Daily Routine of Rahim, One of Our Professional Cleaning Operatives

Everyone talks about the benefits of office cleaning and why it’s a good thing to outsource office cleaning services. But it’s rare to talk about office cleaning from the perspective of a cleaning operative. Cleaning operatives are the unsung heroes that help businesses and companies maintain their office cleanliness and health. It’s important to hear about office cleaning jobs from their perspective.

In this post, we interviewed Rahim, one of our professional office cleaning operatives and asked him about his daily routine at work.

A Bit About Rahim

Rahim is one of our cleaning operatives at MN Support Services. He has been representing our company since 2021 and is currently providing cleaning services to 3 sites, 5 days per week throughout The City of London. He is turning 42 this September and is married with two children, 9 and 11 years old.

At the first site, a financial and investment firm, he works from 12 PM to 4:30 PM, cleaning during office hours and managing our other cleaning operatives at that site.

The second site is a tech company within walking distance of the first site. Rahim goes there to clean from 5 PM to 6:30 PM. It’s a small office so he is the only cleaner there.

The third site is another financial firm, which he cleans every other day from 7 PM to 8:30 PM accompanied by two other cleaners, which he also manages during the cleaning operation.

He was in our head office the other day so we took this opportunity to ask him some questions about how he cleans offices. He patiently told us his daily routine when he cleans our client’s sites.

Start of The Day

Q: How do you start your day when you arrive at each site? What’s the first thing you do?

Rahim: Well, the first thing is changing my clothes. I can’t work in my casual outfit so first I have to put on work clothes and a uniform. Next, I go around the office and check what’s required and also collect glasses, dishes and coffee mugs on employee’s desks. Then, I load the dishwasher and start to descale the coffee machine or kettle if it’s on the checklist for that day. Sometimes, the office manager leaves a note saying this needs descaling.

Q: Is this different for each site? or it’s usually what you do for all clients.

Rahim: It’s usually the same. Loading the dishwasher, descaling and stuff like these usually take time so I start with them first. By the time I’m done cleaning the office, the dishwasher cycle ends and descaling is done so I don’t need to leave the dishwasher on when no one is in the office or leave descaling liquid in the kettle and let employees handle it the next day. Everything needs an order and my experience tells me these things take priority.

Top to Bottom

Q: What’s next? Tell us about how you clean the office space.

Rahim: Next, I start with dusting. I dust light fittings, fixtures, door tops and generally every surface in the office. Then I use a damp cloth and a cleaning spray to wipe desks, chairs, shelves and other places. I also carry a big bin with me so I can remove all rubbish and clutter, empty the bins and replace their liners. When it’s done, I vacuum the office space. Two of the sites I clean have soft and carpet floors so vacuuming usually takes a large portion of my time. I move from the office zone to meeting rooms and other areas in the office doing the same tasks.

Q: When do you mop the floor?

Rahim: After I’m done cleaning and vacuuming the office space, I mop wherever needed. Usually entrances, hallways and stairs have hard floors that need mopping. so I prepare a mopping solution and start mopping. The office is usually empty but I place a wet floor caution sign just in case. After mopping, I have to leave the floor to dry. During this time, I go to clean the kitchen and toilets.

Q: Do you also sanitise?

Rahim: Yeah. It’s necessary. The cleaning spray I use is anti-bacterial so it sanitises surfaces when I wipe. But I use proper disinfectant to clean door handles, stair handlebars and lift button panels. It’s essential to sanitise them with every cleaning session.

Read More: Cleaning, Sanitising and Disinfecting – What’s The Difference?

Cleaning Kitchen & Toilets

Q: How do you clean kitchens and toilets? Which one goes first?

Rahim: I start with the kitchen. First, I check the fridge to see if anything is spoiled, mouldy or stinky. I also check the expiration date of milk, drinks and other stuff n the fridge. Then, I start wiping and sanitising tables, counters and cupboards. Next, I scrub and polish the sink if it’s on the schedule or if it’s in a really bad condition, clean the tap and restock paper towels, coffee cans, tea cans, sugar containers and other stuff. And last, I sweep the floor to get rid of good bits and then mop it and move to clean the toilet.

Q: How do you clean toilets?

Rahim: First, I check if toilets need descaling. If so, I’ll start pouring the descaler and leave it to dissolve the limescale. In the meantime, I use specific cleaning and sanitation spray to clean the sink, taps, and every surface in the toilet. Next, when the descaler is done, I properly clean and sanitise the toilet seat, basin and, especially, behind it. Then, I remove all the rubbish, replace the lines and restock toilet paper, paper towels, soap dispensers and other consumables before starting to mop.

Occasional Cleaning Challenges

Q: Any specific challenge you face when cleaning an office?

Rahim: It’s really hard to point to a challenge. Every challenge is kind of different. But sometimes, especially after Christmas or other office parties, I have to scrub stains off carpets. That’s a bit difficult. I have to find out what caused the stain and use proper cleaner. Sometimes I have to remove gum off the carpet. A common challenge is cleaning during office hours and managing other staff. It’s hard to clean without distracting employees but I have to do it. It’s one of those secure companies that only approve cleaning during office hours. It is challenging but after working there for a few years, I think I have handled it well.

Finishing the Job

Q: You cleaned everything. What’s next?

Rahim: At this point, I’m almost done. I unload the dishes, dry them, put them in the cupboard, put all cleaning equipment and other stuff back into the storage or cleaning cupboard and empty the main rubbish and recyclables bins to take them on my way out. Some clients want their rubbish weighed, so I do it. They are tracking the amount of rubbish they make in the office to reach their sustainability goals. Then I replace the liners, maybe change the air freshener cartridge and generally look around to make sure everything is ok. I also prepare a short report and include if any consumables, cleaning supplies or other things are required.

Q: Anything else?

Rahim: I think I told you everything. I just check around before I leave to make sure all lights are off, the dishwasher if off and everything is organised. After that, I lock the door and leave for the next site or go back home. That’s about it.