- Green Cleaning: Sustainable Office Cleaning Practices for City Firms
Sustainability commitments have typically been presented in annual reports. Clients, employees and building landlords have begun to expect a company’s sustainability practices to take form operationally, and even within processes as simple as routine office cleaning. Most importantly, tenants and building management in London are increasing their expectations and shifting the focus to evidence-based sustainable practices instead of low commitment greenwashing, such as adding a green logo to their website.
Cleaning Products
Eco-friendly claims from manufacturers are not perfect predictors of reduced environmental impact. Look for legitimate third-party certifications and ask your cleaning provider for details on the certifications to avoid falling for marketing claims.
Cleaning chemicals and water
Modern cleaning methods, like microfibre systems, use far less water and fewer chemicals, and maintain cleaning standards. These methods should be considered when reviewing or tendering cleaning contracts.
City office waste management
Good office cleaning entails good waste management. A cleaning provider that actively separates and manages waste streams for recycling, confidential waste, and general waste, greatly enhances that firm’s sustainability initiatives compared to a provider that empties each bin into one sack.
Cleaning services and energy use
Cleaning after hours is one of the main causes of wasted energy as lights, heat, and equipment run all night after everyone has left.
Some cleaning companies have protocols for switching off lights and equipment on a room by room basis, rather than leaving everything on for the sake of convenience. This gives a positive impact on a buildings energy footprint over the span of a year.
Reducing single-use plastics
Cleaning companies generate an unexpected amount of plastic waste, such as from single-use bin liners and the packaging that covers cleaning supplies. Those who have refillable, concentrated cleaning products and use recyclable or reusable cleaning supplies, reduce plastic waste from their cleaning operations significantly.
Supporting building-wide certifications
Cleaning practices are evaluated as part of the BREEAM and WELL certifications that many City office buildings are attempting to obtain. It makes the job easier for Facility Teams who are trying to manage these certifications if cleaning contractors align their practices with these standards.
It doesn’t have to cost more
Many mistakenly believe that sustainable cleaning practices, such as using environmentally friendly products, cleaning equipment and practices, costs more money. In fact, using less water and energy, and fewer cleaning chemicals can reduce costs over time, thus eco-friendly products that cost more than regular cleaning supplies can save money.
Ask your provider directly
If sustainability is important to your firm, you should ask your potential or current cleaning contractors about their energy practices, waste management, cleaning products, and methods. Contractors who are transparent will be happy to answer these questions.
If you want to discuss a more sustainable cleaning contract for your City of London office, contact our team.
- How Often Should You Deep Clean Your Office? A City of London GuideThe daily cleaning of an office is crucial to keep it presentable, but it doesn’t clean everything. Carpets, upholstery, air vents, and high-touch surfaces require a thorough cleaning on a regular basis to stay hygienic and not just visually tidy. For companies in the City of London, this is how often a deep clean is needed. Carpets and soft furnishings: every 6-12 months Vacuuming daily removes surface dirt, but grime, allergens, and odors build up beneath the surface over time. For busy City offices, professional carpet cleaning is needed every 6 months. Upholstery: every 6-12 months, sooner in client-facing areas In client-facing environments where first impressions matter, the reception and meeting room chairs, as well as the seating in the waiting area, experience a disproportionate amount of wear. To keep the upholstery from looking too worn, it is recommended to clean the high-use upholstery every 6 months and the low-use upholstery every year. Windows and glass partitions: quarterly City offices with floor-to-ceiling glass or internal glass partitions should have a comprehensive cleaning of the outside and the insides of the windows every 3 months. Beyond the aesthetic aspect, clean windows allow more natural light into the office, which is connected to a better mood and improved focus among the staff. High-touch surfaces: continuously, with a scheduled deeper clean weekly Door handles, lift buttons, shared kitchen equipment, and desk phones accumulate germs faster than almost anything else in an office. Although daily disinfecting in an office should cover the essentials, a concentrated sanitisation of touchpoint areas on a weekly basis helps prevent the spread of illnesses, especially in winter months.
