BLOG

Gardening is a versatile profession or hobby that’s constantly changing, is your corporate garden up to scratch?

Each year, old trends wilt and new trends bud, so you can be sure that there’s always something to keep you on your toes. This is especially the case for commercial gardens, as it’s essential that visitors and customers enjoy the space they’re in.

Here are some of the best commercial trends for 2019:

1. Perennial and wild gardens

With the recent talk of how damaged our environment is, one of the most prominent trends of 2019 is letting commercial gardens flourish full of wildflowers and herbs to encourage wildlife to visit. That isn’t to say that a garden has to be unkempt, though – you can still hire a commercial gardening team to ensure that it’s in tip-top shape while remaining eco-conscious!

2. Upcycled interiors meet commercial exteriors

Along with an ecological focus, many commercial gardens are doing more to help the planet by reusing and upcycling old interior parts. This could be anything – from turning an old colander into a hanging, self-draining plant pot, to fully redecorating old tables and bringing them outside! A lot of this can be done yourself, but if your commercial garden is in need of more complex decorating work, consider hiring a professional.

3. Big, bold and bright

Gone are the recent trends of muted shades of green and minimalism; 2019 is the year of bold floral colours and contrasting plants of all shapes and sizes. The more colourful and varied it is, the more inviting it’ll appear to visitors – think of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, for example.

4. Shrubbery is making a comeback

In the last few years, shrubbery has been neglected in favour of other forms of simple plants. However, in 2019 shrubs and hedges are coming back into fashion in commercial garden areas, as they’re a simple way to create variation in height and shape. Shrubbery is stigmatised in part due to its apparent high level of upkeep needed. So why not get a professional to do it for you?

Here at ACC, we offer professional grounds maintenance for commercial garden spaces; whether you need grass cutting in your new perennial pub garden, or your bright, vibrant flower beds looked after on a university campus, we have you covered! For a range of our full services and to speak to a friendly member of the team, contact us today.

Everyone knows how important it is to have a clean workspace; regardless of the job you do, hygiene and tidiness are essential.

The benefits can be felt in so many different ways, from increased efficiency thanks to organised desks, to a reduction in health and safety issues. However, not every commercial area should be cleaned in the same way; an industrial kitchen needs a completely different approach to cleaning than the exterior of an office building, for example. As such, in order to get the cleanliness your commercial area needs, it’s important to hire specialists.

Here are some of the main benefits of specialist cleaning services, according to clients and end users.

1. Constant professionalism

Specialists understand the importance of a clean workspace. They approach every job with the same level of professionalism, whether it’s ground maintenance or cleaning industrial kitchens. As such, professionals know how to exceed expectations and are often praised for their efficiency.

2. Specialist equipment

Specialist cleaning requires specialist tools – you can’t expect to clean a restaurant kitchen to the required hygiene levels with a mop and some wet wipes! Teams have equipment for any and every type of job, from commercial garden maintenance to window cleaning. Why settle for anything else?

3. Experience

Specialists have years of previous experience between them, working on a wide variety of different jobs. As such, they know exactly what to do when faced with any situation. Experience also breeds productivity and efficiency, so your job will be completed to the highest standard in a shorter time than you may imagine!

4. Competitive pricing

Cleaning companies also understand that while cleaning is a necessity, the cost does impact businesses. As such, good specialist teams ensure that their prices are competitive and value for money, but that they are also tailored to your specific job so that you can benefit from full honesty and integrity.

ACC can assist you with all types of commercial cleaning and maintenance, from factories to offices to schools. We also offer commercial painting and decorating too, so contact us today to find out more!

As any good teacher will be well aware, students do their best learning in clean and tidy environments.

There are a number of reasons for this, including:

1. Clean classrooms prevent the spread of germs

Keeping students safe and healthy is, of course, the responsibility of schools and teachers, and requires them to keep classroom spaces sparkling clean. Indeed, young children spread germs very easily through play and direct contact with their peers. By extension, they can easily leave germs on classroom surfaces and increase the likelihood of other children and adults getting sick.

