There are hundreds of them out there and I risk saying that the cleaning industry is saturated with too many office cleaning companies, especially here in London. Such saturation is lowering the quality of the cleaning services offered and it is becoming ever so hard to find an efficient office cleaning company.

In this article I'll give you some tips on how to hire an efficient office cleaning company that will not only get the job done but that does it respecting the cleaning industry regulations as well as its employees.

A highly efficient office cleaning service is all about good costumer service, training and flexibility. Look for companies that provide detailed information on how their workforce is trained and what qualification they have, are they professional cleaners or just party time workers, be very careful here many of these so "professional cleaning companies" employ illegal immigrants which you know is serious infringement of the law here in the UK and EU countries.

Flexibility and customer service are closely related. When I refer to flexibility I mean the flexibility to work outside office hours so it doesn't get in the way of day to day activities in your office. A reliable customer service doesn't necessary need to be a 24hr helpline but a service that is always there when you need it to clarify services provided as well as invoicing and other questions that might arise regarding their cleaning jobs.

Health and Safety

Ask for the companies health and safety policy, if they don't have one the is a huge signal that they are not as professional as they say they are. An office cleaning health and safety policy should cover all the necessary and practical steps of its employees and people affected by its activities by providing training, safety devices and protective clothing when necessary.

Quality Control

It is extremely important that the chosen office cleaning company offers a quality control plan that is specially designed to meet your requirements and your premises specifications. Staff briefing should be as detailed as possible and work schedule prepared according to each area and clearly displayed. In some cases a checklist is also a good alternative to ensure that work is carried out according to your requirements.

Don't forget to ask about their random checks policy normally carried out by a cleaning supervisor; in many cases this is included in the company's Health and Safety Policy.

Environmental Concern

Environmental concern is the hot topic these days. Companies that don't have an Environmental Concern Policy are being left out and this is not different in the cleaning industry. I'm sure your company has one so why not hire a service provider that also cares for our planet as much as you do. Simple details can go a long away; ask if they work with eco-friendly cleaning products, what is their approach to minimising waste and the consumption of resources (materials, fuel and energy). These simple questions can make difference for the environment in the long run. You know what they say, every little helps.

Commercial Cleaning Accreditations

To sum things up the office cleaning company should have at least one of two accreditations or memberships that will ensure that their services adhere to strict codes of practice and are subject to external audits to check compliance. Some good examples are the ISO 9001 Accreditation and The British Institute of Cleaning Science membership.