Air ducts and HVAC systems: once a year
Springs and dirty ducts are one of the most neglected areas in an office. Dust can build up and circulate back throughout the office. Professional cleaning of ducts and filters cause the air quality to improve, in addition to helping the heating and air conditioning work better.
Example of simple schedule for a deep clean
- Every 6 months: carpets and other soft furnishings
- Every 6 months: upholstery, especially in front of customers
- Every 3 months: glass partitions and windows
- Every week: high-contact areas to be sanitized in addition to other daily cleaning
- Once a year: air ducts and HVAC
What looking good means
Maintaining an office isn’t just for the purpose of impressing clients when they enter through the reception area. A well-kept office affects the health of staff, the absence due to sickness, and the longevity of the furniture and fittings that require replacement. Incorporating a deep clean into your facilities calendar saves you more money in the long run than waiting until something is visibly worn.
If it’s time for a deep clean, or you want to have a specific schedule made, please contact us for a free estimate.
- Handling IT Equipment in Office Removals Maidstone Projects
Relocating an office is complicated. Beyond the obvious furniture and filing cabinets, there is a huge collection of servers, workstations, cabling, and networking devices that need attention. If you neglect this part of the moving process, expect data loss, damaged equipment, or expensive downtime to be in your future. Below are the tasks involved in relocating IT equipment. Due to the sensitive integrated nature of contemporary office systems, technology is as important as furniture. Your phone lines, internet connection, and access systems are all integrated. The qualified commercial movers dedicate a significant amount of time planning for relocation technology moving before they get to the furniture.
Preparing an Inventory
The process begins weeks before moving day. A detailed inventory is done on each piece of IT equipment and records the serial numbers, cables, and drawings of the IT rooms. Upon arrival at the premised, this inventory improves the company’s ability to defend its asset coverage with the insurers and ensures that all equipment is relocated. In addition, it provides a detailed guide as to how each piece of equipment is connected and how it should be arranged at the next office.
Backup Everything—Then Backup Again
Every company should be concerned about the protection of their data. Before any movement of hardware, there should be a complete backup, as well as verification of that backup. This is not just a matter of trusting the backup process to do the job; the files backing up have to be checked to ensure that backup files can be restored.
Companies that facilitate Office Removals Maidstone will generally work with the IT department or a third party provider to determine a data protection framework. In the event the data carrying equipment becomes damaged in transit, the IT department can assure the company of its ability to recover data from the copies provided.
Specialised Packaging and Handling
Server racks and other IT hardware cannot be treated the same as other consumer products. Monitors need to be packed individually to avoid impact and pressure. Hard drives can suffer data loss and also benefit from anti-static packaging.
Purpose built transport containers eliminate the need for ‘shrink wrap’ style cardboard boxes. Such containers also manage cables to help avoid tangling, with cords coiled and tagged.
Coordinating the Disconnect and Reconnect
The time it takes to move IT hardware from one place to another can have huge financial consequences for a business. Professional removal teams strive to minimise the time they are not operational.
Firms specialising in removals appreciate the time sensitivity involved. They collaborate with your IT staff to determine the order in which systems will be shut down. Non-critical systems will be shut down first with the production system remaining online for as long as possible. Upon arrival, internet, telephone services, and core servers will be brought online before the individual work stations.
Testing Before Declaring Victory
Reconnecting all the equipment is only half the job. Sufficient testing must be carried out to ensure equipment is correctly functioning in its intended locations. This includes testing the network, correct mapping of printers to the appropriate work stations, testing the telephony services to ensure they are working, and that the security systems are operational and give the appropriate response.
