The cleaning industry and commercial cleaning in particular has undergone many changes over time. Ancient Egyptians valued cleanliness in both their environment and personal grooming. The carefully detailed and precise way that they buried their dead, carefully embalmed in tombs rather than in a hole in the ground or left in a cave, show the extent to which they valued cleanliness. The Babylonians discovered that contaminated water could harbor disease and created a system that would bring freshwater into the household daily. The Romans expanded on this system to not only bring freshwater to cities and towns via aqueducts but to also dispose of used or otherwise unclean water in the form of sewer systems. They also went out of their way to promote good personal hygiene by building public baths. The routine cleaning of oneself lead to the routine cleaning of the house. Winters could be harsh, and spring was seen as the season of new beginnings and everything growing was sweet and fresh. This was unlike the houses that had been closed up for months during the cold that now had a layer of fireplace soot as well as general dust and cobwebs lying about. The first record of spring cleaning came in ancient Persia when a celebration like New Year’s resulted in “shaking the house” to open it up after the long winter.

In modern times, most people routinely clean their personal space, but rarely think twice about janitorial services for the business where they work or visit to purchase necessary items. This was especially true prior to the pandemic when business janitorial services meant emptying trash cans, vacuuming or sweeping floors, and washing windows was enough to make office buildings, schools, and other campuses look clean and welcoming. Now, personal and professional cleanliness is high on our list of priorities. It’s no longer about just looking tidy and organized, but about the health and safety of the people who work and visit these businesses. First came the change to add extra surface cleaning such as mopping as well as sweeping, dusting blinds as well as wiping windows and sills, and steam cleaning in addition to vacuuming. Disinfection was limited to the bathroom and kitchen, if there was one. As the pandemic progressed, we saw more requests for disinfecting and sanitizing services to reduce the chance that employees would pass germs to one another. People evaluated cleanliness in a new way, and the difference between surface cleaning and deep disinfection became vital. What had previously been occasional services became daily necessities. No longer working in the shadows, janitorial staff now played a new and valuable role as frontline workers, responsible for stopping the spread of the coronavirus and other diseases.

Now that businesses are more willing to invest in enhanced janitorial cleaning and disinfection services, they also expect better accountability and communication from their cleaning companies. Organizations want to know the products used are EPA-approved to fight diseases. They also want to work with well-trained, certified, and reliable staff. Most cleaning happens behind the scenes, so businesses need to work with a trusted company that understands the chemistry of cleaning products and how to use them properly. The N&A cleaning staff meet all of these requirements and more. They go through a training program so stringent that we consider them experts when it is completed. They are randomly checked to ensure that the service they have offered is in compliance with our high standards which includes being up to date on the latest technology in the janitorial industry and having and maintaining the best tools to provide the best outcome. At N&A, we provide only the best for our customers including our customer service. Want to experience it for yourself? Give us a call at 407-734-1728 or click here for a free cleaning estimate.