Why Industrial Warehouses Need Regular Exterior Cleaning. Depending on where your warehouse is located, it might be right next to your storefront or in another part of town entirely. Lots of industries make use of them, and most people know how important it is to clean the warehouses. But, it's easy for grime to build up on both the interior and the exterior.
Don't let that happen to your business. Ignoring the care of your warehouse's interior or exterior can lead to numerous problems, which we'll be discussing below. Be sure to regularly wash the entirety of your warehouse, for both the condition of your building and the well-being of your employees. And, with vacuum recovery systems, you can keep your warehouse running during the cleaning.
CleanPro is St. Louis's number one exterior cleaning company, and we want to help you care for your warehouse. We can handle any-sized jobs and give every customer the attention they need. Call us today at (314) 72-CLEAN or reach out online to set up your business's next cleaning.
What Happens If I Don't Regularly Clean my St. Louis Warehouse's Exterior?
Not regularly cleaning your warehouse's exterior poses several risks in St. Louis:
Concrete/Building Deterioration
Beyond appearance, dirt and particulates on the exterior of your building can actually decrease its lifespan. As debris rubs against the wall, the extra friction rubs away at the surface, causing wear and tear. Also, contaminants can be absorbed into surfaces like concrete, which can then go through the freeze-thaw cycle, causing cracks and spalling.
All of this affects the interiors as well, where damage to the concrete floors can lower worker efficiency, harm equipment, and lead to downtime during repairs. It also amplifies the chances for slip-and-falls, which we'll talk about more below.
Low Air Quality, Mold Exposure, and Long-Term Health Consequences
Mold, mildew, and the like can grow on your commercial building's walls and floors if they're not washed regularly. These growths can release spores into the air, giving off a nasty odor, but that's not all - mold can have significant negative health effects. Research into the long-term consequences of mold exposure is still ongoing, but preliminary studies include increased levels of mental health issues.
This is all amplified inside the warehouse, where, without the use of proper cleaning chemicals, microscopic fungus spores can stick to the floor, even when the area looks clean. Inside the warehouse, without the airflow of the outdoors, it's easier for fungi to settle and grow.
CleanPro uses special cleaning materials to not only remove mold/mildew, but also to prevent it from coming back. This is why we have an 18-month mold-free warranty after each of our cleanings. Protecting your employees' health and well-being starts with keeping a clean environment.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Inside the warehouse, wet, dusty, and cluttered floors become hazards for people's safety. On foot, an employee could lose their footing and fall, and on a forklift, a lack of traction can lead to a crash.
On the exterior, it's important to care for the sidewalks, loading docks, and driveways surrounding your business. Slip-and-fall injuries can come from anywhere on your business's property, and while it might be easy to focus on the warehouse interior, the surrounding area is just as important.
This is an item that can affect both your employees and customers, as anyone walking around an unsafe property can be injured. If that happens, you can be held liable for their injuries. Keeping a clean lot and floors not only protects the health of all those walking in it, but also your business in case something occurs.
OSHA Violations
All of the above can be combined with general OSHA violations. Whether or not in practice someone falls, gets sick from mold, or whatever else, you still need to think about health and safety inspections.
For interiors, we've already discussed the potential slip hazards and crash risks of a dirty floor. On top of those, depending on the contaminant in question, you could also be at risk of fires or dangerous chemical exposures. For exteriors, chemical and fungus exposure are still just as relevant, as well as wear-and-tear damage to the building, creating unsafe conditions.
Penalties for OSHA violations can cost over $15,000, and that amount increases if you take too long to resolve them. Keeping your facilities clean prevents you from being in this situation in the first place.
Negative Brand Image for Customers and Employees
The first risk is regarding your workspace atmosphere: As you would expect, a cleaner environment leads to a more comfortable and productive feeling. The effects of this can be seen in both customers and employees.
Customers:
Depending on your type of business, you might have customers visiting your warehouse. A clean exterior gives a great first impression of where they are getting their products from, but meanwhile, dirty concrete hurts customer perception more than you think.
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and it sets up your brand for success or failure.
Employees:
Keeping a clean environment has a major impact on the employees, too. Research has shown that in work environments, higher cleanliness correlates positively with worker productivity and satisfaction. Taking pride in your facilities helps your employees take pride in your brand, too.
How Often Should I Clean the Exterior of My St. Louis Warehouse?
Common wisdom is about twice a year, but some factors in St. Louis can increase that frequency. The first thing to keep in mind is the level of traffic your warehouse gets - it's common sense that the more people move in, out, and around the warehouse, the faster it will get dirty.
The other thing that affects all St. Louis businesses is the climate. High humidity and pollen counts (especially in the spring) increase the particulate matter that is in the air, and increase how much can stick to the exterior of your business's warehouse.
Because of all this, in St. Louis, we believe that seasonal cleaning is a must. By cleaning each season, you also take advantage of tailored approaches for the changing challenges that come up throughout the year. And of course, if you need any emergency cleans like hydraulic oil spills, CleanPro is available to help ASAP.
Bonus: Utilize Vacuum Recovery Systems to Keep Your St. Louis Warehouse Running During the Clean
Vacuum recovery systems allow you to take care of your business's premises without needing to pause operations to wash. At CleanPro, our vacuum recovery system works around your workers, rather than getting in their way:
- Hoses are placed at drains and/or low points, where the water would pool.
- The wastewater (along with any contaminants) is captured and taken back to our trucks
- End up with a dry surface, not puddles that employees and customers need to navigate around.
- Avoid any EPA or MSD violations for runoff - we follow all guidelines for proper disposal
- This can take place while your business is still operating, and prevents water from running off into the work area.
Call CleanPro Today for Interior and Exterior Warehouse Cleaning in St. Louis
CleanPro has been working with St. Louis businesses for nearly 10 years. In that time, we've always kept the attitude that we are big enough to handle any job, but still small enough to care about every customer. When you work with us, you are getting the top power washers in St. Louis:
- We offer commercial cleaning services for a variety of industries.
- With our 18-month mold-free warranty, we'll come back and clean any mold that shows up in that timeframe for free.
- Our proprietary cleaning formulas have been refined over the years to make them the most effective and safe option possible.
- As business owners ourselves, we know what it's like to care for warehouse facilities, and promise to treat yours like it's our own.
Let us help care for your business's warehouse today. Call now at (314) 72-CLEAN or get in touch online for a free quote.