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Do you have office plants and gardens? Think you’ve got not room for such luxuries or that they would be too costly and tricky to maintain? Integrating greenery and plants in and around your office is a brilliant idea because there are a myriad of benefits for both the environment and the well-being of workers. The best part of this is there are many practical ways to achieve this, even in spaces with minimal areas for planting. Let’s explore the benefits of office plants…

The Appeal of Office Plants and Green Spaces

Why should an office environment incorporate greenery and plants? The answer is simple: the connection with nature brings about a host of positive effects that contribute to a more productive and enjoyable workplace. Studies have shown that exposure to green spaces and ofice plants can enhance mood, reduce stress, and increase focus and creativity among employees.

A study by the University of Exeterfound that adding indoor plants to an office environment improved employee well-being by up to 47%. Another study published in the “Journal of Environmental Psychology” revealed that having plants in offices increased overall job satisfaction and reduced fatigue.

These studies emphasize the immense psychological impact of nature on employees, making a compelling case for integrating greenery into office spaces.

Benefits for the Environment

While the human-centric benefits are clear, the positive impact extends to the environment as well. Plants play a vital role in air purification, absorbing pollutants and releasing oxygen, which leads to improved air quality. Additionally, they contribute to reducing indoor temperature fluctuations, making spaces more energy-efficient by providing natural insulation.

Creating Green Spaces in Limited Areas

Now, you might be thinking, “Our office doesn’t have ample outdoor space for planting.” Fear not! Even with limited room, you can create pockets of greenery that make a significant impact. Consider vertical gardens or hanging planters on walls. These not only save space but also add a unique aesthetic element to the office.

Indoor plants like succulents, snake plants, and peace lilies are low-maintenance choices that thrive even in limited light conditions. You can place them on desks, windowsills, or communal areas, infusing a touch of nature into every corner.

Indoor Planting Ideas:

1. Vertical Gardens: Utilize vertical space by installing hanging planters, wall-mounted shelves, or modular plant systems. This not only saves floor space but also adds an eye-catching visual element.
2. Desk Plants: Place small, low-maintenance plants like succulents, cacti, or air plants on desks or workstations. They add a touch of greenery and don’t take up much space.
3. Plant Stands: Invest in compact plant stands that can hold multiple pots. These stands can be placed in corners, next to windows, or along corridors.
4. Hanging Planters: Hang planters from ceilings or wall hooks to bring greenery closer to eye level. This works well for trailing plants or spider plants.
5. Terrariums: Create miniature ecosystems within glass containers. Terrariums are visually appealing and require minimal maintenance.

Outdoor Planting Ideas:

1. Container Gardens: Use large planters or pots to grow plants on balconies, patios, or outdoor seating areas. You can grow flowers, herbs, or even small shrubs.
2. Window Boxes: If you have windows facing outdoors, install window boxes to grow a variety of plants. This adds color and vibrancy to the exterior of the office.
3. Green Walls: Implement vertical gardens on exterior walls. These living walls not only enhance aesthetics but also improve air quality.
4. Rooftop Gardens: If your office has access to a rooftop, consider transforming it into a green oasis. Raised beds or containers can be used to grow a range of plants.
5. Potted Trees: Opt for dwarf or small trees in large pots. They can provide shade, improve aesthetics, and contribute to a more welcoming environment.

Maintaining Your Office Plants

Maintaining office plants might sound like an additional chore, but it doesn’t have to be. This is where commercial garden maintenance companies come into play. Entrusting the care of your green spaces to professionals ensures that plants are well-tended, watered, and pruned regularly. It takes the burden off your employees, allowing them to focus on their core tasks while still enjoying the benefits of a greener office.

Professional garden maintenance services also offer expertise in selecting the right plants for your specific environment, ensuring they thrive and contribute to the aesthetics of your workspace. Moreover, these services often have access to a wider variety of plants, enabling you to explore diverse options that suit your office’s style.

There are also many plants that require low maintenance care, meaning that, depending on the plants you choose your maintenance firm won’t have to visit as often to care for them.

Low-Maintenance Plant Choices:

1. Succulents and Cacti: These plants require minimal watering and thrive in bright sunlight. They come in various shapes and sizes, making them versatile for both indoor and outdoor spaces.
2. Snake Plants: Known for their air-purifying abilities, snake plants can tolerate low light conditions and infrequent watering.
3. Peace Lilies: These elegant plants thrive in low light and produce beautiful white flowers. They also help in improving indoor air quality.
4. Herbs: Consider growing a small herb garden in pots indoors or outdoors. Herbs like basil, mint, and rosemary not only add a pleasant aroma but can also be used in cooking.
5. Air Plants: These unique plants don’t need soil and can be attached to various surfaces. They absorb moisture from the air and require only occasional misting.

