Mops, Vacuums, and More: Top Supplies Every Janitor Needs

Top Ten Janitorial Supplies

A good stock of janitorial supplies is essential when it comes to making sure your business or premises stays spotless. Whether you’re doing the cleaning yourself, or you hire a team to keep everything tidy, you’ll need to stay stocked with cleaning products.

When it comes to setting up a cleaning schedule and ensuring that you have the right janitorial supplies, you need to ask yourself a few questions. Do the premises have carpets? Is there any special care needed? Parquet floors? Lots of glass windows?

All of these aspects will have an influence on the types of janitorial supplies you keep in stock. Most premises will benefit from keeping the following items in stock.

Mop and Bucket

Regardless of the location, a mop and bucket is essential for soaking up spills and easily cleaning floors. A good bucket with castors and wringer will help ensure there is no messing about when it comes to cleaning up mess.

When it comes to mops, everyone has a different opinion regarding what is best. A fabric mop head is an enduring favorite, or of course, there are more modern microfiber and self wringing options as well.

Brushes

Brushes are an indispensible and essential cleaning tool wherever you are. A yard brush tends to be harder, and built for sweeping external areas. But a standard brush with dustpan will always come in handy for quick clean-ups!

Industrial Vacuum Cleaner

At home, any vacuum cleaner will do. But in commercial or industrial premises you’ll need something a bit more heavy duty. Professional vacuum cleaners tend to be more hard wearing and sometimes have built in carpet cleaning options, too.

If you have parquet or marble floors you might also need a floor polisher to bring out the shine. You can hire these machines if you only have a small area to polish, but the longer you leave them the duller they get. If you have a large area that needs to be cleaned regularly, then it would be more effective to buy one.

Cleaning Chemicals

Whatever your business, you’ll need to keep a stock of chemicals such as bleach, toilet cleaner, and disinfectant. Window cleaner is also high on the list of important cleaning products, especially if there are lots of windows, mirrors, or glass surfaces to clean.

And don’t forget about the soap! Everyone needs to clean up their plates and cups, so make sure you don’t run out of this essential product.

Sanitary Chemicals

Keeping a hospital clean is of course different from having to keep an office clean. However, there are some similarities. For example, both will need hand soap for bathrooms. For healthcare facilities you’ll also need extra foams and sanitizes to minimize the chances of germs spreading.

Safety Equipment

Regardless if it’s for you or for your janitorial team, you’ll want to make sure everyone is safe when the cleaning is being done. Rubber gloves are an essential for any workplace—just make sure you get a variety of sizes.

Signage is also incredibly important. You don’t want people slipping on wet floors, so a simple “caution wet floor" sign is necessary.

In public facing premises you might also need other signs such as “cleaning in progress" or a general “caution" sign to warn people that there is a spillage or slip hazard.

Paper

You don’t just need paper for the printer. You’ll also need to make sure you have paper for the bathroom (dispensing machine and toilet rolls), as well as paper towels to clean up spills.

Bags

Garbage bags are an essential supply that every building needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re industrial, commercial, or residential you’ll need a supply of garbage and recycling bags on hand. Some areas may also require green bin bags, so always be sure to check.

Trash Cans

Depending on the size of the location, you’ll need plenty of trash cans. From individual desk bins, to bigger waste bins for kitchens, store rooms or warehouses, make sure you get a trash can that's up to the job. After all, you don’t want to have to go and empty it multiple times a day!

Dispensers and Bottles

With all this cleaning going on you’ll need something to safely carry it around in. Spray bottles are very handy for keeping antibacterial spray or window cleaner in. Using refillables will also help you avoid buying lots of disposable bottles.

Refillable dispensers are also a good way to cut the cost of bathroom soaps. Refills tend to be cheaper than buying new soap bottles every time.

Final Thoughts

The janitorial supplies you need will depend on the type of commercial building you are operating, so discuss cleaning needs with your janitorial team. Buying in bulk is usually cheaper, even for a smaller business. Make sure you keep your cleaning cupboard well stocked and ensure you don’t get caught short.