Residential vs Commercial Cleaning

Can you tell the difference between the two?

Now more than ever, people need to let go of their misconceptions that cleaning is merely a chore and nothing more. Cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing is undoubtedly a very taxing process for it involves a lot of time and effort. To add, it’s simply not a task that everyone enjoys because you have to consider the many methods of sanitation for there is no linear way of cleaning. The resistance to cleaning supplies, the material it is made of, and even how susceptible it is to germs and bacteria are just some of the things you would need to be wary of. Hence, it is always a wise choice to hand it over to cleaning professionals who know their way around in cleaning every area with little supervision. In general, there are different types of cleaning services available for outsourcing and are offered by most cleaning companies but today, we’ll focus on two of the most sought-after: Residential and Commercial.

While they both share a lot of similarities especially with the common goal of ensuring a healthy and safe environment, these two have slight differences in terms of the scope and nature of the services and not to mention, the expectations and outcome after the services have been rendered. Knowing the differences is significant as each focuses on the different aspects of the job. For you to get the best value for your buck, you should first understand what you need and then determine which would be the answer to that need. Hopefully after you read this, you will have a better idea of residential and commercial cleaning and its benefits.

Bases Covered

It’s pretty straightforward that residential cleaning specializes in cleaning the house and the parts of your house like floors, bedrooms, bathrooms, the garage, the kitchen, and other parts of the house that often takes a lot of effort when cleaning and organizing. Most of the time, clients are more demanding of the small details since they see the work being done. It can be as trivial as where the sofa is placed, how the sheets are folded, what wiping materials are used– in short, it’s very micromanaged. It can reach to a point where clients leave intentional “traps” to make sure that the cleaning was thoroughly done.

On the other hand, commercial cleaning is usually done for businesses or corporations because they have complex equipment and perhaps some unavoidable waste that incurs a specific type of sanitizing that only commercial cleaners can provide. Commercial cleaning services include, but are not limited to, waste clean-up, equipment clean up, heavy cleaning. However, heavy cleaning does not mean that availing commercial cleaning services for your residential home will clean it better; it’s just that they clean different and more complicated areas or equipment.

Equipment and Supplies

Obviously, the equipment and supplies used for residential cleaning are some of the things we are familiar with. Except for some tools that the agency might have invested in, everything should be something you can buy yourself in a mart or hardware store.

However, the germs and dirt accumulated in a commercial setting are often highly resistant so residential cleaning products will do little to keep your workspace truly clean. Cleaning products sold for home cleaning are required to meet specific consumer safety standards thus may not be powerful enough to destroy the types of grit and grime that are present in your office.

Scheduling

When it comes to cleaning schedules, residential cleaning offers appointments in exact timeframes and days to maximize their time and be able to serve more clientele. Depending on the decision of the homeowners, cleaners can clean with or without any monitoring from the client itself. However, most cleaners, if not all, work in the morning. It will not be possible for them to perform their cleaning duties at night time unless the clients aren’t there. It’s also important to note that residential cleaning deals with clients’ personal space so they tend to be more sensitive and will most likely nitpick about everything and anything. 

While commercial cleaning can be done in the morning just like residential cleaning, it also allows nighttime cleaning. In fact, it is more ideal to clean at night because there are no staff wandering around, or if there are, it’s not as crowded as it would be during the day. It’s advantageous for both parties as the cleaners will be able to finish their work efficiently and promptly without disrupting the company’s daily operation. At the same time, the employees are not prone to any cleaning accidents nor will they inhale any of the cleaning chemicals used during the clean-up. 

Payment Options

The amount you pay for residential cleaning services is commonly based on the hours they rendered or the amount of work done. The more chores the cleaners need to do, the higher the amount clients need to pay. Most of the time, residential cleaning services are usually billed on the same day so the client has to pay right after the work is done. Though sometimes, some agencies require a deposit then the balance is part right after. 

In contrast, commercial cleaning services come up with different packages, and more often than not, offer flexible payment terms. Clients can avail of cleaning packages that suit their needs instead of going all out on a total do-over or restoration. They can opt for a routine cleaning or specialized cleaning services. Their payment terms can vary between monthly, weekly, or yearly depending on what both parties agreed upon.

Whether you need that urgent cleaning in your home or office, it’s obvious that opting for cleaning services is a great return of investment especially if your purpose is to disinfect and sanitize. Cleaning is not just merely organizing things and placing a trash bin at the corner. It involves a lot of maintenance and restructuring to minimize the presence of dust, germs, and bacteria. While it can be done by anyone, it takes time and experience to get the quality cleaning that you, your family, and your employees deserve.