Ask a Commercial Facility Services apartment building cleaner a question

Inside every building is a story that is told from many different perspectives.

Life within apartment living is complex and join us as we answer all your questions so we can better understand that world a little bit better.

Laura asked us: When the cleaner is cleaning the common areas, can they also clean my apartment?

A: This is a very common question among some residents, especially those who have recently moved into the building, who may not have the correct equipment and cleaning products to clean their apartment. Due to health and safety reasons, contractual obligations, and the potential for property damage, cleaners typically do not handle private spaces. Additionally, cleaning private property can be counterproductive, as the time lost could impact the cleanliness of shared areas and amenities.

Thanh asked us: What is the best way to clean oil from my parking space?

A: Oil spills need to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent slipping and staining.

Upon being made aware of an oil leak, you should:

• Mop the affected area with a heavy-duty mop with the appropriate chemicals (like degreaser)
• Apply degreaser to affected area and let it sit for 30 minutes
• Proceed to remove oil and degreaser with the mop

If that doesn’t work, try sprinkling saw dust on the spill, let it sit for 30 minutes, remove the saw dust, and then go over it with a mop and degreaser as above.

Haotian asked us: What happens when residents store rubbish in the bin chute rooms instead of disposing of it appropriately?

A: As cleaners, this is a challenge we face daily. Although it may seem like a minor inconvenience, if we use a building with 20 floors and 20 bin chutes as an example, you could imagine the extra work created ultimately affecting the residents. Cleaners should be focusing on high trafficable areas, high touch points, the lifts, the amenities, and scheduled maintenance and not cleaning up after residents being lazy.

True story

Recently at one of our sites in West Melbourne, our cleaner noticed a missing cat wandering the apartment hallways while vacuuming the floor. Immediately taken back by the situation and with the cat’s wellbeing in mind, the cleaner dropped his tools and closed the airlock door to prevent an escape. The cleaner knocked around the 6th floor to ask if anyone was missing a cat. No such owner came forward.

With the assistance of building management, and the local council, the cat (which was microchipped) was scanned, however it was still registered with the original breeder. The cat was taken to the local animal shelter for checks ups and to ensure it received adequate care until the owner turned up. To this day, the owner and how the cat got into the hallway is still a mystery, but our cleaner can now successfully identify an “Egyptian Mau”.

Have a question that you would like answered? Submit yours to [email protected] and stay tuned to future editions. •