I made the effort to travel to Sydney this time last year to visit the TFL show and based on what I came away with after that visit, I thought it would be worth another trip. I wasn’t disappointed! TFL is a show that provides a broad cross section of exhibitors, all with the objective of showcasing their services for the building & facilities industry. Yes, there are some cleaning specific exhibitors at the show but for a visitor looking to add value to their business and possibly broaden the service offering, this show is gold.

The breadth of products & services offered by exhibitors at this years show was really impressive, with a strong focus on sustainability and the management of efficient use of energy within the workplace. With power prices set to soar in the new financial year, (20%+) businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs. You might ask how this relates to the commercial cleaning service and making this area more efficient? Well, with external pressures on business due to the current economy, finding ways to reduce costs, without compromising services is very important. A number of key areas stood out for me. They include:

• Cleaning Equipment
• Cleaning Scheduling
• Cleaning Products
• Cleaning Equipment for a cleaning Contractor is such an easy one to get right. With the right equipment a contractor can get the job done quicker
• Can clean more effectively & deliver a better result
• Work safer, which is critical
• Advances in products for surface wiping for example has been rapid. Microfibre is pretty much available across a range of equipment from ‘The ceiling to the floor’

Cleaning Scheduling is another area that is going to become a higher priority for clients & of course contractors. With the cost of electricity set to soar, clients will no doubt be giving greater consideration to cleaning during daylight hours. There are significant additional costs associated with running lighting & air-conditioning after hours for the cleaning service to be carried out. We had an instance recently where a contractor, inadvertently left a client’s warehouse lighting on over a weekend. The estimated cost of running these lights unnecessarily ran at close to $300 which the Contractor was required to pay. An expensive oversight on their part.

Cleaning Products continue to evolve and with advances in this area, we are seeing a new wave of totally green products available for use. These products remove the risks & hazards associated with using products like bleach & highly acidic & alkaline cleaning products. Cleaning products created from natural extracts are becoming more effective as production techniques improve. The big concern from a Contractors viewpoint has always been that these products just don’t do the job like traditional cleaning products such as bleach. Well, that’s all changing at a great rate and clients will increasingly demand that only non toxic, bio degradable cleaning products be used.

Check out some other blog articles from the TFL show over the next week or so.