With the ever-evolving pandemic threat, very few of us can no longer claim that janitorial work is unimportant. While the general cultural perception of janitorial work is still very dismissive, figuring it to be a low-paying, low-effort job for people with few ambitions, janitorial work is, in truth, essential to every single industry those same people patronize daily.
Even before we were all deathly afraid of a rapidly spreading respiratory virus, janitorial work was the unsung foundation of several industries, maintaining positive perceptions of the company through general cleaning and maintenance, upholding health and safety standards, and cleaning up after careless customers. While janitorial workers are currently hard to find, due to a lack of thoughtfulness on the part of employers and low wages, a company with a skilled janitorial staff is likely to find that the efficacy of other functions steadily increases.
Yet, even as the pandemic continues to surge and new variants emerge from the woodwork, the number of janitors employed at corporations and cleaning companies continues to decrease. Despite the claimed ignorance of business leaders, the reasons are simple and easy to detect: not enough pay, not enough respect, and not having the tools to do their jobs efficiently in such a dangerous environment. The latter bleeds into the former two, as not investing in tools that will make janitorial work easier tends to subtly communicate to those workers that their role is not that important.
Suppose you’re looking to lure janitorial workers back into the fold. In that case, you may want to consider investing in top-of-the-line Janitorial Technology to help them do their work safely during these trying times. The pandemic has proved that the need for such work will be constant, as nobody knows when a new threat may come up, and failing to do such work can spread disease like wildfire through your customer base. If you’re interested in improving the quality of life of your cleaning staff, here are a few vital pieces of new Janitorial Technology you may want to invest in.
Self-Dumping Hoppers
Taking out the trash can be one of the most physically arduous duties your janitors will have, and also one of the most dangerous if your company specializes in food: coming into close contact with food waste and other potentially infected materials is not exactly appealing for your staff. However, with hoppers that self-dump, one of the newest innovations in the Janitorial Technology market, your janitors will have limited contact with your garbage and have to expend less energy physically to do their duty.
They must haul the garbage into the hopper from a designated drop point, cart it to the dumpster, and then let the hopper dump itself via automation. In addition to giving your janitors an easier workload, self-dumping hoppers tend to be compact, fitting easily into tight spaces and ensuring you make the most out of your backroom space.
Smart Dispensers
Already implemented in many restaurants and corporate bathrooms, adding smart sanitizer and hand soap dispensers to your company restrooms (and other frequently visited hotspots) can be a valuable asset for your janitorial staff. In addition to dispensing predetermined amounts of the cleaning materials and making your staff refill them less often, implementing these devices in bathrooms and other high-contact spaces will decrease the likelihood that pathogens can spread easily in your workplace. Putting these in highly visible places also increases the likelihood that your customers will see your business as a safe place to patronize in these trying times.
Roombas, Robots, Nilfisk, and Other Investments
If you work in a less-trafficked office space, it may also behoove you to invest in automated cleaning machines like Roombas to patrol your office during the day. While this is definitely not a good idea for areas that are highly trafficked by consumers, like the lobby of a restaurant (as your more expensive investment is likely to get trampled and broken), Roombas can reduce a janitors workload in calmer office areas by sweeping the floors for detritus and dust.
Nilfisk scrubber dryers are another great investment for hospitality, pharmaceuticals, or hospitals. You can check out CBK Hardware if you plan to buy vacuum cleaners and top-of-the-line cleaning equipment.
Automated cleaning companions are definitely an investment, and one that you may think renders janitorial staff redundant, but remember: artificial intelligence only goes so far, and Roombas are made to lighten the workload of cleaning staff, not eliminate it.
Pandemic or not, investing in janitorial technology is a good move for any company looking to grow with the times and increase their staff’s overall quality of life. While many of these innovations will require you to put out a significant chunk of change, you’ll find that investment returns tenfold in employee retention, improved customer perception of your business, and the like.
