reduced waste.

Cost Savings: Identifying energy inefficiencies and preventing equipment failures leads to good cost savings over time.

Proactive Maintenance: Predictive maintenance helps avoid unexpected downtime and disruptions to building operations.

Enhanced Occupant Experience: Data can be used to create a more comfortable and tailored environment for occupants.

Improving Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Smart buildings use technology to minimise energy consumption and reduce their environmental footprint, which can translate into significant benefits for your business.

Smart Lighting: Systems that automatically adjust light levels based on occupancy and daylight availability, reducing energy waste.

Smart HVAC: Thermostats and sensors that learn occupant preferences and adapt temperature settings accordingly, minimising energy usage while maintaining comfort.

Building Management Systems (BMS): Centralised control systems that monitor and manage various building functions, optimising energy use and identifying areas for improvement.

How Energy Efficiency Helps…

Significant Energy Savings: Reduced energy consumption = lower utility bills and operational costs.

Environmental Responsibility: Reduced carbon emissions contribute to a healthier planet and demonstrate corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Improved Building Value: Energy-efficient buildings are more attractive to tenants and buyers, increasing property value.

Enhanced Occupant Experience

Like all ‘smart’ things, part of the innovation is to make things easier and more intuitive for a user. Smartphones took a mobile phone and made it a mini-computer designed to allow people to do many things on the go.

Smart buildings follow the same concept for a team under your facility’s roof - they make their experience more convenient, comfortable and safe.

Personalised Controls: Mobile apps or smart interfaces that allow occupants to adjust lighting, temperature, and other settings to their preferences at the touch of a button.

Space Management Systems: Apps or platforms make booking meeting rooms, desks, or other shared spaces easy, streamlining resource allocation.

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring: Sensors that track air pollutants and adjust ventilation to ensure a healthy environment reduces illness and the effects of allergies, such as hay fever and dander allergies.

Smart Security Systems: Access control, CCTV, fire alarms, lift control and other security features integrated with smart building systems for enhanced safety.

How Increased Comfort Helps Your Business…

Increased Comfort and Productivity: Occupants can tailor their environment to their needs, improving focus and well-being.

Enhanced Convenience: Streamlined processes for booking spaces and accessing building information save time and improve the overall experience, taking one more stress off your team or office manager's shoulders.

Improved Health and Safety: Better air quality and security features contribute to a safer and healthier workplace.

Streamlining Maintenance and Operations

Smart buildings use technology to optimise maintenance tasks and streamline building operations. Here at LNC Services, we know the value of saving time and energy wherever possible, making smaller aspects of a task easier so you can focus on the bigger picture.

Here are some of the ways smart buildings do this…

Predictive Maintenance: Sensors and analytics predict equipment failures before they happen, allowing for proactive repairs and reducing downtime.

Remote Monitoring and Control: Facilities managers can monitor building systems and make adjustments from anywhere, increasing efficiency and response times (meaning you can manage large estates more efficiently).

Automation of Routine Tasks: Smart systems can automate tasks like lighting adjustments, temperature control, and security checks, freeing up staff for more complex tasks.

How Streamlining Helps…

Reduced Downtime: Predictive maintenance and efficient issue resolution minimises disruptions to your building operations.

Cost Savings: Optimised maintenance schedules and reduced labour costs contribute to overall savings for your company.

Improved Efficiency: Automation of routine tasks frees up staff to focus on higher-value activities, improving general productivity.

Simpler Management, Smarter Facilities…

It’s easy to see why many facility managers believe that smart buildings are the future of facilities management, offering many benefits for efficiency, sustainability, and occupant experience.

In time, most buildings will adapt and embrace some, if not all, of the smart building technology available. LNC keeps up to date with these changes - the ones that can genuinely benefit you - and can help with buildings at any stage of technology. From those still managing ‘old school’ to those who are more future-focused, we’re here to provide the modern facilities management support you’re looking for.

How Technology is Revolutionising Cleanliness

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:51:33 GMT

The Future of Office Hygiene: How Technology is Revolutionising Cleanliness

Back in the 60s there was a futuristic cartoon - The Jetsons. They had a robot maid, Rosie, who kept their home clean so they didn’t have to lift a finger. Even 60 years ago, people were imaging a world where technology would take care of some of the more mundane and laborious tasks. But how close are we to that vision?

Many homes have a robot hoover, but what else is on the horizon? From smart cleaning bots to germ free solutions for the workplace, there could be cleaning tech made with your particular office cleaning challenges in mind.

Let’s take a look at the future of office hygiene - powered by technology.

Smart Cleaning Robots

It turns out that The Jetsons weren’t too far off the mark. Cleaning robots exist today, and not just in the home.

Commercial robot cleaners are what you might expect. They can mop, scrub, sweep and vacuum without human intervention and are usually automated with your workplace’s needs in mind. With efficiency at the fore, smart cleaning robots are there to assist your professional office cleaners , taking on some of the simpler tasks to allow them to intensively clean your space and give it the rigorous attention it needs.

Because robot cleaners are designed for specific tasks, it makes them highly efficient at what they do. They can often complete tasks such as vacuuming as fast a human would, thanks to their ability to cover large areas quickly.

What you get from these smart cleaning robots is enhanced performance - they’re programmed to use the same pressure, motion and technique as an experienced cleaner, giving you the same result as a human, but optimised.

And don’t worry, humans have a job alongside these machines. They still need someone to operate and troubleshoot them, but now the job has less manual labour and your cleaning team can get more done in the time they’re given.

Touchless Solutions for a Germ-Free Workplace

The pandemic put workplace hygiene under the microscope. All of a sudden, many people realised just how many germs are spread in an office. This gave rise to a touchless environment.

Without as many high-touch areas in a workplace, the chance for spreading illnesses and germs is reduced. So by identifying those frequent touch-points, innovators were able to create smart and touchless solutions to minimise the chance of contamination in the office.

It meant more businesses and facilities invested in technologies like:

Automatic soap dispensers and hand dryers
Sensor-activated taps and toilets
Touch-free door access with smartphones, cards, fobs and facial recognition
Antimicrobial surfaces and coatings

These innovations reduce cross-contamination and promote a healthier workplace, ultimately supporting your business’ interests and employee wellbeing.

IoT Sensors: The Eyes and Ears of a Smart Office

The Internet of Things (IoT) is where everyday things are connected so they can communicate.

So, connecting sensors to the IoT means you can create an internal network of monitored hygiene factors. This tech plays an interesting role in workplace hygiene, as sensors can monitor things like:

Air quality and ventilation
Occupancy levels in different areas
Usage patterns of certain spaces (like toilets or showers) and other facilities

This data can be used to create cleaning schedules, identify potential problem areas, and improve overall hygiene. It ultimately keeps you or your cleaning team in the know, so your workplace hygiene is tailored to your real-world needs.

UV-C Disinfection

UV-C disinfection is an effective, revolutionary method for killing viruses and bacteria. UV-C light is absorbed by microorganisms' DNA, damaging its structure and preventing the organism from performing vital functions, like reproducing or causing infection.

This technology is used primarily in hospitals and medical settings, but it can also benefit busy office settings. UV-C disinfection can be used to disinfect work surfaces, equipment, air purification systems, and more. It could be especially useful in cases where the use of chemicals or cleaning agents isn’t possible.

Because this type of disinfection is done using light absorbed directly into any harmful microorganisms, it’s incredibly effective. You could benefit from minimal contamination from previously used sponges, cloths or chemical residue.

With this in mind, it’s important to use UV-C disinfection with care, as direct exposure to UV-C bulbs is very dangerous and can cause severe burning, so always use them in an appropriate manner - or leave it to the professionals!

Water-Saving Cleaning Technology

Electrolysed water cleaning transforms a salt solution into a powerful and reliable disinfectant. By combining salt with water (usually 12g salt to 2 litres of water for the same amount of resulting cleaning solution) and electrolysis, your cleaners can cut out the need for harmful or abrasive chemicals and cleaning products.

This sodium hydrochloride solution is great at killing germs and bacteria while using significantly less water (up to 70% less water than is used to create other common cleaning fluids). It has the benefit of being non-toxic as well as eco-friendly, making it ideal for settings such as nurseries, schools and medical workplaces.

Without the need for harsh chemicals, your workplace can get a fresh and effective clean without strong smells, abrasives or the risk of allergic reaction. And because it’s only made from water, salt and a simple electrolysis process, it’s cheaper than traditional cleaning products too, so you can get the same germ-killing clean without the big price tag of name brand cleaners.

Electrostatic Disinfection

Electrostatic disinfection adds an electric charge to the disinfectant used. This is done using a dedicated machine which can add air and an electric charge to the disinfectant solution. This means that when sprayed, the positively charged liquid attracts the negatively charged particles, combining the two so that when wiped away, there is less dirt left behind.

To understand how this works, first imagine a dusty work surface or perhaps computer monitor. Spraying a cleaner onto this and then wiping may still leave behind tiny, visible dust particles, even though it has been wiped.

By electrolysing the disinfectant, dust and dirt is drawn to the surface when the cleaner is applied.

This innovation is ideal for hard to reach areas, high touch areas or spots where a deep clean is essential.

At The Forefront Of The Cleaning Tech Revolution…

The future of office hygiene is here, and it's powered by technology. LNC is ready to embrace these innovations to create a healthier, safer, and more productive workplace for our clients, not one that just follows the fads.

We are committed to staying at the forefront of cleaning technology, so if you want your office to benefit from the best in efficient, effective cleaning methods, get in touch to get your quote today.

The Hidden Cost of a Dull Office: How Your Workplace Environment Impacts Employee Retention

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:50:54 GMT

How Your Workplace Environment Impacts Employee Retention

Staff retention is important in any business - the cost of recruitment is high. A cohesive team that works well together is valuable, so building and keeping your workforce is critical.

But what if it’s not the workload, the salary or the colleagues that are causing employees to jump ship? What if it’s the environment they’re working in?

We explore how the workplace environment can impact employee retention so you can make sure you’re providing the best possible environment for your team.

The Physical Workplace: More Than Just Four Walls

Your employees will spend a large part of their lives in the office or place of work. This puts a responsibility on you to make them feel comfortable, inspired and driven in the long term. That means doing more than a monthly pizza party!

The wrong office environment can leave your team drained, unmotivated, and exhausted.

The impact of office design and layout on employee satisfaction and productivity might surprise you. Your choices go deeper than the aesthetics; they’re huge influencers on your employees’ productivity levels.

If you’re looking to inspire your team, consider the following aspects when it comes to workplace layout and design:

Natural light and ventilation - People need exposure to natural light to regulate their sleep patterns and improve wakefulness. The same goes for proper ventilation; ensuring a fresh and healthy workplace free of airborne allergens reduces the chances of illnesses, fatigue and potential sick days.
Comfortable and ergonomic furniture - Ergonomically designed chairs and desks can be that little extra something that provides physical comfort, allowing your team to focus on the task at hand rather than getting distracted and discouraged by aches and pains.
Cleanliness and hygiene - A clean and hygienic workplace means a healthier workforce. Regular, professional cleaning and preventative maintenance can keep dust, dirt and germs at bay.
Access to communal spaces - Fit-for-purpose amenities like staff rooms and kitchens can significantly boost your team’s morale, especially when they need a break from their desks.

Some workplaces go all out and have lots of fun features, like pool tables , drinks fridges, and wacky concepts like slides instead of staircases. While the bells and whistles are attractive, employees aren’t so easily won if the above factors aren’t also in the picture.

The Psychological Workplace: Nurturing a Positive Culture

It’s no secret that a positive workplace culture breeds better employee engagement and loyalty. Even when issues arise, employees are more likely to stick around if they can rely on a culture of open communication, collaboration and loyalty.

Key factors that contribute to a positive culture include:

Open communication and transparency - allow employees to voice their opinions without fear of comeback.
Recognition and appreciation for employee contributions - acknowledge employee contributions regularly.
Opportunities for growth and development - Provide training and mentorship.
Work-life balance and flexibility - things like allowing work from home, being understanding around childcare during holidays, no emails outside of work time.
Supportive leadership and teamwork - offer encouragement, guidance and constructive support rather than criticism and pressure.

The Link Between Workplace Environment and Retention

Studies have documented the clear connection between employee retention and workplace environment. Surveys show that companies like Google and Equal Experts are consistently ranked as some of the top places to work - all because of their positive work environments and inclusive office cultures.

On the other hand, a work environment with little culture, poor employee recognition, and unattractive workspaces will see a significant turnaround in employees. In fact, a study found that 24% of employees who felt their efforts were unrecognised by their workplace went on to interview for another position.

So if you want to keep your hardwon employees and give them the tools and environment that allows them to give their best, invest in creating a positive work environment. You’re likely to see:

Increased employee satisfaction and engagement
Improved productivity and performance
Reduced stress and burnout
Enhanced company reputation and attractiveness to potential hires

LNC Services: Your Partner in Creating a Positive Workplace

Along with workplace culture, it is important that you also consider hygiene and cleanliness within your office. As professional cleaners, we strive to contribute to a positive and healthy workplace environment for each and every one of our clients. We ensure that our work is done to an exacting standard that gives strong foundations for a positive workplace.

As part of our varied services, we can help with;

Cleanliness and Hygiene: We provide ongoing or one-off professional cleaning services for everything from small offices to large factory floors, ensuring a clean and hygienic space to work.

Building Maintenance and Functionality: Our preventative maintenance keeps your workplace running smoothly and safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents or hefty repairs.

Pest Control Solutions: Pests certainly impact how your team feel about coming to work each day! Our effective pest management protects your office or commercial space from all types of creatures and critters you don’t want to invade your building.

Facilities Management Services : Supporting employee well-being with a comprehensive facilities management service that goes beyond the basics.

Creating The Ideal Workplace Environment

It’s not all about adding slides instead of stairs or choosing bright colours to paint the walls. Your employees need to feel valued and comfortable enough to do their best work for you. They need the essentials covered, perhaps with a little attention paid to the ‘extras’ (no one ever said no to posher biscuits or a breakfast bar!), and sometimes, professional support can help you achieve that.

What To Do For Your Workplace Environment…

Investing in your workplace environment is an investment in your employees and your business's success. A comfortable, clean, and enjoyable environment is absolutely key to employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity rates. If you’re ready to create a workplace that fosters cleanliness and comfort, contact our friendly and knowledgeable team at LNC Services today.

Preventing Tech Germs: Keeping Shared Devices Clean

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:37:49 GMT

Preventing Tech Germs: Keeping Shared Devices Clean

Workplaces can be hotbeds for bugs - colds, stomach viruses, and worse. People in close confines tend to spread germs, but did you know that your office tech could be making things worse?

A report has revealed that sickness absence rates have increased 55% nationally since 2019. Employees were absent for an average of 7.8 days over the past year, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 5.8 days.

So, how can you keep your staff healthy and safe in an office environment? Here are some of our cleaning tips…

The Germy Truth About Shared Devices

Shared devices like printers, keyboards, and mice (not the pest kind, but if you do have those, we can help ) are known breeding grounds for germs and bacteria.

In fact, bacteria found on keyboards, mice, and phones can have up to 20,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat! This is because people habitually eat at their desks, rarely find time to clean their devices, and continuously touch them throughout the day after coughing, sneezing, using the toilet or making food.

It’s important to be clear that germs spread through touch can lead to various illnesses. Any place a person touches can be a potential source of illness-causing bacteria. Just remember your last cold - it was likely caught from touching something contaminated by someone with a cold…

Everything from the latest common cold to a serious respiratory disease could be lurking on your uncleaned keyboards, mice and phones.

Specific types of bacteria and viruses, such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and influenza, can thrive on electronics, making shared devices a significant health risk in the workplace.

The Hidden Costs of Dirty Tech

The impact of illness on a business is substantial. A workforce is the lifeblood of a company, ensuring projects are completed, deadlines are met, and plans are made for the future. With members of your team calling in sick maybe once or twice every few months, you’re essentially understaffed all year round.

That’s not to mention the staff who contract illnesses but still come to work - these diligent souls likely have lower productivity levels and not be able to function as efficiently as they need to (and they’re probably passing their germs all around the team, too!).

Dirty shared devices can contribute to this spread of illness in the workplace, leading to increased sick leave and jobs simply not getting done on time or to the correct standard.

This directly impacts your company’s finances, as your team is unable to deliver what your customers and clients require.

These financial costs have a significant impact, but your staff suffer too. Staff morale and employee well-being are negatively impacted when illness is rampant in the office, making them feel uncared for, unprotected and unsupported.

So what can you do to prevent the spread of illness through shared devices?

Cleaning Tips for Shared Devices

Regular cleaning of your shared devices is a must, but knowing how to do it properly is equally important. Here’s what you can do for the most common office appliances that are germ breeding grounds…

Keyboards

Unplug or turn off the keyboard.
Use compressed air to remove debris between keys.
Wipe down with a disinfectant or antibacterial wipe.

Mice

Unplug or turn off the mouse.
Wipe down with a disinfectant or antibacterial wipe
Pay special attention to the scroll wheel and buttons.

Phones and Tablets

Power off the device and unplug it from a charger.
Use a microfibre cloth dampened with a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to wipe the screen and body.
Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials.

Other Shared Devices (e.g., printers, photocopiers)

Wipe screens with microfibre and buttons with anti-bac wipe
Wipe print tray, paper tray - anywhere you touch!

Don’t forget areas around your tech -

chargers - wipe the cable and socket.
Surfaces - look for the places that people lean while waiting for print to come out, the kettle to boil - those need a wipe too!
Sockets - carefully wipe any switches.

Beyond Cleaning: Additional Tips for Tech Hygiene

Calling in professional commercial cleaners is the obvious way to kill these germs. But don’t stop at basic cleaning schedules; that still puts you at risk. Consider implementing clear hygiene protocols in your office.

Handwashing

Encourage and put up signage for employees to wash their hands regularly in the day, particularly after using the toilet, making food, coughing or sneezing etc. You can make this simpler by providing hand sanitisation points around the office.

Clean high-touch points

Put in place protocols for cleaning areas that get touched frequently every day by multiple people. This includes handles, light switches, kettles, microwaves, coffee machines and fridges.

Personal headsets

Ideally, each team member should have a personal headset to avoid sharing.

Work from home

Offer work from home for those staff who are well enough to work, but have a cold or spreadable illness. This can keep people working when they’re able while preventing the fast spread of illnesses.

Getting Proactive About Keeping Shared Devices Germ-Free

By taking proactive steps to keep shared devices clean, you can create a healthier and more productive workplace. If you’d like to spend your time on your own tasks rather than cleaning every day, request a quote from our office cleaning professionals here at LNC Services. So you can focus on what’s important while we take care of the germs.

Essential Fire Safety Tips for Office Managers

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:37:19 GMT

Essential Fire Safety Tips for Office Managers

Every year, around 22,000 fires rip through workplaces. That’s thousands of people who turn up to work on an average day and experience a frightening and traumatic situation.

As an office manager, you need to be prepared for the sake of your team and your workplace. Would you know what to do in a fire? Seconds can mean the difference between safety and the unthinkable happening.

Here, we’re sharing our top fire safety tips for avoiding fires and what to do in the event of a fire, big or small.

Fire Risk Assessments

In the UK, you are legally required to have a fire assessment to uphold your workplace’s safety. Essentially, this is to evaluate the risks present in your office. It identifies potential fire sources, obstacles that may block an easy escape, the people who would be at risk in the case of a fire, and the safety measures you can put in place to mitigate those risks.

Your building likely already has a Fire Risk Assessment, but is it up to date? An out-of-date assessment isn’t useful and can cause mayhem at a time when calm is needed.

Signs that your Fire Risk Assessment needs updating include…

Your last assessment is over a year old.
You’ve changed your office layout in significant ways (desks moved/doors or windows blocked/new stud walls or cubicles added).

Getting an updated Fire Risk Assessment will ensure that you’re fully prepared in the event of a fire and actively avoid one by identifying potential hazards.

Fire Safety Equipment

Your fire safety equipment is the first line of defence in a fire. Investing in the proper equipment (and maintaining it) could be a lifesaving decision.

Fire Extinguishers and Blankets
Fire extinguishers and fire blankets are the most easily recognisable and common fire safety tools. They’re most useful for containing small, sudden fires. But be aware that there are different types of fire extinguishers for different fire sources. You can check if your extinguisher is rated for certain fire types, such as chemical, gas or electrical by reading the information on its reverse or consulting a fire safety specialist.

Signs Your Fire Extinguishers Need Attention:

You must replace fire extinguishers that aren’t up to the job anymore. You can tell that your extinguisher needs to be replaced if is very old (10 years or older), if there’s visible damage or wear like rusting or dents, and if the pressure gauge is in the red zone.

Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are a critical alert system letting everyone in the building know about a fire. Fire alarms should be accessible, too, accommodating those with hearing impairments, so they should be both audible and visible with flashing lights.

Signs Your Fire Alarm Needs Attention:

Your fire alarms need maintenance too. They may need attention if they haven’t been tested recently (many are installed and forgotten about), if the alarm is unclear when tested or if you’re getting error messages on your main alarm control panel.

Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting can be the difference between panicked chaos and a calm and successful exit from the office. They are there to guide people to safety during a fire when smoke or power loss could make navigating spaces like corridors difficult.

Signs Your Emergency Lighting Needs Attention:

If your emergency lights flicker, dim, or do not come on at all when tested, they need attention. Regular battery checks are also necessary to ensure your lights have the power they need in an emergency.

Sprinklers

Sprinklers are there to control or altogether extinguish fires, preventing the spread or catastrophic damage to the building. There are many different sprinkler systems, suitable for a wide variety of spaces, both large and complex or small and simple.

Signs Your Sprinklers Need Attention:

Make sure that you’re staying up to date with annual sprinkler system checks and services, and keep them clear of dust and debris that can easily build up over time.

Evacuation Procedures

In the event of a fire, you and your team don’t want your first response to be panic and confusion, as this could lead to the situation becoming far worse. Instead, have a clear and rehearsed evacuation procedure to ensure everyone knows how to leave your building safely and quickly.

The following should be planned clearly and shared with everyone who occupies the office, and practised on a regular basis.

Fire Drills

Regular fire drills ensure your employees memorise evacuation routes and are able to recall them, even under pressure.

Signs your fire drills need improvement:

Employees are unsure of escape routes or assembly points
Evacuation takes too long

Escape Routes

Your escape routes are passages to get to safety and should account for fires in different areas.

Signs your escape routes need attention:

Exits are blocked or difficult to access
Signage is unclear or inadequate
Fire doors are propped open or not functioning properly

Assembly Points

Assembly points are the designated safe areas where your employees will gather after evacuating the building. This also helps fire rescue teams know who might still be in the building.

Signs your assembly points need attention:

They're not clearly marked or communicated to staff
They're located in unsafe or unsuitable areas
They’re not accessible (e.g. if your only routes have stairs)

Fire Safety At Work: Our Top Tips

Want to keep your building and team safe? Here’s where to focus your energy on fire safety…

Fire Safety Training

Ensure all staff have training
Consult fire safety professional for specific advice

Electrical Safety

Avoid overloading sockets
Don't use damaged cables or equipment
Unplug electrical devices when not in use
Have electrical systems regularly PAT tested

Kitchen Safety

Keep cooking areas clean and free of clutter
Store flammable materials away from heat sources
Have fire blankets and extinguishers readily available

General Fire Safety

Keep walkways and exits clear of obstacles
Store flammable materials in designated areas
No smoking in inside areas - dispose of butts responsibly
Report any fire hazards to the appropriate person

Are You On Top Of Fire Safety?

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, but as office manager, you can ensure that your office and your staff are safe in the event of a fire. If you’d like to get on top of your Fire Risk Assessment, request a quote from our professional, experienced team here at LNC Services.

Identifying Common Office Pests and Their Signs

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:36:21 GMT

Identifying Common Office Pests and Their Signs

Pests, like mice and flies, are more than just a disgusting inconvenience in the office. They can pose a serious threat to your team’s safety, causing damage and disruption. So what can you do about them? And, equally important, how can you tell which pests you’re dealing with?

These unwanted little visitors chew through wires, contaminate food, and undoubtedly make your employees feel uncomfortable.

