A1 Cleaning San Jose has high standards when it comes to keeping your buildings clean and properly maintained.  Our employees are committed to doing the best job possible. While we believe in being competitive in price, there are other factors to consider when choosing a cleaning company:  

1. Will your cleaning company ensure your building portrays a first-class image to customers and employees?  
   
2. A properly cleaned building will help to ensure you have a healthy building free from contaminants such as mold, bacteria, allergens, and pollutants.  A healthy building with good indoor air quality will also reduce the amount of sick time taken by employees.
   
3. Studies have proven that employees are more productive in clean environments.
   
4. Buildings that are on a regular maintenance schedule cost less to maintain.
   
5. Clean buildings are more appealing to tenants (and prospective tenants).
   
6. Keeping your building in top shape helps to maintain high property values because having a clean building improves the lifespan of the facility.  

What A1 Cleaning San Jose can provide to you:

• All your general cleaning services provided by a dedicated staff of well-trained employees.
  
• Specialized cleaning services including carpet spotting, carpet cleaning, hard floor care, window washing, and construction clean-up.
  
• Professional advice on all your cleaning concerns and issues.

Three Types of Professional Cleaning Services for Your Business

We Don't Make it look Clean, We get it Clean!

What does it take to showcase a business and stand out from the competition? For starters, a quality product and excellent customer service are necessary. However, presentation of the business, the building and employees in a professional manner also contribute to success. Fine details, even the small ones associated with keeping the office building clean, can either make or break a new sale or contract. When successful business owners recognize that first impressions matter, they often turn to a professional cleaning company to make sure the building is showcased well. Not all types of cleaning tasks are the same. A professional cleaner takes time to understand the building use, traffic flow, and standards required. At A1 Cleaning San Jose, we classify this type of cleaning into three categories: Janitorial, Projects, and Commercial. Here are some examples of each type. Janitorial Cleaning Services This is normally completed as a cycle of regular cleaning tasks at a facility, completed on a specific time interval. The tasks needed and the frequency required are determined by the type of business, the traffic patterns and usage volume, and industry-specific cleanliness requirements. For instance: A doctor’s office may require that waiting rooms and patient exam rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized daily, while a waiting room in a general office building needs to be cleaned only weekly. A professional cleaning company assesses the cleaning needs and preferred cycle, and can determine the right tasks to be completed at the right frequency. Project-Related Cleaning Services Not all areas of a building require cleaning at the same time, so it may seem redundant to clean every area on the same cycle. Project cleaning tasks are scheduled for a specific time-period, and could include seasonal or annual types of jobs. For instance: Floors and traffic areas through a building require regular cleaning such as vacuuming and mopping. However, a project cleaning service related to the floor care could also include stripping and waxing the hard floor once a year. Carpet cleaning is another project related task, scheduled for the right interval, based on the carpet manufacturing guidelines. These project-related tasks are often part of a janitorial cleaning contract, but the cost of them is spread out through the contract term, making it more affordable to get all the cleaning done on one low monthly budget. Commercial Cleaning Services There are times when a service is needed by itself, separate from the maintenance-types of tasks explained above. These are billed as a one-time fee, and repeat visits are usually not required. For instance: An office building may want the one-time task of power-washing the building exterior and washing all the windows, in preparation of an open house event. No matter what type of professional cleaning service you need to make your business look its best, A1 Cleaning San Jose by the Border can help. Call us today to discuss your cleaning needs!

Price v. Cost - The Elusive Value Continuum

Price v. Cost - The Elusive Value Continuum

The next time you pay a visit to a local establishment, take a look around. I am not referring to a quick glance! I am talking about taking a good, hard look at the window glass, door frames, counters and other areas where customers or clients may spend time conducting business within this establishment. Do you notice fingerprints and smudges on these surfaces or are the surfaces clean and easy on the eye? Better yet, let’s dig deeper into the human psyche. How do you feel when you enter the establishment? Do you feel a positive sense of calm confidence that comes from a space that is clean and well maintained? You know what I mean! Pay attention to your emotional state when you enter a clean, orderly and well-maintained space and compare it to your emotional state when you enter a dingy, unkempt,

disorganized space. You are now getting my drift 😏

The rationale above illustrates and demonstrates the reasons why the majority of company executives understand the importance of contracting for janitorial services.

