Commercial Emergency Cleaning Services, Definition, and Expectations.

In any commercial operation, the potential for a disaster to shut down your business always exists. Unfortunately, it is a risk any business must face. But while most businesses take precautions like carrying insurance to pay for an unexpected event like a fire or natural disaster – not enough of them plan for the first step of recovering from damages: cleaning up.

Three Main Types of  Emergency Cleaning Services and What to Expect from a Cleaning Company

Emergency Cleaning Services are designed to get your operation back up and running as fast as possible after any type of event that your business may experience. Here are some examples of events that can occur, and what to expect from a good emergency cleaning service:

1. Fire

Unfortunately, fires are one of the most common disasters that businesses are likely to face. Fires not only cause structural damage and damage to inventory; the lasting effects of smoke and soot can be extensive. In the event of a fire, you need a cleanup company that will address the following factors:

• Damage to the Facility from the fire and subsequent water damage.
• Damage to Inventory
• Lasting Effects (air quality, etching, smoke damage, soot)

After a fire, one of the first things to address is the water damage from the fire being put out. Your emergency cleaning company needs to address that water damage not only directly – by removing any standing water and water-damaged carpet, but also by making sure that there are no lasting effects like mold or bacteria that develop.

One of the most difficult aspects of post-fire cleanup is the SMELL. To completely remove odors from the air your emergency cleaning crew should use HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners whose exhaust air is pumped to the exterior of the building during the cleaning process, ozone generators as well as scrub the air using hydroxyl.

Also, when non-organic materials are burned – they release harmful chemicals into the air that have to be scrubbed out and cleaned off of any surfaces. This needs to be addressed by any emergency learning company because if those compounds are left on certain surfaces, they can cause those materials to break down faster over time. Again, this cleaning is not just about the immediate issue – it is about any issues that may arise in the future.

2. Natural Disaster (Tornado, Flood, Hurricane, Etc.)

Depending on where your business is located, Natural Disasters may just be a reality of your environment. The main things to address after a natural disaster of any kind are:

• Damage to the facility.
• Damage to inventory
• Debris removal (tree limbs, building debris, etc.)

Just like with fire, with most natural disasters there is a very good chance of water damage being a factor. You need to ensure that your company is using the best air filtration and drying equipment to keep your facility clear of mold. It is never just as simple as getting water out, it is keeping mold from showing up. The long-term effects of mold infestations can be their own disaster.

3. Small Cleaning Events and Planned Cleanups

Not every event that requires Emergency cleaning is a “disaster” by definition, but they can still be detrimental to your business. For example, cleaning damages caused by vandalism, minor accidents, or scheduled post-construction cleanup, require extensive cleaning and immediate response but don’t come with an emergency price tag. For instance, in the event of graffiti or minor vandalism – if the paint is not cleaned correctly off of a building, it can lead to permanent staining. Construction sites from renovations or planned construction are notoriously dirty and rarely do construction companies clean up after themselves as thoroughly as they should. Any planned construction project should include a cleaning project.

What To Expect From A Good Emergency Cleaning Services Company

Not all emergency cleaning Companies are Created Equally. Aside from the factors mentioned above, here are a few other factors that you need to make sure apply to your emergency cleaning company:

1. Good Communication

From the beginning, you need to choose a company that communicates openly and effectively. There is a lot of predatory pricing that goes on in the emergency cleaning business, so ALWAYS check your bids from new companies – if it seems too good to be true, it generally is. This communication also needs to include things like a very clear scope of work that matches your expectations, and before and after photos of the work that was done.

2. Good Geographic Coverage

If you operate multiple locations the hassles of working with several different companies can be its own disaster. Look for an emergency cleaning company that can be rapidly dispatched, preferably within 24 hours, wherever your locations maybe – all of them.

3. Reliable Service

At the end of the day, just like with any other company, a track record is often the best factor to look for. Find a cleaning company that provides rapid response completes the job every time, on time, and on budget. No one is perfect, but if your emergency cleaning company does what they say they will when they say they will do it, that’s pretty close.

Any business, no matter the industry faces the risk of having a disaster hit their facilities and shut your business down. You start to recover from those disasters, the first step needs to be to have the area cleaned up, inventory assessed, and plans made to rebuild. Just like you pay insurance to cover the costs of a disaster, you need to know a good commercial emergency cleaning services company in the case that disaster ever happens.