However this shouldn’t be the case, not least because of your personal welfare, as research figures indicate that an increase in sickness absence correlates with businesses that have cut back on cleaning their offices. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, since a lack of general cleanliness invariably leads to a spread of germs that cause illness.

Esther Wassmann, managing director of Resource GB, said: “Understandably, businesses are looking to reduce overheads, however neglecting proper cleaning and maintenance will only add to the cost of sickness absence during the recession.” And went on to stress the responsibilities managers have to protect employee wellbeing.

While the spread of germs is entirely invisible to the human eye, general clutter and mess isn’t. Half the participants’ polls said they had become conscious of what clients would think of their offices as the result of cleaning and maintenance cuts.

Wassmann also asserted that: ”Legally, employers have a duty of care to provide employees with a safe working place, so the fact that so many people consider their workplace unsafe and their colleagues dangerous is very worrying.”

The studies go to show what some businesses take for granted: a clean and tidy office. Because without it, businesses can suffer in terms of staff health and a loss of credibility from potential and current clients – which are in many ways, absolutely priceless.

Another point that should be highlighted from this study is that despite economic downturns certain services can not be avoid or reduced. Take office cleaning for instance, what would new prospects think if they walk into a messy office with papers all over the place, desks cluttered with dust and all sorts of things. What would you think if you were to hire a service from someone that is not capable of organizing its on work place? Exactly, you wouldn’t right?

Use this article as an reference next time you are thinking in cutting down costs and avoid make the mistakes many make. Some services are essential for the well being of your company and its work place.

In the same way that you can’t help but judge the author of an email littered with spelling and grammatical errors, you invariably judge a company whose employees’ work at desks piled with seemingly random papers.

It all comes back to that age old rule: your first impression counts – mess that up, and you’re facing an uphill battle that could’ve been easily avoidable. Whether we like to acknowledge it, a cluttered, untidy and – worst of all – unhygienic office is likely to scare off new clients. In fact, never mind about new clients, you want your current partners to hold you with high esteem, right? If so, undoubtedly the best way for that to happen is creating a clean, organised environment and sometimes the best way to do that is by hiring a professional office cleaning company.

As a business manager, the key is to shift the company’s attitude to creating clutter. This is significant for two reasons.

First is because the overall efficiency and productivity of a business can increase when employers spend just a minute a day less searching for documents etc. By itself a minute doesn’t sound like much of course, but accumulatively – over the space of weeks, months and years – it can make profound difference to your business’ growth.

Secondly, cleaning gets harder the worse mess becomes. It’s human nature to put off chores like cleaning until tomorrow. Problem is; tomorrow comes and the mess is worse, making tidying up even more of a chore. It’s a vicious (and ultimately messy) cycle!

So how can you sort this? In today’s office cleaning tips we will bring you a wise and environmentally friendly  idea to help you reduce paper clutter in your office. The tidiest offices are generally those that simply have less material clutter to begin with. And how do they manage this? By bringing in a digital filing system…

It’s likely your business already has a network, and that’s a great starting point. Next comes a complete overhaul of the network’s file structure. This will take some time and careful consideration. A general rule-of-thumb is that an effective digital file system – when compartmentalized – reflects exactly how the business is organised and leaves room for future amendment and likely change.

Of course, there will always be a need for hard copies. However, to discourage printing unnecessary hard copies, some organisations have avoided giving each employee their own filing cabinets, and instead, opt for a communal filing station that of course means getting up, walking over and finding the appropriate file.

Although simple, making this change and gathering your troops for a inspiring talk about the reasons behind, is a sure fire way to instal greater productivity and the priceless benefit of your employees and clients enjoying spending time at the office – the value of which barely needs our endorsement!

The main criticism with eco-friendly cleaning services and producs is that it’s a higher expense for something that has the same outcome as traditional cleaning solutions. Overall, it’s easy to wonder if you’re getting bang for that extra buck.

Now, you will see a lot of terms thrown around such as “green” “eco friendly” and “biodegradable” when looking at cleaning products or services. The truth is that companies will grossly exaggerate their green credentials in order to convince you that their products are non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-carcinogenic.

If this is the case, then how do you tell apart the real from the fabricated?

Well, for a start, the Environmental Protection Agency offers an eco-friendly certification called Design for the Environment – which essentially validates any claims to being eco-friendly.

