Cleaning The Melbourne We Love

‘Melbourne… The best city in the world to live in.’ Don’t believe me? That’s not me, a proud Melbournian, going off half cocked about his home town. It’s a fact, Jack! According to The Economist Intelligence Unit‘s (EIU) most recent global liveability report.

And what a wise organisation the EIU must be, recognising Melbourne as the ideal destination. Let’s face it, they had good reason. There’s the arts, culture, cafes, restaurants, laneways, parks, gardens, gotta love the climate… four seasons in one day. There’s Melbourne’s city precincts and inner-city suburbs that have their own distinctive character. Not to mention being sports capital of the world.

That’s why we at Hillson Cleaning take pride in the work we do. Playing our small role in helping Melbourne show the world it’s best face. Cleaning the Melbourne we love.

Cleaning Your Business With Formula One Precision

Every business manager aspires for their business to run smoothly, be managed professionally and to achieve their desired success. To have all aspects of their business work in unison to deliver a product; a vision; a service that equates to excellence.

None of this is possible without the proper expertise and know how. One must rely on all the skills found throughout the organisation to bring about the best results for the company. Of course, should any of the required skills be lacking, the void can be filled by either selective recruitment or by seeking out a business that is highly qualified in that particular area and have them seamlessly fulfil the role.

Let’s think of a Formula 1 Grand Prix Team, where members of the team perform very different but equally pivotal rolls. Where no member of the team is more important than the other. Sure, the driver stands on the podium at the end of the race to receive the accolades from the fans but without the F1 team that surrounds him that spot on the podium would be out of his reach.

The drivers ultimate success relies on his team.

So how does cleaning your business relate to F1 and your ultimate success? I’ll get to that shortly.

First, let’s presume you’re the Team Manager of a Formula One Team. A highly competitive sport. How would you manage to achieve success? My guess is you’ll employ those you can be confident will give you the best possible results. You’ll hire the best Engineers to design a vehicle that can make your vehicle competitive. Seek out highly trained and experienced Mechanics to maintain the vehicle to its optimum performance. Also, entice the best F1 Driver who can use his skills to steer your F1 Team to victory.

As a Team Manager you’ve done well, hired the best, success is assured. Only one thing, where’s your Pit Crew. At scheduled pit stops the team’s Pit Crew services the car as swiftly as possible, completing a number of different services meticulously, with precision.

The Pit Crew is critical to performance and success.

Now I’ve reached the nub. I consider cleaners of your business as forming an important part of your Pit Crew.

Believe it or not, providing a clean working environment will benefit your business in reaching its goals. Providing your staff with a pleasant place to work will improve company morale, productivity and excellence. It will also heighten your image in the eyes of your valued clients.

So, when next looking for experienced and professional cleaners to clean your business, remember to think of them as part of your Pit Crew. Playing a pivotal role in keeping you and your Team on track to achieving the ultimate goal.

Cleaning Your Business

Every businessman aspires to have their business run smoothly, managed professionally and achieve success. To have all aspects of the business work in unison to deliver a product; a vision; a service that equates to excellence.

Of course none of this is possible without the proper expertise and know how. Relying on each others skills to bring about the best results.

Believe it or not, providing a clean working environment will benefit your business in reaching its goals. Providing your staff with a pleasant place to work will improve company morale, productivity and excellence. It will also heighten your image in the eyes of your valued clients.

When Commercial Cleaning is done right it provides significant results.

So when it comes to providing this important function within your business let us impart on you one very important tip - Leave the business of cleaning your workplace to the people who make cleaning their business.

New Year, Fresh Start

Given the busy period we have encountered, I would like to start off the New Year with a few important messages. 

First, I would like to thank all Hillson Cleaning staff who worked during the holidays to help keep our clientelle satisfied, the period went by with barely a hiccup. Your efforts and dedication are acknowledged and appreciated.

To our clients, may you have a happy and prosperous New Year. Be assured that we realise that you are our greatest asset and it is to our advantage to fulfil your every need. This is why in 2013 we will do our utmost to surpass your expectations and provide you with a cleaning service that you can rely on.

To those businesses throughout Melbourne who are disappointed with the service provided to them by their current cleaners, it is time to begin the New Year with a fresh start. We would appreciate the opportunity to give you the professional cleaning service we know you deserve. 

Finally, 2013 promises to present Hillson with as many opportunities and challenges as last year, and I look forward to working successfully with all staff to achieve our goals.

The Silly Season Has Arrived

‘Tis the season to be jolly’… Yes, it’s that time of year again. Santa’s Ho-Hoing, whilst children count down the days in anticipation for that special day of the year. Christmas Day. 

Christmas in the cleaning industry is our busiest time of year. As we specialise in the hospitality industry our cleaners have to step up a gear.

Of course for everyone the lead up to Christmas can seem like there just isn’t enough hours in a day. There’s the obligatory christmas shopping. Trying to find those perfect presents for family and friends in the overcrowded shopping centres, with the overcrowded car parks.