Not to mention, you won’t be able to close many high-value deals with clients if you have pests running around the boardroom.

But don't worry – we're here to help you take back control of your workspace. In this blpg, we'll walk you through the key ways to identify and manage the most common office pests so your workplace and team can thrive without those pesky intruders.

Mice and Rats

Let’s start by making it easy to identify and look out for the common pests that cause trouble in office buildings…

House Mouse

The house mouse is the most common mouse found in UK offices. It’s typically quite small (8-12 cm long) and is brown or grey. These tiny animals have large ears and a long, thin tail.

You’ll know your office has been visited by house mice if you notice telltale droppings (small, dark pellets) and gnaw marks on food packaging, cardboard or wood. You might also see shredded nesting materials in quiet corners, drawers, or cupboards. Plus, the musky odour and scratching or scurrying sounds, especially at night, will be hard to miss.

Mice, in general, are terrible news for a place of business because they contaminate food and surfaces with droppings and urine, potentially spreading diseases like Salmonella and Hantavirus.

They can damage electrical wiring and other materials by gnawing on them over time and can even trigger allergies and asthma.

Brown Rat

Also known as the Norway rat, these are larger than mice (up to 28 cm long) but equally problematic. Their stocky build, long scaly tail and coarse brown or grey fur make them easily identifiable from mice.

If you have brown rats, you’ll notice larger droppings (10-20mm long), gnaw marks on wood, plastic and even metal, and distinctive smudged grease marks along walls and runways. They tend to create burrows or nests in secluded areas, so keep an eye out in the company stationery cupboard.

Brown rats are a big problem for offices because they carry and transmit a variety of diseases, including Leptospirosis and Weil's disease. They can cause significant damage to buildings and infrastructure by gnawing and can contaminate food and water sources.

Cockroaches

German Cockroach

These revolting critters are small (13-16mm long), light brown and have two dark stripes on their back, so you’ll know you have a cockroach problem as soon as you spot one.

They commonly leave droppings (that resemble coffee grounds or black pepper), shed skin, and leave behind a recognisable musty odour. If you have cockroaches, you’ll see them before long.

You’ll most likely see cockroaches in kitchens, bathrooms or near food sources. They pose such a risk because they can contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria and allergens.

Their infestation can even trigger allergies and asthma and exacerbate eczema and other skin conditions.

Oriental Cockroach

Oriental cockroaches are larger than German cockroaches (20-25mm long) and have a dark brown or black appearance and a shiny appearance. Signs you have Oriental cockroaches include larger droppings (6-8mm long) and a strong, musty odour.

You’ll inevitably see cockroaches in damp areas, too, like basements, drains or sewers.

These bugs transmit bacteria that can cause food poisoning and dysentery, contaminating all food and surfaces they come in contact with.

Because they can exacerbate allergies and asthma, they need to be managed quickly for the well-being of your team.

Flies

Housefly:

You have most likely come across these common flies many times in the UK, but they are typically greyish-black and about 5-6mm long. They have a noticeably loud buzzing flight and a habit of landing on food and rubbish. In hot weather, they can become more sluggish and land sporadically, even on people.

Houseflies leave droppings that are dark, granular spots and their egg clusters are laid in warm, moist areas. You’ll typically see them flying around bins, food and unsanitary surfaces that might give off an odour that attracts them.

Although extremely common, they can pose serious harm, leading to the transmission of bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella and, consequently, food poisoning.

Fruit Fly:

Fruit flies are tiny, tan-coloured flies with red eyes, though you probably won’t be able to make this out because they’re so small.

They hover around overripe fruit, fermented liquids and drains (like the staff room sink).

These flies swarm around bins, fruit bowls, and sinks and leave small, white maggots in decaying matter. This alone is obviously disgusting for your team and your visiting clients, but they can also cause contamination of food and surfaces with bacteria and yeast, as well as spoiling food that’s left out of the fridge.

Drain Fly:

As their name suggests, these flies are small, moth-like, and fuzzy, with wings that thrive in damp areas like drains and standing water.

Signs you might have drain flies include swarms around drains and sinks, larvae appearing as tiny worms in the slimy buildup in and around drains. If you have showers, sinks or floor drains in your workplace, this could be a specific concern.

They cause damage by carrying bacteria from sewage, posing a potential health risk, and they could even indicate plumbing issues in your building.

Ants

Black Garden Ant

These are the common black ants often found foraging for food indoors. If you’re dealing with these ants, you may notice lines of marching ants leading to and from food sources.

They make their nests in soil or wall cavities - so you will often see mounds of displaced sand and soil where they’ve excavated it for their network of tunnels.

Aside from causing annoyance and inconvenience, they can lead to contamination of food and surfaces with bacteria as they climb on and then begin to devour whatever takes their fancy.

Pharaoh Ant

These are tiny, yellowish-brown ants that establish multiple nests within buildings.

You will usually see their trails leading to sweet food sources - like a shared celebration cake in the staff room or the sugar bag beside the kettle.

Unfortunately, their nests are more difficult to locate, often hidden within walls or appliances. Because they usually have more than one nest, they are especially difficult to eradicate, and the nests themselves can cause damage if made in just the wrong place (such as air conditioning pipes or inside electrical devices).

Other Pests to Watch Out For

If that wasn’t already enough to look out for, these are some of the other pests we clear out for busy office managers invaded by unwanted visitors:

Clothes Moths: These moths damage fabrics and carpets (look for holes or shed larval casings).

Bedbugs: These tiny creatures feed on human blood and infest all types of furniture not just beds, spreading quickly and easily from workplace to home (look for bites or bloodstains).

Birds: Their nests on rooftops or ledges can cause damage and carry diseases, particularly with the risk of bird flu (look for droppings, feathers, or nesting materials).

Prevention is Key

What can you do once you’ve noticed and identified your pests? Well, ideally, the best way to deal with office pests is to prevent them from taking hold in the first place. Here are some tips to get proactive:

Proper food storage: Store food in airtight containers and clean up spills promptly.

Regular cleaning : Keep the office clean and free of food debris.

Seal entry points: Seal cracks and gaps in walls, doors and windows.

Rubbish disposal: Empty bins regularly and keep lids closed.

Professional pest control: Schedule regular inspections and treatments from reliable experts like LNC Services to prevent infestations before they start.

Keep The Pests Away For Good

By being vigilant and taking proactive measures, you can create a pest-free environment that promotes a healthy and happy workplace.

Want to take control of your office pest situation before it becomes unmanageable? Get in touch with our pest control experts for a quote today and be certain your office will stay critter-free.

How Outsourcing Can Boost Office Productivity

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:35:23 GMT

How Outsourcing Can Boost Office Productivity

Hands up if your to-do list is longer than your arm. Double hands up if you've ever wished for an extra few hours in the day.

As an office manager, your time is stretched thin trying to juggle all your responsibilities - no wonder the coffee machine is getting so much use!

But what if there was a way to reduce your load without compromising quality? In fact, what if you could get an IMPROVED outcome with less time spent or worse - wasted?

Outsourcing.

It’s hardly a new concept, but for many businesses, outsourcing is a strange one. We’re here to tell you it’s not just for big businesses with deep pockets—outsourcing not only gives you time, but it can also save and even make you money.

In this blog, we'll reveal five tasks you should consider outsourcing to supercharge your office productivity (and one might just surprise you!)

Outsource Your Cleaning

This is an easy one. Even if your team were all expert cleaners, it would make no sense to have them wasting your company's time cleaning their own office space. Make the most of their paid time and expertise and instead delegate cleaning to a professional contractor who can not only clean to a high standard but also improve general workplace well-being and productivity.

Many office managers overlook the hidden costs of poor office hygiene or requiring employees to do their own cleaning.

Poor workplace hygiene (we’re talking mouldy crumbs in the keyboard, unwiped high-touch spots like lightswitches, and undiscarded clutter) can result in avoidable sick days, lower productivity due to dealing with mess and an unpleasant environment, and a poor impression on visitors.

Professional cleaning services like LNC Services ensure a consistently clean and healthy workplace - and you know it’s done to a higher standard as that’s their passion and job. No one cleans like a dedicated cleaner who knows what to look out for and exactly how to get the job done to the highest level.

Don’t lose time and energy managing cleaning schedules, supplies or unwilling staff. If you had a stained carpet, dirty windows or frequently messy floors bringing down the appearance of the office, you wouldn’t get results asking an already busy employee to get the job done at the end of the day. Having a reliable, professional cleaning team on hand and already scheduled means your carpets, floors, windows, shared spaces, and work spaces stay clean, pristine and as organised as they need to be.

Outsource Social Media Management

Social media has become a critical part of any business marketing plan.

But how many people sit in front of LinkedIn or Instagram, tasked to find new clients on social media, and don’t really know what they’re doing? Social media management requires specific skills and knowledge that not all businesses have in-house. The truth is, effective social media marketing is a role that demands a wealth of experience and detailed know-how, so not just anyone can do it.

Outsourcing to a social media expert means you get increased engagement, brand awareness, lead generation and a professional to rely on should anything go wrong.

Outsource Website Design and Maintenance

We all know by now that a professional website is essential for establishing credibility and attracting customers to your business. A poorly built and maintained website can look unprofessional and cause your potential customers to try elsewhere.

There are a lot of technical skills and ongoing maintenance required for a high-performing website. Unfortunately many businesses choose to self-build or take the easy route when it comes to their website, and don't get the results they were looking for.

But it’s worth paying for an expert to handle it all, as a properly designed website will bring in more leads and visitors than if you try it yourself.

Plus, you’ll have WAY less stress and headaches than trying to deal with things that are beyond your skill set- plug-in conflicts, server problems. It’s best to have someone knowledgeable to take this on and take your website from a liability to a valuable marketing asset.

Outsource IT Support

Unless all your IT problems can be solved with an ‘unplug and wait’ strategy, having an IT team on call is advisable.

Reliable IT is a backbone for many businesses, so it's a relief to know that someone can handle emergencies and planned maintenance.

Many IT support companies offer packages that suit any budget, so it’s a good idea to evaluate exactly what you need and contact a company before you need one rather than waiting for a disaster. You may have less time (and ability if your internet is down!) to research before instructing someone!

Outsource The Surprising Task: Office Errands

Tasks like booking hotels for conferences, sorting lunch for meetings, ordering stationery, arranging deliveries can take up time and effort from people who have talent better used elsewhere.

A virtual assistant (VA) can help with this and ensure the smooth running of the day-to-day tasks that ordinarily take up most of your valuable time. Now, this might sound like a luxury, but VAs are not only affordable, but a professional one can be hugely beneficial for office managers and management teams.

A VA slots into your business without stepping on the toes of other employees because they can handle it all virtually. Calling around restaurants to book an important dinner meeting at the last minute, making calls to clients (like booking calls and meetings) and creating invoices - your VA could do it all, so you don’t have to.

They can often be hired in hourly packages, too, so you can just use what you need to free up time for yourself or other staff.

Outsourcing Saves…

Smart outsourcing is a strategic move for businesses of all sizes. And it’s easy to get started; simply assess your own non-core tasks and consider your outsourcing options. What could your team achieve with those extra hours back in their day - including you?

To get started with the most important outsourcing task of all, get a free office cleaning quote from our friendly, professional team at LNC Services today.

Stress-Free Work Environments: How Cleanliness and Order Reduce Stress

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:29:35 GMT

Stress-Free Work Environments: How Cleanliness and Order Reduce Stress

You walk into your office a little tired but ready for the day, but you’re met with a scene of clutter and chaos. Waste paper bins overflow with crumpled documents, desks with coffee stains, and dust and crumbs collect in every corner.

How ready for your work day would you feel now?

Untidiness and mess are hidden causes of stress in the workplace, negatively impacting your team’s well-being and productivity. Unfortunately, this can get overlooked in busy offices.

But grimy, chaotic workplaces have been proven to increase anxiety, hinder focus and generally affect everyone’s motivation levels.

Learn how cleanliness can lead to a more peaceful and productive office (with some help from cleaning experts).

The Science of Clean

There’s a direct connection between how messy your office is and your team’s mental well-being, and science can show us exactly why.

Studies show that the relationship between visual clutter and the physiological stress response is more closely tied than you might think. Clutter and dirt have often been associated with increased anxiety levels, feelings of overwhelm and lower motivation levels. Untidiness effectively overstimulates the brain, making it difficult to focus and leading to negative effects on mood.

Research shows that employees who work in a well-organised, clean, and tidy environment are much more likely to demonstrate high levels of productivity and even greater efficiency in their daily tasks.

This is because visual clutter (mess we can’t get away from or hide from sight) forces your brain to constantly divert attention, dividing your focus between the untidy surroundings and the work you’re trying to get done.

When your workplace is better organised, your team will have an easier time doing what’s most important rather than being distracted by clutter.

Why Your Office Is Bad For Your Health

Clutter isn’t just bad for your emotional health; it can be bad for your physical health, too.

A messy office is the ideal place for germs, bacteria and dirt to thrive, causing unhelpful and even dangerous health consequences. Where can you find these mostly invisible dangers in the workplace?

Office Desks

Desks are where your team is likely to spend the majority of their time, and they may eat and drink at their desks.

This means desks are the most likely location for germs to take root on stains, spills, food debris and forgotten pieces of rubbish. It’s also likely that coughs and sneezes will occur mostly at the desk, spreading bacteria across the workspace that’s extremely difficult to keep on top of.

Keyboards

The cleanliness issue with keyboards comes from their place at the desk. Just imagine all the dirt and bacteria trapped between the keys - it’s pretty grim.

Keyboards are notoriously tricky to clean and are often not included in daily cleaning schedules. But without regular shaking out and wiping down, your fingertips touch, add to and spread that biohazard that takes centre stage on the desk.

Shared Spaces

These are the spaces like the cafeteria, toilets, meeting rooms and shared working areas.

They’re often a breeding ground for unseen germs because of their high footfall; with multiple visitors on a daily basis, shared spaces are most likely to harbour pathogens on touchpoints and spread illness among the workforce.

Air Conditioning Systems

Your air conditioning units are likely holding on to dust and dirt that hasn’t been cleaned for years.

Combined, these risks to your team’s health lead to more illness and sick days. Illnesses often leave people with work to catch up on or adds additional workload for those left in the office. All of this means more stress for your employees and lower productivity for everyone in the workplace.

Stress Symptoms in the Office

Are you wondering if people on your team are stressed? There are some common behaviours you can look for (these are not diagnoses, just observations to help you assess your team’s stress levels overall).

Irritability - Are your employees having a harder time communicating without frustration? Is your team more likely to become overwhelmed when under pressure or when something goes wrong?
Decreased focus - Does your team constantly redirect attention to new projects or forget timelines and scheduled meetings?
Low motivation - Is your workforce slow to find their momentum when given a task?
Difficulty making decisions - Do you get a lot of questions or check-ins before any decision can be made?
Procrastination - Has your team’s ability to follow through with objectives reduced? Have you noticed employees finding other things to do when they should be focusing?

These can all affect a person's confidence, morale, and mental well-being. They can also affect your team as a whole, reducing the overall sense of motivation and impacting your company’s employee culture.

Aside from the human aspect, there’s a definite effect on the company's bottom line: absenteeism, decreased output, and potential effects on customer service all mean poor performance for your company at large.

Cleaning For Less Stress

If you want to create a more organised and stress-free environment that you can implement quickly and easily, consider these practical steps to create a productive workspace.

Daily decluttering routines: Get your employees to make a habit of spending 5 minutes at the end of the day putting things where they belong, i.e., waste paper in the recycling and rubbish in the bins.
Disinfecting: Your first wave of defence against the spread of germs could be using antibacterial cloths to wipe down high touch points like door handles, keyboards, microwaves, elevator pads, etc.
Clear desk policies: Encourage your employees to take responsibility for keeping their desks limited to the essentials, such as a keyboard, mouse, a couple of personal items and must-have paperwork.
Storage: Consider implementing optimised storage systems which are easily accessible and labelled for improved convenience.

While these tips create significant change, deeper cleaning tasks may require a little more expertise. LNC Services offers a range of office cleaning and maintenance services for a truly stress-reducing environment.

Your Workspace Transformed

Keeping your workplace clean and tidy goes beyond visual improvements. Cleanliness is going to keep your employees motivated, productive, happy and safe. Just as ergonomic furniture and equipment are important for employee comfort, tidiness assures a stress-free environment that prioritises a culture of wellness and productivity.

Ready to transform your office into an orderly, stress-free space where your team can actually get work done? Request a quote from our expert cleaning professionals at LNC today.

Optimising Workspace Organisation: Tips from Cleaning Pros

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:28:52 GMT

Optimising Workspace Organisation: Tips from Cleaning Pros

Imagine entering a workspace where everyone can quickly find what they need, surfaces are free of distractions, and there's a sense of calm efficiency.

Many offices struggle with disorganisation, which can lead to lost productivity, frustration, and even lower employee motivation.

A well-organised workspace promotes focus, saves time, supports productivity, and creates a more positive work environment. Learn how to transform your office into a productivity haven with these expert organisation tips.

The Problem With Workspaces

By nature, workspaces often have a lot going on, and it can be a struggle to actually focus and get things done when you most need to.

You’re likely to have your team walking around, senior staff looking over your shoulder, and possibly even customers or clients occasionally coming into the office. With all that going on around you, the best you can do is keep your head down.

But even then, you’ll be so focused on the work at hand that you simply don’t have time to clean and clear your space. Lots of offices struggle with storage solutions, so you have misfiled and disorganised clutter to contend with, too.

If staff are finding it hard to find things, it can be a struggle to stay motivated to keep things tidy - when it’s easier to simply dump something on the top of the pile.

Unfortunately, poor tidiness can lead to another big workspace issue: poor hygiene. A messy office can be a breeding ground for bacteria and bugs, particularly with the likes of keyboards, mice, shared spaces and forgotten corners.

All of this adds to stress levels unnecessarily, and ultimately, your team’s productivity will be affected.

The solution? Your office needs a proactive approach to maintaining a clean, calm workplace. Otherwise, your office simply turns to chaos.

Shared Space, Shared Responsibility

As you’ve probably noticed in your workplace, it can be difficult to make sure the cleaning and tidying responsibilities of shared spaces are actually shared.

In short, shared spaces need to be everyone’s problem.

This is because leaving the same people to manage things like wiping down surfaces, maintaining stock levels and emptying the fridge can lead to frustration among colleagues. This can seriously impact the dynamic within your team, dividing focus and making your workplace a less friendly place to inhabit.

The most common types of areas that need shared attention include:

Kitchens and break rooms
Entrances and hallways
Offices (cubicles or open plan)
Meeting rooms

In these essential but problematic shared spaces, you have a few solutions at hand…

Decluttering day

Come together as a team and sort through what needs to stay and what needs to go.

Then you’ll have a better idea of what storage you need. Cube shelves are handy for creating an organised space - you can designate space for stationery/marketing collateral/etc, without visual clutter.

Zoning

If you have a large office, zoning the space can make it feel more ordered - meeting space, break space, quiet working zone, printing and copier. Dedicating areas to specific tasks means colleagues can move around one another with efficiency and ease.

Rota

Make sure everyone takes a turn with common shared space tasks like wiping down high-touch areas, filling and emptying the dishwasher, and resetting used meeting rooms. A simple rota system can achieve this, so everyone knows exactly when it’s their turn.

Signage

Use signage to communicate essential knowledge. You can mark where things are meant to go, give reminders to wipe surfaces after use or refill the kettle etc. This might seem like you’re overdoing it, but people will be more likely to follow something when it’s written down and easily seen.

Personal Space: Keeping Your Desk Tidy

Outside of the shared spaces is where the real work happens. Put realistic cleaning and organisation practices in place that will allow your team to focus on what they do best, right at their desk.

A clean, distraction-free desktop can improve your ability to locate things quickly and create an enjoyable general aesthetic.

Organising your desk regularly is the first step to a productive desk space. Here’s what we would recommend to any office manager looking to optimise their workspace organisation…

Organisation habits

Make sure there’s a place for everything. Dedicate a space for your pen pot, notebook and intray - dividing this into urgent papers only, then file.
Keep only what you need on your desk. Consider a filing cabinet, shelves, or a bulletin board to free up desk space. Store less frequently used items here to avoid visual clutter that can lead to general feelings of stress.
Get colour-coded files for your papers. Separate them into accounts, marketing, reports and relevant sections for your work. This makes documents easier to grab as soon as you need them.
Limit the decorative and personal items, but don’t get rid of them all completely. It’s important to feel at home and comfortable in your individual workspace.

Daily routines

Ensure everyone participates in a 5-minute decluttering at the end of each day, including regular purging of unnecessary items.
Keep disinfectant wipes accessible for quick clean-ups of spills, etc., to prevent stickiness and grime build-up.

Cleaning For Less Stress

The most insidious problem when it comes to keeping desks, shared spaces, and entire offices clean, tidy, and organised is managing the cleaning tasks themselves. It’s important to remember that cleaning and tidying your workspace will help your team feel comfortable and valued in the workplace and streamline their daily tasks.

By having proper cleaning and organisation practices in place, you’re giving your office and your team the boost it need to handle the daily flow.

Decluttering as prep: Proper organisation prepares the space for efficient and effective cleaning practices. Ensuring your team has prepared their space for the next working day puts them in the best possible headspace to be happy and productive when they come into the office again.

Hygiene-specific cleaning: Cleaning pros understand the importance of thorough disinfection and dust control for health reasons. Cleaning isn’t just for appearances; it’s essential, and making sure your team is healthy and safe is the most basic way to improve productivity levels.

For those harder-to-reach areas or periodic deep cleaning needs, LNC Services offers specialised cleaning for a workspace that gives you space to get organised.

Why Optimise Your Workspace Organisation?

Organisation has a powerful transformative effect on productivity, morale, and the overall work experience. Let your team know you value their well-being, comfort and efficiency by getting professional cleaning support from LNC Services.

Get your quote today and declutter your workspace.

The Art of Delegation: Essential Skills for Office Managers

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:22:29 GMT

The Art of Delegation: Essential Skills for Office Managers

Office management can sometimes feel like you’re the pilot of a plane and you have a full flight. The demands of office management can be high, as you’re responsible for so much. That’s why delegating effectively is important - you not only get more done as a team, but you allow your team to expand their abilities.

We delve into the importance of sharing responsibilities and how to choose which tasks to give to whom so that every day has a safe landing!

Why Delegation is Essential for Office Managers

Every office manager has experienced the stress of trying to bear the weight of everyone’s roles. But that’s simply not the way to a productive, cohesive and happy team.. Delegating appropriate tasks to the right people can make a world of difference to your work and your work culture.

Increased productivity and efficiency

Delegation frees up your time from lower-level tasks so you can focus on more strategic work. Putting the right people in the right jobs means everyone is working at their most efficient level.

Improved employee engagement and development

Delegation empowers employees and fosters a sense of ownership over projects or aspects of a business. By sharing responsibilities, you can build a culture of working together.

Reduced stress and burnout

The responsibilities of an office manager can be overwhelming at times. Delegation can alleviate pressure on managers, reducing your stress and risk of burnout.

How To Know What To Delegate

Not every task is suitable for delegation. Some will need your expertise and some require privacy. But there will be plenty that can be well managed by other members of your team - or even subcontracted out.

Step 1: Identify tasks that can be handled by someone else. This might include attending meetings, making bookings, ordering resources, following up with clients or checking documents.

When you know exactly what tasks on your plate can be done by someone else, you’ll be able to prioritise what remains even more effectively.

Step 2: Identify strengths and interests within your team. Have someone who has great attention to detail?

They can help with proofreading emails or checking social media posts. Did someone mention that they were interested in developing a new skill that can be used? Offer to find a training course, and then you know it’ll be done competently, and your team member will have enhanced their skillset.

Step 3: Ask for help! Doing the delegating can be the most difficult part if you’re used to doing things yourself or you’re worried about putting pressure on your team. But by showing you value their individual skill set, you empower them to take action on their own initiative.

A good way to initiate the delegating is to ask about their current workload or schedule to find out if they might have space for your tasks.

Don’t Overwhelm

It’s easy to get carried away when you start relieving the burden from yourself. But it’s essential to pace delegation so people can find their feet with each new duty.

Can this task free up time for everyone?

