6 Tips for Maintaining a Clean Shopping Mall in 2021 and Beyond
Shopping malls across the country have fought tooth and nail to stay open in recent years, with some researchers estimating that only a quarter of U.S. malls will be around by 2025.
Only time will tell what the pandemic’s ripple effects will be when it comes to consumers’ shopping habits online vs. in-store, but many experts say the coronavirus was simply an accelerant, bringing forward a demise that was long underway.
While all that sounds scary for malls and retail centers, it’s hard to believe that there will ever be an era where no one wants an in-person shopping experience. And that time certainly isn’t here yet! By spring 2021, U.S. mall traffic was showing signs of recovery to pre-pandemic levels, and consumer surveys suggest that shopping malls aren’t dying – they’re merely evolving.
No matter what the future holds, keeping your facility successful now and in the coming months and years depends largely on experiences. Enhancing customer experiences is the reason why malls are adding more bowling alleys or Dave & Busters alongside retail stores, and it’s how your mall is going to make it in the long run.
At The Firm Facility Services, we believe cleanliness is perhaps the most basic, important factor of customer satisfaction. No level of customer service can make up for a mall that looks run down and dirty, especially not now that we all know what it’s like to live during a mask mandate.
So let’s go over some quick tips for maintaining a clean shopping mall in 2021 and beyond. Let us know if you want professional help!
1. Hire Professional Janitorial Services
Let’s get the big one out of the way! The most important and obvious thing you can do for your mall’s cleanliness is hiring a professional cleaning service. Customers have always cared about hygiene in shopping malls, and recent surveys suggest Americans want stores to follow stricter measures these days, including improved cleaning practices.
Most malls are so sprawling and complex that cleaning them requires strategy. Experienced janitorial professionals can provide guidance on the best sanitation practices, products, safety measures, and more.
If you choose inexperienced teenagers or other laypersons off the street to hire as janitors, you can’t expect professional-level results.
Even if you don’t choose The Firm, we hope you take the time to find the right janitorial services for your facility’s unique needs, because a great one can take your mall to the next level:
● Boost your mall’s image.
● Wow customers the moment they walk in the door.
● Give employees an environment where they can shine.
2. Prevent Outside Elements From Entering
It’s a constant battle, isn’t it? Malls have many entry and exit points, and every doorway is another opportunity for the outside to come in.
The more effort you put in upfront to fight off dirt at the entrances, the easier maintaining your facility becomes. Make sure these areas are a priority for your cleaning service, especially during the winter months if you live in a snowy state.
Floor mats can make a world of difference. But by the end of every day, floor mats need to be cleaned in order to serve their purpose again the next day, so a commercial floor mat service is highly recommended.
3. Invest in Better Floor Cleaning
What’s worse than a mall that always has dirty floors? Some might say a mall that always has wet floors from constant mopping.
With such a large area of square footage, a bucket and mop is hardly the best way to clean flooring inside a mall, and those dang “Wet Floor” signs are a trip hazard themselves. That’s why most professional cleaning companies use AutoVac machines with instant floor drying. From the entrances to the food court, an industrial floor cleaner will make cleaning the floors much more efficient, not to mention more sanitary.
If your mall has tile and grout, carpeted areas, or VCT flooring, it’s equally important to care for them with the proper methods. Who knew so much went into cleaning just the floors! (We did.)
4. Use a High-Quality, Multi-Surface Cleaner
For many jobs, using the right cleaner is imperative. However, many hard surfaces do just fine with a multi-purpose cleaner, and finding a good one that you can use across many areas of the mall can have added benefits.
For starters, not having to carry or switch between a bunch of cleaning products makes the job move faster, and it cuts down on the chemicals involved for everybody.
The Firm’s janitorial teams use a multi-surface cleaner and disinfectant that kills 99.999% of germs and leaves behind only a fresh, clean scent. It disinfects in less than five minutes with broad-spectrum claims and kills Norovirus in 45 seconds, all while ensuring hard surfaces and glass are streak-free and smelling pleasant.
5. Upgrade Your Lighting
Good lighting is one of the most important things to shoppers regarding cleanliness, and it’s safe to say your tenants and employees probably care a lot about lighting too, even if they don’t realize it.
A well-lit mall just feels lighter and cleaner, so if your fixtures and lighting haven’t been updated in a long time, it could make a huge impact.
6. Hire Outdoor Services
Don’t skimp on the shell of your facility – the outside of your mall is already making first impressions with everyone who passes by. Are you doing what you can to make it positive?
From garbage removal and dumpsters to window cleaning and pressure washing, outdoor services that keep the area outside the mall clean and tidy is yet another key to bringing shoppers in.
Call The Firm Facility Services for Personalized Help
Our services are tailored to your facility’s needs, and commercial cleaning is just the start! The Firm Facility Services caters to property managers nationwide, whether you’re looking for handyman services, construction cleanup, or janitorial.
Request a free quote, and we’ll create a custom service plan that includes everything you need without compromising quality or consistency. From Minneapolis to Phoenix, property managers choose The Firm for convenient facility maintenance that exceeds your expectations.
“I recently had the pleasure of working with The Firm Facility Services. They exceeded my expectations, delivered quality service, and had outstanding customer relations.”
-Nicole O., real customer review