Facility Cleaning Services: In-House vs Outsourced Cleaning

When it comes to routine industrial or commercial cleaning, should you rely on an in-house team or hire a professional cleaning service to tackle the job for you? There are certainly pros and cons to each, and the answer will depend on your facility’s unique circumstances.

Here are some things to consider when deciding how to keep your facility looking great.

Security Issues

If you store sensitive documents or need to maintain a confidential environment, having confidence that your cleaning staff has been thoroughly screened is important. In-house cleaning crews are subject to your company's background checks, so you can have confidence your security standards are being met. When considering an outsourced facility management service, work together to ensure their screening process meets your company's security needs.

Cost Savings

You may realize cost savings by hiring a contract cleaning service. If you hire your own cleaning staff, you'll have to absorb the HR costs associated with hiring, training, salaries and benefits like employment taxes, workers' compensation and health insurance.

Job Thoroughness

In-house teams have ownership of the spaces for which they are responsible, and they take pride in making them sparkle and shine. However, when employees see the same areas day-in and day-out, they may overlook areas that a third party cleaning service would see immediately.

Flexibility

If a problem comes up, having an in-house cleaning crew ensures the situation will be remedied quickly. But by outsourcing cleaning services, management is freed up for other purposes.

Supplies and Equipment

If you clean in-house, you'll also need to purchase supplies and cleaning equipment, which depreciates over time. A contract cleaning service brings supplies and equipment, which won't impact your bottom line.

The decision to use in-house cleaning crews or a professional cleaning service is multi-faceted. Before choosing a direction, be sure to weigh the tangible and intangible costs associated with each.