This is a critical question to ask. There may be some tasks that take time from you and your team unnecessarily. Things like cleaning or building maintenance might seem easier to manage in-house, but often take you away from what needs to be done. Delegating to an external contractor or company means you focus on doing what needs to be done.

And there are some things that simply have to be done by outsourced professionals, such as

PAT testing or contract work. In these cases, it’s best to delegate outside of your team so you can all do what you do best.

Delegation Strategies

There are many ways to approach delegation, but they all rely on you understanding your team, the needs of your company and your own workload. Here are some of the easiest ways to put delegation to work…

Be Clear

Clarify the task that needs to be done - include any benchmarking you’ll be looking for, as well as aims, desired outcomes and deadlines.

Be Available

Don’t dump and run - someone new to a task will need to communicate more about it. Also don’t make someone feel inconvenient for asking questions - the more they know, the better the outcome and the more success you’ll see.

Build Confidence

Empower them to make decisions without checking with you. It can start small, but the point is to take some of the strain from you and give the team more responsibility. Starting this process little by little can pay off in the long run.

Feedback

Let people know how they did. You might not always have positive feedback, but constructive feedback can do more to move someone forward than a disingenuous pat on the head.

Mastering The Art Of Delegation

By fostering a collaborative environment that celebrates the successes of a team, you can create a workplace that is destined for growth and high productivity. Strategically distribute responsibilities and embrace delegation as a cornerstone of your managerial toolkit.

If you’re ready to put delegation into practice, request a quote from our experts today and take the first step toward a more efficient work environment today.

Personal Desk Hygiene: Tips for Keeping Your Personal Workspace Clean

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:45:06 GMT

Personal Desk Hygiene: Tips for Keeping Your Personal Workspace Clean

As commercial cleaners, we see many offices and workspaces. As you may imagine, we’ve seen the full spectrum of desk cleanliness - from those that are always spotless to those that look like a Yeti could be living there.

Many people consider desk cleanliness a personal preference, but there are significant risks associated with desk clutter. Unclean and untidy desks can pose serious problems, so let’s delve deeper into why maintaining a clean desk is crucial for keeping up a healthy work environment for all.

All About Your Desk

Your desk is likely where you spend the majority of your day. Because your desk is your scenery and living environment for a significant portion of the time, it deserves some serious attention. Perhaps more than it’s commonly given.

It’s a multifunctional space, housing everything you need to do your work—phones, laptops, computers, keyboards, monitors, files, papers, meals, drinks, models, samples, and stationery. Everything that you need at arms' reach will likely be just that—within reach.

But that’s where the issue lies. That versatility of space comes at a cost, and that cost is cleanliness. Desks are a surprising breeding ground for bacteria, harbouring more germs than an average toilet seat. From crumbs to coffee spills, every surface seen and unseen contains hazardous bacteria that can compromise your health more easily than you may think.

Why Personal Desk Hygiene Matters

Keeping desks clean should be a top priority, but it often gets overlooked. With everything else taking precedence on the daily to-do list, it's easy to think a clean desk is a luxury saved for slow days!

In reality, unclean or untidy desk space can jeopardise individual health and also impact the entire workspace shared by others.

This is why instilling good desk habits can transform company culture for the better. Setting guidelines for the way your team uses their desks sets a standard and, first and foremost, shows that you genuinely care about their working environment. Encouraging regular, habitual cleaning routines, discouraging eating at the desk (or providing further guidelines for good eating hygiene) will create an idea of accountability. When your employees know they are the ones responsible for keeping their desks clean and safe, they can feel pride in doing so.

Introducing processes for things like eating at your desk or clearing away rubbish at the end of the day can make everyone accountable for their own space and means you don’t have to call out individuals.

Benefits of a clean desk;

Better all-round health
More productive staff
Easier to find things
Your space looks nicer
Lower stress levels for everyone
Improved focus and attention

Tips For Keeping Your Workspace Clean

While improving desk cleanliness may sound like another difficult task to heap onto your team’s plate, it can be as simple as building a habit alongside other actions they would be doing anyway.

Decluttering is the first step to creating a cleaner workspace and keeping it clean.

Do you have a drop zone on your desk? A place where random paperwork festers? It’s time to declutter. Clear everything off, sort through it all and only put back essentials. You can work this into daily schedules with ease, asking employees to grab a piece of rubbish and take it to the bin every time they leave their desk.

Organisation is the next big step toward a healthier workspace.

For those items that absolutely need to be on your desk, get organised. Get folders, pen pots, paper trays - but don’t overfill them. The key is to have access to essentials but not stuff them full. By providing employees with this option to organise, you’re making life easier for them, as everything is easily findable and exactly where it should be, not scattered or lost.

Creating a cleaning routine is your ultimate defence against a buildup of dirt, bacteria and clutter on desks. Set out a clear expectation for personal desk hygiene and give your team opportunities to carry out basic cleaning tasks. This regular, small cleaning effort will prevent a gradual build-up that is then much more time consuming to clean.

Some key desk hygiene principles you can instil might include:

Dusting - make sure everyone has access to a dust cloth or duster to ensure monitors, keyboards and desk surfaces aren’t gathering a thick layer of dust that can trigger allergies or asthma attacks.

Sanitise - provide sanitising wipes or sprays to your team so they can wipe down their touchpoints after the day is done, after eating at the desk or after accidental spillages.

Regularly wash hands - this reduces grease and germs in the first place, ensuring they are not spread across the desk and throughout the workforce.

Avoid eating at desks - while this might not be possible for everyone, it’s a good guideline where applicable, as food debris and saliva can be culprits for spreading illness and disease.

Throw rubbish away - remove rubbish at every opportunity, or provide employees with their own waste basket.

Plant care - proper care of plants can avoid bug infestations and plant decay.

Beyond Desk Cleanliness

While your team’s personal efforts are a necessary factor, sometimes maintaining an effective level of desk cleanliness can be overwhelming. In many cases, seeking professional cleaning services can alleviate that burden on both management and employees.

Professional cleaners like the team at LNC ensure a thorough job, using specialised equipment and years of experience with commercial and office spaces.

Outsourcing cleaning tasks can also give your team members a sense of responsibility, encouraging them to adhere to the standards that your business has invested in.

A Cleaner Desk Means Safer, Happier Employees…

A clean workspace means a more productive and healthy workforce. If you’re ready to transform your workspace into a haven of cleanliness and productivity, request a quote from our commercial cleaning professionals today. We can help ensure that your workspace is clean, tidy and safe for everyone.

Lunch at Work: Hygienic Practices for Eating in the Office

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:43:13 GMT

Lunch at Work: Hygienic Practices for Eating in the Office

Hands up who has eaten at their desk. Phew, that’s a lot of you. It’s common practice. But could it be doing more harm than good?

Research shows that the average desk has more than 10 million bacteria living on it. Did you know that’s 400 times more bacteria than you’d expect to find on a standard toilet seat? The workplace hygiene facts might be tough to swallow, but the numbers don’t lie, and they underscore just how important it is to address eating at work.

We’ll guide you through the practical solutions for maintaining a clean and healthy office environment so you and your team can enjoy your lunch and snack breaks without fear!

Eating At Work

Work-life moves fast these days. With the high-pressure environments of modern workplaces, most workers need to multitask wherever they can to stay ahead of their workflow. Typically, this means employees choosing to dine at their desks.

This isn’t a problem for most offices, as good nutrition and frequent breaks make for a happier, healthier workforce. Whether due to time constraints, convenience, or comfort, eating and snacking at the desk has become widely accepted, if not even encouraged.

But of course this meeting of work and eating brings with it some unique challenges, especially in the realms of hygiene.

The biggest issue is the high-touch surfaces within your office. Things like desks, keyboards, door handles, and communal spaces all become sources of spreading bacteria when food is present. During lunch breaks, dangerous microorganisms can be easily and quickly transferred from surface to surface and from employee to employee.

Add to that the likelihood of accumulated food debris and residue, and you have a potential hygiene and allergy hazard, working together to compromise your workplace hygiene. You can imagine the daily buildup of sandwiches, salads, crisps, and snack bars eaten over a keyboard, creating a breeding ground for germs and crumbs.

This gradual, slow accumulation of germs can be more difficult to eradicate, as objects with small parts like a keyboard and a computer mouse can become greasy, dirty and contaminated without even being visible to the naked eye.

The Cost of Unhealthy Practices

In the rush of daily work, your team might eat at their desks and simply wipe away any debris or mess, thinking they have cleaned their space sufficiently, but this isn’t the case.

The workplace is covered in invisible germs and contamination.

Neglected remnants of food left on shared surfaces can pose a serious concern for your employee’s health and safety. The transfer of germs can happen quickly and often without anyone realising they are spreading contaminants.

And if germs weren’t enough of a risk, lingering behind on surfaces and touchpoints without any visible signs, there’s a chance of allergic reactions when eating in the office.

Food residue left on surfaces can trigger allergic reactions, particularly in shared areas like kitchens, tables, chairs, and light switches. This can pose a serious concern for well-being, as allergic reactions can cause dangerous emergency situations.

Your staff become more vulnerable to the spread of illness too. If a team member touches an unclean, contaminated surface and then proceeds to eat lunch at their desk, they can ingest bacteria. This can lead to a higher frequency of illness, spreading quickly around the workforce and causing more sick days and lower productivity.

Benefits of a Clean and Healthy Office

Maintaining a clean and healthy office environment holds benefits that go beyond general visual cleanliness.

By putting hygiene first, you promote a more positive working environment, letting your team know you care about their wellbeing. Particularly when the reason they’re eating at their desks is because they’re trying to improve and maintain their productivity for your company.

Prioritising eating hygiene at work fosters a culture of wellness, encourages healthy and safe practices, enhances employee morale and optimises productivity levels.

Creating a Culture of Eating Hygiene: Essential Practices

Instilling a culture of good eating hygiene in the workplace is one of your biggest weapons against bacteria and illness when eating at work. Here are some of the simple practices you can encourage and put in place amongst your team to promote better eating hygiene…

Handwashing before and after eating: Add signage, incorporate a reminder into your staff training, and make sure there are plenty of facilities, including sanitiser.
Eating Spaces: If possible, create a dining area and encourage staff to step away from desks to eat. This is a bonus as it’s better for stress and mental health to take a break.
Better habits at the desk: Some people really do need to work and eat, so leaving the desk is not a blanket option. Have paper towels or napkins to put down to protect the desk. Ensure plenty of plates and cutlery. Move the keyboard and have something to wipe hands-on in between bites.
Daily wipe downs: Encourage people to take ownership of wiping down their desks and keyboards/mouse/phones/etc. At the very least, it reduces the amount of bacteria and invisible germs present in their personal working spaces.
Keep food refrigerated: Make sure you have facilities to store food correctly.
Cleaning: A thorough and proper cleaning schedule is needed to keep on top of germs and food debris, Ensure people clear food and plates away after eating.

When Basic Cleaning Isn't Enough: Professional Solutions

While a wipe-down will help keep germs at bay, you really need a robust and focused approach to cleaning the office.

Professional cleaning solutions like ours at LNC can benefit your office in multiple ways. Our cleaning protocols, specifically designed for office kitchens and break rooms, ensure every surface is considered and every touchpoint is effectively cleaned to an excellent standard of care.

With appliance deep cleans, surface sanitation and disinfection, you can ensure a truly germ-free environment for your team while they multitask their snack and their work for the benefit of your business.

Essential Hygiene For Eating At Work

Lunch at work might be costing you more than you realise, but introducing good practices can reduce the impact of germ spreading. If you’re looking to improve your workplace hygiene standards and protect your workforce,

request a quote for LNC’s professional cleaning and hygiene services.

Health and Safety in the Office: Essential Tips for Office Managers

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:35:33 GMT

Health and Safety in the Office: Essential Tips for Office Managers

In the intricate role of office manager, the duty of controlling many health and safety aspects will fall on you. The gravity of this role sits squarely on your shoulders, made all the more intense by the statistics that show between 2022 and 2023, there were over 500,000 workplace injuries in the UK.

This can be a heavy load to carry. This is why we’ve come up with some tips to help you keep on top of office health and safety.

Why Health And Safety Matters

Health and safety is about more than just ticking compliance boxes and hoping for the best. It’s about ensuring people in your office environment are safe - employees, visitors, contractors, everyone. Your health and safety rules and regulations are essential to care for the well-being of every individual who walks through your office.

The importance of health and safety goes beyond avoiding obvious hazards like large steps and exposed wires. In your office, you’re responsible for creating awareness around the subtler dangers that anyone can encounter or even create while in a workspace.

But it’s more than just a nice thing you can do for your workers. Health and safety compliance is a legal requirement established with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

How Proper Health and Safety Can Boost A Business

Your business can benefit from bearing health and safety in mind, and not just because you legally have to.

Safer Place To Work - Obviously people expect to work in a safe environment, but you’d be surprised how many bad practices we’ve seen. A safe workplace makes people feel cared about - and really, it’s a bare minimum expectation! Having a safe environment to work in shouldn't be a luxury; it's essential. Show your commitment to your team’s well-being.

More Productive - An office with good health and safety practices often means a well-organised workspace (more on that later). This makes working easier, with fewer obstacles to a stress-free day. And don’t forget, less risk of accident or incident = less time off work! A clutter-free, hazard-free environment will let your team do what they do best without worry or danger.

Better Reputation - The fallout from industrial accidents can go way beyond the initial aftermath - they can follow you and your company for a long time afterwards. Accidents big and small are terrible for your reputation. And even if an accident stays out of the local press, other people talk, and it can affect recruitment and staff retention.

Fewer Overheads - Investing in health and safety measures is an excellent way to reduce overall costs. With proper health and safety practices in place, insurance can be cheaper, employee productivity is higher, and equipment is protected. And that’s not even counting the admin time needed to review and update policies after an accident.

Essential Tips For Managing Health And Safety In An Office Environment

Here are some practical steps you can take to put your health and safety into practice around the office.

Fire Safety

Firefighting equipment like extinguishers, fire blankets, alarms, and sprinklers need regular maintenance. Set reminders so you don’t miss them, as they will all need an annual check, plus an extended service done every 5 years. Your CO2 extinguishers are ‘overhauled’ every 10 years, too,
Have regular fire drills - if you have staff on flexible working or rotas, have drills on different days so everyone gets included.
Review evacuation plans - make sure they’re always up to date. With new buildings and changes to old ones occurring a lot, you may need to change meeting points, and you don’t want confusion and chaos in the event of a fire. Especially if, for example, the previous meeting point is now a drive-through coffee shop, and you have staff unsure where to go next!

Electrical Safety

Just like with firefighting and suppressing equipment, all electrical equipment must be checked annually with a PAT test. Set a reminder and make a provision because it can be a little disruptive to do this testing, so the further ahead you can plan, the better.
Don’t overload sockets. Avoid daisy-chaining extension leads or plugging too many high-draw appliances into one socket.

Moving Around The Office

Trips are a major risk, and a cluttered, disorganised and untidy office is more likely to cause an accident. Stay on top of tidying and cleaning - if you can’t, hire a team to manage it for you .
Wire and cable management is essential to avoid trips and falls. Plan your office layout around sockets, and invest in cable solutions. Or go wireless where you can.

Display Screen Equipment Safety

Some people are naturally messy, and their desks can create a hazard for the correct use of equipment. Have a clear desk policy.
Check in with how people are doing - support them with ergonomic tools like wrist rests, height adjustable monitors and footrests.

Wellbeing

Workplaces can be intense places at times, and a person’s mental safety is as important as physical. Use open communication - make sure your team feel able to speak to someone without fear of judgement
Promote a healthy work/life balance - encourage your team to switch off emails on downtime and step away from work.
Recognition - recognising hard work does a lot for morale and retention. [link to morale blog]

Health & Safety Starts From The Ground Up

You’ll know all of the big things from your health & safety training, but hopefully, these practical tips will help make implementation easier. If you want to ensure your workspace is consistently clean and safety tested, get in touch with our regulation-conscious cleaning experts at LNC to request a quote today.

Maintaining Office Morale: The Office Manager's Playbook

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:34:01 GMT

Maintaining Office Morale: The Office Manager's Playbook

It’s no secret that a team that feels appreciated will feel more motivated to do their best. But it’s not just about appreciation. Morale within a business is the unseen backbone, keeping your people working together and to the best of their abilities.

If morale is low, cracks can form within your organisation, and that’s where problems can start.

Maintaining morale is essential to ensuring your staff has everything they need to succeed and thrive. Here are some ideas for ensuring your team maintains their morale.

The Importance Of Morale

First, picture a messy workplace where the employees feel ignored, unappreciated and even uncomfortable. Now, imagine a clean and tidy office space where a team feels connected, motivated, heard and valued. There’s a huge difference in results, and it can be the determining factor between a successful, robust company culture and a workplace where employees simply don’t want to be.

A positive work culture naturally encourages a sense of collaboration, excitement and purpose. Employees who feel their best efforts are appreciated are more likely to give their all rather than hold back. Culture should be more than a buzzword; it should be the lifeblood of your workplace, shaping the positive attitude of your team. When it is, you get a lot in return…

Productivity

If productivity is your goal, then appreciated individuals should be your route. By letting each member of your workforce know that they are valued, they’re more likely to invest their energy into getting better results.

Job Satisfaction

If your employees are happy at work, your employees will be more satisfied with their jobs. It sounds simple because it is. Morale is so closely linked to job satisfaction, it can affect how your team views their role within your workplace.

Employer Reputation

Satisfied employees benefit your organisation in less obvious ways too, such as employer reputation. Word quickly spreads about what it’s like working for your business, so positive experiences mean attracting and keeping high-calibre employees in a competitive job market.

Lower Staff Turnover

Similarly, if your workplace is an enjoyable and rewarding place to be, your employees are much less likely to move on or take other job offers. Establishing yourself as an ideal place to work means a lower staff turnover that positively impacts the bottom line and team continuity.

Less Burnout

Having positive workplace morale means your team doesn't have to fight off burnout when your office is busy. Burnout has become a prominent issue in the modern, high-pressure work culture, but being proactive about your team’s mental and physical well-being can be the ultimate antidote.

Signs Your Organisation Has Low Morale

Now you know the power of good office morale, how can you identify if your workplace has low morale? There are a few clear indicators that your office may be in need of a serious morale overhaul.

Teams & Departments Siloed

Low morale will often show itself as teams and departments being isolated. This could mean poor connection, ineffective communication or physical barriers to staying connected with the rest of the workforce. This will usually lead to low overall efficiency in the office.

High Staff Turnover

If you have frequent departures from your team, then this can indicate that employees are not feeling motivated or welcome in their roles. This revolving door of staff turnovers can be a big financial and logistical burden on your business.

Negativity

Working in a negative atmosphere will never result in an effective, cohesive team. In a toxic work environment, your staff are not focused on being their best. They are worried about social issues, job security, or even looking for another job.

Poor Performance

All of these factors will create a breeding ground for poor overall performance. Deadlines may not be met, creativity will be stunted and the output of your office will noticeably decline as time goes on.

Morale Boosting Strategies

Creating a company culture that celebrates and supports its people is essential to maintaining morale. Businesses that recognise and reward talent are often the ones that stride ahead in profitability.

Your office culture needs to be a positive one where people feel connected to one another. The them vs us of staff, management and directors can be a barrier to teamwork. You can mitigate this through various strategies such as…

Recognition Schemes

Recognising hard work or exceptional results means people are more likely to try their best. You can utilise:

Rewards - such as money, gift cards or extra time off.
Recognition - public acclaim in team meetings or on leaderboards.
Some people prefer private recognition - you need to get to know your team and what makes them tick.

Team Building

Consider running events that allow people to connect and build relationships. Use a mix of structured events, like team building days designed to improve skills like communication and trust, and social events designed to allow people to relax and be less formal.

This will allow your team to find their places with each other, become comfortable in different situations, and carry that new sense of camaraderie into the workplace.

Wellbeing Initiatives

Mental and physical health is essential for a healthy team. Staff wellbeing is all about understanding people and their wants and needs.

Specialists

You could consider bringing in specialists to visit your workplace monthly, including counselling, massage and fitness.

Ensure people have enough downtime

Encourage offline time when not in the office (not emailing in the evenings, weekends, etc).

Check-ins

To see how people are managing workloads.

Hybrid working

Working from home reduces travel time and overall stress for staff. But it’s still good if an alternative can be provided, as some people don’t want to work from home.

Communication

Good morale is rooted in communication. People want to feel valued and listened to.

The goals of businesses are a shared responsibility, so reaching them is also shared. Some businesses suffer from leadership that doesn’t take responsibility, and staff can feel unmotivated as they always feel like they’re being blamed or burdened (like bosses who don’t pitch in with the work but make staff feel responsible when targets are missed). The solution can be:

Open communication between departments and ranks.

Poor communication can lead to resentment and frustration.

Policies or practices against office gossip and cliques.

To reduce the likelihood of workplace bullying.

Regular chances to speak up

Provide regular, scheduled opportunities for staff to speak their mind or raise issues either 1-on-1 or anonymously.

Making Morale An Office Priority

Office morale is more than arranging pizza party Fridays and hoping people know they’re appreciated. It’s about defining the company culture and ensuring work is done to instil that into everyday activities.

Build on the long-term success of your organisation by ensuring your workplace is clean, organised and welcoming to your team. Request a quote from our expert office cleaners today.

The Office Manager's Guide to Eco-Friendly Practices in the Workplace

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:30:56 GMT

The Office Manager's Guide to Eco-Friendly Practices in the Workplace

With the landscape of modern industries quickly evolving, more businesses are making a conscious effort to become greener and more eco-friendly.

As an office manager, it can be challenging to balance the demands of the job with the growing need for sustainability. But it’s you who spearheads initiatives, and your role in bringing in new policies and ways of doing things is vital.

If you’re looking for new ways to be greener, this guide is for you.

Why ‘Going Green’ Matters

First and foremost, your business is likely going green for the most important reason - to create a more positive impact on the environment. There is now a global awareness of climate change and how our individual and collective choices impact the world around us. This puts businesses under urgent pressure to champion green initiatives and preserve the planet we all share.

Your people are a huge consideration, too. Modern employees are more likely to be attracted to a company that clearly puts sustainability first. The general social values of the modern worker mean businesses must match these values. Employees will be far happier to be a part of an organisation that is committed to making positive environmental changes.

And, of course, eco-business practices can save your company money. Through waste reduction, energy efficiency measures and other sustainable practices, you can see a boost to your bottom line. It’s certainly beneficial for a business to embrace going green when their profits and our planet will thrive equally.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The cornerstones of sustainability are the three Rs, and for good reason.

Reduce

Use digital documentation processes instead of paper ones to reduce paper use where it’s not needed (and sometimes more inconvenient to store safely).
Introduce the use of reusable electronic notepads and tablets during meetings. This can make collaboration and note-taking easier than ever with zero paper waste.
Encourage the habit of turning off power sockets, including computer monitors, to save energy after the work day has ended.
Eliminate the use of single-use plastics in the workplace by switching to alternative bamboo or paper options. Or provide additional resources to cut out the need for the plastics. For example by offering a water cooler rather than bottled water.

Reuse

You can extend the life of furniture items and tech by donating them rather than disposing of them as waste.
Opt for refurbished tech instead of buying it new to reduce electronic waste and save money in the process.
Encourage your employees to bring reusable lunch containers and water bottles to cut down on disposable packaging.

Recycle

Put in place a recycling program for plastics and paper in the office, ensuring all employees are aware and know what items go in which bins.
Place recycling bins in easily accessible and intuitive spots throughout your building.
Consider partnering with a recycling company to consciously recycle office waste.

Energy Efficiency

Energy consumption in the workplace can be huge, but small changes can give you noticeable benefits. There are a few strategies you can implement to increase overall energy efficiency and reap the rewards.

Lights are a first consideration, as they play a large role in your energy usage. You can transition to energy-saving light bulbs, such as LED bulbs, which use diodes instead of heated filaments. This can cut down on electricity costs and can also reduce your business’s environmental impact.

You may even install motion-sensing lights in common areas, like hallways, break rooms and toilets. This can allow lights to be in use only when they are needed - without the need to remind employees to turn them off themselves.

