Spring cleaning season is almost upon us yet again, which can mean only one thing - business owners across the country are about to spend far, far more on cleaning supplies than they probably feel comfortable with. But thankfully, all hope is not lost - creating the cleanest and healthiest workplace for your employees does NOT have to break piggy bank.
If you really want to save as much money as possible on all of your spring-cleaning supplies, there are a few key tips, tricks, and best practices that you need to keep in mind.
1. Rent Your Equipment, Don't Buy It
If you're only going to be using cleaning equipment for a limited period of time - as is the case with spring cleaning season - you can immediately save a lot of money by renting, not buying. Many business owners don't realize that you can actually get all of the heavy cleaning equipment you need, from sanders to floor polishers to carpet cleaners and more - in a rental capacity from home improvement stores in your area.
If you only clean the carpet in your office once a year, there's really no reason why you need to invest thousands of dollars in an industrial-strength carpet cleaner when you can rent one, instead.
2. Donate When You Can
Another great way to save on spring-cleaning supplies involves taking the normal "spring cleaning season" concept one step further. Don't just use it as an opportunity to clean your office - use it as a chance to de-clutter your office, too. Make a list of anything and everything that you don't really need anymore and donate it to charities and other organizations in your area. Even consider selling off more industry-centric items.
Not only will this make the cleaning process easier, but the money you make (even in the form of a donation tax credit) will help offset the costs of those supplies.
3. Consider Outsourcing
If your spring-cleaning efforts have truly reached the point where you're starting to wonder if it's worth the investment, it may be time to consider outsourcing those efforts to an actual cleaning company. Not only will they probably do a much more thorough job than you could on your own anyway, but they will also bring their own supplies. Plus, you're exchanging unpredictable costs of cleaning supplies into one fixed, predictable cost for a service - something that most business owners will very much appreciate.
4. Buy The Right Products
The old saying of "you get what you pay for" very much applies to spring-cleaning for a business. One of the best ways you can save money involves not looking for the cheapest cleaning products for your office, but instead the most effective. Making an effort to invest in higher quality products today - like fluids designed to clean the specific types of surfaces you're dealing with - often generates results that last far longer, meaning you're cleaning (and paying money for supplies) less often.
Don't necessarily look for the least expensive cleaning products and purchase them for that reason. Really take the time to choose the best cleaning supplies to meet your specific needs and you'll likely be impressed with the results.
5. Get Rid of "Spring Cleaning Season" Entirely
Finally and perhaps most importantly, if you really want to save on your spring-cleaning supplies you should probably shatter the idea of "spring cleaning " outright. It's simple logic - it's far easier to tackle a task by breaking it down into a series of smaller, more manageable chunks rather than attempting to do it all at one time. This is a proven strategy that helps us be more productive on a daily basis. There's no reason why it can't apply to spring-cleaning, too.
Don't wait until one specific time of year to do a complete overhaul of your office or other workspace. Make an effort to get into the cleaning habit on a regular basis - maybe once a week or, at most, once a month. Not only will this prevent your environment from getting so dirty that you need to spend massive amounts on cleaning it in the first place, but it'll also go a long way towards creating a more productive business all year round.
