Commercial Exterior Cleaning – Benefits and Frequency Required

January 20th, 2023

Last updated: June 9th, 2023

Commercial exterior cleaning can be a very specialist job. All commercial premises are different and cleaning the outside of buildings, driveways, car parks, and other areas can be a big undertaking. So, should you bother with having the exterior of a building cleaned? What are the benefits of doing so, and how frequently should you look to have the outside of your building maintained?

Why Exterior Cleaning is Required

It is true to say that if the exterior of your building doesn’t pose any health and safety risks then it doesn’t have to be cleaned. Commercial cleaning is, however, something most business owners choose to do. So what are the benefits?

• It looks much more professional and welcoming. We all know that there is something to be said for a more professional look. If you are going to visit a shop or a restaurant, first impressions matter. If the external part of the business is unclean, will the interior be unclean, too? Well-kept grounds are much more welcoming.
• It can get rid of intimidating or unwelcoming graffiti. Unfortunately, graffiti is a big problem for a lot of businesses, that needs to be cleaned. It is estimated that graffiti costs in excess of £1 billion per year to get rid of.
• It can prevent certain hazards. For example, if your business has a problem with algae outside then there is a chance it could become a slip hazard.
• You need to protect your gutters. Guttering is a part of exterior cleaning, and gutter cleaning is vital to prevent potential hazards to your business.

Can I Carry Out Exterior Cleaning Myself?

There are certain aspects of exterior cleaning you can carry out. If you have the right equipment then it is possible to pressure wash the pavements outside your building, for instance.

There are also a lot of other simple maintenance tasks that you can carry out. Emptying external bins, litter-picking, and mowing the lawns around the building is a way for you to make your business much more welcoming. As we’ve already explained, every business is slightly different, so your priorities might be different from somebody else’s.

There are certain areas of exterior cleaning we don’t recommend carrying out yourself, especially if you do not have the correct training. For example, cleaning your gutters or reaching high windows can be a huge risk. Professional window cleaning services are a much better option for the vast majority. This ensures a thorough and professional job, as well as removing risk to you or your employees, or very costly equipment that might be required to do the job.

Using Exterior Cleaning Services – How Often (and When)?

If you are looking to use exterior cleaning services, you may build this into your planned preventative maintenance schedule. Tasks like gutter cleaning and even grass cutting can be factored in regularly. With a commercial facilities management contract, you may be able to agree upon an initial schedule and then allow the external company to handle all of the hard work for you. This leaves you to focus on running your business and the things that you are best at.

An example of exterior cleaning and the frequency with which it might be required include:

• Commercial gutter cleaning. This should be done a couple of times a year at least, with spring and autumn proving popular times to get your gutters cleaned.
• Window cleaning. Once a month may well be enough, but think about what the windows are exposed to, and whether they are used to display items (you’re probably not going to sell as well if the window itself is filthy).
• Render cleaning should be carried out at least annually if the building has a form of render on the outside. This helps the building to retain its fresh look, and avoid looking tired or even unprofessional.

Of course, there is also the need for certain “as and when” services. If your building has been the target of some graffiti then a specialist callout could be required.

Exterior Cleaning For a Professional and Safe Building

Exterior cleaning is easy to forget about, but if you neglect the building then business is likely to suffer. This is especially true if your business is reliant on making a good visual impression. A hotel that looks grotty isn’t likely to get a lot of bookings, so much of this is about the kind of impression you are making on customers too.

Robinsons Facilities Services can help you to keep on top of the exterior cleaning, and our experienced and accredited employees will help you to make sure your building is safe as well as looking its best.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all TM44 Inspections. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.