Your office thermostat is an equally big energy draw. Of course, your team needs to stay at a comfortable temperature, but you can regulate the thermostat setting based on the season and ensure you’re only using the heating and cooling power that is needed for a greener workplace.

Lastly, the electronic devices i n your building can be easily overlooked as energy wasters. Engage in a policy with your employees to switch off all electronics at the end of the day. They can also regularly delete emails to reduce the load on the upkeep of servers, as servers contribute to carbon emissions even though we may forget about them!

If you are able to bring any of these practices into your office, you can increase the energy efficiency of your daily activities and promote a greener work environment. This can also open up options for savings on costs and also align your workforce with your business’ eco awareness.

Sustainability

Putting sustainability into practice can be tricky in an office space where your employees are simply trying to do what they do best, but being conscious of your office’s purchasing decisions can be an easy place to start.

Consider…

Choosing paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to ensure responsible forestry practices.
Prioritise local suppliers for all your office needs to reduce delivery emissions connected with shipping. Plus, you’ll be supporting your local community.
Opting for eco-friendly cleaning products - or a cleaning company that aligns with your sustainability goals - to reduce the use of chemicals that are harmful to the surrounding environment.

Employee Initiatives

Getting your team on board with your green changes will be even easier when they’re incentivised.

Some options include launching a bike-to-work or car-sharing scheme for eco-friendly commuting, investing in reusable, branded items like coffee cups to discourage single-use cups and embracing hybrid or remote working to reduce the massive impact of commuting emissions.

Going Eco With Ease

The changes don’t have to be huge when your business is going eco, as even small ones make an impact for the good. Ready to transform your office into a clean, sustainability haven? Request a quote today from our team to take a small step toward a cleaner, greener future together.

Common Pests in Commercial Buildings and How to Deal With Them

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:07:24 GMT

Common Pests in Commercial Buildings and How to Deal With Them

There are many pests that can infiltrate your business, from the colleague who refuses to wash up their coffee cup, to the enthusiastic intern who insists on asking a question every few minutes - but worse even than the annoyance of somewhat inconsiderate humans are the many different creatures that can find their way into your building.

Just what are the most common pests in commercial buildings and how should you deal with them?

The Pest Problem

You are not immune. No matter how well you run your business and how successful you may be, pests take no notice. These disrespectful creatures think nothing of your marketing strategy or your brand reputation - they can, and they will, get into an unprotected building and make it their home, taking advantage of the gathering of humans to find food, comfort, and warmth.

It’s not just the sign of a dirty workplace, no matter what people think - pests will just show up.

And they’re more than just an inconvenience that needs sorting. Many pests present a health hazard, carrying diseases in their urine and droppings, attracting a second level of additional pests (rats carry fleas, for example), bringing allergens, and doing considerable damage to the environment.

A pest problem will damage your reputation as people perceive your business as unclean, unsanitary, and unsafe. Employees will want to avoid coming into work and customers will drop off like flies - faster even than the flies will!

Added to that are the legal ramifications from not properly dealing with and handling the pests. At least four pieces of legislation dictate your responsibilities, including the Public Health Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act, The Environmental Protection Act, and the Prevention of Damage by Pest Act. You may be fined, and in some extreme cases, face the very real prospect of being shut down.

Signs of a Pest Problem

How are you to know if you have a pest problem? Here are the signs that your building may be home to some unwanted guests:

Seeing the critters! - Probably the most obvious is that you see them: ants crawling across the kitchen, a mouse that scurries between boxes on the floor, pigeons nesting in the rafters, etc.
Spotting droppings - Rodent droppings may be found on almost any surface, birds have no compunction about where they lay waste, and even insects leave behind signs of their passing.
Damage - Mice chew, birds peck, insects… hmm, what is it that insects do? One thing is for sure, they are all able to damage your property, the equipment, items in storage, and more.
The smell - Pests can produce some truly awful smells. So bad, in fact, that we are loath to describe them here. If an area is a bit extra funky, it’s worth checking further.
Weird noises - Scurrying (especially at night amid the peaceful darkness), odd chirping and hissing sounds, or the poor cry of something trapped. Any of these could indicate an infestation.

Once you believe you have a pest problem, do a little investigation to confirm and start planning for their removal because the earlier you deal with it, the better it is for everyone.

Common Pest 1: Rodents

Far from the cute fuzzy creatures we liked to keep as pets in labyrinthine constructions as children, rodents are actually pretty destructive.

They nest in dark, dry, warm places, especially those that are near food and water. Rodents are masters of breeding, and will multiply rapidly, spreading the problem to other areas of the building quite quickly. And they really love to chew.

If you are the type of business that relies on cables (and that’s most companies), then rodents are a menace. While they tend to avoid significant power cables due to a natural wariness, telephone and internet wires as well as phone chargers are fair game - and if they get into a piece of equipment, it can be destroyed with alarming efficiency.

Beyond that, though, they’ll make their nests from your stored filing, pad it out with the filling from your furniture, and may even enjoy trying something new if you manufacture something that’s new to them.

Plus, if you are a food-related business, beware! Any lack of perfectionist cleaning of food or food waste is going to seem like an invitation.

Rodents carry diseases and their faeces and urine should be treated with caution. There are a range of transmittable diseases from salmonella to hantavirus - all of which must be taken seriously.

How to Deal with Rodents

Some home-brew repellents like peppermint oil or crushed pepper can keep them away, but can be messy, is never guaranteed, and doesn’t last long.

Humane traps are a great idea if you keep up with them and are willing to check daily. Just make sure you drive the rodents far, far away so that they don’t come back (and don’t ever drop them near someone else’s building, instead find a nice bit of countryside).

But, if you want to make sure the problem is properly dealt with, it’s time to call in the experts. Professional eradication gets rid of the problem and is proof against their return.

Common Pest 2: Insects

Bugs are small and able to make their way into any building. It can take a while to notice and often, by the time you do, you already have a big problem.

Insect infestations include:

Ants
Bees
Wasps
Flies
Silverfish
Cockroaches

Each comes with its own problem: flies carry bacteria, wasps can sting, cockroaches - even in the UK - spread diseases, and while ants are fairly harmless they come in huge numbers and make your building a very unpleasant space to work in.

Plus, while insects are small, they are also quite capable of doing damage to the property.

How to Deal with Insects

The first rule with insects is cleanliness. They are often drawn to areas where food waste and debris are prevalent so keeping the place clean is the best advice.

There are a range of repellents available, as well as traps such as fly paper and fly traps that will get rid of a current problem.

Where you can see cracks that let the insects in, it’s good to have them repaired. There will always be a route, but keeping the building in good order minimises those and makes an infestation less likely.

Again though, if the problem is persistent, it’s best to call in the professionals - especially true if you find a nest.

Never try to move a wasp or bee nest, instead contact the British Bee Keeper Association for bees and for wasps, pest controllers like us and let someone who knows what they’re doing handle it.

Common Pest 3: Birds

Birds - and for a lot of businesses, this means pigeons or seagulls!

Birds are a more common building pest than you think, and they affect both the inside of your building and the exterior. If there’s space in the roof that they can get to, birds will enjoy this warm nesting space - and not just for a while. The homing instinct is strong with birds and once they have established a home, they’ll keep coming back.

Seagulls live for up to 40 years and will keep coming home for that whole time (as will their young)!

Birds can ruin your building - especially the roof, they carry diseases such as e-coli and salmonella, and they also attract insects, presenting you with a two-for-one pest problem! Plus, all those droppings, whether just outside the door or horribly inside the building, are a constant problem.

How to Deal with Birds

Getting rid of birds is all about turning the inviting home into a less inviting one. Reduce the space available for nesting by covering ledges, blocking holes, and installing anti-bird spikes; reduce the resources available to them by covering any external bins, keeping external areas clean, etc.; and consider harmless deterrents such as audio bird repeller systems.

You could even put a fearsome scarecrow on the roof… No, forget that, it’ll never work!

Like the other pests though, if you have a significant bird problem, it’s best to call in the experts. Professionals will bird-proof your roof and building safely, discouraging the return of the pesky creatures without harming them.

Pest Control with LNC Services

Talking of calling in the professionals, why not consider us at LNC Services? We have a team of dedicated pest specialists who will work with you to clear out any current infestation as well as lay out a plan for the future. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote.

Compliance and Regulations: A Facilities Manager's Checklist

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:07:06 GMT

Compliance and Regulations:

A Facilities Manager's Checklist

Being a Facilities Manager (FM) involves a number of very different aspects, from budgeting to building safety, but one thing that is essential across all a facilities manager’s remit is compliance.

Compliance is at the core of a company’s good practice and falls onto the shoulders of the FM. There’s a lot to know across multiple areas, and it’s important to get it right - and not to forget any of it.

A checklist of what needs to be considered can make it easier.

What is Regulatory Compliance?

There are multiple regulations that govern facilities management, from several different agencies including:

The Health and Safety Executive
The Environment Agency
The Equality and Human Rights Commission

These government agencies are all working with a core idea; to make the workplace safer and people’s lives safer and better. Regulations that affect facilities management include:

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
The Building Regulations 2010
The Environmental Protection Act 1990
The Equality Act 2010

It is important for a facilities manager to create and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) that detail how work is undertaken to ensure compliance. Regular compliance assessments and audits of SOPs are crucial for ensuring that facilities managers are meeting their regulatory obligations.

What Happens if You Are Not Compliant?

As a facilities manager, you have a duty of care to those who use the buildings and workplaces that you manage. Ignoring or failing to comply with regulations puts everyone at risk - and putting your colleagues in danger should never be considered acceptable.

Of course, as compliance is a legal requirement, failing in this job also results in legal sanctions. Companies that fail to be compliant are fined, with repeat problems resulting in more serious consequences, including the ultimate dissolution of the company and potential jail time for those involved.

It is generally accepted that the cost of avoiding compliance is at least twice as high than simply following compliance efficiently - and that’s without considering the knock on effects of the damage to your reputation.

Risks of Non-Compliance in Brief

Accident and injury to those using the premises
Fines
More serious legal consequences
Damage to reputation
Loss of income
Job losses
Dissolution of company

The Compliance Checklist

Building your compliance checklist must be specific to your business, taking into account the sector and the areas that are of importance to you. To help you get started, consider the following broad areas:

Health and Safety Compliance

Health and safety is essential for the wellbeing of your staff, your guests, and members of the public.

For each of the areas, ensure you undertake a full risk assessment, identifying potential hazards and putting appropriate safety measures in place.

Areas to cover:

Workplace environment - heating and air conditioning, cleanliness, trip hazards
Fire - alarm system, evacuation plans, fire prevention
Electrical - PAT testing, wiring checks
Hazardous and dangerous substances - PPE, handling of chemicals
Ergonomics - equipment provided, following display screen equipment regulations
Emergency response - accident procedure, evacuation process, terrorism plans

Data Security and Privacy

Preventing sensitive data from being misused or accessed by unauthorised parties is an essential aspect of all businesses today. Consider:

UK GDPR
Passwords and access control
Employee training regarding data security and best practices
Data backups and cloud security
Encryption
Security audits
Action plan in the case of a data security breach

Sustainability and Environment

Your business’s consideration of the environment is paramount and is governed by the Environmental Protection Act. Pay attention to:

Energy efficiency - A constant consideration especially in a world of continuously rising business energy costs. Consider your building insulation, equipment efficiency, ventilation, automation and more.
Air quality - It is essential that the air is free from pollutants and other hazards, such as dust. Maintaining clean air quality is also an aspect of the Health and Safety regulations and failing on this front can show a lack of compliance in multiple areas.
Waste management - Whether or not your company creates specialist or hazardous waste, waste management is an essential part of facilities management, right down to daily recycling.
Reduction in single-use plastics - An essential part of environmental responsibility. With the global damage caused by single-use plastics, regulations on this matter continue to tighten.

Compliance Assistance with LNC Services

Compliance and regulations are an essential part of the role of a facilities manager in the UK. By implementing a comprehensive compliance checklist and adopting a risk-based approach, you can effectively manage compliance and ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on your premises.

While we at LNC Services don’t pretend to be specialists on the whole wide spread of facilities management compliance, we can help where we are. When it comes to your building environment, maintenance and cleanliness, we can offer a comprehensive array of services to ensure you are fully compliant with all UK laws. Why not speak to us today?

Declutter To Deliver: How Regular Cleaning Reduces Workplace Stress and Increases Output

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:06:49 GMT

Declutter To Deliver: How Regular Cleaning Reduces Workplace Stress and Increases Outputs

Much is often said about how company culture and personal treatment impacts on employee’s well-being, but what about the physical environment? How much does the state of your working space influence your working day? Does clutter lead to poor working performance?

Can regular cleaning reduce stress and increase productivity?

The Link Between Clutter and Stress

What do we mean by ‘clutter’? It’s not necessarily mess - though mess is almost definitively cluttered - and it doesn’t have to be dirty. Clutter is the chaos of things in a space, an overloading of things placed in a disorganised and haphazard way. It’s an almost inevitable end result of a busy life where finding the time to sit and sort is always put off for another day.

Things do have a habit of accumulating over time, especially on desks or in busy working environments. Just pop this paperwork here to deal with tomorrow, put that box in the corner while I think of where to put it, drop the pen I’ve been fiddling with onto the side, and I’ll wash that glass when I’m done with it…

Clutter forms without you even realising it, and there’s never time put aside to deal with it. It drops to the bottom of your to-do list, to be done when all the more important work issues are dealt with.

But no one ever gets to the bottom of their to-do list!

And the clutter affects more than just the physical space it’s filling up. It also niggles away at your headspace, causing little touches of anxiety and stress. For many people, it’s imperceptible, a mental busyness that may be nothing more than a minimal distraction, but over time, just like the clutter itself, it builds up. First a headache, then a sense of can’t-be-bothered, then a push to procrastinate, until finally the clock is ticking and nothing’s been done for hours and panic begins to set in.

‘How can I possibly be expected to work in this mess!’ you scream - maybe out loud, maybe just in your head, but the scream is there.

You just want it gone!

As humans, we know this. It’s why art galleries have their artwork arranged in large empty spaces with plenty of clear wall given to display a painting; it’s why boutique shops display their top fashion in airy expanses of light; it’s why we yearn for log cabins that overlook tranquil lakes. Clutter is visual noise, and no matter how good we are at handling it, sometimes we just seek peace.

Clutter and its Effect on Productivity

Clutter directly impacts how well you and your team work.

The Distraction Effect

A cluttered environment is a distraction. Your eyes flitter away from whatever you are focussing on to catch something that’s out of place on a desk, or you are drawn away from the task in hand for just a moment to move a box.

These tiny moments of distraction may take only a second, but they can have a knock-on effect that throws your process by a lot more, and the more of them there are, the more significant the effect.

At its extreme, the distraction effect can become so consuming that it occupies more of the day than your work. The idea of ‘being productive’ can become laughable when you are unable to concentrate.

The Lost Things Problems

In a very physical way, clutter can make finding things difficult. Not just if the item you are looking for is part of the clutter, but having things in the way makes getting to important stuff that much harder.

And again, it’s a knock-on effect. A box of bits that block a drawer may find itself knocked over when access is needed, creating more mess that isn’t properly sorted right away. Now the contents of that box become more clutter that’s in the way or lost.

Losing things in the clutter is inevitable.

The Locked In Problem

Perhaps an issue for only the most cluttered environments, but being surrounded by mess can result in the feeling of being unable to move and becoming a prisoner to the clutter. When moving around your working space is a challenge, then you know the clutter has reached a high that needs to be immediately dealt with!

The Undervalued Feeling

Working in a cluttered environment makes you feel undervalued. If it is your personal mess, that’s bad enough, but when colleagues are forced to work in someone else’s clutter, that will make them feel disrespected. It’s hard to put in 100% effort when you are feeling undervalued and disrespected, so instead of giving your all, you do the minimum required, watching the clock and hoping for that moment when you can go home.

The Presentation Problem

Consider how others see you when they come into your workspace and see it as a messy, chaotic environment. It doesn’t present your business or your skills in the best light and is off-putting for most. Many employees may avoid soliciting new business if they feel they have to have a meeting in a cluttered workplace, or may suggest meeting elsewhere, adding potential expenses to your client relationships.

Clutter can lose you potential business - a significant negative to a problem that’s easy to solve.

The Health and Safety Problem

While not related to stress or directly impacting your business productivity, the fact is that a cluttered environment is a health and safety risk, and you can be fined as a result.

There are fire risks, trip hazards, access issues and more. Don’t let your business be a danger to your employees, visitors, or yourself.

How Regular Cleaning Helps

While your clutter can seem like a huge problem to you, maybe even seemingly insurmountable, to professional cleaners, it’s the day job - and believe us when I say we’ve seen worse!

A professional cleaning team can help you tackle the clutter and mess to turn your business environment around. We’ll clean the mess and deal with all the gathering dust, sticky surfaces and mucky carpets that are making people feel unhappy at work.

We can help organise and order a workplace so your team can get to what they need. Things will no longer be buried, hard to find, or misplaced at the back of cupboards.

Having a professional cleaning team working with you is an incredibly positive investment. As well as cleaning the clutter, cleaners will improve your workplace hygiene, making it a safer and nicer environment all round. Sickness will be lessened and absences reduced.

And everyone will like it more just to come to work! Your clients will enjoy their visits, and the whole team will be able to move on with their day productively, without the distractions and claustrophobic feeling of a headache-inducing cluttered world.

Declutter with LNC Services

If you are suffering from chaos and clutter, contact us at LNC Services. We will turn your mess into a bright and breathable environment, allowing you the space to do what you do best and get on with your business. Contact us today for a tailored quote to match your business.

The Art of First Impressions: Why Your Building’s Maintenance Matters

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:06:26 GMT

The Art of First Impressions: Why Your Building’s Maintenance Matters

One of the biggest parts of book publishing is in cover design. Why? Because the old adage ‘never judge a book by its cover’ is never followed. As an idea, it is absolutely and totally wrong.

Every book is judged by its cover in the first instance, and publishers know this, thus the investment into this area. Even those little thumbnails that pop up when buying a book online have been carefully considered by successful authors and publishers.

What does this have to do with your building maintenance? The same principles apply here. Your business and everything you do, your services or your products, are the text of your ‘book’. Your building and what your clients see when they come to you - that’s your cover.

And you will be judged by it. Every. Single. Time.

First Impressions and Ongoing Suffering

A first impression is just that - those initial moments when someone instantly forms an opinion of you. It’s hard to shake off first impressions, especially bad ones.

It comes from an innate need for survival. As humans, tens of thousands of years ago, we’d see an animal on the horizon and have to sum it up in seconds. Big teeth? Large stature? Deafening growl? Run away!

Or in terms of environment: Nasty smell? Boggy underfoot? Slithering snakes? Run away!

It is reactions like this that can occur in those hidden recesses of the mind when someone visits your building. That first visual assessment will worm its way into their mind to be forever associated with you and your business. Dirty windows? Unclean floors? Stacked boxes all over the place? Unwashed coffee cups? A smelly toilet? Run away!

It’s not just the first impressions formed by that important visitor - what about your staff? Working in a poor environment becomes an ongoing problem for them to suffer, leading to feeling undervalued and disrespected. It affects morale and, ultimately, your business productivity.

What Can Give a Bad First Impression?

So what is it that people look at when they come to your premises? What are those aspects that cause a negative first impression?

Bad smells - OK, it’s not a visual cue, but it’s a powerful one. Walking into a building that smells of mould, unclean toilets, or even something that can’t quite be defined, will turn your customers away. The same is true with personal smells; bad breath and body odours can be extremely unpleasant and will affect how you are perceived.
Dirt - Grime and dirt will result in an exceptionally bad first impression. It looks unprofessional and presents the idea that you don’t respect yourself. Why should your clients trust you if you work in a dirty environment?
Clutter - Not as immediately offensive as either smells or dirt, clutter shows something a little different - a chaotic, disorganised attitude. Companies with cluttered offices or workspaces look like they are never on top of their work. It’s no wonder that visitors walk away thinking you can’t handle whatever project they are about to offer. Clutter is also a significant health and safety hazard, presenting unwanted opportunities for accidents.
Broken lights or fittings - If something is broken and you haven’t fixed it, you look lazy with poor attention to detail. Not the impression most businesses want to give.
Poor exterior - So many offices, shops, and workspaces remember to clean and tidy the inside but forget entirely about the external view. Dirty windows, crumbling cladding, flaking paint… all of these aspects are seen even before your guest enters the building and won’t simply be undone by a shiny, clean interior. Often, the building maintenance is the remit of the landlord, but that doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels - after all, it’s not their customers being put off. Stay on top of it.

The Role of Building Maintenance

Building maintenance is often seen as the bigger things - dealing with sewerage, electricity or water supply, that external aspect - but it also encompasses many smaller tasks. The cupboard door that hangs a little in the kitchen, the missing ceiling tiles, that light that flickers annoyingly… all these things are part of the building maintenance, too.

The fact is, by staying on top of all your building maintenance, small issues are dealt with before they become bigger problems - and it shows in those first impressions.

Building maintenance can either be proactive or reactive.

Proactive maintenance means staying ahead of the issues, having a regular building inspection to make sure everything is working as it should - it’s an expense, but it saves in the long run.

Reactive maintenance is when you call for help after an issue has raised its head, bringing in the fix when it’s already a problem. There are some short-term cost advantages, but issues are often more significant when they do arise.

But whether you prefer proactive or reactive building maintenance, it’s important you do take care of it.

And don’t overlook cleaning. Professional cleaning can act as a soft kind of proactive maintenance, as issues are often discovered when doing the cleaning. Listen to your cleaning team and consider their advice when prioritising maintenance.

What Services Are Included in Building Maintenance?

Building maintenance takes many forms, from light to heavy. A fully comprehensive building maintenance plan covers everything from daily cleaning through to structural issues and may include:

Daily cleaning duties - desks, washing up, bins etc.
Frequent general maintenance checks and handyman services - light bulbs, minor issues, etc.
Plumbing - leaky taps, broken toilets, etc.
Regular deeper cleaning tasks - windows, carpets, thorough kitchen clean, etc.
Electrical - PAT testing, equipment maintenance, etc.
Health and safety checks - access, fire safety, etc.
External assessment and repair - building structure, roofs, etc.

A full building maintenance plan works especially well when your building maintenance and cleaning crew are under the same contract, enabling teams to identify issues and work quickly with less disruption and administrative hassle.

LNC Services and Building Maintenance

For a dedicated comprehensive building maintenance schedule, why not talk to us at LNC Services? Our team includes dedicated trained staff in every aspect of building maintenance, from professional cleaners through to health and safety experts. Contact us today for a customised plan tailored to fit your business, and let us help you make sure your cover never shadows the brilliance of the book within.

The Psychology Of Clean: How Cleanliness Affects Morale

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:05:39 GMT

The Psychology Of Clean: How Cleanliness Affects Morale

When it comes to improving productivity and efficiency at work, how often do you consider the cleanliness and tidiness of the working environment? “Tidy house, tidy mind” is the saying, but how true is it? Does the tidiness level of a workplace actually have an impact on the behaviour, emotions, and well-being of you and your employees?

Let’s take a look at the psychology of clean and how it affects work.

What Is The Psychology of Clean?

The idea is simple: clear and clean spaces make you feel more at ease. There have been numerous studies through the years to look at the effects of mess and clutter on how people feel and they all draw similar conclusions.

Consider for yourself how tidiness and space affect your mood. Imagine the difference between a clean and brightly lit boutique, where clothes are given plenty of space to be displayed, and one where racks upon racks of clothing stand crammed in close proximity to one another. And how art galleries with neatly ordered paintings make you feel relaxed. Think about driving in the open countryside rather than the bustle and lights of the inner city.

Tidy spaces make us feel calmer.

The same is true with your working environment.

It’s More Than Hygiene

Talk to most people about workspace cleanliness, and the discussion soon turns to germs and hygiene. Though making sure the bugs and bacteria are banished is pretty critical, especially when it comes to cutting down the costs of having staff off sick, cleanliness is far more than environmental health.

It’s also about how we relate to the space as people.

Staff who are expected to work in mess and dirt feel undervalued. They will become miserable and anxious and will quickly care less about the quality of the work they are undertaking.

