Office Cleaning Services in Malaysia: The Work That Gets Missed Between Desks

There is dust behind the monitors, stains of coffee next to the computers, and crumbs around the desks.

These areas are readily forgotten. Paper, cables, laptops and personal belongings are strewn all over workstations. Cleaners tend to leave these so as not to cause damage or even to move important documents.

Office cleaning firms do far more than sweep and clean the bins for garbage. Shared equipment, pantry corners and other high-use areas should be periodically tended to.

What makes Office Desks so dusty?

It takes time to clean around these. Moving them without authorisation produces other issues. Personal items can be lost, cables can get unhooked, and confidential papers could be exposed.

Clear rules at a workstation can prevent such situations in an office.

Food packaging, cups and unnecessary items can also be removed by employees as they leave. Valuable papers and documents should be kept safe. The cleaners can then wipe surfaces that are readily cleanable but leave sensitive materials unused.

If multiple workers are working at the same desk throughout varying shifts, extra cleaning is necessary for these workstations.

The office cleaning company will likewise have to determine which areas are reserved. Special accommodation may be needed in finance departments, HR offices, and in any rooms where there are sensitive assets.

These details should be part of the cleaning instructions, not verbal instructions from staff member to staff member.

Cleaning Computers and Shared Equipment

Electronic office equipment must be handled properly. Keyboards tend to accumulate dust and crumbs. Monitors attract fingerprints. Meeting room controls, shared phones and printers are used during the day.

But not all surfaces can be cleaned with the same cleaning product.

Never spray cleaners directly on electrical appliances.

The choice of product(s) and method(s) used should be based on manufacturers' instructions.

One of the responsibilities of a commercial office cleaning service could be cleaning shared equipment. Personal laptops, employee-supplied accessories and specialist devices can still be outside the boundaries of the agreement.

The cleaning responsibility is something to be agreed before the work is commenced. Otherwise, you can let devices simply sit on the table for weeks, waiting for someone else to work on them.

An office pantry needs a bit more attention.

While most food residues may be in place around the kettle, behind food containers or under the dish rack, the pantry may appear neat from the doorway.

Frequent cleaning should include the edges of sinks and countertops, table tops, cabinet doorknobs and the exterior of community-use appliances.

It may be necessary to empty bins after lunchtime, in addition to the end of the workday.

Another concern is refrigerators. An unpleasant smell can be caused by old food and spills. Establish a refrigerator cleaning routine and provide advice to employees about when they should move items out of the refrigerator.

Leaky pipes and drainage issues also need to be reported. Do not repeatedly mop water under a sink, as this will not help repair a damaged pipe.

Dust, Dampness and Air-Conditioning

Offices in Malaysia also face more maintenance issues, as they’re located in a warm and humid climate.

Indoor air quality is covered in the Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010 (IAQ 2010) promulgated by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) in Malaysia. Various sources can affect indoor conditions, such as ventilation, pollutants and building maintenance.

If any cleaners see mould, damp areas or water stains, they should inform the building maintenance about their findings. Corrective investigation and repairs may be required other than routine cleaning.

Air fresheners can help cover up a bad odour in the short term. They cannot take away its source!

Please review Areas That Are Easy To Overlook!

Look at the areas behind office chairs, beneath shared desks, around printer stations and along skirting boards. Investigate accessible window ledges, tables in meeting rooms, corners of the pantry and door handles.

Another component of after-hours cleaning is the need for a straightforward reporting system. Those areas that were missed can be reported by staff members on the following morning. Desks cleaned or equipment not accessed by a cleaner can be noted.

These records will assist the supervisor in addressing issues to prevent frequent complaints.

A Clean Office Needs Clear Responsibilities

Prior to an office cleaning contract approval, determine and clarify tasks, cleaning frequency, access/permission, as well as treatment of electronic devices. Add cleaning of the pantry, common work stations and periodic thorough cleaning to the scope of work.

Do a routine inspection of the work site. The actual state of surfaces should be reported back to the supervisor, rather than simply noting that the cleaner went to the site.

It's these mundane yet frequently overlooked areas that make an office cleaning routine beneficial.