One of the most lasting impressions on your customers is the state of your waiting rooms and other public areas. It doesn't matter how good the service or how high quality your products. A dirty waiting room will leave a bad taste in your customer's mouths. An easy way to remedy this is to come up with a regular cleaning schedule.

The Right Schedule for the Right Business

Most waiting rooms will need to be completely cleaned at most once every two or four weeks, if there is a regular daily spot cleaning. A daily wipe off of tables and sweeping the floors will keep a room looking nice between cleanings. Businesses that are traditionally messier, such as construction or automotive repair may need a specialized approach.

Use the right cleaning chemicals and procedures for each type of furnishing and flooring. If you employ a cleaning staff or use a cleaning service, they will know which product to use for which task. If you are doing the cleaning yourself be sure to read the label and follow directions. Improper use will not lead to a cleaner result and may do damage!

Furniture Cleaning

Most waiting rooms and public spaces offer fabric seating. It is comfortable, economical and attractive. But it also gets quite dirty with typical business use. It can collect food particles, dust and body odors over time. A good practice is to use a hand-held furniture shampooer with furniture cleaner once every month. Leave a fan blowing on the slightly damp furnishings. Do this before closing for the weekend.

Leather furnishings stay cleaner and do not collect smells. They do require an occasional washing with leather cleaner and a cleansing cloth followed by leather conditioner. With care, these furnishings provide years of service.

Hardwood furniture is perfect for use in high traffic and high grime environments. A gentle soap and water cleaning will remove nearly any built up grime from the surface. Follow this with wood polish or wax to provide a clean and inviting environment.

Scrub the Floors

A gritty floor is unwelcoming. Regular sweeping can remove most dirt on a hard floor. Only wet mopping will clean away all of grit. Use a cleaner the is suitable for your flooring. A hardwood floor may need a more gentle floor cleaning chemical than a tile or ceramic floor.

If your business uses carpeting, be sure that they are vacuumed regularly. Instead of mopping your floors, you will need to use dry carpet crystals or a carpet shampooer to deal with ground in grime or odd smells.

Walls and Windows

You cannot forget the walls and windows. These too get grimy feeling and looking over time. Window washing is simple. Use a glass cleaner and old newspaper for a shine and sparkle that cannot be beat.

Walls are a little trickier. Plaster and wall paper are both porous materials. Paint can rub off, if a harsh cleaner is used. But if the walls are left unwashed too long, a gooey black build up can form from dried hand prints attracting dirt. They can also hold odors such as smoke, perfume and body odor. Wash gently, with a soft cleaning cloth and a gentle cleaning chemical. Be sure to pay special attention to wall corners, wooden moldings and high traffic areas.

It may seem like a lot of trouble at first. In the end, a clean and inviting place for your customers to wait will pay off in good word of mouth. And as every business person knows, that kind of advertising cannot be bought!