Those feelings will soon become overwhelming, leading to tension and stress. Even in the best cases, this leads to less motivated staff and slower production. Left unchecked, however, it can become a reason to leave entirely.

It’s harder (and far less safe) to move around a cluttered office. Items and important work become lost, and you absolutely don’t want to have to invite a client to come in for a meeting.

“It’s great to see you, do come in! Oh, sorry, yes, just step over those cables. Haha! Mind the overflowing bin there, and do excuse those coffee cups. That sticky feeling on your feet? Oh, we’re used to it. Do sit down. I’ll just ask Kim to come and move those files off the chair…”

Not the best impression.

Why Does Cleanliness at Work Matter?

Look at the positives in having a good, clean workplace:

Energised staff
Fewer sick days
Boosted productivity
Improved respect for all
A safe environment
Better public image
Increased lifespan of equipment

Cleaning is actually an investment in your company; the time and money you spend will be repaid many times over.

What You Can Do to Harness the Psychology of Clean?

At LNC Services, we are experts in everything cleaning. Here are a few tips:

Share The Load
If the workplace is small, share the responsibility. Make a simple rota where one or two members of staff work each day for 15 to 30 minutes on the cleaning tasks. Often, just assigning the time is enough to make a huge difference and making sure the work is not placed on a single pair of shoulders will eliminate resentment.

Get Techy
Why not use modern technology to your advantage? A robot vacuum can scurry around all day keeping the floor clean without bothering anyone - or taking time out of anyone’s day. While it might not jump up on the tabletops or wash your coffee cup, a clean carpet makes a huge difference. If you don’t have a daily clean, you should definitely get a little robot help.

Have A ‘Place’
If there’s a place for everything and everyone knows what that is, then putting things away after use becomes easy. It also means equipment and resources are easy to find when you need them!

Outsource
Of course, one of the best things you can do is call in the professionals. A good cleaning contractor will take the burden of cleaning off you and your staff. Experienced cleaners will make your work environment beautiful and do it to an impressively high standard. If you fancy forgetting about the problem and just coming in each day to a sparkling office with empty bins and gleaming cups, a cleaning contractor is the way to go.

And we might just know the perfect one…

The Psychology of Clean with LNC Services

At LNC Services, we understand exactly just how important a clean working environment is to company morale. All our cleaners are trained in every aspect of commercial cleaning, allowing us to offer a comprehensive solution to every workplace’s cleaning needs. Contact us today for a personalised quote that perfectly suits your business.

Health Regulations and Your Business: Staying Compliant With Your Business Cleanliness

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:04:17 GMT

Health Regulations and Your Business: Staying Compliant With Your Business Cleanliness

There are many reasons to keep your business workplace clean, from wanting to make a good environment for your staff, to making that great first impression to new clients, but more than just appearance, in the UK, you actually have a legal requirement as a business owner to maintain cleanliness - and the risk of not complying are considerable.

Find out more as we delve into the health regulations that cover cleanliness in the workplace.

Health and Safety Regulations in the UK

Workplace cleanliness in the UK is covered by The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which states that employers are responsible for ensuring a workplace is kept sufficiently clean and tidy.

There are many sections where cleanliness is raised, including in stating that workers should have a healthy working environment, which includes having “a clean workplace with appropriate waste containers”, and that a safe workplace needs to have “no obstructions in floors and traffic routes”.

Following health and safety regulations is imperative for your business, not just to avoid fines and other trouble but to ensure that your employees are respected and provided with the workspace they deserve.

Why Cleanliness Matters

Cleanliness is relatively easy to maintain but has a significant impact even outside of the direct regulation implications, including:

The safety of your people
As mentioned earlier, a clean workplace is also a safer workplace. It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to think of ways a messy working environment can impact the safety of your staff and customers. From cups of hot coffee falling onto laps, to being injured from tripping in untidy factories, the list of accidents and dangers that can occur thanks to an unclean workplace are numerous.

Safety should always come first, and accidents often happen because small details are overlooked. The attitude of “oh, it’s just a small thing, no one has ever been hurt before” only works until the first time it doesn’t - don’t let there be a first time.

Your public image and reputation
How you present yourself should be of paramount importance to your business. Getting respect from clients and customers is essential in furthering your company. If you present yourself as an unclean company, your customers will value you less than competitors who are clean and tidy.

Do you really want the reputation of being slovenly, messy, or - worse - disgusting?

The success of your business
Think of all the biggest and most successful businesses out there, and imagine what their offices look like; chances are you are not imagining piles of dirty cups and crisp packets on the desks, or muddy carpets leading to the manager’s office. Of course not; your impression of those businesses is of clean, polished surfaces, clutter-free desks, and clear, safe pathways.

Is it that successful businesses suddenly change and begin to clean up, or is it the more likely fact that businesses that treat themselves and their employees with respect become successful?

The impression you give your customers is one thing, but the way you feel as a business yourself is similarly important. Cleanliness is a rung on the ladder that leads to success.

The Risks of Not Being Compliant

Fines, fines, fines! It doesn’t sound nice, and it isn’t, but being fined by the Health and Safety Executive is one near-certainty for businesses that ignore health and safety regulations. It’s not the only risk, however. Consider:

The risk to health - A dirty environment is an unhealthy environment. We don’t have to look back far to remember the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it had on society. Cleanliness in the workplace was a key component to minimising the transmission of the virus. Covid isn’t the only health risk, of course, and everything from the common cold and up can and will impact your staff and your productivity. Don’t put your valued employees in danger.

The chance of accidents - Quite aside from germs, a messy workplace is a dangerous one, as discussed earlier. If losing a staff member for a few days or weeks because of an illness is bad, losing one permanently due to a failure to maintain proper workplace safety is considerably worse.

Poor productivity - It’s harder to work in a messy environment, and a lack of cleanliness in the workplace can lead to lethargy, depression, and misery. No one really wants to work in a mess - even teenagers occasionally clean their bedrooms! Productivity is key for any business; the cost of cleaning your business workplaces should be seen as an investment for improved efficiency.

Low morale - As an extension of poor productivity, consider the morale of your workers and the costs of personnel turnover. Keep your employees happy, and they’ll stay and work hard. Make them work in a mess, and they’ll be looking for other opportunities fairly quickly.

The risk of legal action - Ah, yes, the impact of the HSE. As stated, businesses will be fined for poorly kept workplace environments, and it can go further, with businesses forced to close and those responsible facing criminal charges. There really is no benefit here.

Critical Areas To Maintain Cleanliness In The Workplace

Your entire workplace needs to be clean, but some areas do require more attention. Prioritise:

Kitchens and Canteens - Any area where food is eaten and prepared needs to be spotless. Remember, if you have on-site food prep, there are additional regulations you need to uphold, like HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point).
Toilets - Do we need to say more?
High-touch points - Anything that lots of people will touch in a day needs to be kept germ-free, such as light switches, door handles, and shared equipment, like printers.
Floors - You walk across them all day long. Not only do they need to be clean and dry to avoid tripping and slipping, but they hold all the dirt and germs coming in from outside.

How to Keep Compliant

It’s essential you have a robust cleaning schedule. This should include:

Daily surface wiping with an anti-bacterial cleaner
Regular vacuuming and mopping of floors
Frequent cleaning of toilet facilities
Dishwashing
Laundry of relevant items
Dusting
Window cleaning

It’s a lot to manage on top of actually doing your job. That’s why so many businesses rely on the services of professional contract cleaners like us! Our team not only take on the laborious work but will clean to a much higher and more thorough standard than anyone can when fitting it into an already busy day.

LNC Services is here for all your cleaning needs. Contact us today for a tailored quote to suit your business.

3 Hygiene Hazards Every Office Manager Should Know

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:56:17 GMT

3 Hygiene Hazards Every Office Manager Should Know

It’s been a few years since Covid-19 shut down…. well, everything! Back then, everyone was taking care to keep themselves and workplaces clean and as free from bacteria as could be reasonably expected.

But sadly, human beings so easily slip back into old habits, and the positive routines that were built up in response to the lockdown have since drifted, and many offices are back to their former practices. In many ways, this is great - it’s genuinely fabulous to have the workforce back together - but in other ways, it’s not so good.

Hygiene hazards are unavoidable when lots of people gather together for hours a day, but we don’t need to become lax in dealing with them. Here are the three most potent hygiene hazards that every office manager should know, as well as some simple ways to keep on top of them.

1 - The Desk

Ah, the desk! You sit at it for eight or so hours a day, picking stuff up, putting it down, tapping away at keyboards, sipping drinks… maybe Brian from accounting comes over and leans on the side, fresh from his run up six flights of stairs (why take the lift when you can get fit?!). How nice.

It adds up to the fact that your desk ends up with over ten million germs on it. An influential study done in 2005 by Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona concluded that in peak times during the day (just after lunch), your desk is home to 10,000,000 bacteria.

Yummy!

These microscopic bacteria are everywhere, such that the whole desk is pretty gross, if we’re honest, though some places are worse than others.

Your Keyboard

How many times do you touch your keyboard? It’s quite a few. If you are writing this article, then you’ve already pressed something like 1700 keys.

Excuse me while I find an antibacterial wipe!

You move your hand up, scratch an itch, brush back your hair, and start typing again. Even the cleanest among us is going to fill this little germ-collector up, and if you are the type of person to eat peanut butter sandwiches at your desk while working through your lunch break, well, then your keyboard is a hotbed of activity.

Your Mouse

Sister to the keyboard, the mouse might have fewer little cracks for crumbs to get in, but it’s no less susceptible to microbes. At least we don’t still use those old mechanical ones with a little ball in the bottom. Oooh, the fluff!

Phone and Headset

Pressed up against the side of your face for hours of the day, do we really need to discuss just how yuck a foam-covered headset can get? And you think your iPhone is cleaner? Muahahahah!

Pot Plant

Thankfully, the 80s fashion for large rubber plants has died away, but still, people like to put little green breeding grounds on their desks. I bet you hadn’t even heard of fungus gnats until now. Go on, admit it!

The Keys to Desk Hygiene

Use disinfectant wipes daily on keyboards, mice, and other permanent features.
Clear your desk space and wipe down with basic antibacterial soap and water. Don’t forget to clean the cloth!
Keep coffee cups and other utensils clean and dry. Doing the washing up for five minutes also gives you some headspace to think in, which is always a bonus.
Don’t let your plants get too moist. Or get a fake one.

2 - The Kitchen

Another bacteria-fest is the office kitchen. Office kitchens can see very heavy use with not much time to dedicate to cleaning. Plus, people are forgetful, and that sandwich that was put in the fridge on Monday got left behind when everyone decided to go out to the pub instead. Was it Monday? Or last Monday? Or the Monday before that? It’s growing something…

Microwaves, kettles, the taps - it all gets touched by so many people who are thinking more about their rush for coffee or need for a quick lunch than they are about cleaning up. Cloths and tea towels are rarely washed, and when the soap runs out, who remembers to replace it?

Then there’s the door handle. Oh, you may have a rota to clean out the fridge, do the washing up, or wipe over the surfaces, but did you remember to clean the door handle? Oops! Kitchen door hands are particularly bad, often worse than toilet ones.

The Keys to Kitchen Hygiene

If you don’t have a daily cleaning contractor come in, consider a rota. Definitely don’t leave it on one person’s shoulders - that way leads to resentment. Make sure food is clearly marked, and make it everyone’s responsibility to throw away their old waste.

And clean that handle. Do it right now.

3 - The Floor

If we’re still looking at germs, then gaze down at that carpet. Oh, a carpet looks lovely in an office, and it can be more comfortable and inviting. Plus, it does reduce the risk of slips, but the dust! The mould spores! The grit and grime and everything else that has come from outside and stomped into the pristine floor!

“We chose a brown carpet as they look less dirty…”

Looks aren’t everything, though, are they?

Vacuuming a carpet is a great start, but office carpets need a regular deep clean. Professionals are best at that, of course; they have all the expertise and all the equipment.

And if you don’t have a carpet? Well, good for you; a hard floor is easier to clean. Just make sure you check out the corners where the dust bunnies live and be sure not to slip. We may have been focused on hygiene hazards, but falling onto a hard floor is still a hazard that needs to be avoided, so clean up spills right away!

The Keys to Floor Hygiene

Vacuum every few days.
Get a professional cleaner to regularly deep clean the floor.
Be careful what you step in on the way to the office.

The Risks of Poor Office Hygiene

Hygiene hazards present a high risk to health. Illnesses can be easily passed through bacteria, as 2020 showed with devastating clarity. General health issues such as asthma or other respiratory problems are exacerbated, and ultimately, productivity is impacted.

The only way to prevent the build-up of bacteria is regular and thorough cleaning, and it needs to be done properly, not just a cursory wipe-round with a week-old wet cloth.

You need a company that knows how to efficiently reduce the risks, which is why we recommend… ourselves! Contact LNC Services today to arrange cost-effective regular professional office cleaning that’ll keep your office bacteria-free*.

*Not bacteria-free, that’s crazy and impossible! But bacteria-lite and smelling fresh.

Office Party Problems: The 3 Things To Avoid

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:56:15 GMT

Office Party Problems: The 3 Things To Avoid

’Tis the season to be jolly… Tra la laaaa.

OK. It’s not. Not yet, but we can see it around the corner. Supermarket shelves have “seasonal” goods that have gone from Halloween to Christmas, and somebody’s smart kid has taken obscure glee in telling you exactly how many hours, minutes, and seconds it is until Santa is coming down their chimney.

Spoiler: it’s not as many as you think!

That means it’s time to plan the Office Christmas PartyTM! Huzzah!

It’s a much-anticipated event, a chance to socialise with the bodies you share much of the week with, to show a more relaxed side of yourself, and enjoy the rewards of everyone’s hard work throughout the year.

But the OCP also has the potential to create the odd disaster - mix together a cocktail of colleagues, alcohol, and high spirits and fear the aftermath…

As contract cleaners, we’ve seen our fair share of party debris - both in terms of physical mess and emotional fallout, so we feel confident in offering some advice on what to avoid when planning your Xmas Do. Read on…

Avoid The Ghost of Christmas Past - Poor Planning

A lack of preparation will mean everything falls apart when hoards of jolly teammates come together. Simply setting a time and date isn’t enough to ensure a good time will be had by all.

Consider the following:

A Theme

Having a theme, whether it’s “Bad Christmas Jumpers”, “Glitter and Glitz”, or simply “Wear Red and Green”, will give everyone a common goal and help everyone feel comfortable and part of the festivities.

Avoid anything that’s too hard to do, as you don’t want to exclude people who only give themselves five minutes to sort it out before leaving - it’s an Office Christmas Party, not the Comic Con Cosplay Competition.

That said, you can still give out an award for “best dressed”, just to enliven things with some friendly competition.

On the Day Organisation

Don’t pull out the project management suite for this (we know you’re thinking it), but it pays to be a little organised. Have a rough idea of times for things, especially any sort of awards or thank-yous, and delegate someone to be the Master of Ceremonies. Once people have had a couple of drinks, they can be harder to shepherd than monkeys; an MC can keep the event flowing.

Sort the Space Beforehand

Don’t just get to the end of the working day and throw on the lights and music. Kick everyone out of the space a couple of hours before so that you can put up decorations and remove anything hazardous or precious. Remember, safety is key even at a relaxed event, so get potential dangers tucked away or, if necessary, clearly marked.

It also means less risk of damaging anything.

And turn the photocopiers off, no one wants to see that…

Avoid the Ghost of Christmas Present - Overindulgence

It might seem like an office party rite-of-passage, but staff getting too merry can cause all kinds of problems - HR can tell you that! (As can the cleaners… Oooh, the stories we’ve heard.)

Being a little bit sensible and limiting the amount of alcohol flowing means people can still have a good time, but it won’t get too messy. It also means more room in the budget for other niceties like awards or decorations.

Consider a ticket system for free drinks, which’ll keep a lid on both overindulgence and over-expense and don’t forget to have plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives, from low alcohol beer to simple fizzy drinks or orange juice.

Avoid the Ghost of Christmas Future - The Clean Up

The day after an office shindig can loom over you like Scrooge’s spectre, but it doesn’t have to. There’s absolutely no need to have to face cleaning up plates of cold food, reams of streamers, or far, far, far worse.

Imagine instead, walking into your office on the next working day to find it not only restored to its usual neatness, but gleaming and smelling fresh.

That’s what your contract cleaner will achieve. Like Santa’s elves, they’ll come in during the wee hours to turn your party aftermath into a professional workspace once again. Plus, with all the bins cleared out, you won’t even be able to tell there had been such a raucous going on the night before.

It saves time, saves headaches, and ensures everyone has a refreshing boost the morning after - better even than hair o’ the dog!

Best of all, it’s inexpensive. Certainly much cheaper than hiring out an alternative venue for the party.

An Office Christmas Party to Remember

At the end of it all, what you are really after is for everyone to have a good time and feel ready and enthusiastic for the next year. There really is no need for chaos, regrets, or having to clean vomit in the toilet. All those problems are easily avoided, and you’ll have the Office Christmas Party that you deserve.

Want to make sure your office is ready to party? Need a little help keeping your work environment clean all year round? Call LNC today to get a quote and find out how we can make your life easier and save you time.

5 Ways To Boost Productivity Without Breaking Your Budget

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:56:13 GMT

5 Ways To Boost Productivity Without Breaking Your Budget

Sometimes, even working hard isn't enough to clear your to-do list.

And what a lengthy to-do list you’ve got… Sitting there, staring at you. All. Day. Long.

The good news? We’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll run through some office hacks you can use to make the most of every minute. Embracing full weekend relaxation without worrying about Monday morning stress begins today!

Use AI To Assist

The world is abuzz with talk of AI.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is an incredible technology that means a computer can act or think in a more ‘human’ way. You can make use of various free AI tools out there to help with administration tasks, making it an incredible time and money-saving hack.

Here are the top AI apps and programs that we have found most useful.

ChatGPT

OpenAI launched ChatGPT, a huge language model-based chatbot, late in 2022. And within a couple of months, it was making serious headlines.

The chatbot enables users to initiate and work through a conversation to obtain information in return. ChatGPT responds to users’ queries with up-to-date research because it scans the big ol’ internet for relevant information. The more detail you give ChatGPT about what you’re after, the better the outcome is refined.

ChatGPT can be used to help write emails, blogs and social posts because it listens to what you want to get across, can mimic your style, and plans out everything for you. We do not advocate for using the tool as a be-all and end-all, however…

The best way to use ChatGPT to boost productivity is to use its response as a framework, taking away the sheer panic of starting with a completely blank page.

Microsoft Copilot

This AI assistant features on Microsoft 365 apps and services. Launched in March 2023, the tool works alongside you to automate mundane tasks.

Copilot sits in the taskbar on programs such as Excel, Word, Teams, Outlook and PowerPoint to help you perform tasks faster and get more out of your limited time. For example, in Microsoft Word, Copilot can help you add more text and bring an idea to life. In PowerPoint, Copilot can create a draft presentation for you in seconds when given a topic, meaning you can hit the ground running and tailor it to your exact needs with ease.

Grammarly

We all love Grammarly. If you haven’t come across it before, it’s a free, cloud-based AI writing assistant tool that you can integrate into apps like Google Docs, Microsoft Word And Outlook.

The tool helps you to speed check your writing, offering suggestions for tone and phrasing improvement as well as clarity, grammar and consistency. If you’re using Grammarly within an internet browser, this version also quickly runs a plagiarism check, keeping you safe from unintentional similarities with already-published content.

Power Snacks

Our energy levels directly influence our ability to perform tasks.

It won’t surprise you to learn that caffeine is the go-to for most of us, but it can actually cause a dip in energy after the initial hit. Similarly, super sweet foods also tend to bring about a whole-body sluggishness once the high has worn off.

So, what can you eat to help boost your energy levels?

Fire, protein and healthy fats burn slowly and boost brain focus. Here are some examples of foods you can keep within reach to help enhance your productivity.

Bananas

Sweet and creamy, bananas are not only high in potassium, which regulates heart function but provide instant yet sustained energy AND contain tryptophan, which converts to serotonin.

Green Tea

Green tea has naturally occurring ingredients like caffeine and L-theanine that combine to enhance cognitive function, including supporting attention, focus and memory.

Avocado

Avocados are full of monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, fibre, and micronutrients, all providing a strong base for boosting cognitive function across the board.

Dark Chocolate

It’s not everyone’s favourite, but dark chocolate is an indulgence that can scale up your productivity without breaking your budget. It’s full of antioxidants that increase blood flow to the brain, enhancing neuroplasticity and supporting better memory, attention and problem-solving.

Popcorn

Popcorn isn’t just for movie nights.

This low-calorie, high-fibre, wholegrain snack is considered far healthier than processed grains and releases energy slowly so that you remain determined to tick tasks off your list without flagging.

Delegate

Time spent on tasks that don't move your day forward is money down the drain. While outsourcing feels like a hefty outlay, it should always have an associated return on investment - whether that’s time or money.

For example, in LNC’s experience, our cleaning teams free up so much time for busy staff that their cost is well worth it. It enables every single person to walk into the office in the morning and get on with the job they are paid to do…

Everything is where it needs to be; there is no clutter confusing our brains and making it difficult to concentrate, and there are fewer bouts of employee illness because the place is kept clean and tidy.

Find Your Groove

Does time management stress you out?

It’s something plenty of us struggle with. There are plenty of different ways to manage our time effectively, and finding the one that works for you will transform how you get stuff done.

Here are some of the most common techniques… Why not give them a try?

Pomodoro Technique

Named after the Italian word for tomato, this technique involves splitting work tasks into 25-minute intervals, or ‘pomodoros’, with breaks in between. Working this way, tasks of all sizes are easier to digest, eliminating overwhelm and stress and providing little wins to keep you satisfied and hungry for more.

Time Blocking

As the name suggests, this time management approach splits your day into blocks that are each focused on completing a task. This way, a timetable of manageable work chunks takes the place of an open-ended, overwhelming to-do list that fills you with dread.

Eisenhower Decision Matrix

The decision matrix is a task management tool. Using it, you divide your to-do list into the four boxes of a grid:

Tasks you’ll do (important and urgent)
Tasks you’ll schedule (important but not urgent)
Tasks you’ll delegate (not important but urgent)
Tasks you’ll delete (not important and not urgent)

Using the Eisenhower Matrix helps you to organise and prioritise everything that needs doing so that you don’t waste time or energy pondering, stressing, procrastinating or otherwise not doing the stuff that needs to be done.

Fix Your Filing

We've seen enough desktops to know that filing, both paper and digital, is often a disaster zone.

Even the best of intentions isn’t enough to magically create faultless, functional filing systems.

Saving documents in an ordered and logical way speeds up access for everyone who needs them, reduces space in your cloud-based system because documents are quite often duplicated in several folders, and infinitely streamlines processes and procedures.

And this works for paper, too. Organisation is everything.

Time Management And Productivity Go Hand In Hand

We know, we know… There never seems to be enough time in the day. But, by utilising some of the tips we’ve covered in this blog, you can speed up the tasks on your to-do list and reduce that feeling of overwhelm.

Without forking out to enhance your skills.

Looking for someone to take care of your office hygiene and cleanliness? Get in touch and request a quote today.

Office Managers! Here’s How You Can Cut Your Budgets

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:56:11 GMT

Office Managers! Here’s How You Can Cut Your Budgets

Budgets and money management. For office managers, these core parts of the job are absolutely essential but can also be the hardest aspects of the role. Setting budgets is hard enough, that push and pull where you have to take from one place to give to another, but maintaining them?! Rare is the office manager who can get the most out of their budget every month, month after month after stressful month.

But it can be done - and here are some valuable techniques on how to do it.

The Role Of Your Budget

First, it’s essential to understand the role of the budget. No, it’s not just there to restrict you and make you feel anxious (even though most do exactly that). Used correctly, they are the tools of order, like cloak-wearing superheroes keeping the financial chaos at bay.

Your budget is your friend! It is there to help and assist. To keep you on track. To make your life easier.

Contrary to many beliefs, budgets don’t need to be fixed. There’s room for a little wiggling here, and some tweaking there, and one month’s numbers might be very different from the next. In fact, some of the best budgets out there can work like a set of sliding controls, moving up and down to suit circumstances and take hold of opportunities.