There’s the office luncheons and parties where we tend to overindulge ourselves in food and drink to excess. This tends to be repeated on Christmas Day among family and friends.

Otherwise known as the ‘silly season’ this time of year everything seems chaotic, so I thought a few helpful tips maybe warranted.

  • Make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy before you go shopping
  • Try and get your Christmas shopping done early, don’t leave it till the last minute
  • If planning a Christmas luncheon at a restaurant then make sure to book early
  • Enjoy yourself at the office party but try not to be the one wearing the lampshade on the head or crying in the washroom
  • Don’t drink to excess and don’t pig out, know your limits
  • If preparing Christmas lunch/dinner at home don’t do everything yourself – delegate tasks to other family members

From everyone at Hillson Cleaning have a Merry Christmas.

Tips for the Ritual Cleaning Out of the Fridge

I’m currently going through the motions of giving the household fridge a decent clean, so thought I’d outline the steps one takes to clean the fridge and how to maintain it leaving it hygienically clean. Considered to being the hardest working and most important appliance in the house, the refrigerator which operates around the clock, plays a vital role in the health and wellbeing of your family.

I’ve come across some sordid fridges in my time, ones that are covered in mould and grime and reeking from an awful stench. The fridge is constantly bombarded with drips and spills, together with food that have passed their used by dates, resulting in bacteria and bad odours. These come about due to normal day to day activities within the house and can be resolved by following some easy tips.

I’ve waited until the day before a big shopping day, where much of the food from the fridge has been consumed, doing it when the fridge is fully stocked after a big shop makes the job so much harder. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get started:

  1. To get started you’ll need gloves, a bucket of water with disinfectant, rags, sponge, scourer, and spray bottle of disinfectant. As a safety tip, be sure to turn off the fridge at the power point.
  2. Empty the refrigerator of all its contents, disposing of food that contain mould, give off an abnormal stench or have passed the used by date.
  3. Fill the kitchen sink up with water and detergent then remove all the shelves and compartments from the fridge. Place them in the sink and clean thoroughly using the kitchen scourer and sponge. Wipe down all food containers, where possible remove the food and clean inside the container as well as out.
  4. Return to the inside of the fridge and begin cleaning the inside starting from the very top and work your way down the walls of the fridge, cleaning all crevices and compartments making use of your bucket of water, disinfectant, sponge, rags and scourer for those hard to remove stains.  Finally it is time to mop up the bottom of the fridge with the rags before disinfecting it.
  5. Clean the fridge externally, start by removing all items that tend to accumulate on the top of the fridge. Spray and wipe clean the fridge, once again starting from the top and working your way down. Be sure to clean in and around the handle and any other crevices that can collect grime.
  6. With the cleaning complete it is time to Dry and return all shelves and containers to the fridge. Don’t forget to turn fridge back on and replace the food and drinks. To prolong shelf life make sure they are stored to allow proper air flow throughout and visit your manufacturers refrigerator manual to determine where best to store certain food types.
  7. Now that the fridge is clean inside and out it is up to you to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the fridge – ensure the fridge seals completely when the door is closed – check the rubber seal for any damage, seal food containers properly, dispose of unwanted food stuffs regularly and clean up fresh spills as they occur.

Follow these instructions and you too will have a fridge that is clean and hygienic, with food that is safe for your entire family to consume whenever those pangs of hunger hit.

A Few Tips For The Spring Racing Carnival

Spring has sprung and the Spring Racing Carnival is well underway in Melbourne. With The Melbourne Cup and other feature race days like Oakes Day just around the corner its high time I gave you all a few tips… cleaning tips that is.

Tip Number 1: The Sweep – the broom of choice for professionals everywhere is made by Oates. The brand we rely on.

Tip Number 2: The Odds – Sick of washing socks and coming up with one short? Here’s the solution Nooddsocks. The no fuss wash bag that saves you time and money.

Tip Number 3: Scratchings – Annoyed by those difficult to get rid of scratches on your windows and mirrors. How to remove scratches from glass will give you the answer.

Enjoy the Spring Carnival and I hope you all clean up at the races!

Delegate And Clean Up Your Act

Business can be hectic at the best of times. Everyone in your business has a role to play in making things tick along like clock work. In business you need to satisfy your customers, provide harmony and safety in the workplace, and a multitude of other tasks, the least of which is ensuring you make a profit.

A large part of customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as employee harmony & safety can be put down to providing a clean environment. This however is not something that happens with a snap of the fingers.

You have the option of having your employees being burdened with the role of cleaning your business on top of all their other functions. In a small business where there is plenty of down time this is a common option.

Another option is to delegate that role to a commercially trained cleaner, one that guarantees results. This option allows you and your employees to concentrate on the core of your business, doing what you do best.

When looking for a commercial cleaner to service your business I recommend using a cleaning service provider you can trust. That means one with a solid history in the cleaning business who has the experience and necessary know how to provide you with a service that maintains your workplace with a minimum of fuss. This means providing you with suitably trained cleaners, covered by the necessary insurances and have undergone appropriate background checks.

