Company policies are developed in order to keep all cleaning staff on the same page. Policies must also be enforced regarding proper behavior of the cleaning staff while on the job. The following tips can be helpful when training new employees or useful reminders for long-tem employees:

1. Do NOT use any property of the client. This includes copy machines, fax machines, computers, radios, stereos, calculators, etc.
2. Do NOT turn on or off any equipment while carrying out your duties.
3. NEVER sit at desks, or open any drawers, doors, cabinets, or any container not directly involved in the performance of your work.
4. It is not appropriate for cleaning staff to read books or examine papers in offices.
5. Never bring children, family, or friends to work.
6. Do NOT eat or drink any food, candy, snacks, sodas, etc. that are in the offices -- including candy sitting at the receptionist desk -- this is client property and is for their employees and customers. It is ok to purchase a soda or snack out of a vending machine, however, as long as it is not being consumed in the offices where you are cleaning.
7. Do NOT make personal calls or other calls from any telephone in the offices. If you use a telephone timekeeping system, there should be a designated phone that is approved for emergency use. Otherwise, check with your supervisor on proper procedures for phone use.
8. Do NOT take anything that has been thrown away by the client. Misunderstandings can result in cleaning staff being accused of theft.

Steve Hanson

Steve Hanson, President of TheJanitorialStore.com, has over 20 years of experience as a building service contractor. His first company was located in Boise, Idaho. In 2002 he sold the business and relocated to Minnesota where he started a new commercial cleaning company and a janitorial supplies distributor company.

Steve always had the desire to begin an online community for building service contractors. So much of what is available in this industry is for much larger janitorial companies -- there aren't many places online for people who are just getting started, or people who already have a small, successful cleaning business, but would like to take their business to the next level. So in 2005 he started TheJanitorialStore.com.

TheJanitorialStore.com is a community for owners of small commercial cleaning companies that is designed to allow subscribers to ask questions, participate in tele-seminars, find training programs designed for the smaller company, share their knowledge in telephone and online discussion forums, read new articles every week, and much more.