What they do have to be, though, is written down. Honestly, we don’t care if you scrawl it with crayon on the back of a scrap of paper or have an in-depth colour-coded spreadsheet, but please don’t try to keep it all in your head - that path leads only to pain and suffering. (Actually, please do use the spreadsheet option; crayons can be hard to read back later.)

Using Your Budget

So there it is, staring at you out of the screen with bright and gleaming promise. The budget.

Now you have to use it:

Review it regularly - Try to spend a few minutes looking at it every day, even if nothing has changed. That way, you know you are on top and in control.
Update it with real data - Put your actual spend in there right next to the projected spend to help you forecast for the next period.
Move the figures around if life changes - Don’t feel it is a rigid entity. If you need to change next month’s numbers to make it work, then do.
Make sure those totals equal up perfectly - If you need more for one task, then you need to take from a second. It’s your budget, and it works for you, but be sure to keep it all in line.
Highlight sections and play with the colours - Not a joke! By using these features, you become fully acquainted with your budget and will also make it easier to read the data over time. Don’t feel silly if you like a splash of pink.
Stick to it - When you have allocated money this month for something, then try to stick to it and don’t be afraid to say, “I’m sorry, there’s no more left for that until next month” to the people who come to you. Your control is essential.

Control Your Unseen Payments

Office finances in today’s world are more and more focussed on regular outgoings and subscriptions. Software as a Service (SaaS) has become the default way for many companies to offer their services, so you are going to fill up with small monthly transactions there, plus direct debits to your regular contractors. It is so easy to forget about them and let it all become invisible. Don’t!

Your budget spreadsheet is going to be fantastic at keeping an eye on all these little details - even tiny subscriptions of a few pounds will show up there in the right place. Take the time to fine-tune your budget right down to these seemingly innocent outgoings and keep control of the minutiae.

Consider extending your budget with a subscription calendar so you know when to expect payments to go out, and review your SaaS and membership subscriptions regularly so that you can drop those that aren’t being used or are no longer bringing value.

Bonus Secret Tip

Plenty of companies are keen to keep you as a subscribed member, and going through the steps to cancel your subscription can unlock a discount as they beg to keep you! “Are you sure you don’t love us anymore?” they’ll say, “how about we offer you 30% off?!”. Go through that cancellation process every now and then to see how much you can gain! It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a try.

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

It is cool to always have the newest technology, shrink-wrapped from the manufacturer on the release date, but is it really necessary?

In truth, it rarely is.

Add to your green credentials and save money at the same time by looking to replace equipment with refurbished products. You can get printers, monitors, and even office kitchen equipment at a significant discount. And let’s face it, today’s newest coffee machine isn’t that much better at making coffee than last year’s model.

A huge number of retailers have a refurb department, and there are likely lots of local IT specialists that have items you can buy.

Introduce other green policies if you haven’t already, especially when it comes to paperwork. Go digital and save on paper and ink (and the environment).

Renegotiate Contracts

Just like with your regular subscriptions, there’s scope for renegotiation with your supplier contracts, such as energy companies and phone providers. Don’t fall into the trap of allowing your suppliers to fall out of contract and onto “standard terms” - it’s rarely better for you.

It’s also worth speaking to any freelancers or contractors you use to see if there is a way you can reduce cost in some way. While they might be working with less flexible margins and will be unlikely to want to cut their income from a regular and reliable client, they may be willing to add value to your current contract, often offering other services for a reduced rate.

Consider your contract cleaning - your regular cleaner may be able to offer carpet cleaning or window cleaning on top of the day-to-day office clean for a far better rate than outsourcing elsewhere. You will improve in cost and save time in administration.

A Brave New Digital World

Ever since the pandemic, the use of technology to facilitate meetings, communication, and collaboration has increased dramatically. Now, Zoom and Teams are part of everyday office life.

When you switch your meeting online, you save on room hire costs and travel expenses while increasing productivity for everyone.

Plus, it means some people can keep working in their pyjamas and who doesn’t want that?

Your Superhero Budget Working For You

Looking after your budget is critical and if used with a little savvy, it can make reductions that will mean a much bigger pot of cash available for the things that matter - like making you the type of office manager your colleagues admire. Next time they come to you asking if there’s anything available to help make their lives easier, you’ll be able to say “yes”.

Not only that, you’ll finally be able to throw an office Christmas party to remember! (Even if it is over Zoom…)

Why not request a quote from us at LNC Services to see how much you can save on your office cleaning and maintenance? Trust us, it’s worth the phone call.

5 Surprising Office Hazards Every Manager Should Know About

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:56:08 GMT

5 Surprising Office Hazards Every Manager Should Know About

Did you know the average worker in the UK spends nearly 1,800 hours at work a year? That’s 108,000 minutes in your office.

With so much time spent there, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of thousands of workplace-related accidents a year. In fact, according to HSE statistics for 2021/22, over half a million people sustained an injury at work, with accidents and illness costing more than £18 billion!

Whilst some risks in an office are apparent, others are more surprising than you’d think…

The Cables

OK, so maybe this one is a little obvious, but with slipping and tripping being the single most frequent cause of accidents in the workplace, we thought they deserved a mention.

Electrical cables are a necessity in an office environment, essential to provide power to computers, photocopiers, kettles, fans, etc, and for charging electronics. Without them, it would be pretty hard for your office to function, but they can be a real danger to people, possessions and property. Here are a few of the most common risks…

Trailing cables are a major trip hazard.
Coiled cables can easily overheat.
Overloaded extension leads are a potential fire risk.

How can you minimise the risk of cables?

Use cable covers (conduits) to cover trailing floor cables.
Run cabling around the skirting and secure in place.
Keep desks free from cable clutter by installing under-desk cable organisers.
Gather cables into a singular cord using cable wraps.
The secret is in the name - use cable ties!

Tidying away your office cables is quick, easy and affordable and will help to create a more organised working environment to keep people safe from harm.

The Carpet

I expect you think I’m going to talk about rips, lumps and fraying edges, but that stuff’s clear as day; we’re going to look at what lies beneath the surface…

Studies have shown carpet to contain approx. 200,000 bacteria per square inch. That’s around 10 times dirtier than an average loo. Gross right? Your office carpets have the potential to be home to lots of nasty pests, germs and bacteria, including;

Dust mites
E. Coli
Salmonella
Norovirus
Bed bugs

Carpets can be a total biohazard for you and your workforce if you don’t get them cleaned regularly. This leads to increased staff absence because of illnesses such as diarrhoea and sickness.

What can you do to keep your carpets clean?

High-use carpets, such as those in your office, need vacuuming at the end of every working day to keep crumbs, skin cells and animal faeces to a minimum.

The only way to kill pests and harmful bacteria is to call in the professionals to give all your flooring a deep clean regularly. What type of cleaning is best? That depends on the floor type. Some need a hot shampoo, others a steam clean, some need specialist cleaning products… trust the experts they will know what to do.

The Light

With many large workspaces opting for maximum lighting at an affordable cost, fluorescent strip lights are commonplace.

If you’re a regular screen user yourself, you’ll know first-hand how much the lighting around you matters. Bright overhead lights can be dazzling and produce screen glare, causing you to squint and crane forward all day long. Not only is all that frowning bad for your wrinkle pattern(!), but it can also induce the following…

Severe headaches
Eye strain
Neck pain

It makes it almost impossible for people to work comfortably and seriously affects concentration.

Dim lighting can be just as bad.

How do you create the perfect balance of light and productivity?

If you want to improve productivity and performance in your office, it could help to;

Take advantage of natural daylight and keep artificial lighting to a minimum when you can with dimmer switches.
As well as ambient general lighting, provide people with ergonomic desk lights they can adjust the angle and intensity of.
Consider the colour of your lighting - soft white and blue help to energise and improve concentration, and yellow, warm options relax and are better kept for downtime.
Provide anti-glare screen covers for desktops, computers, laptops and tablets.

The Desk

Your desk is a danger zone! From the position of your screen and keyboard to the chair you sit in, the ergonomics of it all matter.

Ergonomics is concerned with designing and positioning things so that the people using them can do so efficiently and safely. This helps to improve posture and prevent things such as back pain, frozen shoulder and numb bum.

You can create an ergonomic desk space by…

Ensuring the chair supports the natural ‘S’ curve of the spine, is height and size adjustable and well cushioned.
Making sure the desk height is perfect for the person, enabling arms to be at 90 degrees or slightly more when typing.
Helping to reduce wrist strain, pain and fatigue by using ergonomic keyboards to keep wrists in a neutral position.
Setting up screens approx. one arm length away so that the top sits at eye level or 1-2 inches below.

Sure, this might cost you in the short term, but the long-term benefits include cost saving on staff absence, improved productivity and increased employee happiness and retention.

And don’t forget to dust your desk!

If you neglect to dust desks regularly, it will build up in all the nooks and crannies (under the monitor, between the keys or behind the in-tray), which may aggravate allergies and lead to breathing issues.

The Clutter

We’re all guilty of piling things up to deal with at a later date when we don’t have the time to deal with it in the here and now, but clutter in your office can be a real hazard.

It’s a trip hazard - Clutter reduces the room people have to move around in freely, making them take unnecessary risks stepping over it.

It’s a fire hazard - Not only because it sparks and fuels the fire, but clutter can also block escape routes, putting people’s lives at risk.

It’s a health hazard - Piles of boxes, files or bags provide the perfect shelter for vermin to hide in and dust to gather on.

To help reduce anxiety and loss of focus associated with clutter, get rid of broken, old or unwanted tech, furniture and accessories, and file, shred or recycle old paperwork (content dependent - some you might need to use an ICO registered specialist for sensitive data).

Once the clutter is gone, how much desk and floor space you have will amaze you.

Now you have more awareness of the hidden hazards lurking in your office, you can enjoy the bright, clear space each day!

If you need your flooring steam-cleaned, hard-to-reach places dusted or help with any other aspect of office cleaning, contact us today .

The 3 Mistakes Office Managers Make And How To Avoid Them

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:55:38 GMT

The 3 Mistakes Office Managers Make And How To Avoid Them

The office manager is the unsung hero of the workplace, the keepers of chaos and the multitasking masters. But even the best of us can fall prey to some of the most common pitfalls of office life, putting a spanner in the works and bringing efficiency to a halt.

But that’s why we’ve put together the three mistakes we’ve seen office managers make the most, so you know how to fix them or, even better, avoid them altogether.

Taking On Too Much

If you’re an office manager, you probably have a little inner control freak. It means you don’t always let things go because you’re worried they won’t be done to the standard you want. You’re great at what you do, and you’re passionate that it gets done right. So where’s the issue?

Well, it might be that you’re trying to get everything right all on your own.

When you hold on to every task with an iron grip, your days can go from easy breezy to a whirlwind of chaos. You might end up scrolling endlessly down your to-do list and feeling like for every task ticked off, you have to add two more.

Combine all of this, and you have the perfect recipe for burnout.

The solution may sound simple, but it’s powerful. Start delegating! Your role as office manager isn’t to do everything yourself - it’s to bring out the expertise and innovation in every team member. There’s going to be someone in your team who can complete a specific task much better than you could, so you’re depriving them and your company from a job well done by holding on to the to-do list on your lonesome.

Empower your colleagues by noticing their skills and presenting opportunities for them to shine. By doing this, you’ll not only get the work done faster and better (yay for the bosses!) you’ll also be creating a more trusting and fulfilling relationship with the people around you.

It really is a win-win when you start building your dream team, taking the heat off one another letting everyone do what they do best. Utilise each individual’s skill sets, and for the tasks that don’t seem to fit anyone, like office cleaning, fixing the internet or restocking the water bottles, think about outsourcing to professionals.

Trust us, you don’t need to be the office superhero 24/7. Your cape can take a break.

Losing Track Of Your Budgets

Your budget sheet is much more than an annoying piece of paper that keeps fluttering off your desk. It’s your bible, your financial gospel so to speak. If you misplace or lose this important piece of paperwork, things can start to spiral before you know what’s happening.

We’ve seen it before, with office managers who think they have it all in their head and then realise things have started to slip.

So what can you do - other than pinning your budget sheets to your shirt?

Well our first suggestion won’t come as a surprise if you’re a tech-y type of manager. One of the most efficient ways to stay on top of office finances is to use software to track spending. There are plenty of options out there for all kinds of budgets and industries.

And whether you’re using computer programs to help you or not, you can make sure you’re receiving expenses and invoices in a timely way. Imagine if all of your freelancers’ invoices didn’t get paid on time because your accountant didn’t get the details sent through for approval fast enough?

Since late paperwork can cause big issues fast, it’s best to set up processes early on that totally avoid the chaos.

The best tactic is to create a process that you will all actually follow! Allocate specific time slows for reviewing budgets and costs, that way you’ll be able to spot trends ahead of time and get on top of overspending or mistakes.

Plus it gives you the chance to look for ways to reduce costs, which is always a bonus.

A good way to do this is to see if you can bring costs together, for example if you’re paying for a contract cleaner and a window cleaner, can you reduce it to one company who can do both? That way you cut unnecessary costs, processing fees and time.

Working In Organised Chaos

Your desk shouldn’t be the epicentre of everyone else’s problems, but it may be. And we don’t blame you. It’s the place where most things cross your path. Everything from a phone call to say someone’s going to be absent for a week to hours working on a winning management strategy.

In all likelihood, your desk might be a little chaotic. And your digital desktop? We won’t mention that, it’s ok…

Working amidst the madness doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds. It takes a little effort, but sometimes working with the natural flow of things is more effective than going up against it.

For starters, your desk should be your happy place, not a labyrinth of lost documents and scraps of paper. An effective filing system goes a long way, lame as it may sound. Both in paper and digital format, you should be able to quickly and easily access whatever you’re reaching for.

While we’re talking digital, it’s time to stop one notorious bad habit of office managers - saving your files and docs to your downloads folder under haphazard names. It’s a recipe for disaster, especially if there are any IT hiccups.

Make it a habit to save files logically into designated folders and you’ll be saving your future self a major headache.

But what about everything else that can be filed or saved neatly? Storage boxes are your best friend here. The most organised desks we see are ones with creative storage solutions. Plus, it gives a bit of personality to your space and a little bit of mental breathing space!

To All The Office Managers…

Office managers, we salute you. We’ve worked alongside many office managers and we see the magic they work on a daily basis. Your dedication is impeccable, but don’t let these common mistakes hold you back.

Remember you’re not alone in the office either. If you ever need a professional helping hand to keep your office space tidy, clean and organised so you can focus on the bigger picture, get in touch and we can provide a quote without the stress. It’s time to conquer the chaos…

5 Benefits of Hiring a Contract Cleaning Company in London

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:37:12 GMT

5 Benefits of Hiring a Contract Cleaning Company in London

Thinking about bringing in a contract cleaning company in London to handle your workplace's cleaning needs? If you’re unsure about such a big decision, there are a few things you should know…

We have five reasons why partnering with a contract cleaning company is the way to go. Get ready to enjoy a spotless workplace, save time, and have a productive, healthier workforce.

A Pristine Clean

Take a moment to imagine your space as you wish it could be… A fresh, sparkling clean workspace that invites you and your team to thrive every day. That's exactly what a professional contract cleaning company in London can deliver.

When you hire contract cleaners, you invite a team of specialists who take immense pride in their work.

Your workplace will undergo a transformation. Say goodbye to dusty surfaces, dingy floors, and cluttered spaces. With a meticulous approach to cleaning, contract cleaners leave no corner untouched.

They use professional, quality equipment, effective cleaning agents, and cutting-edge techniques to achieve impeccable results. From the reception area to the loos, every inch of your office or premises will be transformed into a pristine, welcoming environment.

Not only does a clean workplace let your staff know you care about their environment, but it also leaves a lasting impression on your clients and visitors. When people enter your office, they'll immediately sense the care and professionalism of your business.

It's the little things that make a big difference to the people in your business, and a contract cleaning company makes sure those little things are sending the right message - that you care.

Flexibility

As a business owner or manager, you know how helpful it is to have a cleaning schedule that fits your way of doing things. As a city business, you might have specific shift patterns, or you may operate during non-standard hours. Both of which could pose problems for unprepared, casual cleaners who often fit work around other obligations and clients.

That’s why a professional contract cleaning company in London is the best choice for your business.

Whether you need cleaning late in the evening or at the crack of dawn, these cleaning pros will be there. You'll start your workday with a refreshed, hygienic environment that'll set the right mood for productivity.

And here's the best part – if someone on your regular cleaning team gets sick or needs a day off, the cleaning company will manage the issue by sending a replacement. They'll handle the staffing, so you never have to worry about missed cleaning or disruptions to your routine.

Easier Communication

We get it – cleaning isn't everyone's cup of tea. It can be a tedious and time-consuming task, and let’s face it, it’s only distracting you from your core business responsibilities. But when you hire a contract cleaning company, all those cleaning headaches disappear.

The ease of having professionals handle your office cleaning cannot be overstated. You won't have to worry about managing cleaning supplies, juggling schedules, or deep cleaning requirements. Your contract cleaning company takes care of all the little things as well as the big issues that you may not have been able to handle on your own.

As well as making your day easier, contract cleaners also bring expertise and knowledge to the table. They understand your unique cleaning requirements for the various surfaces and materials in your building, ensuring that your office furniture, fixtures, and flooring are treated with the utmost care.

Plus, with a reliable cleaning schedule in place, you can say goodbye to those last-minute cleaning scrambles before important client meetings or events. A consistently clean workplace not only reflects positively on your business but also helps establish a productive and organised atmosphere for your team.

Time-Saving

Time is money, and wasting it on cleaning tasks can hinder your business's growth. That's why delegating the cleaning duties to a contract cleaning company is a game-changer.

Without the worry of getting stains removed from the waiting area or properly sanitising public areas, your headspace is freed up to focus on the things that matter to you.

The time-saving aspect of hiring a contract cleaner in London goes beyond just the hours spent cleaning. It includes the reduced need for supervision and management of cleaning tasks. With a professional team on board, you can trust that everything will be taken care of without constant oversight.

The best part? A contract cleaning company works around your schedule, ensuring minimal disruption to your daily operations.

Your cleaning contractor is there to make your space spotless, but they’re also there to make your life easier. That can mean working to your time constraints. That means whether you need them early in the morning, late in the evening or during weekends, they'll be there.

With time on your side, you can invest your energy into growing your business. Spend your working hours nurturing client relationships and exploring new opportunities rather than micromanaging crumbs.

The confidence of having a clean and organised office space also translates to a more focused and motivated team, ready to take on any challenge that comes their way.

Expertise

When it comes to cleaning, you can rely on the pros. They have the training and experience to handle all sorts of surfaces, from delicate wood floors to tricky carpets and blinds. With their care and expertise, your furnishings and fixtures will last longer and look better than ever.

Ever wonder how to treat your expensive wood floors properly or get those stubborn carpet stains out? No need to worry. The cleaning gurus have got it covered. They use the right products and techniques to give each surface the care it deserves, ensuring it stays in top-notch condition.

And if your business uses specialised equipment or machinery, it’s not a problem. The right contract cleaning company in London will be able to handle that too, giving you peace of mind knowing everything's in competent hands.

Thinking A Contract Cleaning Company In London Is Right For You?

So, there you have it – five real-life benefits of hiring a London-based contract cleaning company to help you tackle the cleanliness of your workplace, be that an office, warehouse, nursery or any other commercial setting.

With a pristine clean, flexibility, easy communication, time-saving and expert care, your workplace will be a shining example of cleanliness and efficiency.

Ready to make the move to a contract cleaner? Go ahead and request a quote from us at LNC, your reliable contract cleaning company in London, today.

5 Warning Signs To Look For When Choosing A Commercial Cleaning Contractor

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:35:56 GMT

5 Warning Signs To Look For When Choosing A Commercial Cleaning Contractor

Hiring a commercial cleaning contractor? In an ideal world, you’d be able to trust every company you called, but sadly, there are some unscrupulous businesses out there. On the whole, professional cleaning contractors are just that - professional. But every so often, we hear about a rogue trader that’s done dirty to their clients.

Here’s what you should look out for when hiring a commercial cleaning contractor.

Vague Or Extreme Promises

The first sign that something is amiss is if you can’t get a straight answer about the specifics of the work.

When you’re talking to a potential commercial cleaning contractor, pay close attention to how they communicate. What specifics do they provide about their service? A trustworthy contractor will be open and clear about the tasks they’re capable of performing, the kind of cleaning products they use and the frequency and shift length that you’ll get their services.

On top of that, they’ll also be willing to address any specific cleaning needs or concerns you have for your business. That means your initial conversations should last more than just a few minutes!

Before hiring a commercial cleaning contractor, you want to know exactly what they’ll be doing. Having clear expectations from the outset means everyone knows where they stand.

Equally, if the company you’re talking to makes HUGE promises about what they can do, be wary.

Overpromising can be a tactic to lure clients into signing up for services without delivering on their commitments. In the long run, this can lead to frustration and disappointment.

No Reviews Or References

Not being able to read current reviews should give you pause.

Most happy clients are keen to share their experience, if not in a public online review, then in a private email following your request.

One of the best ways to get a clear read on a commercial cleaning contractor's reputation and performance is by checking reviews and asking for references from previous clients.

Established and reputable cleaning companies are proud of their satisfied customers. They’ll readily provide references if you ask. Reviews from other clients can give you valuable insights into the company's reliability, professionalism and, ultimately, the quality of their services.

That’s what a good cleaner can do; what about an unreliable one? Well, suppose a cleaning contractor cannot provide any reviews or references. In that case, it might indicate a lack of experience or a history of dissatisfied clients.

If that’s the case, then exercise caution and consider your other options! Reach out to the references - if you could get your hands on any - and ask about their experiences with the contractor.

Low, Low Cost

Like over-promising, a low-ball quote is often too good to be true.

While cost is an important factor in any business decision, choosing your commercial cleaning contractor solely based on the lowest price could be a big mistake.

If one quote stands out to you as significantly cheaper than others, this could be a red flag. Curiously cheap quotes might indicate that the contractor is cutting corners to offer a more attractive price, which is certainly not what you want for your business.

Quality cleaning services require well-trained staff, proper equipment, and professional-grade cleaning products. Of course, all of this contributes to a fair and reasonable cost, so having a realistic idea of pricing will give you a solid gauge to go by.

A substantially lower price may mean the contractor:

Provides quicker, less thorough cleans to fit more jobs in their schedule
Uses cheaper equipment that may not deliver optimal results
Relies on low-quality cleaning products that may be less effective or potentially harmful
Employs less trained staff, impacting the quality of service provided
Doesn’t pay their staff a livable wage

No Insurance

This one is important because, as a business or commercial space, you need to dot the i’s with your commercial cleaning contractors. The one big thing you should be finding out? Insurance.

Ask about their insurance - you need to know that if anything happens to your staff or equipment because of something the cleaning contractor did, you have recourse with them.

Accidents can happen, and you need to ensure that your business is protected should any mishaps occur during the cleaning process. A reputable cleaning contractor will have a good level of liability insurance, protecting you from potential liabilities arising from injuries to their employees or damage to your property.

Always ask for evidence of their insurance and verify its validity. If a cleaning contractor cannot provide proof of insurance or tries to avoid the topic, you know they may not be operating responsibly.

Working with an uninsured cleaning company leaves your business vulnerable to financial and legal risks, which can be costly and disruptive for you!

Open & Honest

You need to work with a contractor that you can trust. And that trust starts from the first time you meet them.

From your initial meeting, consider how the contractor interacts with you and addresses your concerns. A trustworthy commercial cleaning contractor will be open, approachable and willing to answer any questions you have.

Clear and transparent communication is crucial for ensuring that you understand what services you are paying for, how they will be delivered and any associated costs.

If you feel like you can speak freely and openly to your contractor, you're more likely to be able to talk to them if there’s a problem in the future. If you get the sense that your contractor is hiding something or isn’t responsive to your requests, then that’s a sign that perhaps you should step away from the working relationship.

If your spidey sense tingles and you don’t feel that a contractor is going to be upfront with you, don’t hire them - because there are plenty who will be more than happy to help you the way you want to be helped.