To prevent this, schools should consider investing in a specialist cleaning firm to ensure that classrooms are germ-free at the end of the day, thereby mitigating the spread of disease. After all, sick days can seriously hinder a child’s intellectual and personal development, as well as causing a headache for busy working parents. Preventing sick days at their source can be hugely beneficial for pupils, teachers, and parents.

2. Tidy classrooms offer fewer distractions

Children are very easily distracted, particularly in today’s world of mobile phones and sleep deprivation. Working in a chaotic and disorganised classroom will only compound these issues, offering up a number of distractions that can make learning almost impossible.

To avoid this, teachers must ensure that their classrooms are clean before every session. As well as being distracting, ramshackle classrooms may cause students to lose respect in their teacher, as it is difficult to remain authoritative if you can’t seem to maintain control over your space.

3. Clean classrooms offer a more pleasant learning experience

Ensuring that learning materials are stored in a clean and orderly fashion will help to make pupils’ learning experiences more fulfilling. As well as saving the time that could be spent looking for crayons, writing materials, or puzzles, an orderly classroom will make children feel calmer and more willing to engage with activities.

4. Keeping clean helps generate good habits

Children are highly impressionable and tend to be creatures of habit; in this way, it is important that teachers are good role models by running organised classrooms. Of course, not every teacher has time to thoroughly clean their classroom, so hiring professional services could be hugely beneficial.

If your classrooms would benefit from some professional cleaning services, please get in touch with ACC today.

Have you ever considered the positive effects of maintaining the green spaces outside your offices? Commercial garden maintenance is becoming an increasingly popular practice for modern businesses hoping to reap the benefits of the natural world.

Indeed, it was recently reported that spending time outside is linked to better health. As such, cultivating a luscious garden is a great way to improve the wellbeing of employees and live up to your corporate responsibilities. Other benefits may include:

1. Better team work

Spending time in a corporate garden can be a rejuvenating and calming experience that could help to improve the focus of employees. As such, they may be able to work together more effectively and improve their problem-solving abilities.

2. Opportunities for growing organic produce

Well-maintained grounds offer excellent opportunities for growing organic produce that employees can nurture in their break times. As well as allowing them to take ownership over a section of outdoor space, growing produce such as fruit and vegetables will provide employees with delicious and healthy food that they can feel proud of.

3. Gardens offer a space for meditation

Meditation is an effective way of relieving stress and reducing negative feelings between employees; corporate gardens are the perfect place to meditate, unwind and take a short break from the buzz of the office. In the long term, encouraging outdoor meditation breaks will help to reduce conflicts between employees, reduce stress levels and, ultimately, keep employee turnover to a minimum. The less stressed employees feel at work, the more likely you are to hold on to them.

4. Gardens demonstrate good company values

A company’s offices can say a lot about their corporate culture. A well-maintained garden demonstrates that the brand is dedicated to developing healthy relationships between employees and that it cares about the natural world. In today’s eco-conscious business environment, this could be hugely beneficial.

5. Lower rates of absenteeism

Employees that work in attractive surroundings are simply more motivated to show up to work on a regular basis. Remember that office grounds are a wonderful source of happy energy that can enthuse employees at all levels of the business.

If you’re interested in commercial garden maintenance services, do not hesitate to get in touch with ACC today.

It’s not just our house that needs to be kept clean for everyone to be happy and healthy; considering the amount of time each day that people spend in the office then it’s just as important that this environment is kept clean. However, it’s unrealistic to expect your office staff to focus on cleaning, as this detracts from their actual job.

Here are three reasons why getting your office cleaned professionally can boost your business.

1. Workplace stress is dramatically reduced

The office is usually a stressful environment; with loud noises from telephone calls and the intensity of constant emails, a dirty office is the last thing your employees need. Clean and tidy environments are proven to improve the mental wellbeing of those who use them, and this will have positive impacts on your staff’s happiness and efficiency.

2. Better first impressions

Whenever someone comes to your office for a meeting, they will get an impression of your company through the office environment. A clean and clutter free office will give off an air of professionalism and is likely to help your first meeting result in a more positive outcome for your business. Regardless of who you are meeting, whether it be a potential new client, an existing business partner, or if you are receiving an official inspection, a clean office will do wonders for that all-important first impression.