Getting Ready to Go Green

Incorporating greenery and plants into your office environment is a decision that brings numerous advantages – improved employee well-being, enhanced productivity, and a more visually appealing workspace.

Remember, the key is to select office plants that suit the lighting conditions of your office and your level of commitment to maintenance. A combination of different plant types, along with creative use of space, can transform even the smallest office area into a refreshing green haven.

So, take the plunge into the world of office greenery. Embrace the beauty of nature within your workspace, and watch as it transforms not only your surroundings but also the well-being of everyone who enters.

Want to know what office plants would suit your office environment best or need to give your current office plants some much needed TLC? Contact us today to see how we can help with your commercial garden and planting maintenance.

A low-maintenance garden is quite desirable in today’s fast-paced world, as many people don’t have the time or energy to devote to high-maintenance gardens.

It is a great solution for those who want a beautiful outdoor space without having to put in a lot of effort. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a low-maintenance garden is, its benefits and how to create one.

What makes a low-maintenance garden?

A low-maintenance garden is a garden that requires minimal upkeep, typically requiring less time and resources than a traditional garden. The idea behind a low-maintenance garden is to create a beautiful outdoor space that is easy to care for as well as sustainable. The focus is on using plants and materials that are hardy, drought-resistant and require little to no fertiliser or pruning.

Creating a low-maintenance garden

Creating this type of garden requires some planning and strategy. Here are some tips for creating a low-maintenance garden:

• Choose the right plants: When selecting plants, choose ones that are native to your area and are well-suited for your climate. Look for plants that are hardy as well as drought- and disease-resistant. Lavender, hardy geraniums and bergenias are some good options. 

• Group plants by water needs: Group plants together that have similar water requirements. This will make watering more efficient and reduce waste.

• Use mulch: Mulch can help retain moisture in the soil and reduce the need for watering. It can also help suppress weeds and improve soil quality.

• Use hardscaping: Incorporating hardscaping elements such as paths, patios and walls can add visual interest to your garden while also reducing the amount of grass or plants that need to be maintained.

• Consider low maintenance features: Installing features such as automatic irrigation systems, drip irrigation and rain barrels can reduce the amount of time and effort required to maintain your garden.

Do you want a garden with minimal effort?

A low-maintenance garden is a great option for those who want a beautiful outdoor space without the high-maintenance requirements of a traditional garden. By following the tips above, you can create a sustainable and easy-to-maintain garden that enhances the beauty of your outdoor space. If you need any help creating a low-maintenance garden you can continue to maintain then contact us today.

Opt for narrow borders and garden beds

Use the right tools

Bring in the professionals

Conclusion

Introduction

Mowing

Fertilisation

Irrigation and sprinklers

Conclusion

A clean environment can do wonders for your productivity. It boosts your staff’s morale and makes it easier for them to be organised and efficient. That said, maintaining a clean environment can be difficult, which is why we recommend hiring commercial cleaners.

Commercial cleaning teams are trained to handle various environments. They also have state-of-the-art cleaning equipment to deliver outstanding results. This blog post explores the scope of commercial cleaning to help you understand the value of your investment.

What does a commercial clean include?

There are two types of commercial cleaning services; general cleaning and routine cleaning. General or deep cleaning is more extensive than regular cleaning. It pays attention to all the hard-to-reach areas for improved sanitation of the space.

Regular cleaning, on the other hand, is more about maintenance. It involves sweeping floors, vacuuming carpets, disinfecting surfaces, emptying bins, dusting to remove cobwebs, etc. Besides regular and deep cleaning, you can request specialist cleaners. Special cleaning services with the biggest impact on your business include:

1. Hard floor care and carpet cleaning

Carpet cleaning is crucial for commercial spaces because carpets can harbour dirt, dust, and allergens leading to respiratory problems. Additionally, while cleaning floors with a broom and mop is easy, they need periodic scrubbing and waxing to maintain their glamour. Commercial cleaning teams are able to clean your floors on time without paralysing your operations. If you’re in the food or manufacturing industry, aim to clean your floors once every quarter to maintain a clean and safe space.

2. Commercial window cleaning

Dirty and cloudy windows send a bad impression of your business. Therefore, schedule cleaning at least twice every month, depending on your locale’s weather. Commercial cleaners have the tools, products, and expertise to properly clean your windows – even those hard to reach ones, so invest in professional window cleaning services.

