The Cleaning Conundrum: Build a Team or Hire the Pros?

In-House Cleaning Team vs. Contracting a Professional Cleaning Company: What’s Right for Your Facility?

As a property manager or facility director, maintaining a clean, healthy environment is one of your top responsibilities. Whether you're managing a commercial office, retail center, or healthcare facility, you need a reliable cleaning solution that’s both effective and cost-efficient. That brings many businesses to a key question: Should you hire and manage your own in-house cleaning staff, or contract out to a professional cleaning company like America Cleaning Solutions?

While each approach has its merits, understanding the differences in cost, oversight, flexibility, and quality can help you make an informed decision tailored to your facility's needs.

1. Cost and Budget Considerations

In-House Team: Managing your own janitorial team means taking on the full cost of wages, benefits, training, cleaning supplies, equipment, and payroll taxes. Additionally, there are indirect costs like recruiting, onboarding, insurance, and turnover.

Contracted Cleaning Services: Professional cleaning companies operate as a fixed-cost solution. With America Cleaning Solutions, you receive a customized service plan that bundles labor, management, equipment, and supplies into one predictable monthly fee—often at a lower overall cost than maintaining an in-house team.

2. Staff Management and Oversight

In-House Team: Hiring internally gives you full control over your cleaning staff—but also makes you responsible for managing schedules, performance reviews, disciplinary actions, and last-minute absences.

Contracted Cleaning Services: When you partner with America Cleaning Solutions, we manage staffing, supervision, and quality control. Our experienced supervisors handle all training, inspections, and scheduling. If someone calls out, we fill the gap—without disrupting your operations.

3. Training and Industry Expertise

In-House Team: While internal employees can be trained, it’s up to your organization to stay on top of industry best practices, new cleaning technologies, and OSHA safety standards.

Contracted Cleaning Services: Our team is professionally trained in the latest disinfection techniques, commercial-grade equipment usage, and compliance standards (including LEED, OSHA, and CDC guidelines). We also adapt quickly to industry trends and emergencies like COVID-19 protocols.

4. Flexibility and Scalability

In-House Team: Your cleaning crew’s size and skills are often static. Scaling up for special projects, seasonal demands, or expanding facilities requires hiring and training more staff—slowing your ability to adapt quickly.

Contracted Cleaning Services: America Cleaning Solutions offers scalable staffing based on your current needs. Whether you need daily cleaning, overnight service, or additional day porters during high-traffic seasons, we adjust as your business evolves.

5. Consistency and Accountability

In-House Team: Quality may vary based on training, morale, or turnover. Internal teams can lack the structure or accountability systems that keep cleaning standards consistently high.

Contracted Cleaning Services: We implement a quality control process that includes regular inspections, performance tracking, and client feedback. America Cleaning Solutions holds itself accountable to service-level agreements, and we’re available 24/7 to resolve concerns quickly.

6. Access to Professional Equipment and Products

In-House Team: You're responsible for purchasing, maintaining, and replacing cleaning equipment. Without commercial-grade machines, the level of cleanliness may suffer—especially for floor care, carpet extraction, or window cleaning.

Contracted Cleaning Services: We bring high-performance tools and eco-friendly, commercial-grade products to every job. From pressure washers to HEPA vacuums, our tools are maintained and ready to deliver top results.

So, What’s the Right Choice?

Choosing between an in-house cleaning staff and a professional cleaning company depends on your goals, budget, and facility needs. However, for many businesses, contracting with a trusted partner like America Cleaning Solutions offers:

• Lower operational costs

• Professional oversight and management

• Specialized training and tools

• Reliable staffing and scalability

• Consistent, high-quality results

If you're ready to streamline operations and elevate cleanliness across your facility, contact us today for a free consultation and custom quote.

America Cleaning Solutions proudly serves the greater Portland, OR and Seattle, WA metro areas, providing full-service janitorial, window, carpet, and floor care solutions tailored to your property’s unique needs.

Let us do the dirty work—so you don’t have to.