3. Boosted productivity

Staff tend to work better when there are no distractions. While there is little you can do about some of these, one thing you have direct control over is the distraction of dirt. By having a clean office, there are fewer distractions, which means that office productivity should improve. Also, by removing dirt and mould, the sickness rates of your office are also likely to decrease, something else that will boost your business’ productivity rates. As such, any investment you make into professional cleaning will quickly be recouped and then overshadowed by improved employee wellbeing.

At ACC, we provide professional commercial cleaning service to offices and factories. All of our contracts are bespoke, designed specifically for your needs. For more information about how we can help you, please contact us.

A clean, safe and healthy learning environment is important for any institution that wants to create conducive conditions for studying and ensuring the smooth running of everyday activities. What’s more, the cleanliness of any school – colleges and universities included – plays a central role in making an excellent first impression on prospective students, parents and other faculty members. To preserve the reputation of your institution, therefore, it is key to ensure your premises look respectable at all time.

5 duties professional cleaning contractors can help with

1. General cleaning

Most cleaning companies take a holistic approach to school cleaning and maintenance to cover the entire premises exhaustively, from playing fields to classrooms or lecture halls, reception areas and parking spaces.

2. Accommodation cleaning

If your university or school offers boarding, you’ll know it’s pointless relying on the residents to do a thorough clean. Professional cleaning teams can tend to student living quarters and the periodic restocking of various toiletries on request.

3. Bathroom and washroom cleaning

A professional cleaning team won’t shy away from the intensive cleaning required in toilets and washrooms. In fact, they’ll have the equipment and skills to perform the necessary deep cleaning to match regulation health standards.

4. Leisure areas

This includes the cleaning of canteens, restaurants and dining areas, mainly deep cleaning and facilitating proper waste disposal.

5. Offices and staff lounges

It’s not just your students who stand to benefit from professional cleaning services. Teaching and support staff are busy, so cleaning staff areas can help promote employee well-being and promote a motivated workforce.

4 ways you stand to benefit from professional cleaning

Still in doubt? Well here are a few benefits of outsourcing your janitorial services to one of the premier cleaning firms over hiring internal cleaning staff.

1. Save money

Cleaning contractors often have access to a wide range of professional janitorial supplies and toiletries at a reduced cost, meaning they can pass on the savings to you.

2. Have the experts on the job

Cleaning firms employ skilled experts with the best equipment and cleaning materials and the proper certification to carry out all cleaning tasks.

3. Flexibility

Cleaning companies can work on a flexible schedule at your school’s convenience and can adjust their cleaning teams and rotas to suit the working day.

4. There in an emergency

In instances of an incident or a last-minute event, a cleaning company will be on hand to swiftly respond to any cleaning emergency, often outside of scheduled hours.

Associated Cleaning Contractors extensively covers every aspect of school cleaning to enhance the overall outlook of your institution and improve your school’s performance and welfare. For a bespoke and professional cleaning experience, give us a call today.

Most companies aim to promote and ensure a clean office environment because it is essential to their overall success. Since it is important to have a neat look in the office environment, most firms prefer seeking services of a professional and commercial cleaning service rather than hiring a full-time care-taker. The cleaning staff usually come in after work hours. Due to the increasing number of firms in the industry, here are a few factors to consider when choosing a suitable professional cleaning company:

1. Cleaning Checklist

The company must engage the professional cleaning service provider to communicate its expectations of the services they require. A company must specify whether there are specific areas that the professional cleaning service provider needs to clean or a particular process that the service provider must follow. The cleaning service provider should create a checklist based on the individual company to suit its needs.

2. Previous Industry Experience

When considering a professional cleaning service provider, it is important to check whether they have the relevant experience to meet the company’s needs. Often, professional cleaning service providers that have been in operation for a long time with various clients possess the relevant experience to provide satisfactory services to customers. Check to see if the cleaning service are members of an industry association, like The British Institute of Cleaning Services, which is often a sign they work to clear quality standards. ACC are members of a number of industry associations including The British Institute of Cleaning Science, SMAS Worksafe, Federation of Window Cleaners, and Construction Line.