Working with Your IT Provider
You must involve your external IT support in the early planning, and if they are the ones that provide the support, their contact needs to be included as part of the Office Removals Maidstone staff. This coordinated approach ensures that everyone knows what their obligations are. Who is going to handle the setup of the server? Who is going to take care of setting up the cabling in the new office? Who is going to be there if something goes wrong during the first week after the move?
Effective communication avoids situations in which office equipment is left system unbridged and issues are left unaddressed.
The Human Element
Technological change involves people as well. Staff may need to be briefed about new desk locations, new network passwords or new phone extensions. Incorporating this communication into your relocation planning will lessen the confusion and help everyone settle in.
The success of an Office Removals Maidstone project happens when both the technical and human elements are thoroughly considered. With an appropriate relocation plan, your IT systems will be able to move seamlessly, and your staff will be able to continue business activities as normal from the outset in the new location.
- Cat A vs. Cat B Fit-Out: Understanding the Differences
Most office leases will have a mention of a Cat A or Cat B fit-out. Unless you’ve dealt with commercial leases before, it’s understandable if you’re unfamiliar with the terms. The key differentiating factor will determine how much work is remaining and what portion of your budget will be consumed. So, it’s prudent to have a solid understanding of both terms before signing the lease.
Defining Cat A
The Cat A fit-out is the most basic level of office fit-out. The landlord will usually be responsible for this and will have it done prior to their tenant moving in. This would typically include the installation of raised access flooring, suspended ceilings, basic air conditioning, basic lighting and the main building services. The end result will typically be a space with a functional shell that is very clean, empty and ready for the tenant to build upon. Most of the office spaces that you will see in the market will be at least at a Cat A level of fit-out. While these spaces will look very finished in the images that you see of them, they are in fact not finished for the purposes of the future tenant.
What Cat B Includes
Once you get to Cat B fit-outs, the space becomes more fully functional for the office that your team will be working in. Cat B fit-out encompasses office spaces, breakout spaces, quiet rooms and meeting rooms. This also includes the installation of your brand’s flooring and office finishes, as well as the kitchen and tea-point.
Power and data installed where your desks actually are, not where we guesstimated.
Better or feature lighting. Something beyond the basic grid.
Furniture and fit and final décor.
Simply stated, Cat A is the canvas and Cat B is the painting. One is your landlord’s and one is yours.
Who pays for what
This is the section that sits on the budget. Cat A is normally the landlord’s cost and is included in the deal. Cat B is your cost. That is the cost you are budgeting for and is the cost that impacts your budget the most because that cost is highly variable and depends on the amount of changes you are making.
There is a twist though. It is worth knowing what the landlord is offering you to help cover the Cat B work. It could be a fit out offer or a rent free period. The offer could be a good deal to reduce your Cat B cost and you would benefit from asking. The worst they could do is say no.
Why it matters before you sign
Knowing which category you are taking on changes your budget and your timeline. A Cat A space means you are planning a full Cat B fit-out, and that will take many weeks and has to be designed in detail. If the space you are planning to take on has been fitted out to Cat B from a previous tenant, that will most likely only require a fit-out and furnishings from your company in which case the impact to your budget and your timeline will be minor. A few things to lock down before you commit:
- Ask what exactly is included in Cat A and what constitutes a “finished” space, as that is subjective and could vary from one landlord to another.
- You will also want to check the condition of the services. If the HVAC and wiring in the Cat A space is old and in poor condition that could also cost you in the end.
Get a realistic Cat B budget and timeline — before you sign, not after. You might want the lease start date and your move date to be the same.
Know about reinstatement. Everything you fit out in Cat B will likely be stripped out at the end of the lease. Know this now.
If you take any space that a previous tenant fitted out, you might be paying to remove a layout that you like. Walk it with a fit-out contractor before you decide.
Get the categories straight and the rest of the planning will fall into place. It’s the first question you should settle on any new office and the cheapest one to get right.
- What Is The Cost Of An Office Clearance?
