Up with the larks

Remaining open for business is integral in today’s competitive retail market. The investments made by brands in creating their stores’ unique look and feel are huge and it’s vital that premises are kept in an immaculate condition. A flood, leak or even a marked floor can turn customers away, especially if hygiene is paramount to the customer’s experience.

Fast turnaround at flooded hotel

In Nottingham, ServiceMaster Clean was recently called to a hotel, which had suffered a severe flood affecting six bedrooms and an entire corridor. Arriving within an hour of the call, on a wet and windy Tuesday night, British Damage Management Association (BDMA) senior technician Tom Flye set up his truck-mounted extraction system and began removing water from the rooms and corridor.

Tom said: "We had been working closely with this hotel, cleaning carpets and upholstery on a regular basis and had already identified ourselves as the company to call in an emergency like this. We knew that with these rooms out of use, the hotel was losing money so we had to work fast.

"We extracted all the water and sanitised the carpet before sunlight and installed drying equipment to remove any additional moisture left in or under the carpets. The drying process lasted two days and we visited each day to check on the progress. Guests were back in the rooms within three days of the flood, without any knowledge of what had happened."

Whilst the drying process is important, the sanitation of an area is vital, especially for hotels, cafes, supermarkets and restaurants. A bad odour or hidden germs can cause more long-term issues if not dealt with quickly and professionally.

Stealthy clean-up at student accommodation

Further south in Portsmouth, BDMA senior technician and ServiceMaster Clean business owner Kevin Riley is regularly called to clean up after the city’s university students. 

Kevin said: "I can receive a call at any time, day or night and our team will attend within two hours whenever possible. We’ve been called to various university halls to sort out problems, such as flooding, vandalism, fire damage or trauma scenes. A common problem is when the students have a bit too much to drink!

"We were called out to some student accommodation recently to clean the communal stairs and corridors after somebody had ‘had an accident’. We were on site for 3.30am and removed debris, cleaned down and sanitised the affected areas so that it was clean and fresh, ready for the morning. Apart from the maintenance team, nobody was aware we were there. Often, our clients have a maintenance team but there are limits to the jobs they will undertake, whereas our specialist equipment, products and regular training, means we’re ready for anything and come in and leave with minimal fuss."

Angus Dodds, brand operations manager for ServiceMaster Clean, added: "As well the physical appearance of a premises, it’s important to ensure that the hidden ‘nasties’ are also dealt with, quickly and professionally. Micro-organisms that are left can eventually cause odours and potential risks to human health but a professional-grade sanitising agent will remove the dangers and odour."

He concluded: "It doesn’t matter if the incident takes place at 5pm or 3am, a competent damage management firm will provide a consistent, high-level service with full reports and drying certificates, should they be required."