3. Cleaning Supplies

A firm should consider whether the professional cleaning service provider will supply the cleaning products at fair costs. The consideration will provide adequate information on the suitability of the company to meet the desired cleaning standards to the client. A client should also consider the type of chemicals in the cleaning supplies to ensure health and safety for its employees.

4. Proof of Insurance

It is important for companies to request the insurance documents of the professional cleaning service provider they wish to contract. If the cleaning company lacks insurance, the customer will be fully responsible for accidents that could occur during the cleaning period. It is advisable for a client to hire firms that have appropriate insurance to cover their clients in the event of an occurrence of risk.

5. The ability of the Service Provider to Give References from Other Clients

It is essential to ask the cleaning company for references from the clients they have previously offered their services to. Reputable companies are often willing to provide contact details of the references of their clients. Contact those clients and ask them how happy they were with the cleaning services they received.

Contact ACC

Get the best professional commercial cleaning service providers by contacting Associated Cleaning Contractors for a free quote. Qualified professionals will assist you.

When you are running a business, there are many things to think about. This may include marketing to keeping on top of your company finances or offering the best customer service to your clients; all these key areas are what will help you to succeed over time and grow as a business.
One important area that you may not currently think about is professional window cleaning for your premises. However, it is something you should pay attention to  and any money spent here is actually an investment for your company’s future.

But what exactly can having your windows cleaned professionally do for you?

Better brand image to clients and public

Perhaps the most important benefit lies around the clean, modern image it will help you project to the world. Work premises that have clean, sparkling windows give a much better general impression to people. This could be clients who are coming into see you on-site or members of the public passing by. By keeping your windows clean, you are creating a positive impression that will make people want to do business with you and use your services.

Employee wellbeing

All business leaders know that it is their staff who will make their business a success or not. Recruiting top talent and hanging onto it is nigh on impossible if you provide a poor working environment. Staff will not enjoy coming in, not perform to their best, and then soon leave for another business that is more pleasant to work for. Having your windows cleaned helps to show staff you care about them and the conditions they have to work in. This in turn makes them more likely to remain loyal to you and be happy enough to perform to their best.

Keeps the building in good condition

Another great advantage of professional window cleaning for businesses is how it looks after the building you are in. This is especially true if you are renting the space and need to keep it looked after as part of your contract. Even if you own the building, it still makes sense to keep it in good repair for when you may choose to sell on.

Call ACC today

Here at Associated Cleaning Contractors, we offer top class window cleaning services to businesses who need an office, or have a factory premise to maintain. Give us a call today on 01204 495 222 to find out more. We are sure you will love not only our expert and friendly service but also the super clean windows we will deliver.

Have you ever sat down and thought about how your current cleaning services setup works for you? How much time and effort does it take? Often when we talk to our clients, they tell us that the service they received previously didn’t always match with the expectation of their business. The number of invoices and time spent engaging with their suppliers added up to much more time than they initially anticipated.

Here at ACC we understand that everyone’s time is precious, no matter what the size of your business. We think most business owners would rather be spending this time delivering on your core business objectives than sorting out payments to various suppliers!

We understand your values, mission and your ambitious plans for the future. Because of our experience, we’re able to focus on the job at hand and make sure you get the service that meets your expectation. We’ll take care of all your cleaning needs so that your staff or stakeholders can focus on their daily duties.

It’s not all about the physical costs

Yes, you can save time on admin by moving to just one supplier for your cleaning services. However, it is about much more than that. A cleaner workplace has positive benefits on the staff who work there. They are more likely to feel happier in a clean and well-maintained office. Not to mention safer!

How about your customers? A clean environment exudes professionalism and that can translate into them wanting to do business with you.

We’re more than just a cleaning services company

We have over 45 years of experience in cleaning services. With that experience, we have a deep understanding of all business sectors. We understand what works really well and also how processes can fail. With that knowledge, we know we offer a service which is at the head of the cleaning industry. Missed cleans are a rarity, and that makes us incredibly proud.

We can be a proactive partner in your business. We have over 350 members of staff who will share your business ethos. Every member of our team will have pride in their work and be proud to be the ones making sure your site clean, safe and keeping you, our customer, happy.