A grand opening, special event, or company picnic can be hugely beneficial for any business, but it can also be a colossal undertaking—especially when it’s time to return to business as normal. Event clean-up just adds to an already long facility maintenance checklist and requires more staffing time and resources. The event clean-up process doesn’t have to be lengthy or a major interruption to operations, however, especially if you follow these event clean-up tips.
Maintain the clean.
Before any event, an intense deep clean should be undertaken. Floors should be scrubbed and waxed (or the task should be outsourced to local floor cleaning professionals during off hours). Restrooms should be sanitized and restocked. The front lobby should be dusted and polished. During the event, take steps to maintain that deep clean. Hire day porter services for cleaning and restocking restrooms or allocate staff members specifically for the task. Put out a large amount off trash cans for guests to ensure that litter is not an issue and the clean-up is less labor intensive.
Organize materials for a clear clean-up process.
As much as possible, organization is key to an efficient event clean-up. During set-up, items get thrown haphazardly into storage closets and back rooms. This leads to a long take down and clean-up process as items are searched for. Or possibly worse, items are left wherever they were put, leading to storage and disorganization issues.
Outsource as needed.
The preparation and post-event cleaning checklist can get long; analyze costs to determine whether it is more cost-efficient to pay for additional staff hours or to outsource to a local cleaning service. If cleaning is needed during off-hours, such as an intense floor waxing when staffing is low, make sure the cost of overtime or late shift is used in calculations.
Be conscientious.
Moving large items is often part of event clean-up and take down; make sure that care is taken to protect doorways and walls. Assign conscientious staff members for moving or outsource the task so the clean-up is as successful as the event.