Another way is to look for “Green Seal” certification which, again, will appear on a product’s packaging and identifies the product as fulfilling eco-friendly standards. That said, such certifications are voluntary, meaning that not all products without these certifications are not eco-friendly.

In our experience, super-slick branding and packaging for products that profess to being eco-friendly often turn out to contain ingredients that are chemical-based as opposed to citrus-based solvents, vinegar, natural abrasives and essential oils.

This is mainly down to its parent company responding to the demand without wanting to invest in new product development. We’d suggest that, when all else fails, look for minimal packaging or cleaners that can be refilled from concentrate to cut down on packaging waste – as they often turn out to be the most effective and genuinely eco friendly cleaning solutions.

Now for cleaning companies a way to certify that their cleaning services are eco-friendly is to ask for their green accreditations and for their environmental cleaning policy.

Not only are these natural ingredients equally effective as branded products, most can be found in your kitchen cupboards and are entirely non-toxic. Meaning you can clean every inch of your home safe in the knowledge that you’re doing it in an environmentally friendly manner using ingredients that cost – ounce for ounce – about one-tenth of the price of their commercial counterpart. Making and trying your own toxic-free cleaning equipment takes no time at all with these simple directions.

First off, you’re going to need some essential, basic ingredients – which you can mix-and-match to find the best cleaning solution. They are: baking soda, white distilled vinegar, tea tree oil, washing soda and a good liquid soap or detergent. To mix and apply the solutions you’ll want, ideally, 6 clean spray bottles and 2 glass jars handy.

Now you’re ready to get cleaning – green style! Let’s start with the most straightforward but versatile cleaning solution:

Multi-purpose cleaner

All you need for this is 1/2 teaspoons of washing soda, a dab of liquid soap and 2 cups hot tap water. Then simply combine the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag. Simples!

Window cleaning

For this one, you’ll need to mix 1/4 teaspoons of liquid detergent, 3 tablespoons of vinegar
and 2 cups of water, again, into a clean spray bottle. Shake it good and use as you would a regular branded product. The soap in this recipe is important, as it cuts the wax residue from the branded products you might have used in the past.

Oven cleaning

The notoriously hard-to-clean feature of every home: the oven can turn into a grimy mess without regular cleaning. To stay on top of this, measure 1 cup (or more) of baking soda, fill a jar of water and prepare have liquid detergent at-the-ready.

Clean by sprinkling water generously over the floor of the oven. Cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is virtually turned white. Then sprinkle some more water on top and let the mixture set overnight. The grime will loosen considerably by the next day, allowing you to wipe away the grease. Once you’ve cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent (or soap) onto a sponge and wash the remaining residue. If this recipe doesn’t work for you, use more baking soda and water next time! Don’t worry, just pile it in.

Mould removing

This spray is a proven winner with removing mould and mildew. It works particularly well on mouldy ceilings and mouldy shower curtains. The key ingredient in this mix is tea tree oil, which can be expensive, but a little goes a very long way. All you have to do is combine 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil and 2 cups water in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. And voila, you done.

Now we want to hear from you. Have you got any green cleaning tip that you would to share with us? Please use our comments to share your eco-friendly cleaning tips.

It has been proven for some time that some commercial cleaning products can pose threat to your health. According to scientists and physicians, strong chemical compounds used in cleaning products can cause different dermatological and respiratory problems for people and that’s why people are opting for green cleaning.

Indeed, green cleaning is the ideal form of cleaning which does not involve the use of any chemical based cleaning products and thus has no side affects that could harm the health of people or the environment. As the name suggests, green cleaning is a natural formula for keeping your surroundings clean and fresh. Unlike factory-made, cleaning solutions and detergents, green cleaning is totally free from all kinds of toxic chemicals.

More and more places like hospitals and nursing homes are implementing green cleaning as  the safest cleaning process. The USA and European countries are using green cleaning in commercial areas like offices, markets and shopping centres that witness the presence of large numbers of people with different health conditions on a daily basis. It is also extremely beneficial to cleaning staff who work with cleaning agents on a daily basis.

Another major reason why people have largely accepted green cleaning is the availability and cheap cost of the items; lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda and washing soda are the most effective green cleaning product and are purchased at a much cheaper costs compared to toxic chemical-based solutions and detergents. You can apply these natural ingredients for cleaning anything in the office, home and leisure industry, without  any kind of threat to your health minimise the risk of damage to your belongings.

Although the main Street and much of the town centre remain sealed off by the police businesses and households have begun the massive task of ‘cleaning up after the floods.