The First Step…

If you find an honest contractor who quotes a fair price and gives you a realistic breakdown of what’s included, AND you can see others have benefitted from their service, then you’re on to a good thing.

By choosing a reliable and trustworthy commercial cleaning contractor, you'll be setting the foundation for a clean, healthy, and welcoming workspace that contributes to your business's success.

Not sure where to start looking for contractors? Get in touch with our friendly and expert team at LNC and request your quote today.

Factory Cleaning Services: 5 Things To Look For In A Cleaning Contractor

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:34:34 GMT

Factory Cleaning Services: 5 Things To Look For In A Cleaning Contractor

Factory cleaning services are a bespoke aspect of cleaning that many cleaning contractors may not offer. That’s because it requires specialist experience, extra time and appropriate gear.

You need to look for certain indicators when searching for a reliable company to help you stay on top of your factory cleaning. They’ll help ensure you’re getting the right company for the job.

What exactly should you be looking out for? We’re here to tell you - and give you all the insider information you need to make an informed decision…

What Makes Factory Cleaning So Different?

Factory cleaning services have their unique quirks and necessities that distinguish them from regular commercial cleaning that you’d find in office spaces or nurseries.

The first and most important factor is the need to uphold specific regulations and industry standards in factories and industrial buildings. These standards are in place for a reason, after all. They exist to guarantee a safe and clean working environment, placing significant responsibility on your factory cleaners to adhere to strict guidelines.

The next is fairly obvious. Many factories run around the clock, with production lines operating 24/7. This can be a big challenge for your cleaners since they need to efficiently perform their duties without causing disruption or downtime to staff.

That means your cleaning contractors must be organised, effective and efficient.

Expertise & Experience

When you’re responsible for a factory space, you’ll be sure of one thing; any cleaning contractor that offers you factory cleaning services needs to know what they’re doing.

It’s important that you verify their experience, whatever they say it may be. Do they understand safe working practices around plant and machinery? This kind of knowledge isn’t just helpful; it’s essential.

By working with a cleaning contractor that understands the needs of a factory, you reduce the burden on you and your team to manage them.

An experienced cleaning team brings a lot to the table that you’ll be glad of. They have a comprehensive understanding of industry regulations and compliance standards, ensuring that your factory operates within legal guidelines.

You’re adding a level of protection to yourself and your factory when working with an experienced cleaning contractor. Not to mention their insurance coverage should safeguard your factory against any potential damages or accidents that could crop up during the cleaning process.

Another advantage of choosing an experienced team is their commitment to ongoing training. More than likely, they will stay up to date with the latest cleaning techniques, technologies, and safety protocols. They’ll do this to benefit their business and yours, which is a practical win-win!

Health & Safety Awareness

Having a cleaning contractor with a strong understanding of health and safety is a must in a factory setting.

While most cleaning contractors have knowledge of general health and safety practices in their business operations, it is essential to find one that understands the specific health and safety considerations within your factory environment, such as tagging in and out around hazardous machinery.

One vital aspect is understanding the chemicals used within your factory and how they may react with cleaning solutions . It’s important not to underestimate this kind of thing because it can quite literally save or cost lives and jeopardise your operations.

A knowledgeable cleaning contractor will have expertise in handling different types of chemicals and ensure proper protocols are followed to prevent any hazardous reactions or risks to employees' health. This should be standard practice.

A reliable cleaning contractor will take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of both their cleaning staff and the factory workers by developing cleaning procedures that minimise the risk of accidents or injuries.

References

Checking out what others have thought of your potential cleaning contractor will help you understand what they’re like to work with.

When considering factory cleaning services, it's important to gather references and conduct thorough research. It doesn’t need to be a drawn-out and stressful process; you can do a few simple things from your computer.

Request references and personally contact previous clients to gain valuable insight into their experience. You can also take the time to explore online reviews and comments about the cleaning contractor on places like Trustpilot and Facebook.

By combining personal references and online research, you can make an informed decision about the reputation, reliability and quality of service they’ve been providing up to this point. Do all this, and you’ll set yourself up for factory cleaning success.

Flexibility

In so many areas of the cleaning industry, flexibility is key.

Choosing a contractor that offers you tailored solutions brings plenty of bonuses. If your contractor can be flexible, they can adapt cleaning schedules to target specific areas during off-peak hours, optimising efficiency and minimising disruption to production.

Clear communication is key, though. Being able to communicate quickly and easily allows for easy adjustments to your cleaning routines and accommodating factory maintenance needs, such as cleaning around machinery during maintenance shutdowns.

With a flexible cleaning contractor, you can enjoy a customised cleaning approach that seamlessly integrates with what you really need.

Assured Service

You want an assured service that can be relied upon and always completed to the same high standard. Many cleaning contractors can get comfortable over time, and standards drop, so how can you get that extra level of assurance?

A major thing to consider when choosing your cleaning company is accreditation and training. Look for a cleaning contractor that keeps on top of training and industry developments by looking through their website and determining whether they prioritise ongoing training. Another good indicator is whether they’re a member of a professional body, like the BICSc , which LNC is a member of.

And as always, don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions when you first get in touch. Ask things like, do you have a service level agreement or contract? What’s the process if I’m unhappy with something?

You want your cleaning contractor to ease the burden of cleaning, not create more admin and hassle.

Factory Cleaning Services That Suit You

If a cleaning company offering factory cleaning services can demonstrate all of the above, you’re probably going to work well together! The truth is that it doesn’t take too much detective work to find out whether a cleaning company is up to date on training, has experience with factory cleaning and has a great track record.

If you’d like to ask us the hard questions about our factory cleaning services, get in touch today for more information and to request a quote.

Nursery Cleaning - Should You Do It Yourself Or Hire A Cleaning Company?

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:45:00 GMT

Nursery Cleaning - Should You Do It Yourself Or Hire A Cleaning Company?

Nurseries must comply with strict guidelines that state the environment must be fit for purpose. Cleanliness is important, but do you really need professionals to help with your nursery cleaning?

Well, with regulations in place to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone’s little ones, nursery cleaning is definitely not a task to be taken lightly.

Let’s weigh the pros and cons of the DIY approach versus hiring a cleaning company, and we’ll explain how to vet nursery cleaning companies and make an informed decision before you hire.

Why Nursery Cleaning Is Important

It goes without saying that a nursery environment requires regular cleaning. However, it's more than just wiping surfaces and running a mop or vacuum around. There are strict guidelines surrounding nursery childcare settings.

With so many nooks and crannies where sticky little fingers can reach, attention must be paid to every corner of the setting.

Areas that involve food, in particular, demand extra care. Proper cleaning not only keeps the space tidy but also reduces the risk of spreading viruses, infections, and other harmful bacteria among staff and children.

Nursery Cleaning: The DIY Choice

One option is to take on the cleaning yourself. As a busy nursery owner, it’s unlikely that you’d have the time to add this task to your to-do list!

The problem is - doing it all yourself to the right standard entails working after everyone has left or before everyone arrives, which can make your day significantly longer. Before you decide to take on the job alone, think of what’s required.

DIY nursery cleaning involves thoroughly cleaning all surfaces, including toys, and paying close attention to cleaning under objects and furniture. Doorways, windows, skirting and toilets also require meticulous cleaning since children still learning to use the toilet may occasionally miss their mark - which is normal but needs cleaning up properly!

The DIY option also comes with a degree of risk. If not done correctly, an outbreak of a virus could occur. This can affect the little ones you care for and your employees, costing you money while they’re off sick.

When it comes to cleaning, it's important to consider the quality of the cleaning solutions you purchase. While supermarket supplies are an option, they don't compare to the effectiveness of professional solutions. Keep in mind that professional solutions may be bulky and require a locked storage cupboard. However, you do have the advantage of choosing eco-conscious cleaning products if that is your preference.

DIY does have some benefits, however. It’s cheaper, and you know the setting very well yourself. For example, if someone had an accident earlier that day, you’ll know exactly which areas need extra attention.

Nursery Cleaning: Using The Pros

Hiring a professional cleaning team for your nursery cleaning brings with it plenty of benefits you’ll be glad of when the kiddos are running around making lots more mess. With their years of experience, professional cleaners can efficiently handle even the largest nursery settings and know exactly what to look for.

Most importantly, they understand the guidelines you have to operate under, so you don’t need to worry about complying with safety and hygiene standards. They’ll be able to stay on top of everything that is required to be clean and safe - and they’ll usually go the extra mile, too, as they know the extra touches you’ll appreciate.

You can schedule professional cleaning services at a convenient time for your nursery, ensuring minimal disruption to your usual daily routine and keeping little ones - and parents - happy not to have their care interrupted. Plus, a contract cleaner will always have you covered, even if your regular cleaner is absent, so no absences or holiday periods to worry about.

Professionals use top-grade equipment and bring their own high-quality cleaning solutions, eliminating the need for you to store hazardous liquids. It can be a hassle, not to mention dangerous, ensuring all your cleaning products are in an out-of-reach place, but it can also be just as inconvenient retrieving all of your products and cleaning gear when the time rolls around yet again.

Professional cleaners’ extensive training enables them to understand cleaning to a much greater degree than your average Joe. By relying on experts, you can focus on providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children without having to become a cleaning expert in the process. Let the professionals take care of the cleaning, allowing you to dedicate your time and energy to caring for little humans.

On the downside, you do have to factor in the cost, and without due diligence, you can end up with a cleaning company that doesn't do the outstanding job you were hoping for.

How To Vet Nursery Cleaning Companies

If you do decide that using a professional company is the right route to go, you want to make sure you find one that will work with you to make your setting hygienic and safe.

Of course, there are considerations to keep in mind w hen choosing a nursery cleaning company. The cost of the service is an important factor, and thorough vetting is necessary to ensure you hire a company that meets your specific requirements.

Checking reviews and recommendations, enquiring about insurance coverage, evaluating the size of the cleaning team, and understanding their training and policies regarding cleaning solutions are all crucial steps in finding the right cleaning contractor for your nursery.

And last but not least, enquire about any background checks carried out on staff, especially if they will be working in your setting unsupervised.

Are You In Need Of Nursery Cleaning Help From A Professional Team?

Cleaning your nursery isn’t a quick job; it’s arduous and time-intensive, with a risk to your reputation if you miss something. But it’s not impossible - just create a checklist that you can work through each day, week and month.

And if all of that sounds like it's too much to take on, a professional team will allow you the downtime you need. Get in touch with LNC to request a quote today.

The Dirty Secrets Hiding In Your Office Carpet & Why Regular Cleaning Is A Must!

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:38:58 GMT

The Dirty Secrets Hiding In Your Office Carpet & Why Regular Cleaning Is A Must!

Carpet is a fairly common feature in office buildings. It has many benefits, including better insulation, reduced noise and a nice aesthetic. You’re most likely to find carpet in boardrooms, receptions and private offices, but plenty of workplaces use carpet throughout their whole building.

And while we can wax lyrical about the great qualities of carpet, you have to also understand that it has a greater need for cleaning - and carpet cleaning can often be overlooked to the detriment of your flooring.

Get ready to discover the gruesome things lurking in your carpet fibres…

The Hidden Nasties: What You’re Walking On

Even low-pile carpets, with their shorter and tigh ter loops of fibre, can become a haven for dirt, dust, and allergens like pollen.

That’s not to mention the grime transferred underfoot from outdoors, including animal urine, faecal matter, and even spit. Bacteria, germs, liquid spillages, crumbs, dust mites, and fleas can also find their way into your carpet fibres simply from normal daily usage.

But don’t rip up the carpets just yet. With proper care and regular cleaning, your carpet can remain a clean and comfortable part of your office. Sounds disgusting, but carpet really isn’t - as long as proper care is taken to keep it clean.

The Health Risks Of A Dirty Carpet

With those ti ny, troublesome nasties in mind, we, unfortunately, have more bad news to share.

A dirty carpet poses various health risks that you may not even be aware of - in fact, most people don’t realise what’s trapped in their dirty office carpets.

Individuals with allergies are at the greatest risk. The presence of dust, pet dander, and pollen in carpet fibres can trigger allergic reactions. Additionally, bacteria and germs that flourish in unclean carpets can cause illness and infections. Your staff may come into indirect contact with the carpet unknowingly, such as by placing their bag on the floor and then touching their face after picking it up.

If allergies and illnesses weren’t enough, there are also critters. Bug bites from fleas or dust mites are an infrequent but very real concern. The unpleasant odour emanating from a dirty carpet can be particularly bothersome for those with sensitive noses too.

So, to maintain a healthy working environment, regular and professional carpet cleaning is essential in order to minimise these health risks and make sure your workspace is safe.

A Clean Routine

You need a clean routine, but where do you start? Whatever you do, don't underestimate the importance of regularly cleaning your office carpet. A clean carpet not only enhances the overall feeling of your workspace but also plays an important role in promoting a hygienic atmosphere for everyone who steps into your office.

By implementing a clean routine and taking preventive measures, you can ensure that your office carpet remains in top condition. Consider a routine that includes…

Daily Vacuuming: The foundation of any carpet cleaning routine is regular vacuuming. This simple yet effective task helps remove loose dirt, dust, and debris from the carpet's surface. Make it a habit to vacuum your office carpet daily to prevent the accumulation of allergens and maintain a fresh look.

Deep Cleaning: In addition to daily vacuuming, deep cleaning your office carpet every few months is essential to eliminate embedded dirt, stains, and allergens that regular vacuuming might miss. Deep cleaning methods such as steam cleaning can effectively cleanse carpet fibres. This process rejuvenates the appearance as well as improves indoor air quality.

Preventive Measures: Alongside regular cleaning, taking preventive measures can significantly extend the lifespan of your office carpet and keep it cleaner for longer. Placing doormats at entryways helps trap dirt and moisture before they even reach the carpeted areas, ultimately reducing the amount of debris tracked in.

Bonus tip: Creating designated break areas with proper facilities for your staff to enjoy their meals away from workstations promotes a more hygienic office environment. It also encourages employees to take well-deserved breaks away from their desks!

A well-maintained carpet not only enhances the aesthetics of your office but also contributes to a productive and comfortable working environment for everyone. So, make it a priority to invest in the cleanliness of your office carpet and reap the benefits of a pristine and inviting workspace.

Professional Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning isn’t something you can easily do yourself. There is equipment you can hire, but it’s not as simple as it seems. Too dry and you don’t get a good clean; too wet and you end up with a soggy carpet that risks mould growth.

Carpet cleaning is often best left to the professionals, and yes, we’re a bit biased!

When it comes to carpet cleaning, trust the experts at LNC. With our specialised knowledge and experience, we deliver superior results that DIY methods simply can't match.

Plus, hiring a professional company ensures you're covered by insurance, providing peace of mind. LNC's advanced equipment and techniques effectively remove dirt, stains and allergens, revitalising your carpet and freeing up your time.

By integrating our services into your regular cleaning schedule, you’ll maintain a healthier environment and extend the lifespan of your carpet. Don't settle for subpar results or unseen health risks - opt for professional carpet cleaning to enjoy a fresh, clean, and well-cared-for carpet in your space.

What Dirty Secrets Is Your Office Carpet Hiding?

So, if you’re looking at your office carpet with horror, wondering what’s lurking beneath your feet, get in touch with LNC for your professional carpet cleaning. Request a quote today from our office carpet cleaning professionals, and you can keep your carpet safe, clean and smelling great for your employees and visitors.

Are Cheap Commercial Cleaners Worth The Cost

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:10:07 GMT

Are Cheap Commercial Cleaners Worth The Cost?

Everyone is looking to reduce their costs - at home and in business. In fact, companies SHOULD review their outgoings regularly to ensure they’re meeting their financial goals.

Often that can mean looking for cheap options - cheaper office printer paper, cheaper coffee for the staff room - but what about cheap commercial cleaners?

We look at whether cheap commercial cleaners are worth the cost…

The Importance Of Commercial Cleaners

Maintaining a clean and tidy workspace is so important for the well-being of your staff - not to mention the smooth running of your business.

Commercial cleaners, the ones you trust with your building, have a vital role in helping you create a welcoming, comfortable and, above all, safe environment. This kind of clean atmosphere is usually a key component to encouraging productivity and professional connection.

Forget cheap commercial cleaners… Reliable and accredited commercial cleaners with the right expertise and team can give you so much more than a clean carpet and tidy desks. This is because regular and thorough cleaning reduces the risk of accidents and pests like ants and rodents and extends the lifespan of things like your furniture, fittings and any equipment you rely on.

This kind of attention to detail is helpful, particularly in built-up areas like London, where air quality can be a concern. Commercial cleaners help ensure a clean and fresh atmosphere so everyone can breathe easy and spend more time focusing on their work - rather than worrying about their health!

When you invest in the importance of commercial cleaners, you create a healthy and thriving workplace for your team.

Why Cheap Commercial Cleaners Are A Risk

The saying ‘buy cheap, pay twice’ comes to mind. When you pay less for something, you may reduce the financial impact, but at what other cost?

Cheap cleaners still need to make a living, so they may do this by cutting corners to reduce THEIR costs. You may need to be able to accept these drawbacks if getting a low price is what is most important to you.

To help you decide whether you’re simply looking for the cheapest solution or the best solution to commercial cleaning your building, here are the aspects that are often skimped on with cheap commercial cleaners…

Inexperience, limited training and no expertise

Would you use a hairdresser that just bought a pair of scissors and watched a YouTube video? Even if they were super cheap? It’s unlikely because you appreciate the skill that hairdressing takes. Commercial cleaning is more than pushing a mop about, and experience matters.

Lack of proper equipment, products & insurance

Commercial cleaners bring with them a truckload (sometimes an actual truckload!) of equipment and solutions because a quality job needs quality equipment. Cheap commercial cleaners often use budget things - including insurance coverage - that just isn't up to the job.

Bad cleaning

Sorry, but we’re calling a spade a spade. Cheap cleaning is all too often bad cleaning. A cursory swipe of a duster, a quick zap with a hoover and a few bin changes. And then they’re dashing off to the next job.

Why? Because cheap cleaners need to work twice as fast to make a livable wage. Which makes the ethical point, if the contractor you’re using isn’t paying their staff well, do you want to be part of that problem?

The cleaning industry has a reputation for using cheap labour, and ethical businesses like LNC are making a stand against that. That means paying skilled cleaners their worth, which of course, impacts the cost, but also means every one of the team is happy to give their job their all.

The Hidden Costs Of Cheap Commercial Cleaners

Beware of the temptation to choose cheap commercial cleaners, as the consequences can far outweigh the initial savings.

Opting for low-cost commercial cleaning services puts you at a higher risk of property damage without proper insurance coverage. An unhygienic environment poses greater danger to your staff, increasing the chances of illness and accidents. It’s important to take into account the extra workload that awaits you or your team if you settle for subpar cleaners.

You'll end up either taking on the cleaning responsibilities yourself or wasting valuable time resolving issues. Make quality a priority by investing in trustworthy commercial cleaners to steer clear of these hidden pitfalls.

Cheap vs Quality

Paying less for something means there’s often a cost somewhere else. Paying a little more for your cleaning services may save you more time and money in the long run.

Cheap commercial cleaning has more significant long-term implications; time sorting issues, risks to your team and damage to your property. Let’s face it, if you’re already running or managing a business or commercial space, you don’t need anything else to worry about.

On the contrary, you need a team who will take the worry of cleaning and hygiene off your shoulders completely.

A quality commercial cleaning team comes with more benefits…

Experience and training - they should be members of a professional body to demonstrate that they carry out a high standard
Use professional-grade equipment - but don’t forget, the expertise in knowing how to use it is just as important!
Consistent and accountable service - trust the people you’re allowing into your building & rely on a high standard of cleaning.

Cheap Now Or Cheap Overall

Cheap commercial cleaning is usually a short-term fix. Especially when you factor in the time you spend resolving issues or chasing the cleaner to resolve them, Plus, there’s the possibility of being unable to claim on their insurance if they break something. In short, going cheap just moves the cost down the road.

Perhaps we’re biased because we put value above cost and only offer quality cleaning services that our clients are delighted with, or perhaps it's because we’ve stepped in and picked up the pieces after cheap commercial cleaners have failed enough time to know - sometimes cheap is VERY expensive!

Cheap Commercial Cleaning Vs. Professional Commercial Cleaning…

Only you know your biggest priority when it comes to the hygiene and cleanliness of your commercial premises. If you’re looking to save money and don’t mind corners being cut, then cheap cleaners are a solid option, but at LNC, we will always deliver professional, quality commercial cleaning to a high standard that really gives you value for money.

To find out the cost of hiring a professional commercial cleaner, simply request a quote here .

Warehouse Cleaning: 3 Things You Need To Know Before You Hire A Cleaner

PH800083 — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:09:54 GMT

Warehouse Cleaning: 3 Things You Need To Know Before You Hire A Cleaner

Running a warehouse isn’t easy - there’s a lot to think about, from incoming and outgoing stock or items to managing staff.

Add in the burden of ongoing maintenance and cleaning, and you might find things start to slip. That’s where hiring a contract cleaning company can help - not only do you relieve yourself of the stress of the day-to-day chore of cleaning, you can be assured that it is done to an impeccable standard.

But before you hire a professional for your warehouse cleaning, here are 3 things you need to consider first.

Why Warehouse Cleaning Is Unique

Warehouse cleaning isn’t like cleaning at home, nor is it like other commercial cleaning jobs, like office cleaning. That’s because warehouses are unlike any other type of building.

Warehouses have so many unique aspects to them. From a large floor space and multiple fiddly surfaces to sensitive and delicate stock, there are a lot of things that need careful consideration before you dive in with a vacuum and a duster.

A cleaning company needs to know exactly what’s required in order to deliver the standard of cleanliness that you’re looking for. This includes making sure your warehouse and all of your goods and equipment are not damaged or moved during the process.

Warehouses are often busy 24 hours a day, with every shift as busy as the other. There’s no sneaking inside in the early hours to clean before the workers arrive because, more often than not, there are always people working.

Not to mention, warehouses have people, stock, machinery, staff rooms and facilities, as well as office space. All of this needs to be considered and taken into account when deciding how to quickly, efficiently and safely clean.

A reliable contract cleaner needs to know how to manage all of these things and get consistently excellent results.

The Benefits Of Warehouse Cleaning

The benefits of having a clean warehouse go beyond just having a dust-free environment - although that’s a pretty big one! Warehouse cleaning is an essential part of running your warehouse and business, but you’ll also be reaping the rewards once the cleaning is done.

With a regularly, professionally cleaned warehouse, you’ll be getting the benefits of….

Hygiene - Lower incidence of illness within your workforce thanks to the reduced risk of contamination.

Maintenance - Keeps floors, machinery and equipment in good condition and working for longer.

Safety - Reduces the risk of slips, trips and accidents.

Aesthetics - Looks better, resulting in better employee mood and engagement.

Productivity - People can work faster in an organised, clean workplace.

Alternatively, consider the effect on your warehouse if you don’t ensure consistent levels of cleanliness. A quick clean with a broom after you’ve finished your shift will only go so far in maintaining a safe, pristine and functional warehouse space.

What Do You Need?

Your warehouse will likely have its own considerations that you need to make a cleaning contractor aware of. Before you start the hunt for a cleaner, you need to assess what you need to be done and how often.

By having a clear idea of the specific things required to achieve a good cleaning in your warehouse, you’ll be able to better assess your budget and understand the kind of cleaner you require.

Some of the important factors to think about might include:

The area and size of the space that needs cleaning.
The complexity of the space - spread over different floors? Mezzanine? Machinery?
General clean vs deep clean (a deep clean takes longer and covers areas that a general clean doesn’t. Many warehouses opt to have regular deep cleans - about once a month - in between general cleans).

What To Look For In A Warehouse Cleaning Contractor

Now you know what you require from your warehouse cleaning team, you need to know what to look for.

Not all cleaners are the same, and you can easily end up feeling frustrated with your choice if you don’t put time into vetting your options. Rather than end up having to hire and fire numerous cleaners, use these points to filter out those who can deliver what you need;

Team vs one-man-band

A team means your cleaning will be more efficient, and you won’t risk missed cleans due to illness or holiday.

Training & Experience
Specific warehouse cleaning knowledge and accreditation is vital for a reliable and safe clean.

Insurance

Have some extra peace of mind knowing your cleaning team is prepared for anything.

