Industrial cleaning companies help to maintain cleanliness and order in a business or manufacturing facility. Industrial cleaners use professional equipment and supplies to keep spaces free from dust, debris or any spills that may lead to slip-and-fall injuries. They also make repairs to facility components or equipment. Industrial cleaning companies also specialize in extensive, deep-cleaning services that remove chemicals from facilities, reducing exposure to potential health hazards.

Commercial cleaning usually requires a team of industrial cleaners, since multiple work areas need attention. In addition to cleaning for basic maintenance, industrial cleaner services perform tasks that are specific to the industry, such as removing sludge, cleaning filters and scouring tanks. Supplies for industrial cleaning include buffers and polishers for surface finishing, abrasive blasting power sprays for rust removal, plasma etching to clean excess layers of material from machinery and ultrasonic cleaning tanks for deep cleaning. Oxygen cleaning machinery cleans manufacturing equipment of oils, greases and similar materials to prevent dangerous situations such as fires or explosions.

1. Find all of the necessary cleaning equipment or other hardware for special services.

2. Have safe chemical cleaning equipment for general maintenance.

3. Buy tools or have other services accessible for repairs and emergency cleanup.

Action Steps
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Seek the right hardware or other special industrial cleaning equipment

Cartridge and filter replacement bags, washers and vacuums are some of the equipment needed for commercial cleaning.

I recommend: Parts cleaning and degreasing and airless vacuum vapor systems can be ordered from the Tiyoda-Serec Corporation. Alliance Manufacturing offers industrial parts washing systems, and parts cooling and drying equipment. L & R Manufacturing manufactures industrial cleaning generators, transducers, disinfectors and tanks.

Add chemical cleaning equipment as part of the service

Include cleaning sprays, degreasers and solvents as part of the industrial cleaning process. Find supplies for office, laboratory or industrial cleaning.

I recommend: Grainger supplies janitorial equipment such as carts, floor scrubbers and steel wool sponges. Biodegradable cleaning wipes, detergent and antifoam products can be found at Horizon Industries. For heavy-duty commercial cleaning, PTI Industries provides chemical cleaning equipment and solutions for ultrasonic cleaning and vapor degreasing.

Have supplies or other services available for repairs or emergency cleanup

Tools should be available to repair facility components, and industrial cleaning supplies should be accessible in case of emergency spills.

I recommend: Paul P. Pruss & Son offers chemical cleaning supplies, as well as equipment to clean hazardous waste. Mole Master Services provides structural inspection and preventative maintenance services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Supplies for industrial cleaning are used in fields such as aerospace, electronics, pharmaceutical, filtration equipment and chemical and materials manufacturing.
• •  Industrial cleaning companies must meet OEM, Mil-Spec and RoHS specifications. They must also pass AS 9000, ISO 9001 and TS 16949 standards.

Industrial cleaning companies offer highly sought-after services for large and small businesses alike, and their owners have the opportunity to accept as much work as they can handle. Cleaning companies also offer different cleaning packages and a la carte services, or they may specialize in certain types of businesses and won’t, for example, handle warehouse spaces or food preparation areas.

Cleaning services offer many standard options on as-needed schedules, and use subcontractors for more extensive cleaning tasks. You may hire a company, for example, which offers daily trash and restroom services, but only vacuums, sweeps and mops once or twice weekly. That company may hire carpet cleaning specialists or floor stripping and waxing specialists semiannually or as you request those services.

Selecting the right cleaning services for your business can be as easy as a good reference from another business owner, but may require more investigative work. To start your search out on the right foot, you’ll need to know:

1. What specific services you'll need.
2. How often you'll need specialized, industrial cleaning.
3. How much you're willing to pay.

Action Steps
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Use your business networking contacts to create a short list

Chamber of commerce socials can be a great way to find cleaning services, but don't discount a friendly trip to the business next door. If your company requires specialized services, such as a clean room service, you may want to contact local companies with similar needs and ask which industrial cleaners they've hired, and which ones they'd recommend.

I recommend: Search online business listing services, such as 1800Contractor.com.

Interview prospective Industrial cleaning companies

Meet with the owner of each company you're considering, and conduct an interview. You're not just hiring a commercial cleaning company, you're choosing which group of people will have a key to your building and the code to your alarm system. Conduct reference and background checks, and ask what the company's policies are regarding employee background checks. Ask to see proof of business and liability insurance.

I recommend: Search for cusomer reviews of the industrial cleaning companies you're researching. Take a tour of the service using your zip code on the Angie's List business rating site.

Evaluate commercial cleaning candidates by the work they do

'Hire' an industrial cleaner for a one-time cleaning during the bidding process. Meet the crew and evaluate techniques and results.

I recommend: Consult your attorney regarding a mini-contract for the one-time cleaning service, or write it yourself at LawDepot.com. You can also use the link to write your final contract once you've selected a provider for your industrial cleaning needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Finding a company by referral is the best way to find reliable industrial cleaning services.

