I train agency cleaners every month on COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) and over the years I’ve learned that long manuals and lecture-style sessions rarely stick. What works is a simple, practical approach rooted in the tasks cleaners actually do, backed by a one-page digital checklist they can use in the van or on site. Below I walk through a step‑by‑step method I use at...
Dealing with caffeine and grease on café upholstery is one of those daily challenges that separates a tired-looking...
Open-plan offices present a unique challenge: you need to keep large shared spaces clean and safe without disrupting...
I recently completed a 90-day pilot where we switched a midsize office (approx. 220 staff, open-plan floors, shared...
When I plan a deep clean for an office that’s been empty for weeks or months, I treat the preparation as half the...
Keeping gym equipment hygienic is one of those operational tasks that sounds straightforward until you’re juggling...
Running a controlled trial of enzyme-based cleaners can be one of the quickest ways to decide whether they’re worth...
I’ve spent more than a decade managing cleaning programmes in healthcare and other high-risk environments, and one recurring challenge is how to keep reception areas welcoming while minimising allergen exposure. Reception desks are high-touch, high-traffic zones where people arrive with dust,...
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I’ve spent the last decade building cleaning programmes for multi-department offices where cross-contamination is one of the most frequent — and most avoidable — risks. Below I share a practical cleaning rota template designed to reduce cross-contamination, plus the reasoning behind each...
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I’ve spent more than a decade running cleaning programmes across offices, retail and healthcare sites, and one question that keeps coming up with facilities managers and cleaning teams is: which disinfectant active ingredients actually neutralize norovirus on touchpoints? Norovirus is notoriously...
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I’ve been helping businesses switch to more sustainable cleaning systems for over a decade, and one change I recommend again and again is moving an office to a microfiber-led approach. Microfiber delivers better soil removal, reduces chemical use, and often speeds up cleaning — but the switch...
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I’m often asked how to get better cleaning outcomes with fewer disruptions and less wasted time. My go‑to strategy is task‑based cleaning — organising cleaning around specific tasks and zones rather than fixed time slots or rigid room lists. When done well, it boosts productivity, improves...
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When I’m advising hospitality clients on floor care, the conversation inevitably turns to two big names: Kärcher and Numatic. Both brands have loyal followings, proven track records, and machines that handle heavy use — but they’re designed with different priorities in mind. Over the last...
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I’ve spent more than a decade in commercial cleaning, and one question keeps coming up from facilities managers and business owners: “How can we cut cleaning costs without lowering standards?” Over the years I’ve had to deliver on tight budgets while maintaining or improving cleaning...
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When I started running cleaning teams over a decade ago, measuring quality felt subjective — a manager’s gut feeling, a client’s occasional complaint, or a surprise walk-through that left everyone scrambling. Over time I learned that consistent, measurable quality isn’t mystical. You can...
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Keeping a tidy and compliant COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) folder is one of those practical tasks that repay you every day. In my time managing cleaning teams in retail environments, I’ve learned that a well-organised COSHH folder is not just a legal requirement — it’s a...
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I was called in by a busy independent café in Brighton after a worrying spike in food safety incidents: customer complaints about allergic reactions, a couple of near-misses with cross-contamination, and inconsistent cleaning of food prep surfaces. The owner was rightly concerned — incidents...
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