Building Cleanability – A Brief Synopsis …

Cleaning building interiors and exteriors is one the few large-scale manual occupations left in the UK. The ease of arrangement of the work, the nature of the surfaces to be cleaned, the ability to use powered mechanical aids and the accessibility of water, drainage and cleaning storage, are all vital to the efficiency of operations and the quality of the “clean” delivered.

Assessors for the Building Cleanability Awards look for buildings that have easy and safe access to all areas that require cleaning on a daily or periodic basis. They consider the arrangements that meet the purpose of the building from the point of view of the easy movement of cleaning operatives and their equipment from place to place within each floor and externally. Also, whether items and surfaces to be cleaned are within reach of the operatives and their equipment and whether access to dust, dirt and litter traps is obscured. A high proportion of cleaning time is still spent in the removal of waste and so waste clearance routes and routing to the building’s waste holding points are an important part of the ease of arrangement of work.

Non-absorbent surfaces that are continuous and can be cleaned easily to a smear-free finish are ideal for efficient cleaning. Mixed surfaces, particularly floor surfaces with decorative features in different types of surfaces from those of the body of the floor, are more difficult to handle. The design and size of windows and their frames and the nature of wall claddings also affects the ease of internal and external cleaning. The ubiquity of IT services and their attendant wiring causes Assessors for the Award to look for desking systems that incorporate trunking or other arrangements to ensure that cables are contained out of sight as far as possible. The design of chairs and tables without unnecessary protrusions and dirt traps is also a significant feature.

Labour costs of cleaning operations are continually rising and the availability of labour is a problem in many areas of the country. The use of powered mechanical aids has increased as a response to these conditions to raise efficiency. Crowded, cluttered and littered conditions hamper efficient cleaning generally as well as causing cleaning operatives to have to return to less efficient manual methods. To facilitate safe cleaning with powered equipment, access to nominated cleaning power points within a building, set at reasonable distances, avoids the use of extension leads and provides for greater safety and control. The siting of power points adjacent to floor surfaces that need to be scrubbed, for example in toilet or kitchen areas, is also a factor affecting finish and appearance.

The location of cleaning storage is significant to the ease of arrangement of work and, because there will always be some wet cleaning to be done, access to water and drainage is essential. Spent cleaning solutions should be discharged to foul drains and low level cleaning sinks avoid spillages and facilitate the cleaning of cleaning equipment. Other facilities for cleaning staff and their management becomes more significant for Assessors in large cleaning operations and those employing full-time staff.

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