In the world of retail, the presentation is everything. Customers expect high standards of cleanliness, from the ceiling to the floor. Floors should be swept, carpets should be vacuumed, shelves should be dusted, racks and rails should be organised and neat, and furniture should be polished. If your retail space is not clean you may turn customers away and risk damaging your business’ reputation.
It is crucial that public environments like retail spaces remain clean and tidy at all times. This isn’t only for the benefit of customer satisfaction but is actually required by law. To find out what a commercial cleaner can do for your retail space and why you should consider investing in one, we have all the information you need.
Why cleanliness in retail spaces is important
By law, any operating businesses have a responsibility to uphold standard health and safety regulations. These regulations protect anyone who is involved with the business, including employees, contractors, suppliers, volunteers, customers, guests and more.
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) guidelines, as listed on the Australian Government website (www.business.gov.au), state that all businesses must:
- Provide safe work premises
- Assess risks and implement appropriate measures for controlling them
- Ensure safe use and handling of goods and substances
- Provide and maintain safe machinery and materials
- Assess workplace layout and provide safe systems of work
- Provide a suitable working environment and facilities
- Have insurance and workers’ compensation insurance for your employees
In the case of retail businesses, these regulations apply crucially to the safety and wellbeing of the customers, thus businesses must ensure that the environment is always clean and safe.
If your business does not oblige to these laws, your retail space will not only be off-putting to customers, but you may come under fire and risk being shut down. Furthermore, if there is an accident in your space and somebody gets injured, there could be a lawsuit on your hands. This would not only set you back financially but could seriously damage your business past the point of no return.
Cleaning retail spaces
Retail spaces refer to public environments where there is a trade of goods, such as shops and shopping centres. These places are generally busy with large amounts of pedestrian traffic, especially during peak hours, which can make it difficult to keep on top of cleaning. If your shop if only small, you may not need to clean it during opening hours. However, if your shop floor is considerably large, or, like a shopping mall, your space is open long hours, you may need to implement extra measures to ensure that the environment is constantly adhering to the health and safety laws. This is more so the case if there are restaurants, cafes and food courts also in the vicinity, as there are more cleanliness standards to reach.
Using machine-operated cleaners in retail spaces
To help make the cleaning process in retail spaces easier – and ensuring that health and safety standards are met – it is advised that businesses use specially-designed machine-operated cleaners.
These commercial cleaners come in many varieties to suit different job types and environments, including ride on scrubbers, ride on sweepers, walk behind sweepers, walk behind scrubbers and street sweepers.
- Walk Behind Sweeper
Walk behind sweepers are great at cleaning any type of environment or facility – outdoor or indoor, big or small.
- Walk Behind Scrubbers
Walk behind scrubbers are perfect if you’re in need of a tough scrubbing. They are high performing and suitable for all sized floors.
- Ride On Sweepers
Take the hassle out of cleaning with a ride on sweeper. These machines can be battery-powered or powered by petrol, diesel or LPG systems. This means they can clean all manner of floors and surfaces with the utmost precision. Better yet, ride on sweepers are available in smaller, compact sizes or in larger sizes, depending on the facility’s needs.
- Ride On Scrubbers
Ride on scrubbers is perfect for keeping an outdoor area neat and tidy. They, too, are high performance and are also available in various sizes to suit the business. For example, a restaurant may require a smaller one for their al fresco/garden area, whereas an airport runway should make use of a larger version.
- Street Sweepers
Street sweepers are perfect for outdoor public spaces that can experience debris build up.
The best commercial cleaner for your retail space
When it comes to choosing the right commercial cleaner for your business, you should consider the size of your space – it is one of the biggest determining factors.
If you’re in charge of keeping a large area clean, it makes logistical sense to opt for a cleaner that you can ride on, as you can cover a greater amount of space in a shorter amount of time. This is ideal for retail spaces because the window for cleaning without customers and pedestrians present is only small.
However, if you’re responsible for a smaller space, a ride on variety may not be necessary, and a simple walk-behind cleaner will be appropriate.
Ride on scrubbers and sweepers are reliable and efficient. They are less labour intensive than a walk behind sweeper and scrubbers, which in turn increases labour productivity tenfold.
Ride on scrubbers and sweepers are also have incredible maneuverability, meaning that you can tackle all corners and hard-to-reach areas. Your floors will be clean and sparkling in no time.
Conclusion
With the standards around cleanliness in retail settings so high, it is imperative that businesses take extra precautions to ensure they are satisfying both the law and customer expectations.
For the ultimate deep clean of your retail space, it is recommended that your business harnesses the cleaning power of a machine-operated commercial cleaner. Look into your options today and feel the benefits tomorrow.
