As a warehouse owner, you are responsible for keeping a clean and organized warehouse free of any health and safety hazards your employees might face. Keeping your warehouse clean is also essential to maintain productivity. Plus, we all know how stressful it can be to be surrounded by disarray—avoid that with these tips.
In addition, if you want your business to be successful and profitable long term, you must have a clean and organized space. However, it’s not always easy to keep on top of it all during different times of the year. We discuss how to effectively manage your warehouse cleaning to prepare you for any situation, no matter the season.
What is Warehouse Cleaning?
If you run a warehouse, you know the warehouse cleaning process entails removing and disposing of dust, dirt, or any other accumulations from floors, counters, cupboards, or machinery. However, warehouse cleaning services go beyond even that to include removing stains on walls and paint peeling off metal surfaces. Furthermore, cleaning includes removing any food particles or garbage from the area because food remnants bring rodents and that’s the last thing you want in your warehouse!
The goal is to ensure that the warehouse remains neat so it is a productive space for you and your workers. By removing dust and dirt, you help reduce allergies in warehouse employees who might otherwise suffer when they work in a dusty environment.
Additionally, by reducing allergy symptoms such as runny noses or sneezing, those individuals will have more energy while they’re on their shift, translating to increased productivity levels.
Warehouse cleaning service needs to be done regularly. If not, the warehouse will get cluttered with all sorts of debris, such as paper trash, paper boxes, food wrappers, or even old furniture. Not only does this create an unpleasant environment, but it can also lead to infestation problems like rats which chew through anything in their path, including wiring and insulation cables.
How Much Does it Cost to Clean a Warehouse?
Warehouse cleaning service costs a varying amount, depending on the size and complexity of the warehouse. For example, a small shop or office space that only needs cleaning once every other month, it might only cost around $100-$150 to clean. However, if you have a large industrial facility (like distribution centers) with many types of surfaces, the cost increases significantly.
The larger the area that needs cleaning means the more expensive the warehouse cleaning service. Furthermore, there are always some areas that require specific attention, like grime from loading docks, so consider these variables when calculating costs.
In addition, if you haven’t had your warehouse cleaned for quite some time, you’ll have to pay a warehouse cleaning service more money to get it back into pristine condition.
How Do You Clean an Industrial Warehouse?
Depending on how big your warehouse is, you can try to clean it yourself or hire a company or warehouse cleaning crew to do it for you. However, warehouse cleaning is not for the faint of heart. This is especially true if you don’t have any experience cleaning something as large as a warehouse.
If your industrial warehouse’s size lends itself to cleaning yourself, the first thing you need to do is assess what type of surfaces are in the facility and how they are cleaned. There will always be different types of dirt or grime on different surfaces that are addressed differently than others.
The type of surfaces in your warehouse can include warehouse floors, walls, storage areas, and ceilings. The materials used to construct these surfaces also need to be considered because some require a different approach or cleaning supplies.
For instance, stainless steel is straightforward and simple to clean on your own. You might be able to get away with just using soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner diluted with warm water and wiping it down with paper towels or cloths using firm strokes from top to bottom until the surface is shiny again.
Another thing to think about is the type of equipment you have. Is it specialized? Is it fragile? If so, you might have a more complex or time-consuming process to do the actual cleaning yourself. In this case, it would be beneficial to think about hiring warehouse cleaning companies.
What Do Warehouse Cleaners Do?
Hiring a company that specializes in industrial warehouse cleaning may sound like overkill. However, if you own industrial facilities like distribution centers, you’ll want to spend the money to hire a warehouse cleaning company—trust us. Some of the benefits that make outsourcing warehouse cleaning services worth considering include:
- More time to focus on your business.
- Professional warehouse cleaning services are certified and insured.
- They offer a wide variety of warehouse cleaning services, such as scrubbing the warehouse floor with a chemical solution or vacuuming all the dust off the shelves.
- Your warehouse will be cleaner than ever before.
- Your employees will be happier and more productive with a cleaner work environment.
- Warehouse cleaning services offer flexible scheduling options, including weekends and evenings.
- A warehouse cleaning company will be more cost-effective than hiring additional staff members just for janitorial or cleaning services.
Spring Cleaning & Issues
Spring cleaning your warehouse is a must. Spring is typically a busier time in warehouse operations, so you’ll need a clean, safe place for your employees to get busy with their day-to-day operations. Here are some specific issues to consider during spring:
- Dirt – It’s difficult to clean up the warehouse because of all the dirt and debris accumulated over winter.
- Allergies – Dust from sweeping or vacuuming can become airborne, leading to increased allergies among workers.
- Personnel – You’ll typically have more employees during the spring than during the winter, so you’ll have to accommodate extra personnel.
Summer Cleaning & Issues
Just like spring, summer has its own issues when it comes to warehouse cleaning and keeping your space clean and tidy. Some of the most common issues that you’ll need to think about include:
- Bugs – They’ll be trying to escape the heat and sunlight and will find perfect nesting spots in the dark corners of your warehouse.
- Heat – Your employees are less likely to think about cleaning when that means they have to spend extra time in a hot warehouse, so it becomes less of a priority to them (and a significant danger for you).
- Dust – Summer usually means more dust, which increases allergies and does lots of damage to equipment and machinery.
Fall Cleaning & Issues
Fall is usually the easiest time of the year to keep your warehouse clean. That said, just as with the other season, it does present its own set of challenges:
- Daylight – Since there is less of it than during the summer, it could affect how effective you’ll be at keeping your warehouse clean during the day.
- Leaves – If your warehouse is in a wooded area with many trees, the leaves can play a significant role in making your warehouse cleaning difficult. Dead leaves provide an excellent opportunity for bugs and mold. In addition, when leaves get wet, they can create a dangerous environment for walking because of the potential for slips and falls.
- Cold – With winter approaching, you’ll have to be sure everything is clean and prepared in your warehouse for the cold, snow, and ice that will soon arrive at your doorstep.
Winter Cleaning & Issues
Winter is the most challenging time of the year to keep your warehouse clean, especially if you live and work in an area that typically has a lot of snowfall. Some of the biggest worries you’ll need to consider include:
- Snow and ice make the warehouse floor slippery, which is dangerous for workers.
- It’s hard to see in winter due to the dark days, so employees are more likely to slip or trip on things they would have seen during the summer months.
- Sweeping snow off the warehouse floor can be difficult and time-consuming.
- Moisture from melting snow can damage inventory and create a slippery surface.
- A wet floor is an invitation for slips and falls, which could result in injury or liability claims against your company.
Knowing the importance of keeping your warehouse clean and a few ways to go about warehouse cleaning makes your life easier. No matter the season, keeping your warehouse clean and tidy will improve the health and safety of your employees. Furthermore, a clean warehouse keeps you focused on the things that matter most for your industrial facility and your business.
Whether you choose to clean your warehouse yourself or hire an expert warehouse cleaning crew for the cleaning services, we hope this blog has helped provide some insight into making the best decisions for your business.
If you need more information on any other aspect of warehousing management, check out our blog. We are always trying to better our website and improve our content for warehouse management experts like you.
