An Organized Janitorial Closet - Why and How?

As a BSC, or an internal cleaning operation, you are constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency, control, and performance of your operation. You likely spend much time, effort, and resources on efficiency initiatives across various aspects of your business, both large and small. What about your janitorial closet(s)? A well-organized janitorial closet is an often under-appreciated means of improving the efficiency and performance of your cleaning staff. Some things to consider....

An Organized Janitorial Closet - Why?

Taking steps to ensure that your janitorial closet(s) are in good order can provide tangible benefits for your cleaning operation. Those benefits can include:

Order Promotes Control

Haphazard storage of cleaning supplies and equipment not only creates a negative impression of your cleaning operation, it also leads to a lack of control. The old axiom "a place for everything and everything in its place" is just as applicable to the janitorial closet as it is for anything else. Order promotes control. Disorder breeds chaos.

Oder Promotes Pride

Your cleaning staff spends much time interacting with your supply closet. A well-organized janitorial closet helps promote a sense of pride within your staff. A janitorial closet that is clean and orderly can also help establish a positive attitude among your employees. Conversely, a poorly-maintained closet can create an atmosphere of frustration and a loss of motivation.

Order Promotes Safety

An organized janitorial closet helps promote safety; safety within the closet itself as well as safety within the entire facility. Equipment that is properly stored and chemicals that are properly labeled are key characteristics of a well-organized janitorial closet.

An Organized Janitorial Closet - How?

Keeping your janitorial closets in good order does not have to be expensive or labor intensive. Following a few basic steps will get you there.

• Proper Lighting: Make sure that your closet is equipped with sufficient lighting. A poorly lit closet makes proper identification of supplies difficult and time consuming. A dim closet also creates unnecessary frustration for your cleaning staff.
• Chemical Labeling: Make sure that all your cleaning chemicals are properly labeled. Where applicable make sure that any "green" cleaning products are clearly identified.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): A janitorial closet is an ideal location for storage of your MSDS. Store those documents in a binder that can be easily accessed within your closet.
• Maintain its Purpose: Avoid the temptation to use your janitorial closet as a catch-all storage space for other materials or equipment. Make sure that your closet contains only janitorial-related supplies and equipment.
• Routine Inspections: Establish, and document, a process for the routine inspections of your janitorial closet. When non-compliance issues arise make sure that they are addressed in a timely manner.

Maintaining an organized janitorial closet can help improve the performance of your cleaning operators while also helping promote facility safety.