There isn’t a single price for office clearance. Anyone who gives you a price over the phone without some preliminary questions is making up a guess. Cost depends on the clearance job. A small, single office clearance with a direct line to the clearance van is a fraction of the price of a full office clearance that requires multiple trips up and down the stairs, plus a half-day suspension of office parking. In the meantime, here are some good indicators of cost.
Volume: How Much Stuff There Is
This one is pretty obvious. More furniture and equipment means a larger clearance crew and larger disposal services. Many clearance firms charge based on the amount of stuff that needs to be cleared, and often the price is based on cubic yards or the volume of stuff that fits in a single clearance van. A rough rule of thumb is, a single small office may clear a single clearance van, while an entire office floor may clear several vans. A good way to reduce price is to clear obvious waste and thin down office supplies before the clearance.
Access, or how easy it is to get it out
This is likely to be the most important factor for most clearances, but is often overlooked. Ground floor with a loading bay next to the van is one price. Fourth floor with a lift that only fits four chairs, or no lift, is a lengthy and labour-intensive job. A long carry to the street? A narrow doorway? Tight stairs? Everything adds time, and time is costly. Inform the clearance team of the access at the outset. A surprise on the day is a surprise on the bill.
Parking and timing
In Central London, you often can’t park right outside the building. It may require a parking suspension and reserving a parking bay with the council, which incurs a cost and requires notice. Some buildings will only allow clearances before or after business hours, and will require an early or late start to the clearance, which also incurs a cost. It is worth finding out the rules from your building manager.
What is being cleared
Not everything being cleared can be disposed of at one cost. Clearances, general waste, recycling and electricals differ in cost and how they are routed. Old IT and electricals are governed by WEEE and cost more than clear dumping. The upside is that anything that can be used or sold has value. A good clearance firm will sell or donate what they can to reduce the net cost, so do not assume everything is a disposal charge. It is always good to ask how they split the jobs.
Data and Documents
Uncleared company documents and data from old PCs need to be dealt with securely. Do not throw them into a skip. Certified data destruction and shredding are worth every penny because they are secure. When data destruction is certified, you get a record of what was destroyed.
How much will certified shredding cost?
Well, without a proper assessment a guess will have to suffice, which I’m sure you can agree, is not ideal. Typically, to get the best price, companies have been more lenient and are offering a quick on-site visit or a video walk-through to price shredding. Beware a price is given without one of these two options. A few suggestions:
When you’re getting quotes, try and get three. Provide the exact same info so you get the same scope.
A quote is meaningless if it doesn’t have shredding data included, transportation, waste, labor, and data shredding, so the cheapest quote isn’t necessarily the best.
Ask for their shredding license. If they don’t have it, your waste is still your responsibility after they’ve taken it.
You can clear out before shredding to save on transportation.
Get the shredding service price in writing so you know exactly what to expect.
A clearance done well should happen quickly and unobtrusively. The cost will always follow the job, so the more information you give a firm about the space and the access, the more accurate the quote will be to the final bill.
The Hidden Potential of Office Clearance
Within this dynamic environment of London business world, office clearance has become a significant step for organisations willing to change their office space. Contrary to what many people may think, a proper office clearance can be one of the primary pathways to optimism, efficiency enhancement, and an organisational overhaul.
Hailing from Canary Wharf’s business power house turned skyline to the historic business district of the City of London, all suffer from limited space. Many professional office clearance London companies have developed ways of working specifically for the capital and can match their services to the architectural and design requirements of a building as well as meeting the needs of today’s business.
It does not stop with that; there is more to it when it comes to gains in the process. A proper cleaning of the office might help reveal more possibilities of your work place and free up space for their development. It is actually a prompt to review the companies’ ‘estate’ real estate in the light of the actual and current work practises and potential developmental plans.
Therefore, office clearance in London is somewhat not only the way to rid oneself of unnecessary things but also an opportunity to create something new in one’s working space and to bring fresh ideas into the office.