Your employees cannot be expected to do more than a quick wipe down, trash removal and maintain their personal workspace. Any cleaning tasks beyond this scope are the purview of your local professional janitorial company. Its annual budget time. Pencil in a budget line for professional cleaning. Don’t assume that you will cover this line with petty cash! Double your budget and go out to bid. Your investment in professional janitorial services will generate revenue to the same degree as your investment in your company infrastructure, marketing, location, employees and product/service line.

For the sake of context .... when entering a professional space, I always notice glass and floors, not to mention bathrooms! These areas require monthly or quarterly detailed work. Your investment in professional janitorial services will pay major dividends when your clients and customers choose to do business with you over your competition. Your employees will be more productive and will demonstrate their loyalty by taking better care of their responsibilities on behalf of your company with the profound knowledge that their employer is investing in their wellbeing and productivity. Your company ‘goes out to bid’.

It is good practice to receive at least three quotes from reputable janitorial companies. Check your local BBB, Yelp (less reliable)or ask colleagues for recommendations. Request that your janitorial quote is broken down into specific tasks that will be accomplished at each visit; every week; every month and quarterly. Ask for detailed weekly bathroom cleaning; floor care and window cleaning services. You will be amazed at the positive morale and revenue transition that will occur within your business when you thoroughly invest in a clean and well-maintained space. The search for value is a constant challenge. Working with professional cleaning companies who are licensed and insured to perform janitorial services provides assurances that your space will be maintained to the highest standards. Our reputation and referrals depend on our consistent delivery of quality service.

A1 also offers two different options for the client’s choice in cleaning supplies: regular cleansers, or green option cleansers. The green cleaners are safer for the environment, employees who may have asthma or other respiratory difficulties. Improper cleaning services will contribute to your company losing money due to unnecessary employee absenteeism.

Hiring a professional cleaning company such as A1 will ensure that your cleaners arrive on time and prepared to perform, all assigned tasks. You can place your trust in A1 to clean your company’s buildings properly.

If you’re interested in hiring the best janitorial services for your company, to ensure your office or building is properly cleaned, please contact A1 Cleaning SanJose today.

The Next Turning Point in Professional Cleaning.

We Don't Make it look Clean, We get it Clean!

The Next Turing Point in Professional Cleaning

The following article was first published in ISSA in May 2016

For most custodial workers, the use of green or environmentally preferable cleaning products is now a daily fact of life. The turning point for green cleaning occurred a good decade ago, in the mid- to-late 2000s.

So if green cleaning has become old hat, what new turning point am I referencing? The professional cleaning industry is building on green cleaning and becoming much more sustainability-focused. Contract cleaners and in-house service providers are embracing a wide range of strategies to reduce energy, fuel, and water consumption along with waste. In the process, they are also making cleaning and facility operations much more cost-effective and efficient.

Some of the change is fueled by customer demand, just as green cleaning was a decade ago. But much of it is because contract cleaners are realizing that being more sustainable has a number of cost-saving benefits for both them and their clients. For contract cleaners specifically, sustainability can provide new marketing opportunities and the ability to win larger and more profitable contracts.

We see this change to sustainability becoming evident in a number of ways, including:

Equipment selection. When selecting traditional cleaning equipment, many cleaning contractors are no longer just focused on cost or how much the machine or product can improve worker productivity. They also want to know if the product works effectively using less water, chemicals, and energy.

Technological innovations. Taking equipment a step further, manufacturers are introducing new types of cleaning equipment that are designed to use less energy, water, and cleaning solution than traditional cleaning options. Some of these are proving to be very effective in both reducing costs and improving worker productivity.