When you run an industrial cleaning business it is important to make sure that you and your staff are well trained and educated in using all of the latest cleaning equipment and supplies. The chemicals and machinery that people will be working with can be hazardous, so every staff member must be aware of the dangers and know how to use them in a safe manner.

In order to win and keep clients for your industrial cleaning company, you must be able to provide a fast, efficient and safe service. You will have to work around their time schedule to make sure you don't interrupt their normal business operation. Always remember that there are hundreds of industrial cleaning companies, so you will need to be the best to keep your clients happy and working with you regularly. Make sure your staff is well prepared to get the job done by taking the following steps:

1. Enroll them in training courses to learn how to use industrial cleaners and machinery.

2. Keep up with the most recent news about the commercial cleaning industry.

3. Send your staff to safety training classes.

4. Register to participate in industry seminars.

Action Steps
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Take training courses for the industrial cleaning profession

Industrial cleaning education and training begins with learning how to properly use every industrial cleaner and related piece of equipment. The more knowledge and experience you have the better you will be at the job, so start off in a class that teaches the basics and work up to advanced techniques and methods of operating machinery.

I recommend: Attend courses at iSi Environmental Service or NTUC LearningHub.

Commit to safety training courses for cleaning services

Certain chemicals should never be mixed, and much of the machinery is very complicated and requires training to operate correctly and safely. Ensure your employees are well aware of every necessary safety procedure for their protection and the protection of your customer's property. This is one area for which shortcuts should never be allowed, because a lack of knowledge and experience could have disastrous results.

I recommend: Get home-based safety courses from SafetyManager or Lab Safety Supply.

Keep up with the latest news on industrial cleaning services

New products are introduced regularly, so to stay competitive you must be aware of the best methods for getting any cleaning job done. Don't let your competition advance while you fall behind. Make a habit of perusing all news stories on the industry and sharing any relevant information with the entire staff.

I recommend: Read articles from Cleaning Matters. Subscribe to Cleaner Magazine.

Register for a cleaning company industrial seminar

Going to seminars is a great way to enhance the industrial cleaning education and training of every person who works in the profession. At these seminars you can hear about upcoming innovations, establish new business contacts, check out cleaning service equipment that isn't even on the market yet and much more. Many organizations offer annual conferences that may be relevant to your business.

I recommend: Attend seminars held by Mansfield Industrial or Cleaning Consultant Services. Go to a trade show sponsored by EventsEye.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You might not be able to send everyone to a seminar or convention, so just send one trusted associate and ask him/her to share what he/she learedn with the rest of the staff.
• •  The industrial cleaning education and training of your staff should be ongoing, because there are always new cleaning supplies and equipment being introduced that could benefit your company. It is important for your crew to know about these items and that they are aware of how to use them in a safe manner.

Industrial cleaning key terms are pertinent to many fields. They apply to those in the cleaning industry from those who hire and oversee the cleaning crews. They are also applicable to those businessmen and women who handle their own office and company cleaning. Industrial cleaning can also apply to large company products as well. It may be applicable to large scale cleaning projects that call for heavy duty leaning supplies that require you be familiar with chemical terminology that you may not have encountered before.

Whatever the need, learning industrial cleaning key terms will help you better understand your purchasing and usage decisions. It will also help you in safety training and preparedness spectrum. Familiarize yourself with the terms and definitions to better prepare yourself for your next conversation out in the field.

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Biodegradable

Biodegradable refers to substances that have the capability of decomposing by naturally occurring micro organisms. These types of cleaning products are considered earth friendly.

I recommend: Look at the biodegradable cleaning product information from NeutralCleaning.com.

Industrial alcohols

Industrial alcohols commonly used in cleaning products generally include methyl, ethyl as well as isopropyl. They increase the solvency and cleaning ability without causing a residue.

I recommend: Look at the alcohols produced by The Dow Chemical Company.

Chlorinated solvent

Chlorinated solvents are degreasing solvents that have a lower flammability and greater solvent power than normal petroleum solvents.

I recommend: Find out more about chlorinated solvents from Euro Chlor.

Dip tank degreasing

Dip tank degreasing involved removing grease, dirt and oil from metal parts by immersing them in a degreasing solution in a dip tank constructed of a substantial noncombustible material that has supports made of heavy metal reinforced concrete or masonry.

I recommend: Check out the Idaho General Safety and Health Standards for dip tanks.

M. S. D. S.

M. S. D. S. stands for Material Safety Data Sheet, and it is the form that is required by law that lists the hazardous ingredients in a product. This information must be provided to the companies who distribute or use chemical products.

I recommend: Find free material safety data sheets from 3E Company.

Vapor degreasing

Vapor degreasing is when a chlorinated solvent is heated in a tank and a vapor is formed that condenses onto the cooler metal parts. This then drips back into the tank cleaning the metal parts of soils and other filth.

I recommend: Check out the safety precautions set by Washington State Dept. of Labor and Industries for vapor degreasing dip tanks.