So remember, don’t burden your staff with cleaning your premises and don’t settle for second rate cleaning, delegate that responsibility to the cleaning professionals. Also, when seeking out professional cleaners, ensure they have the experience, workplace practices and backup to ensure your business is cleaned to your satisfaction.

Spring Time in Melbourne – So Let’s Clean!

For many spring cleaning can be such a chore. You can approach it in a variety of ways, first of which is to just avoid getting started at all. Avoidance is the most commonly used tactic when it comes to the annual spring clean. Unfortunately, while this approach takes little of your time and effort, the results will be far from desirable. There’s gotta be a better way. And there is.

Hire a cleaning service to do the hard, laborious, painstaking work for you. Of course I would say that, wouldn’t I. In fact don’t hire any cleaning service, for a cleaning service with the best results you’ll need to hire the best cleaning service in the business. Hillson Cleaning Services comes to mind.

For those of you who are gluttons for punishment, have masochistic tendencies or one of those rare people who just get great joy out of spring cleaning we’ve come up with some helpful hints on spring cleaning in your home.

  1. Prepare for D-Day – Ensure you have all the supplies and equipment necessary to complete the job required. This is a spring clean. There’s no room for doing the job half-heartedly. Psyche yourself up, set aside time to complete the job thoroughly and ensure no interruptions.
  2. One step at a time – Spring cleaning can be overwhelming for the uninitiated. The trick is to take it one room at a time. This can even be broken down further to a closet or a cupboard at a time. Whilst the task will seem never ending eventually you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Reward yourself by taking a long look and admiring your handy work at the completion of each room.
  3. De-clutter – But for a few unconventional people, we humans have lodged deep in our DNA the uncanny ability to hoard the most useless bits and pieces imaginable. The spring clean is that special time of year where we have to make that all important decision – ‘Do I really need that?’ Odds are if you do ask yourself that question then you don’t really need it. Toss it to the schizenhowzen.
  4. Top to Bottom – When cleaning the room one must start at the top of the room an work your way down. To begin with remove any cobwebs often found around the cornices, clean the light fittings then wipe down and remove marks from walls and tiles. Windows will need to be cleaned, ledges dusted, bench tops, cupboards – inside and out, furniture, architraves. You name it, you clean it. Spring cleaning means everything in the room gets special attention and every item that is cleaned is done so meticulously.
  5. Rest and recline – Cleaning is hard work. You have probably used muscles you never new you had and they will remind you of it the coming days. So now that the work is done it’s time to shower, relax and pamper yourself. Take pride in your work and rest easy knowing that spring cleaning comes but once a year.

Going For Gold In Business!

Now that the London 2012 olympics has come to a close, perhaps it’s time for us all to reflect on what drives our great athletes. Can we use this as a source of inspiration for our own business and future success?

An athlete expels blood, sweat and tears in order to reach their ultimate goal of a berth at an Olympic Games. They will toil for hours on end, year after year, determined to succeed; hone their natural abilities; maintain focus and direction; sought out guidance; surround themselves with experience; implement regimented schedules; take advantage of new technologies; compete against rivals to improve competitiveness; and visualise success to achieve the result they yearn for.

The objective of the athlete’s gruelling training and preparation is designed to get the edge on their competition. To prepare for that moment in time when all they have worked on over the years will come together to enable the athlete to perform at their optimum.

It takes 20 years to become an overnight success

 Being successful in business will require many of the same attributes of the elite athlete. Acquiring such discipline will undoubtedly improve business performance.

Possessing an athlete’s determination to succeed: just as every athlete worth their salt will have a determination to reach their full potential and outperform their competitor, so to will the successful businessman.

Attaining and enhancing skills: to stay on top of the game in business, just as in the world of sport, you will need to maintain and develop the skills necessary to improve the potential of you business.

Guiding staff and passing on experience: even the most talented of athletes can’t rely on natural talent alone. Athletes need to be nurtured by coaches, mentors and the like. Training staff on avoiding known pitfalls and introducing improved operational methods is guaranteed to achieve better results.

Introduce new technologies to improve performance: sport has evolved over time thanks in part to the introduction of new equipment and technologies. Businesses should always be on the lookout to modernise by implementing advanced technologies that streamline business procedures, improve productivity or attract new customers.

Learn the strengths and weaknesses of business rivals: business like sport can be extremely competitive. We can improve our own business model by keeping a close eye on our competitors and analysing their performance, business methods, success and failures.

Finally, visualise your own future success: a major component in a successful athlete is having the correct mindset, the confidence to be competitive. By visualising your future goals this will assist you in putting in place the necessary changes needed to achieve such goals. Explain to your employees the reasons and benefits of such changes and motivate them to achieve their best. Having a common goal and mindset across your organisation is certain to bring the results you require.

Like our athletes who strive to go Faster, Higher, Stronger; endeavour to do your best and become the Gold Medal favourite in your field of business.