Spot buying. Many cleaning professionals make product purchases as they need them, often in an emergency, when they run out of a product. Often referred to as “spot buying,” this is not a cost-effective approach to purchasing nor does it promote sustainability. As an example, often spot buying involves the purchase of one, two, or three gallons of a product.  Rarely will a distributor offer a cost discount on such a small purchase. In addition, those two or three gallons all have to be packaged and delivered, using packaging materials and fuel, which releases greenhouse gases. Purchasing more concentrated products in larger containers tends not only to be more sustainable, but also more economical.

Workflow. Some cleaning processes and procedures can also lead to sustainable results. Workflow strategies can be designed so that certain areas of a facility are cleaned first, allowing lights and power to be turned off in those areas when they’re not in use. Hard surface and carpet floor care programs can be designed so that areas are cleaned based more on need and use and less on set schedules, thus reducing energy and water demands.

Liners. Some cleaning workers are now replacing traditional and even green liners with corn-based trash liners. These products are much more biodegradable and are manufactured using agricultural by-products.

Biobased cleaning solutions. Cleaning workers should become familiar with products that have been certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred program. Biobased cleaning solutions are made from agricultural by-products just like the liners mentioned previously. These products must meet specific standards and are independently tested. Not only do biobased solutions promote sustainability, but according to the USDA, they have also helped create more than 300,000 jobs.

Day cleaning. While day cleaning has its pros and cons, it cannot be denied that day cleaning can help a facility reduce its energy consumption. In many cases, day cleaning allows the entire facility to shut down at a certain hour and over the weekend. According to the New Jersey Green Building Manual, prepared in conjunction with Rutgers University, day cleaning programs have reduced energy consumption by about 6 to 10 percent

Team cleaning. As with day cleaning, team cleaning programs have also had their ebbs and flows in the professional cleaning industry. However, cleaning in teams can help promote sustainability.  When cleaning workers perform the same tasks over and over again, they tend to become more skilled and proficient, making cleaning faster and allowing the facility to be shut down for the day sooner.  Further, workflow is concentrated on certain areas at specific times, allowing lights to be turned off in areas not being cleaned.

CIMS. ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and CIMS-GB (Green Building) programs have helped contract cleaners and facility service providers become more sustainable by emphasizing best practices and work efficiencies. The CIMS program has helped both cleaning workers and facility managers reduce waste, lower energy consumption, and conserve water.

When the professional cleaning industry turned to green cleaning strategies a decade or more ago, they provided many benefits for the industry overall. Our industry was viewed as a leader in embracing environmentally preferable products and programs. Now we have a chance to do it again with sustainability, showing our customers and other industries how we can help protect natural resources for today and for the future.

About the author.

Ron Segura is president of Segura Associates. His company works with organizations and contract cleaners, helping them streamline cleaning and building operations. Segura can be reached through his company website at www.seguraassociates.com.

Why Commercial Janitorial Services Are So Important

We Don't Make it look Clean, We get it Clean!

The appearance of your business, at first sight, is very important to a potential customer or client.  It gives them some insight into how professional you are, and how much pride you take in her businesses appearance.  This is why it is important to hire a commercial cleaning service.  In short, they will play a very important role in your companies bottom line. The appearance of your business, as many people may not know, is a reflection on you as well.  Many clients or customers will decide if they are wanting to take on your business based on its appearance.  If your facility comes across as untidy and messy, your clients may assume that you conduct your business in the same fashion. However, if your facility is clean, tidy, and sparkling then the client will know that you take pride in all aspects of your business’s operation.  Your client will have more faith and trust in conducting business with a well organized and neat business. Also, with all the competition in today’s world, time is money.  If you are having to take time away from running your business, dealing with the details of your facility management, then it will eventually start to affect your bottom line.  With the hiring of a commercial cleaning service, they will take care of all the details, including hiring the cleaning crew, ordering the supplies, and handling the payroll.  All you have to do is worry about one monthly invoice for services performed. Finally, studies have shown that with a clean and tidy area to work in employees are more productive.  They are more focused and happier at their jobs when they do not have to work in an unclean, untidy work area.  In addition, employee morale is higher in a cleanly environment, which in turn yet again can positively affect your bottom line.  Please check out our website and fill out the Request a Quote form for any cleaning needs you have.