3. Restroom cleaning

Toilets are an integral part of any commercial space. Without a strict cleaning regimen, you risk jeopardising the health of your staff and customers. If an outbreak occurs, your reputation could suffer irreversible damage, so always include bathroom cleaning in your cleaning budget.

If you’re looking for a commercial cleaning company, look no further than ACC. We have the experience, skills, and specialist equipment for any job. Get in touch with us today for a free quote.

Thinking about hiring a professional cleaner to help with your commercial property? There are many benefits of doing this, including freeing up time for more important jobs or removing the need for an in-house cleaner.

Here are 4 reasons that professional cleaning really is worth the money.

Your property will always impress

If you are in charge of a commercial premises, like an office, school or restaurant, you will be responsible for making sure that it is always spotless. As well as ensuring that visitors are happy with the cleanliness, there are also health and safety regulations like food hygiene ratings that need to be met.

Our professional team of cleaners are trained to the highest standard so that you can rest assured your workplace always meets every standard.

Cleaners can be flexible

Need someone to come and clean on a Saturday? Or perhaps you want to arrange for cleaning out of your working hours?

One of the great things about hiring a cleaning company is that it is flexible to suit your individual needs. Our cleaners can come to your premises at a convenient time to guarantee minimal disruption to you and your employees.

It’s cost-effective

You may think that commercial cleaning is expensive but it really doesn’t have to be.

We offer a wide range of packages to suit every budget, whether you’re looking for daily visits or something less frequent, like fortnightly or monthly cleans.

ACC works hard to make sure that you don’t pay more than you need to and still get a reliable, professional service.

It saves you time

As a manager or business owner, you probably have much more important things to be doing than cleaning.

It is still an important job that needs to be done, but is it worthwhile for you or one of your employees to be doing it?

Our commercial cleaning service is a hassle-free way to maintain the tidiness and cleanliness of your property while saving you hours of valuable time. So, leave the cleaning to us (it’s what we do after all!)

If you would like to discuss the needs of your North West business, we would be more than happy to help. Get in touch with us by calling 01204 495 222 or emailing us at info@acc.uk.com.

As you would expect, we fully appreciate the positive impression made by professionally-cleaned glass. But we know that this is only one part of providing an attractive and accessible business environment.

Maintaining property and premises

For those who work in, visit, or simply pass by your premises, the appearance of the grounds around your buildings contribute greatly to the impression you make. Understandably, in recent times, other cleaning priorities may well have meant that these areas have not been as regularly attended to as they would previously have been.

Returning or maintaining grounds to expected standards

What used to be a manicured lawn might now be more akin to rough grass. Weeds will have thrived through inattention, often invading every corner. Hedges or bushes might have expanded somewhat, especially if tending to them wasn’t a priority during last year’s growing season.

Bark and gravel areas might be looking a bit dusty or tired, and in need of refreshing. Flowers beds, placed to offer a bright and welcoming sight, could have been neglected over recent times.

Then there might be a couple of health and safety concerns

Those hedges or bushes might have encroached onto public areas and be causing a potential hazard. Another worry for those responsible for public and staff safety can be if slippery moss has taken hold anywhere.

Our ACC moss control process uses proven chemicals to loosen any moss infestation. Mechanical rotary brushes then complete the clearance for pathways, driveways, or car parks.

How can we help deliver the outside environment you want to see?

Some of our regular Associated Cleaning Contractors’ clients are surprised when we mention that we also provide a team of highly trained operatives who deliver superbly professional grounds maintenance services. We can deliver a general clean up or deal with any of the specific problems we’ve mentioned.

Call us now at ACC on 01204 495 222 for an obligation-free discussion of your needs. This is the first step towards ensuring that those areas around your buildings deliver the positive impression that you would want them to

School landscape, gardens, and grounds should be well-maintained not only for aesthetic reasons but because they directly affect the health and safety of students. To ensure you get the best results for your school, outsourcing garden and ground maintenance services is essential.

Here are the reasons why it is wise and prudent to outsource ground maintenance for your school facility…

High level of professionalism and expertise

Outsourced garden or ground maintenance services are beneficial because they offer an assured level of high professionalism. A professional service should have many years of experience, and better gardening tools, that a school may not possess. They know how to handle different situations and which equipment is suitable for your space and needs.

Saves time and costs

Outsourcing ground maintenance services saves your employees time and enables them to concentrate on other duties. Additionally, you will not need to invest in expensive tools or training on how to use them. Hiring an in-house employee to manage your ground will be more expensive considering their salary, compensation, health insurance, and benefits.