Flexibility

A certain amount of flexibility in timing is usually necessary when cleaning warehouses.

Equipment & Products

The wrong cleaning products or incorrect cleaning equipment can leave your warehouse less than pristine.

Transparency of contract

A trustworthy cleaning contract will be clear, easy to read and honest, showing exactly what is included and what is not.

Working Together

Your cleaning contractor will quickly become a vital part of your warehouse team. You’ll depend on them to provide a regular and reliable service.

You’ll need to have great communication with your cleaners to keep things running smoothly. Whether that’s to report an issue, make a special request or discuss aspects of your warehouse cleaning.

You need a cleaning contractor who is capable of clear and friendly communication in addition to the cleaning side of things. Because the alternative is a cleaner, who may be unclear on your changing needs and unreachable when you need them most.

By ensuring that your chosen warehouse cleaning team are proficient at communicating and collaborating, you’ll save yourself problems in the future and have a stronger sense of trust in your team.

Are You In Need Of A Professional Warehouse Cleaner?

A cleaning contractor can transform how your warehouse looks and operates, but only if you pick the right one. If you spend time identifying your needs and select a cleaning team that can deliver what you need with great back-office support, you’ll wonder how you ever did without one!

Request a quote from our expert warehouse cleaning team here.

Why Does A Commercial Cleaner Cost So Much?

PH800083 — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:46:14 GMT

Why Does A Commercial Cleaner Cost So Much?

The time has come to put down your Marigolds and invest in a cleaner to clean your workspace so you don’t have to. Let’s face it, that time could be much better spent concentrating on the work you’re supposed to be doing rather than cleaning the workspace for others.

So hiring a commercial cleaner seems to be the obvious next step. But after a bit of research into companies within the area, you’re starting to wonder what it is that makes a commercial cleaner cost so much.

The benefits of commercial cleaning are obvious. It is an important service for busy workplaces where issues of hygiene and tidiness have a big impact on both the impression customers or clients have of your business and how your employees feel about spending the day at work. Professional cleaning can also help save you money when it comes to prolonging the lifespan of things like carpets and soft furnishings.

But still, cleaning products and a cleaner’s salary shouldn’t amount to that much. So what is it that goes into a commercial cleaner cost? Let’s find out…

Insurance

As a business owner or manager, you will know the importance of insurance - and not just the most basic cover. A commercial cleaning business, like any other business, faces various risks and liabilities while operating. Insurance plays a crucial role in mitigating those risks and providing financial protection in case of unforeseen events or accidents.

Commercial cleaning businesses are often responsible for expensive and valuable equipment, supplies and office space and therefore require cover that protects it. This can help if any property needs replacing or repair, minimising the financial impact on the business.

A commercial cleaning business will also need liability coverage, protecting it against claims of property damage or bodily injury caused by the cleaning activities. For example, if someone slips and falls on a wet floor, liability insurance can cover the costs of legal fees.

Insurance coverage needs will vary depending on the nature, size, and location of a cleaning business, but as you will know, good business insurance doesn’t come cheap. So this is worth bearing in mind when you’re questioning a commercial cleaner cost.

Quality of Service

We all know that quality costs. You don’t buy a 99p burger and expect gourmet dining.

A commercial cleaning company has to make some significant investments to ensure you get the high-quality service required. And these will be passed on in the commercial cleaner cost. Investments include:

Paying Staff A Good Living Wage

If a cleaner is working for the bare minimum and staff members are gaining very little from their job, they are more than likely to jump ship when a better offer comes along. Unfortunately, this may mean you have a different cleaner in your workspace every week. A good salary attracts quality staff who take pride in their work. And better retention means consistency for your workplace cleaning.

Staff Training

Ongoing training ensures staff are always performing to a high standard and learning any new techniques out there. But training days and conferences, and similar things also cost a business money, which needs to be covered. This is therefore passed on in the commercial cleaner cost.

Equipment And Products

Pound shop cleaning fluids are perfectly acceptable for your own home, but a commercial cleaner can’t get away with this. Professional grade means a better clean, with equipment that does an outstanding job with better capabilities.

Staff Back Up

Commercial cleaning companies have more than a couple of employees to ensure if an individual cleaner suffers from sickness or takes a holiday, there will still be someone to clean your workplace as usual. This helps ensure the uninterrupted service you are after.

Business Expenses

Running any business comes with expenses, and along with the insurance, staffing and product costs we’ve already mentioned, there are further expenses which have to be included in a commercial cleaner cost. These include:

Marketing - promoting the company to attract clients.
Vehicle costs - transportation costs, including fuel, tolls and charges, vehicle maintenance and vehicle insurance.
Uniform.
Training - essential training including health & safety and certification of employees.
Professional services - either paying a specialist or hiring someone in-house to help with accounts and HR.
Office rent or lease - if the company has an office, rent and any utilities will be a further expense.

Professional Fees

There are also fees involved for joining professional bodies, such as BICs, the cleaning industry’s recognised professional and educational body. Membership shows a commercial cleaner’s commitment to high standards of cleaning and regular training. It also ensures the company is up to date with new practices and developments.

Business Profit

A commercial cleaner has to make a profit just like any other business. It can’t manage your cleaning team, provide an outstanding cleaning service and maintain equipment without remuneration (I mean, we love what we do, but not quite that much!). And don’t forget, if a business isn’t making a profit, it’s at risk of going under. So bear this in mind when you are trying to calculate a commercial cleaner cost.

If the commercial cleaning company you find is doing the job well and thriving as a business, you should feel reassured that they can offer continuity of service, and you won’t be left having to find a new one.

A Fully Transparent Service

Many factors need to be considered when studying a commercial cleaner cost. You’re not just paying for a cleaner; you’re paying for the full service. And the time and energy it will save you is priceless.

At LNC Services, we provide a full cost breakdown for every job. This will highlight what we pay the cleaners, what costs are incurred from products and what profit we make. So you know exactly where your money is going. Contact us to request a quote here .

4 Common Problems With Cleaning Contractors And How You Can Avoid Them

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:56:18 GMT

4 Common Problems With Cleaning Contractors - And How You Can Avoid Them

Are you thinking about hiring a cleaning company but worried about potential problems with cleaning contractors? Looking for some tips on how to avoid them?

Whether you’re looking to hire a cleaning contractor for an office, a nursery or a factory, the whole point is to make your life easier, so you can spend time concentrating on your job rather than the job of cleaners in your workspace. The last thing you want is to start chasing up unfinished work or spending hours trying to get through to customer support.

We’ve put together a list of some common problems with cleaning contractors you could face and how to avoid them. Following these simple guidelines should save you some time and mean you can turn up to a workplace that’s looking spick and span, leaving you to get on with your day’s work.

1: Unreliability

You’ve happily picked up your morning coffee and enjoyed the stroll into work, but your happy mood soon deteriorates when you find that the bins are still overflowing from yesterday’s rubbish and the floors are still scattered with Tony’s sandwich crumbs!

Walking into your office to find the cleaning hasn’t been done is number 1 on the annoyance list of problems with cleaning contractors. Now imagine that it’s a nursery where 50 children and their parents are about to descend on the place only to find the floors are still sticky from yesterday’s messy play!

How Do You Avoid Unreliable Cleaning Contractors?

It can be difficult to know for sure whether the cleaning contractor you’re hiring will be reliable until you start using them. Really, it’s down to the reliability of the individual cleaners they have hired. But obviously, some resources can give us an inkling about the quality of a company’s services and staff.

First up, it’s important to check out their reputation before hiring. Any credible company will have client testimonials and will more than likely have reviews online, so do your research.

When you think you’ve found the right one, you must ensure they can cover staff absence. Ask what their procedures are for staff absence and make sure they have a backup.

At LNC Services, we do everything we can to ensure no-show scenarios don’t happen. We have area supervisors who can step in if a cleaner can’t make the job and a support system to help in such cases.

2: Poor Management

One of the pros of hiring a cleaning contractor over a self-employed cleaner (you can check out more pros and cons here) is that they should provide a layer of management to ensure a smooth process. If you don’t want to be the one chasing things up or having to find a replacement cleaner when they don’t show, then this is a great solution for you.

Unfortunately, poor management is one of the common problems with cleaning contractors and can mean:

Poor Communication - if you have a problem with the cleaning or someone hasn’t turned up, you need to have a point of contact that is easy to reach. If no one is answering your calls, it can be extremely infuriating. And if there’s no system in place for sending messages to the cleaning team or complaining about poor service, then the hiring of a contractor seems a bit pointless.

Bad Admin - if you’re hiring a contractor, then they should have someone who deals with all the invoicing and accounts. If invoices are not sent on time or are incorrect, you are, again, going to have to spend time chasing them up and getting them changed.

No Accountability - when something goes wrong, you need to know who’s going to deal with it and solve the problem. Some cleaning contractors will blame their staff/individual cleaners and offer no resolution to you. A good cleaning contractor should ensure that if a problem arises, they can offer you a solution.

How Do You Avoid Hiring A Cleaning Contractor With Poor Management?

When hiring a cleaning contractor, speak with the team about their processes. Ask how they deal with any problems that happen and what their system is for dealing with bad service or no-shows. If they seem vague and unsure, it is probably best to avoid them.

Here at LNC Services, clients can access the managing director directly, using whatever platform they choose - e-mail, call or even WhatsApp. This means we can resolve any issues quickly without you having to deal with any frustrating call centres or answering services.

We also plan monthly visits with both our clients and our cleaners to check in and ensure your expectations are being met, and identify any potential problems before you feel the need to pick up the phone.

3: Poor Cleaning Service

A frequent complaint when looking into common problems with cleaning contractors is simply doing a bad job of cleaning. They may start well, but after a while get comfortable and start cutting corners. The cleaning service deteriorates over time, and the sparkly clean toilets and spotless floors are no more.

When the cleaning service deteriorates, you may find you are dealing with reoccurring issues, such as emptying the bins, even though you’ve mentioned them on numerous occasions.

Poor cleaning isn't just a one-off bad day; everyone has those. It becomes a problem when you find yourself having to chase up problems regularly.

How Do You Avoid Hiring A Cleaning Contractor That Won’t Do A Consistent Job?

To try to avoid this particular problem with your cleaning contractors, you can ask to speak to current clients before you hire them. Though it is unlikely the contractor is going to put you in contact with a client they know they are not providing a good service to; you may be able to get a bit more of an idea of any problems that could arise.

Having a trial period is also important. Though you may find the service deteriorates after the trial period is up, at least you can filter out any contractors that are not up to scratch from the start.

When signing a contract for a cleaning service, it is important to check it covers the process for addressing any concerns. There should always be a system for getting out of the contract if the contractor is providing a consistently poor service and is doing nothing to resolve it.

You can also check if a cleaning contractor is a member of any professional body. These professional bodies tend to have expectations to meet, so can give you some assurance of a certain level of service.

LNC Services is both BICs and SafeContractor accredited. This shows our commitment to professional standards of cleaning, the development and training of our team and health & safety procedures.

4: High Staff Turnover

Another issue that comes up for businesses facing problems with cleaning contractors is a high staff turnover. You may find that every day or week, you are dealing with a different cleaner.

This makes it difficult to build up any kind of relationship between on-site cleaners and staff, which can be really useful, especially if there are certain nooks and crannies that are always missed unless pointed out.

Different cleaners arriving each week can also mean extra work in terms of security. You can’t just have anybody walking into an office or nursery without checking ID, but if you have a familiar face turning up daily, this isn’t necessary each time.

How Do You Avoid Hiring A Cleaning Contractor With a High Staff Turnover?

If a cleaning contractor has a high staff turnover, it is usually due to a lack of competitive wages and benefits.

If you don’t want a different cleaner turning up to your workspace every day, you can ask your cleaning contractor to be transparent about the retention of their cleaners. If you sense that they are only offering the minimum wage, with no bonus or further benefits, it is more than likely that their cleaners’ job satisfaction doesn’t rank high. They are, therefore, less inclined to provide a good service and more than likely to jump to another contractor or business if a higher salary potential arises.

Here at LNC, we insist on paying our cleaners the London living wage of £11.95 as opposed to the minimum wage of £10.42. We aim to be more ethical than many within the industry, which is renowned for low salaries and poor job satisfaction. To us, our employees are just as important as our clients.

Due Diligence Is Key

The biggest piece of advice we can offer is to exercise due diligence. If you want to avoid problems with cleaning contractors and don’t want to get stuck with one that doesn’t deliver, doing your research and asking the right questions will help you filter out the bad eggs.

Here at LNC Services, we pride ourselves in the service and communication we provide to our clients. If you’re looking to hire a cleaning contractor that offers a transparent and personal service, contact us for a quote .

Cleaning Company vs Self-Employed Cleaner: The Pros and Cons

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 09:52:08 GMT

Cleaning Company vs Self-Employed Cleaner: The Pros and Cons

Debating whether you need a cleaning company vs self-employed cleaner? If you’re looking for a cleaner to keep your workspace hygienic and clean, chances are you have come across different types of organisations that say they can help you.

The most common setups are cleaning companies and self-employed cleaners, both of which can offer a different range of advantages and disadvantages that might intrigue you.

But what’s the difference, and is one more suitable for you than the other?

Cleaning Companies: An Overview

A genuine cleaning company should be a registered company on the Companies House database. They will have a director or directors who are responsible for the running of the company.

Staff are employed, meaning the company they work for pays their tax, they have a contract of employment and they’re entitled to sick, holiday and maternity pay.

Companies tend to have a larger team too, because they usually operate on a bigger scale with a highly specified set of services that can be replicated easily.

Self-Employed Cleaner: An Overview

Self-employed cleaners operate as themselves. They don’t have a company, their business is purely an extension of themselves.

Self-employed people pay taxes through self-assessment tax returns , but they don’t always get the same assurances in regard to sick pay and holiday time off.

They often work alone but can work with other self-employed people as a team. However, they would be responsible for their own invoices and taxes.

Some companies use self-employed cleaners on a sub-contracting basis, but this has limitations. They can’t work for just one company, must have other clients, can’t wear uniforms and can send someone else in their place if needed.

Cleaning Company: The Pros and Cons

So which is better for you, a cleaning company vs self-employed cleaner? A cleaning company has many benefits, and some drawbacks to consider.

The Pros

Support Of A Whole Team

Cleaning companies are most likely made up of a team of cleaners, and this is great because it means you get the benefit of a variety of different expertise and experience, and more people means more cover for sick and holiday leave.

Having a team means, if necessary, more than one person tackling the job making it much faster - which is important for those industries who need a quick turnaround. Teams also mean that there’s a greater degree of flexibility as different people can do different shifts.

Accountability

A cleaning company may have better accountability because of their set-up. The person doing your cleaning has an upline, a manager to oversee them and hold them accountable to a high standard of work.

You can also do your due diligence far easier - a company will have an established record so you can look for testimonials and reviews. Self-employed cleaners can change the name of the business with much more ease meaning they can escape any bad feedback.

Easier Billing

A company will likely have a robust invoicing process and a wider variety of payment options. If the company is VAT registered and you pay VAT, you could be able to offset the VAT paid too.

Equipment & Product Quality

A cleaning company is more likely to have the resources to invest in high-quality professional equipment and products. This means a high cleaning standard done with the proper equipment and chemicals, and no corners cut.

Cover A Larger Area

A company with a team can cover a larger area, so if you have more than one location, you can use the same company throughout. This can give you a bit more peace of mind that standards are being upheld at all locations.

The Cons

Higher Cost

When it comes to a cleaning company vs self-employed cleaner in terms of cost, a cleaning company is likely more expensive because of the additional responsibility to employees, insurance and costs associated with running a business that can give you all the pros above.

Not Direct Line To Cleaner

Your queries are filtered through a manager or team leader, rather than the cleaner who does your office space or commercial property. Can be a more convoluted way of communicating specific requests. That is unless the company facilitates direct cleaner communication like we do at LNC, for a simpler process.

Less Flexibility

A company might not be as agile at the last minute, so if you decide you need an extra hour, it can’t be spur of the moment. They’ll need more time to adjust to your needs. That said, a smaller cleaning company, like LNC, can still be flexible and adaptable to suit your needs.

Less Personal

Dealing with a customer service department or faceless call handler can feel like you’re not important. Some people may prefer to deal one on one with the same person attending their building. Again, this isn’t the case with all cleaning companies. At LNC, you’ll always deal with the same people, so we get to know you, your business and your needs.

Self-Employed Cleaner: The Pros And Cons

If you’re wondering whether a cleaning company vs self-employed cleaner is a fair match, consider the advantages and disadvantages of working with a self-employed cleaner.

The Pros

Adaptable

A self-employed cleaner is just an individual, so they can easily change how they operate as per your requests. Their roster may be more flexible, however with a busy self-employed cleaner that often isn’t the case as they have a full schedule and only themselves to service all the clients.

Dedicated

A self-employed cleaner represents their whole business so they may be willing to go the extra mile to ensure your satisfaction. This could mean doing small favours or throwing in added extras and personal touches that you wouldn’t otherwise get.

Lower Cost

This may not be true of all self-employed cleaners, but it’s likely that they will be the less expensive option. This is because they won’t have the same kind of overheads to account for in their pricing, compared to a cleaning company that has a more professional outfit.

The Cons

One Cleaner

One cleaner might need longer to do the job than a dedicated team. This means they can’t handle large spaces or tight turnarounds.

Service Disruption

With a self-employed cleaner, you’re much more likely to have service disruption. If your cleaner is ill, or they have children off school, or they are on holiday there’s usually no one to cover. Or if they do have someone who will stand in for them, they’re less familiar with your environment and you can’t be certain of the standards to expect.

Taxes

If you are their only client, you could be deemed to be a de-facto employer and be liable for their tax and owe them holiday pay. It’s important to make this distinction clear.

Lesser Insurance

A self-employed individual may need to be more keen on their overheads so have lesser insurance coverage. This could cause issues if accidents or incidents happen.

Standards

There’s no one to ensure a singular maintained standard. Some - certainly not all - cleaners can become more relaxed with their standard after a while. They may rely on an individual's skill and expertise to remain consistent.

Cleaning Company Vs Self-Employed Cleaner: Factors You Should Consider

When you’re deciding between a cleaning company vs self-employed cleaner, take into account the whole picture, not just the basic service offer.

Value, Not Just Cost

Cost is a factor, but if paying a little more means a faster, better standard of work, it’s a worthwhile investment. Even a small amount of money paid for a job poorly done, is money wasted.

Size And Complexity Of The Job

Not all jobs are created equal. An office clean is a totally different thing from a warehouse clean. Some jobs will need a team or specialised knowledge, so make sure your cleaner has the experience and tools for your specific needs.

Frequency

If you need a daily clean, you may be better off using a company that can manage your demand. A single self-employed cleaner may not be able to uphold standards while running themselves ragged to get the same work done.

Reputation & Reliability

Find out what previous clients and even other businesses think of your prospective cleaner. Check out reviews and don’t be afraid to ask for their experience and similar jobs.

Insurance

Proper insurances go a long way to give you peace of mind and let you know the people cleaning your building are prepared for anything.

Professional body membership

Being a member of a professional body such as BICS and SafeContractor demonstrates a dedication to the industry and standards.

Cleaning Company Vs Self-Employed Cleaner?

Overall a cleaning company can manage large jobs reliably to a high standard, while self-employed cleaners can be more agile and personal. Which one is right for you depends entirely on your unique requirements.

But a company that has a personal approach means you get the best of both worlds - and that’s us! Find out what LNC can do for you by requesting a quote today .

5 Questions To Ask A Commercial Cleaning Company Before You Hire Them

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:37:45 GMT

5 Questions To Ask A Commercial Cleaning Company Before You Hire Them

A clean, hygienic office or workspace is essential. It’s something many take for granted. A good commercial cleaning company is often unseen - coming in when everyone has long since left the building. They put right what’s been disturbed and sullied during the day. When a great cleaning company leaves their workplace, it’s gleaming and pristine.

At least it should be.

Sadly, the cleaning industry - like others - has some brilliant businesses and some not-so-great ones. So how do you avoid hiring the ones that cut corners or miss things? How do you make sure the cleaning company on your books does things to the standard you want?

You start with a filtering process. Before you commit to anyone, you ask these questions. The answers will help you sort the good from the bad.

Question 1: What Services Do You Provide?

Let’s start easy. There’s no point going further if the company doesn't offer what you need.

To the average Joe, cleaning is cleaning. But to people like us, who eat, breathe and sleep cleaning, there’s a whole host of differences in the type of service you actually get.

Here are some examples to help illustrate what this means:

In one situation a nursery doesn’t just need the floors cleaned - the walls are often covered in little sticky fingerprints and the nappy changing areas need sanitising. This nursery likes to have regular deep cleans or bio-fogging to keep bugs and viruses (which tend to be rifer in nurseries and pre-schools) at bay.

In another situation, a beautifully restored office building with original wood flooring can get by with a standard floor sweep and mop. But a specialised wood floor cleaning regimen means that the stunning features are lovingly maintained.

By finding out what services they provide from the basics to the specialist, you know who is ready to proceed to the next question…

Question 2: Are You Insured?

Picture this - you hire a cleaning company to visit your offices for daily cleans. While the cleaners are doing their work, they accidentally spill a large container of bleach onto your expensive carpeting in the reception.

The carpet is mostly destroyed and will need to be replaced promptly with a carpet of equal quality. Although, no matter what there will likely be disruption for clients visiting your premises.

As a business owner or manager yourself, your first thought would probably go straight to insurance. The cleaners made a mistake, but you and your business shouldn’t have to pay the price. A good cleaning company knows this.

So what type of insurance should a commercial cleaning company have?

There is a wide range of insurance products available to a commercial cleaning company. Some of them are optional but good to have, while others are absolutely essential. For instance, public liability is a must. It protects a company against any claims or charges made against them or their cleaners.

By law, a company with workers should also have employer’s liability. Cleaning contractors usually have many expensive tools and hardware, so tools and equipment insurance is important to protect their own assets.

Be sure to understand exactly what insurance the commercial cleaning company you’re hiring has, so you can be certain that the level of cover provided meets your needs.

Question 3: What’s Your Experience & Expertise?

Experience matters. It gives you peace of mind that the people who are responsible for something as important as the hygiene and cleanliness of your workplace know what they are doing.

When you choose your cleaning company, you want to be sure your business is in safe hands. There are times when you want the reassurance of knowing that your cleaner knows what they’re doing because they’ve done it a hundred times before - for example, if you have a particular problem, such as the requirement for floors in your warehouse to be dry and slip-free by the time your staff return in the morning.

Experience isn’t the only thing that can indicate a reliable commercial cleaning company. Accreditations can go a long way in ensuring safety and high standards of work.

For cleaners specifically, accreditations such as Safe Contractor and the British Institute of Cleaners are strong indicators that your prospective cleaning company can be trusted with your building.

Question 4: Who Are Your Team?

Knowing who will be in your workplace is vital. The cleaning team has access to your space - often including private offices - so you must do due diligence on who they are.

A key thing to understand is whether the company’s cleaners are employed or subcontracted? Either option is fine, as every company works differently, offering a unique set of benefits to you. But, this can be an opportunity to find out how well they know the people they’re sending to your property.

This can be a chance to enquire about their team’s training. Do they all have the same level of experience and cleaning knowledge, or are there certain individuals who may be best suited to your needs?

You might be interested to find out what happens if your regular team or cleaner is sick too. Does the service come to a standstill or is there a plan in place? You can learn a lot from these friendly, simple enquiries.

Question 5: What Do Others Say About You?

Asking this question can give you a clearer understanding of two things; what others think of this commercial cleaning company, and how well this company listens to their clients.

You can ask the company themselves, and find out what their ethos is, but you can also do your own research. Reading testimonials and feedback yourself gives you a clear picture of the standard you can expect.

Do some digging, look at social media and online reviews.

Don’t forget to read the good and the bad - sometimes, a poor review can give you insight into how a business responds when things don’t go so well. They may turn a wrong into a right, showing the kind of values that you appreciate.

Asking Your Questions…

These questions are a good way to start your search for a commercial cleaning company that will be so consistently good that you can come to expect it every day. If you’re ready to ask your questions, we’d love to answer them. Request a quote here today.