Workwear for Building Cleaning: Professional Solutions to Improve Safety

Since the 1970s, cleaning services have increasingly been outsourced and assigned to specialised service providers. There is intense competition in the market between different building cleaning providers. “The freedom of establishment that has applied since 1 May 2004 for sole traders from EU accession countries has further intensified competition.” To succeed in this market, it is essential to have motivated staff who convey the image of your company positively to the outside world. Workwear plays an important role here in two ways: it serves the safety of your employees while also being the calling card and recognisable feature of your company. Read on to find out more about your options for keeping your staff motivated and protected with comfortable, modern workwear for building cleaning. 

The tasks involved in building cleaning 

As part of facility management, building cleaning plays an important role in keeping buildings and facilities in the best possible condition. Productivity in a company also depends to a large extent on the quality and maintenance of so-called facilities. Employees want to work in an environment that is as clean and safe as possible. To gain a better idea of what type of workwear is needed in this industry, we have compiled an overview of the areas of activity of a building cleaning specialist.

Types of cleaning services

The FM-Connect.com portal has clearly summarised the different generally recognised types of cleaning:

1. Post-construction cleaning: carried out after the completion of new construction, conversion or renovation work.
2. Deep cleaning / intensive cleaning: adhering dirt and/or worn care films or other residues are removed. Performed at longer intervals.
3. Routine cleaning: recurring cleaning work carried out at set intervals.
4. Partial area cleaning: limited to floor areas whose appearance has already deteriorated significantly, with the aim of postponing deep cleaning.
5. Initial/basic care: applying care products to surfaces (protection against mechanical stress, value retention, making routine cleaning easier); requires post-construction cleaning or deep cleaning.
6. Intermediate cleaning: intensive cleaning aimed at postponing the time of deep cleaning and improving appearance.

Which type of building cleaning a customer books depends on the desired result, the degree of soiling and the timing of the cleaning. Find out in the next section how you can equip your employees as effectively as possible for the different types of cleaning.

Appropriate workwear for specialists

“Personal protective equipment (PPE) must always be provided and used (see p. 30) when technical and organisational measures have been exhausted and a residual risk remains that can be further minimised through PPE.” Building cleaning involves working with cleaning agents, and staff are exposed to high levels of dirt and dust, which makes PPE mandatory in this area. The range is extensive:

• Slip-resistant safety shoes: The be-all and end-all for safe, comfortable work, not only in building cleaning but across industries. The upper material should be water-repellent, and depending on the place of use, the sole should be puncture-resistant and in all cases slip-resistant.
• Protective clothing: This includes trousers, aprons and jackets, among other items. These should also be made of water-repellent material and be washable at high temperatures.
• Protective gloves: Hands in particular are exposed to potentially aggressive cleaning agents without protection and must therefore be protected with gloves that ideally seal seamlessly with the clothing. 
• Safety glasses: These protect the eyes not only from dust, but also from splashes of solvents and cleaning agents. 
• Respiratory masks: They no longer play such a major role in our daily lives, but they are extremely important in building cleaning when working in dusty environments – the lungs must be protected.

Shoes in particular play an important role in workwear for building cleaning, as they are the part of the protective equipment that comes into contact with potentially slippery, damp floors. For this reason, it is worth taking a closer look at them.

Work shoes for building cleaning

It may seem tempting to simply keep your own trainers on for indoor cleaning. However, this mistake can have serious consequences. Anyone who slips and/or twists an ankle may suffer lasting injuries and could be unable to work for an extended period. Here too, prevention is better than cure. Naturally, this is even more important outdoors, where the weather plays an additional role and ground conditions, for example on construction sites, pose a further safety risk. For the latter workplace, puncture-resistant safety work shoes are a must – this protects feet from nails, shards and other hazards lying around. When cleaning swimming pools or butcher's kitchens, waterproof safety rubber boots are indispensable, as we have written about elsewhere. Regardless of the place of use, however, a slip-resistant outsole is the most important factor in building cleaning, since wet floors are part of the daily working environment. Shoes For Crews' proprietary outsole technology is the result of years of research and development. Our state-of-the-art slip-resistant technology provides the necessary traction, durability and safety, so you can focus on your work – in the most comfortable way possible. If you would like to find out more, you can take a look here.