Variety, reliability, and stability

Hiring ground maintenance companies for your school offers not only many types of services but also ensures high flexibility and reliability in terms of scheduling and prompt response. They give you great consistency and stability since they are available whenever needed, and you don’t have to worry about challenges or delays such as a worker calling sick.

Better quality, cleanliness, and eco-friendliness standards

Due to expert knowledge, outsourced service providers provide higher standards of results and pay more considerable attention to eco-friendly details. They also have the tools to handle risky tasks that unskilled in-house workers may be afraid to do due to the possibility of accidents.

Does your facility require ground maintenance or gardening services? We have you covered with our professional and effective cleaning and maintenance services. Get in touch with us today and explore our wide range of services; we are dedicated to ensuring professional and high-quality services for your facility at a fair rate.

Looking to sell your office space? Whether you’re expanding your business because you need larger premises or you’re moving to a better location, you’ll want to sell up as quickly as possible.

The last thing you want is for your company’s growth to suffer because you’re unable to find a buyer fast enough. It’s therefore vital to make your offices as appealing as you can. You’ll want to give the impression that a buyer could move their own business in straight away without having to do any work on the place themselves. Here’s how.

1. Redecorate

It’s surprising what a difference a fresh layer of paint can make, especially if you haven’t redecorated for several years. Old paint can discolour, peel and accumulate dirt and dust, which isn’t a good look. Also, your existing colour scheme may not be suitable for the next company that wants to move in, making it harder for them to imagine what the space would look like if they took over.

New paint in neutral tones would make your offices appear bigger and brighter while eliminating years of dirt and marks. It would also create a blank canvas.

2. Lay new carpets

Your carpets will no doubt have seen more than their fair share of spilt coffees over the years, and will probably have the stains to prove it. What’s more, carpets can wear thin and lose their colour over time, so lay new ones to bring the office space bang up to date. Or, give the old one a professional clean.

3. Do a deep clean

When was the last time you carried out a deep clean in all the nooks and crannies? After growing so accustomed to the same space every day, your eyes may not spot the smaller problems that prospective buyers could pick up instantly, such as that little bit of mould around the windowsill. Pay attention to the smaller details with a thorough clean up, and you’ll impress potential buyers; the last thing they want to do when they move in is to clean but a ready-to-move-into property will be very appealing.

4. Tend the garden

Companies will be looking for a low-maintenance outdoor area to complement their office space, and the last impression you’ll want to give is that the garden is difficult to manage. So don’t forget to tidy up outdoors as well!

Need help getting ready for a commercial property sale? Associated Cleaning Contractors can provide all of these services and more, so contact us today.

Those in charge of schools often hire cleaners, to keep classrooms looking their best. School children are surprisingly messy and disorganised, even in such a structured setting, and a messy classroom can be a health and hygiene hazard as well as a bit of an eyesore.

But do you invest as much in the school grounds, beyond the classroom doors?

Here are 3 benefits of professional grounds maintenance for schools:

1. It improves indoor spaces

We’ve gone straight back to indoor spaces – corridors and classrooms. Why? Because they depend on good outdoor grounds.

Poorly maintained grounds, including school gardens and fields, can have terrible patches of mud that will find their way onto a child’s shoes and their clothing. That mud will be dragged indoors, stomped through corridors, transferred to chairs, rubbed into carpets and mats.

Keeping your school grounds in good, mud-free condition will make your school cleaner’s job far easier. It’ll also reduce complaints from parents about the condition of their child’s school uniform!

2. Well maintained grounds are safer

Poorly maintained school grounds can be a health hazard, with standing water and muddy puddles that will cause young children to slip over.

If the grass is too long it can make it hard for children to play safely during the summer months, and weeds like thorns and nettles can be a risk if they’re able to grow.

Another big risk, particularly through the winter, is moss. Moss can become very slippery and will grow even on concrete and tarmac. It may need to be cleared from pathways using chemicals and professional equipment.

Professional grounds maintenance goes far beyond bringing out the lawnmower. A professional can identify other areas of risk, and take them away before children are harmed.

3. It creates a good first impression

Your school is a business. To stay open, do well and receive funding, you need new pupils coming in. Think about how your school looks when people see it for the first time. Do they see poorly maintained outdoor spaces? Dead flowers? Weeds?

Good ground maintenance is a year-round investment. Your school needs to look good for open days, but your future pupils could be walking past with their parents at any moment.

Make a good first impression, and ensure that it lasts through the years, with regular school grounds maintenance. Get in touch for more information.