3 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Commercial Cleaning Vendor for your Canadian Medical Facility

Environmental Services Directors and Facilities Managers within healthcare organizations are tasked with an incredibly important job: Ensuring the safety and well-being of staff and patients by maintaining a clean and disinfected environment.

With high foot traffic, seasonal illnesses, and other factors increasing the risk of germs and bacteria, keeping a clinic or doctor’s office clean is vital. Environmental Services Directors and Facilities Managers may work with a professional commercial cleaning services provider to ensure a consistent, quality clean.

Finding the right commercial cleaning vendor for your Canadian healthcare facility can be challenging. Here are three important questions to ask about when considering who to select.

1. Ask about their experience cleaning other Canadian medical facilities and clinics.
   Clinics and medical offices differ greatly from corporate offices, gyms, and other facilities. These environments require a specialized approach to commercial cleaning and disinfection.

   When selecting a commercial cleaning vendor, ask whether they have previous experience cleaning Canadian healthcare facilities. You may choose to ask for references, too. Your commercial cleaning service should understand the importance of preventing cross contamination and minimizing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and thorough disinfection of high-touch surfaces.

2. Ask about professional disinfection services, such as electrostatic and high-touch point disinfection.
   Clinics of all types take extra care to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. This is even true in medical practices that do not usually work with sick patients. Throughout the day, many patients will come into contact with surfaces and equipment, such as exam tables, dentist chairs, and more. This can increase the risk of transferring germs or bacteria to other patients or staff.

   Professional disinfection may reduce the spread of illness between individuals at clinics and healthcare offices. High-touch point disinfection pays extra attention to surfaces and objects that are touched by many people throughout the day, such as doorknobs, light switches, and coffee makers. Electrostatic disinfection is an advanced technology that uses an electrostatic charge to ensure that disinfectant is applied evenly to surfaces of a given space, even hard-to-reach areas. Ask potential commercial cleaning service providers whether they provide disinfection services—and what types they offer—to ensure that they can meet the needs of your business environment.

3. Ask every commercial cleaning vendor about flexible scheduling.
   Many clinics, medical practices, and healthcare offices have slightly unusual hours, outside the normal nine-to-five. Some offer early morning or evening appointments throughout the week. Others may offer extended hours around the holidays and school breaks to accommodate college students who are only in town for a few days.

   You need a commercial cleaning service willing and able to schedule cleaning services around your hours of operation. Ask any candidate how they handle unusual hours and short-term schedule changes. They should be confident in their ability to adapt their approach and evolve with you to ensure that your space is always cleaned in a timely manner.

   It is also worth noting that many medical practices see more foot traffic during these odd hours. You might consider asking about day porter services to ensure a professional appearance throughout the day. Even if you do not need day porter services now, knowing that the option is available to you in the future can be appealing.

Commercial cleaning services for medical and healthcare facilities from a Vanguard Cleaning Systems® janitorial franchise business in Canada.

If you are looking for a commercial cleaning services provider to care for your clinic or healthcare facility in Canada, consider an independently owned and operated Vanguard® janitorial franchise business. A Vanguard® janitorial franchise business owner will work closely with you to understand your needs and your schedule and develop a custom plan unique to your place of work. Vanguard® janitorial franchise businesses may provide disinfection and other specialty services if desired.

Learn more about what a Vanguard® janitorial franchise business can do for your medical facility here or contact your local Vanguard® area franchise office nearest you.

About the Vanguard Cleaning Systems® Brand
Founded in 1984, the Vanguard Cleaning Systems® organization is built upon over 2,500 independently owned and operated franchised commercial cleaning businesses, which are licensed and supported by an Area Franchise network of more than 50 independent regional offices throughout North America. Vanguard® franchised commercial cleaning businesses service over 15,000 businesses, healthcare companies, educational facilities, and non-profit organizations.