One question I always asked myself when looking at a job is “how can I get the job done as fast as possible?”
Time is money as they say, and the faster we get done the more money I get to keep. So I want to be as efficient as possible.
This meant I was always on the lookout for products that saved my staff time in some way, shape or form. Just a small time savings can make a big difference.
For instance, if you have two people working on a job and you can find a way to get them done fifteen minutes faster every night, that’s 11 hours worth of labor savings per month for a 5 day per week account. That’s a LOT OF MONEY!
Anyway, over the years I stumbled across various products that came in handy on some jobs. By sharing my ideas, and what helped me, maybe you will be able to see how having the right product on the right job can save you some time as well.
Cleaning products that save you time
The Caddy Bag – Simple and inexpensive, this nifty little gadget fits around large trash containers making it easier to cart your supplies around as you perform your duties.
Commercial Cleaning Cart – These come in handy on many larger types of accounts, particularly jobs where you have multiple bathrooms to service that are spread out across the facility.
Steam Cleaner – These came in handy on some of the turnovers we performed for apartment complexes. Ovens, fridges and bathrooms sometimes needed the extra cleaning power these units provided.
Battery Powered Scrubber – These came in handy for scrubbing and at times stripping floors in places where bringing a extremely heavy traditional 17″ unit wasn’t practical. For instance we had to scrub floors in an apartment building that had no elevators. These were a breeze to carry up three flights of steps and worked just fine on the small kitchen and bathroom floors we had to work on. The unit below was the exact unit I had (In fact, I had three!).
Carpet Spotter – These are major timesavers as they allow you to remove smaller spots and stains without having to bring out larger portables or truck mount units. About the size of a briefcase, they are easy to store and carry and work fine on smaller jobs.
I hope these suggestions help you save some time. Every minute counts, and the more time you save the more money you keep when all is said and done. So make sure to stay current on all the latest products available to you, as some of them will save you much more than the cost of the item in question.
Please note: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase any items through my links odds are I’ll earn a commission of some kind. I only recommend products and services that I have used or think may be useful to those starting or operating a cleaning business.
Great products!!!
Thanks HP.
I have to say that in all my years the most efficient is the trash can on wheels and I have always ordered the 54 gallon can because you can fit more but make sure you order the right size apron. I have these set up in every one of my buildings and a crate of concentrate cleaner to refill bottles as needed in the van. I never really cared for the carts because I couldn’t do things in one foul swoop, trash, dust, clean, bathrooms etc like I do with the round set up… I tie a bag full of paper supplies sometimes on the outside of the can if the buildings do not have a big enough sink or place of storage for paper products in the bathrooms. All else is commentary and creativity as they say… lol
also our supplies consists of proteam backpacks… PRICELESS TIIME SAVERS
you can reuse the bags alot more than suggested use
THANKS Angela!
Hi Tom,
I don’t really have a system in place to throw away trash after a clean. At the moment, I ask my workers to leave trash bags outside the door after a job. I go to multiple locations, collect the bags and dispose of them. Sometimes I get lucky and there may be unlocked garbage bins in the alley, however this is not for sure. How do I arrange disposing trash with the customer so I don’t have to go around to each location and dispose garbage?
P.S. – Finding parking for my workers sometimes may be an issue. When you obtain a cleaning account, do you ask for a parking spot for your worker(s) and for yourself?
Thanks a million!
Hi BJ! Good questions. But I need to know a little more about your business. Do you work in a large city? What customers do you service, commercial or residential?
my son and I “developed” our own little power scrubber as I do a lot of really bad turnover work. We use a regular mouse sander and put a green scrub pad on it. Obviously be careful not to submerge or get water on the unit. It is a miracle machine!
Man, that was the understatement of the year, this is going to make a huge difference in my business
THANKS Raymon!
WOW Keisha! Very creative.
Hi Tom , have you cleaned shower grout with a steam cleaner ? If yes , are they safe ? I’m nervous in case of damage .
Yes… I’ve used a powerful truck mounted system, and that did no damage. Just be careful, try one spot and go fro there. You should be fine (if the PSI is adjustable, start low and go up to make sure no grout gets damaged on older homes).