A commercial warehouse oftentimes houses the goods a business sells, like forklifts, machinery, and supplies to help run the business efficiently. But when the warehouse is in disorder, the situation communicates disarray to the CEO, visitors and suppliers.
The company’s reputation is built on not only sales and services, but how well the property as a whole is kept organized. A warehouse is just as important as the corporate offices.
The Importance of Having a Clean Warehouse
1. Higher Employee Productivity
Impressions are not the only reason to keep your warehouse in tip-top shape. When employees work in a cluttered warehouse, morale suffers and staff feel overwhelmed. The CEO of the company may be inclined to believe that warehouse supervisors could care less about their work environment and that warehouse employees have zero accountability for their work.
2. Safe Working Environment
Safety is a prime concern in any workplace. When warehouse aisles are cluttered with shrink wrap and pallets, this carelessness poses as a safety hazard. Plus, warehouse employees are less efficient when they have to step over items left scattered along the aisles. A clean warehouse increases productivity, especially when staff have the responsibility to pick goods from shelves along aisles.
3. Ease of Finding Inventory
Managing a large inventory is even more difficult when boxes of product are randomly left in the aisles. Ensuring stock is available is difficult when boxes are haphazardly scattered across the warehouse floor. Labor costs increase and profitability decreases with every extra effort staff need to locate mismatched merchandise.
The cleanliness and organization of a warehouse helps to improve staff morale and conveys that management places an importance on employee safety. Plus, efficiency is increased and the company experiences less turnover due to overall job satisfaction.
A Few Warehouse Cleaning Tips: Where to Start
What steps should be taken to start the process toward a cleaner warehouse? The big job starts with a single person—the warehouse manager. If a warehouse manager is lacking, a consultant can assume the role. The warehouse manager or consultant will form an initial assessment of the company’s warehouse cleaning policies. This individual is in charge of identifying problem practices and finding solutions. A few common warehouse cleaning tips include the following:
1. Create Cleaning Goals
Regularly cleaning the warehouse is preferred to cleaning just once in a while. It is far easier to assign a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning regimen to employees than it is to spend workday hours cleaning once every quarter. Floors must be swept daily, mopped weekly and shined monthly, for instance. All spills and leaks should be cleaned up immediately to prevent slick tiles and subsequent falls. Shelves and racks should be dusted on a monthly basis.
2. Stash Trash Bins Everywhere
When warehouse employees have to trek across the warehouse floor to dump waste, it ends up becoming a hassle. The employee simply will let the waste sit, allowing it to unsafely accumulate. To address this issue, place garbage bins and recycling bins throughout the warehouse to encourage proper disposal of waste.
3. Empty Garbage Regularly
Along with supplying plenty of trash bins, empty the garbage a few times per day. Doing so prevents warehouse employees from not throwing out what they are supposed to and when, simply because the trash can is brimming with waste. Piles of garbage on the floor are also unsightly and unsafe.
4. Ensure the Availability of Cleaning Supplies
Encourage regular cleaning of machinery and floors using the same tactic as trash bins: make cleaning supplies readily available. Supply brooms, mops, dustpans, rags and cleaning solutions. Ensure these cleaning tools are easily within sight yet stored in a location that does not obstruct operations. A team member who has to walk across the expansive warehouse floor for a broom is wasting his or her time as well as the company’s money.
5. Assign Staff to Areas
Just like a warehouse manager or consultant is assigned the task of overseeing the regular cleaning of the warehouse in its entirety, employees should be given a specific zone to keep tidy. The warehouse staff should, for instance, clean up his or her workstation prior to leaving for the day; processes may include sweeping and emptying that zone’s trash bin. Slow days at the warehouse are best utilized by thorough cleaning.
6. Require Safety Equipment
Warehouses may store harmful chemicals and similar goods. It is essential that all warehouse staff have access to safety equipment when they clean their assigned zones. Toxic chemicals that are shelved in a warehouse, for instance, require cleaning by special crews that are skilled in wiping up hazardous materials.
7. Turn Inventory Often
Outdated goods and products sit on warehouse shelves, taking up valuable space and causing unnecessary confusion. Not only does dust gather in these unused areas, but the surplus merchandise complicates operations. Regularly turn inventory to prevent obsolete product from eating up valuable space.
Extra Help For Cleaning Warehouse
When your company has initiated a warehouse cleanup, as a manager or business owner, you may not know where to begin. Take advantage of commercial cleaning services to get you started. It’s far easier to maintain a clean warehouse than it is to start decluttering a massive space.
ServiceMaster of North Texas is one reputable commercial cleaning company that will give your company’s warehouse a thorough cleaning, from top to bottom. The professional cleaning includes a comprehensive cleaning of carpets and floors. While your staff can handle washing the floors, a professional cleaning far outdoes a combination of a mop, water and soap.
Professional commercial cleaning companies, like ServiceMaster of North Texas, utilize special machinery to dig deep into carpet fibers and refinish floor tiles, including cleaning tile and grout. This process ensures that mold and unwanted debris are suctioned out for a spotless, hygienic result. ServiceMaster of North Texas employs a wide range of comprehensive commercial cleaning services to leave your warehouse sparkling clean.
ServiceMaster of North Texas serves the Dallas community of businesses. The cleaning company is available on both a regular basis or for one-time visits. Contact ServiceMaster of North Texas to schedule an appointment.