How Good Cleaning Leads to Better Health

Often, there are two sides presented to the argument that a disinfected house/office leads to healthier occupants.  Many argue that over cleaning a space could lead to a less effective immune system.  It should be noted, however, that the whole practice of homeopathic medicine is under scientific fire these days, and that line of reasoning just may not be true.

Even if it were true, it is pure common sense that keeping up with the cleanliness of your living spaces is largely necessary to good health.  The answer is a smart, balanced approach.  Keep the allergies and germs that thrive in uncleaned spaces out, and you and your family or co-workers will enjoy better health.

Always remember the following factors when it comes to cleaning and your heath:

1. Allergins:

Allergies like pet dander, dust mites, mold and other irritants are sure to live and thrive in a home or office that isn’t well cleaned and kept up.  Those substances will lead to unnecessary suffering and perhaps even sickness, particularly if you or your loved ones suffer from asthma. 

Proper vacuuming and cleaning of corners and small spaces is essential in keeping these harmful substances away from your body and space.

2. Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of bacteria’s favorite places to hide.  Things can get pretty gross when you flush the toilet and microscopic particles blast through the air via water vapor, especially when you leave that toothbrush on the bathroom counter (ew).   Deep cleaning your bathroom at least once a week can help keep that nasty bacteria away from us and help prevent disease.

3. The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the nastiest places in a residential homes.  Because food particles are often left unnoticed in the room and left to nasty creatures and bacteria to eat, it is a breeding ground for food-borne illness.   A daily cleansing of the kitchen is necessary, especially after cooking a meal, but it is important to make sure this area of your home or office is deep cleaned at least once a week.

At AI Cleaning San Jose, we’re here to make sure you have a clean, happy and healthy home, office or other kind of living spaces.  We know it’s difficult to find the time during a busy work week to keep your space clean, and we also know how essential it is to both physical and mental health.  Give us a call and we will perform a thorough cleansing any time you need, anywhere you need!

The Difference Between Commercial & Residential Cleaning.

We Don't Make it look Clean, We get it Clean!

A commercial cleaning service is more for those things that you will encounter in a business. Commercial waste clean up, hazardous clean up, or heavy cleaning are all things that define commercial cleaning. That is why some think that if you hire them for your home, they are going to clean better. The truth is that a commercial cleaning company cleans not better than a residential cleaning company, they only clean different things. Those who need a residential service should stick to one instead of thinking that a commercial one means a deeper or better clean. When it comes to cleaning, the word commercial does not mean more industrial type cleaning, it literally means industrial cleaning and all that entails. Cleaning machinery, blank spaces, chemicals, and other industrial solvents, commercial cleaning services deal with a different type of condition and clientele. A residential cleaning service specializes in things around your home such as cleaning floors, bedrooms and bathrooms. A commercial cleaning service cleans things such as offices, buildings, or retail stores. There is a big difference in the way that you clean a retail store versus someone’s home. A San Jose residential cleaning service is going to be much more detail oriented and thorough. Specializing in the type of mess you would find in a home, they are better suited to clean your home.

________________________________________________________________________________________   Commercial cleaning companies also focus on special events such as fire or flood clean up. They have the industrial equipment needed to clean things that have succumb to severe water, or other types of damage. They are also the company that you call for construction cleanups, or after building or renovations are done because they know how to clean to make sure the home is safe for the right quality of air and other occupancy-related needs. If you are looking for the very best residential cleaning service in your San Jose home you need look no further than A1 Cleaning Services. They combine all the things that you love about a residential cleaning service with the more high tech and industrial needs of a commercial cleaning company. Just the right mix of them both, they are the perfect solution for all of your cleaning needs. Quickly making a name for themselves in the residential cleaning world, they are the ones to call when you want perfection.