
Cleaning
Articles
The art of juggling multi-site facility management
February 14, 2025
Juggling floor care across multiple facilities is complex. Streamlining contracts simplifies processes, ensures consistency, and frees you to focus on bigger priorities - not cleaning hassles.
Managing multiple facilities often feels like a game of tug of war.
And look, tug of war is fun.
Though when you have 20, 50, or 100 facilities pulling you in different directions, it's no longer fun and games. It's a high-stakes balancing act.
As a facility manager, I get it. Your day is packed with back-to-back meetings, urgent phone calls, and endless problem solving. You're the saving grace that puts out the fires while trying to maintain high standards across the board.
It’s stressful, exhausting, and in many ways like there's no end in sight.
And let’s not forget the floors - always underfoot, yet often overlooked until something goes wrong. Different floor types, varying levels of wear and tear, and a patchwork of cleaning contractors who often bring more confusion than consistency.
And, when you're already juggling a thousand other overwhelming priorities, floors shouldn't be one of them.
The labyrinth of flooring types
Carpets aren't just 'carpets'.
Some are finicky divas demanding the royal treatment, while others are rugged workhorses built to handle heavy traffic without complaint.
No matter their makeup, floors come in different materials, colours, pile heights, and backing - all of which needs to be factored into any cleaning program.
And that's just the beginning. How they're installed, the foundation they sit on, and the daily beating from foot traffic add even more complexity.
Now, that's just carpets.
If you want to throw the challenges of porous tiles and stone, polished timber, versatile vinyl, and a bunch of other flooring types, the complexity skyrockets.
Each surface has its quirks - tiles can trap grime in their grout, timber demands precise care to avoid damage, and vinyl requires the right techniques to prevent dulling or warping.
Here's the thing: You shouldn't have to know how to maintain these. Nor should you be expected to deal with the problems that arise from cleaning them.
Your cleaning contractor's guesswork is our expertise.
Managing expectations and contractors
Few things are more frustrating than a subpar cleaning contractor.
If you've ever had to deal with one, you'll know that your floors either don't stay clean for long, or they look worse after they've been cleaned.
Even more excruciating is having to painstakingly deal with a whole host of them.
Let's be honest. It's more than just an inconvenience, it's a reflection of the pride and care you take in your facilities. When floors appear neglected, it undermines everything you've worked so hard to uphold.
Your role as a facility manager shouldn't be a constant cycle of chasing up cleaners, resolving complaints, and trying to bridge the gap between expectations and reality.
This is where I find the true value of streamlining your contracts. One single contact with the knowledge and expertise, delivering the same high standards across every site, every time.
You'll never find yourself bogged down in the details again and again.
With streamlined communication and unified processes, you’re free to focus on the bigger picture rather than micro-managing cleaning schedules and quality control.
The real cost of downtime and disruption
Managing multiple cleaning contracts can quickly add up - and not just financially.
The time spent coordinating with different contractors, fielding complaints, and handling disputes is a hidden cost that eats into your productivity.
Each cleaning company brings their own methods, with many of them treating steam cleaning as an added extra, quoting it separately from regular cleaning work. From my experience, these complex situations often turn into expensive headaches.
Then there’s the issue of downtime.
Steam cleaning, while often touted as a deep cleaning solution, is resource heavy, requires long drying times, and is extremely disruptive. Extended drying times mean areas are off limits for hours, sometimes days.
Low moisture encapsulation, though, is where the real magic happens. It's an innovative, sustainable approach that uses far less water, energy and waste. It’s quieter than a vacuum, dries within an hour or two, and eliminates the need for disruptive machinery. Infact, facilities I work with often operate 'business as usual'.
Overall, consolidating your contracts means fewer headaches, streamlined processes, and a consistent standard of care across all your sites.
Let's chat about how we can deliver exceptional flooring, and never worry about quality assurance again.