Cleaning your Newark, NJ industrial property for sale is important for a number of reasons. In this article we will go over why it’s important, how often you should be cleaning the property, how to do it and how to keep the space organized, and finally, how to find the perfect industrial property that fulfils all your criteria.
Read on for eleven warehouse cleaning and organizing tips!
About cleaning your industrial property
There are several reasons why you should clean your warehouse regularly. Here are some of those, from Cyzerg: “Cleaning a warehouse can encourage a positive atmosphere, which can boost productivity, improve accuracy, and lead to higher job satisfaction. Furthermore, having a plan and executing it well can help streamline the cleaning process, in turn, increasing efficiency and decreasing accidents.”
How often should you be cleaning your industrial property? A basic clean is required everyday on week days. However, as the months pass, dirt, grime and bacterial build up can start to cause issues. So, a deep clean is required every few months (sometimes monthly). For this process, you’ll need heavy-duty cleaning supplies including cleaning products that contain at least 70% alcohol.
The process for cleaning your Newark, NJ industrial property for sale
In order to make the cleaning process easier, we can break it down into five simple steps. Here they are:
- Preparation
You need to be well prepared before you start to clean the space. This would include getting hold of all the supplies you’ll need, removing any items from the floor or other surfaces that will hinder the cleaning process, and removing forklifts and other vehicles from the area.
- Preliminary cleaning
Before you start to clean in-depth, it’s a good idea to dust off the majority of the dirt and debris. This will speed up the process significantly, and therefore make you more efficient. Work smarter, not harder!
- High areas
When you clean, it’s important that you clean high surfaces first, because any dirt you remove from them will fall down, onto the surfaces below. So if you were to start cleaning from the bottom and work your way up, you would need to go back and re-clean the surfaces you’ve just cleaned. Avoid this by doing it right the first time.
- The floors
From Cyzerg: “After taking care of all the high places, focus on the floor. The majority of the injuries in a warehouse comprise slip, trips, and falls. Thus, it is essential to pay special attention to the floor, the areas underneath the racks, and other nook and crannies. First, start by using a large mop to clear the debris and dust. Use a degreaser and clean the toughest stains, such as tire marks from the forklifts.”
- Checklists
You should always have a checklist when handling a task of a large magnitude, and cleaning a warehouse would certainly count as one. So, before you finish the cleaning session, go through your cleaning checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the spots and tasks, and that nothing was missed. Cleaning checklists for daily, weekly and monthly cleaning sessions are available online. You can get one by visiting this link.
Eleven tips for cleaning and organizing your Newark, NJ industrial property for sale
Here are some tips that will help you work smarter and faster, and keep your warehouse cleaner:
- Keep cleaning supplies stocked
Keep all the necessary cleaning supplies stocked, so your employees don’t waste time in scurrying about looking for them. Another thing to keep in mind is that the supplies should be handy, because if your employees need to walk a long distance to get them, it may feel like more of a chore to them.
- Plan ahead of time
Since cleaning is a periodic activity, you should plan ahead of time to make sure cleaning and maintenance activities don’t hinder the operation’s productivity. Spend some time in creating a consistent and well-planned schedule, which lets you balance resources and timing in an efficient manner while smoothly executing the cleaning process.
- Floor labeling
From ithinklogistics: “Floor labeling is very essential for every warehouse. It is particularly designed to keep the sectors organize and for identifying stocks easily. If you have the proper record of each isle and if you have the detailed data of the stocks contained in those isles, then it will be way easier for you to access the stocks. This will not only save an ample amount of time but also will make assigning the areas to clean to each employee much easier. As each aisle or area will be properly labeled, the employees will be clear of the portion assigned to them.”
- Clean as you go
Your employees need to consciously put in the effort to clean up after themselves. This helps maintain a standard, keeps the area hazard-free, and reduces the amount of cleaning required, thus saving everyone time.
- Assign areas for everyone to clean
If you divide the cleaning process into zones and assign areas to different employees, you’re effectively dividing the job and making it seem less intimidating. It also becomes more efficient. Plus, it prevents slowdown in productivity during a change in shift, because the new shift doesn’t have to clean up the mess the previous shift left behind.
- Regularly turn over inventory
If your stock sits on the shelves for a long time, it will collect dust and grime, and require time and effort to clean. If you are careful about turning over your inventory, this won’t be an issue. Aside from collecting dust, older stock takes up space and is harder to deal with.
- Encourage quick reporting
Encourage your employees to report spills and hazards in your Newark, NJ industrial property for sale. This should be done quickly, as soon as the spill happens, so cleaning is quick and relatively easy.
- Do your recycling!
From ithinklogistics: “It does not matter whether you are a big firm or a small chain business; recycling is the most vital part of any industry. This is the most you can do for your environment while running an organization that can cause harm to the environment. Recycle bins should be made available at every firm so that employees don’t go on dumping litter any time they want to throw some kind of litter. This ensures that the supplies that are being used during the operations are reused instead of being replaced. Doing something for the environment is becoming more and more important, considering the recent state of the environment. It is our duty as a citizen of the country to do our part for maintaining the environmental balance.”
- Create goals
Regular cleaning goals will help divide the unenviable task of warehouse cleaning into little bite-sized pieces that your employees can finish a little bit at a time. Set goals and assign them to different employees, so the task is divided. Goals will also help your employees make sure they’re staying on track.
- Empty the garbage bins
One of the simplest ways to clean up a space is by emptying out the garbage bins. So, assign the task of emptying the trash regularly to an employee. This ensures that junk doesn’t pile up and spill onto the floors, and it keeps the place looking clean and fresh.
- Use racks and shelving
From Desert Oasis Commercial Cleaners: “No matter if it is a workshop, warehouse, an office, or supermarket, any space is able to benefit from a well-designed shelving and racking layout. The key factor is to increase the ease of accessibility, inventory control, safety and there is an added benefit that a well-designed layout can eliminate the need of relocating to a larger warehouse with efficiently using space in a more optimal method.”
These were eleven simple tips that will help you keep your warehouse clean and well-organized on a day-to-day basis. Remember to work with your employees. Make sure they properly understand their duties and are satisfied with the way things are being done, or you will have problems down the line.
Finding the perfect Newark, NJ industrial property for sale
The Blau & Berg Company specializes in industrial sales and leasing. Each assignment is handled individually with sound brokerage, negotiating expertise and local market knowledge. Experts in all facets of industrial buildings and land parcels, and backed by 80 years of strategic experience, the team facilitates site selection, acquisitions, dispositions, portfolio sales and asset repositioning assignments.
About The Blau & Berg Company
Since its inception in 1932, The Blau & Berg Company has held a leading position in the New Jersey and Tri-State commercial real estate market. Headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, Blau & Berg is an independent, full- service commercial real estate brokerage firm providing services in the industrial, retail and office spaces, including: site selection, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, tenant representation, portfolio sales, asset repositioning, and property & construction consulting.
Our mission:
To be recognized as a trusted real estate company that provides exceptional and uncompromising value to our clients, employees and salespeople. Dedicated to the development of long-term relationships, we place our clients’ interests ahead of our own. Our team approach philosophy ensures the needs of each and every member of our organization and business partners’ (including Independent Contractors) sustained support.