Chief superintendent Steve Johnson said:
 
“We’re not letting people in because it would hamper our operations. All residential premises have to be systematically checked. We need to see if there is still anybody inside. Where people chose to stay, we’re seeing if they have everything they need. It takes time. Some of the buildings are old and we need to ensure that they are structurally safe.”

Fears of looting as the flood waters ripped off shop frontages are a major concern for all residence and businesses. However, people were being allowed to return to their homes and businesses to start the mammoth task of cleaning up the sewage and silt.

Duncan Munro, 61, of Banks Court, said the water came in so fast he was un-able to save anything. He said:

“I was frying a sausage, moved my foot and heard the water splashing. Within a few minutes the water was 3ft high. I didn’t have any time to rescue anything. My music collection I have collected over 50 years is gone. The LPs are irreplaceable. I have a wheezy chest with the smell being so bad. Spores are already growing up the walls. I have no power. I have been going to Cockermouth School for food and coffee. I have no insurance and I am unemployed, so I have nothing left. It is very upsetting and dispiriting”

Many people will suffer terribly due to lack of insurance, old age, ill health and resources available. All that is left for now is cleaning up the aftermath of the flood and salvaging as much as possible.

Natural cleaning products are one of the simplest and most economic ways to make a household more eco-friendly. But it is not only on the domestic side that natural cleaning products are becoming popular, professional cleaning companies are also adopting these products.

Cleaning companies are opting for eco-friendly cleaning products for two main reasons. First these products cost less which allows them to cut down costs and second because most of them are willing to make a change and help the environment.

Natural cleaning products derive their ingredients from plants and are biodegradable, as well as phosphate and chlorine free.

Eco-friendly natural cleaning products have been among the main driving forces in the recent growth of the detergents and cleaners market. Unlike most industries which were hit by the global economic crisis, cleaning market actually benefited from it.

Sir Thomas Legg, expenses auditor, said the money amounted to him overpaying £10 a week for his cleaning bill for his London home over a five-year period.

John Cummings said:

“I have received my letter from Sir Thomas Legg which requests the repayment of some of my cleaning costs, which I have agreed to repay immediately. The money that I am repaying is a result of the retrospective limit that Sir Thomas Legg has decided upon for cleaning costs. I have noted the outcome of the inquiry and will abide by its recommendations.”

The MPs’ co-operation with the Legg inquiry comes after politicians from all parties expressed their outrage at having to pay back money lawfully claimed on their expenses.
MP Bill Etherington has already come out and said he would rather go to court than pay back money if he was asked to do so by Sir Thomas.

He said MPs were being portrayed as crooks when all they had done was abided by the rules, and it would not do politicians any good if they admitted wrong doing when they had followed procedure

Have your say on MPs’ expenses. Do you think the MP’s have the right to keep the expenses already approved and paid for under the old expenses scheme? Use the comment box below to share your views.

Here are some cleaning tips to help you on your way:

-  Get your carpets professionally cleaned. Think of all the sand and grass clippings that have been walked in on your flip-flops this summer.

-  Clean your windows, inside and out, including in between the sills.

-  Cleaning your house from top to bottom, focusing on public rooms such as the living room, family room, hallway and bathroom.

-  Get out the vacuum. Vacuum the drapes, window treatments, baseboards and in the corners. Move furniture and vacuum beneath and behind it. Vacuum upholstered furniture, or have it professionally cleaned if necessary.

If you are looking for a professional contract cleaning company with a difference please visit the Total Clean Services website.

Germ founder Paul Ward, who impressed James Caan on Dragon’s Den so much that he offered to invest, will see up to 40% of his capital investment, property and marketing expenses paid for this year.

He said: “The Isle of Man (government) are also fantastic. It’s 100% the grants from them to help us set up. Research and development and marketing; everything a small business would need they have offered to us.”

Germ Warfare is setting up its sales operations on the island and plans to relocate its new product development and its manufacturing.

Germ has developed a range of cleaning products that kill harmful bacteria including c.difficile spore, MRSA, swine flu at hand temperature and without the use of chemicals that can cause irritation to the skin.

Launched in January 2008 the company sold £500,000 worth of cleaning agents into doctor surgeries, large employers like Royal Bank of Scotland, and online shoppers.

This is a positive direction for the killing of superbugs and what we think is a worthy investment for the Isle of Man.

For more information on Total Clean’s contract cleaning services please visit the website.