What's In a Janitor's Closet?

What You'll Find in Your Janitor's Closet

Janitor's closets hold all of the tools and supplies needed to clean your building every night. Though sizes and shapes vary, the content of the closet has little variance. At Summit Building Services, we believe a clean and organized closet stocked with the right tools is the first step in delivering quality services.

What Do We Keep in Our Janitor’s Closet?

Safety Data Sheets (SDS book)

This book, for us a binder, containing datasheets for each of the cleaning products we use to clean in a particular building. These sheets required by OSHA, “include information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.” from OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard documentation. Keeping these in our closet keeps us compliant with OSHA requirements, and serves as a database for cleaners and customers regarding the chemicals used in their facility. 

Cleaning Products

If you take a look in your janitor's closet you will find all of the products used to perform regular cleaning labeled and stored safely in the closet. These chemicals will include a disinfectant, an all-surface cleaner, glass, and floor cleaning solutions. Other solutions you may find are a low or non-acid toilet bowl cleaner, and stainless steel polish, among others.

You’re also likely to find a dispenser for the primary cleaning solutions. These dispensers make solution dilution and consistency a non-issue and help extend the time between supply deliveries. 

Equipment

Equipment varies from building to building as each has its own needs. The majority of buildings require the following tools and equipment to see the job through.

1. Brute barrel- This piece of equipment doubles as a trash can and portable cleaning caddy. With an attached caddy bag, a cleaner can roll their trash can around your facility to quickly grab trash, clean restrooms, and wipe up spills.
2. Vacuum- We use machines equipped with HEPA filters, and are highly rated by the carpet and rug institute. 
3. Broom, Dustpan, and Dust Mop- Used for hard surface floor care these three take up little space and optimally are hung up in the closet. 
4. Bucket and Mop or Flat Mop System- The second step in the hard surface floor cleaning process. These are critical components for buildings with hard surface flooring.
5. Miscellaneous Equipment- Other necessary tools for the job include a duster, toilet brush, gloves, rags, mops, dust mops, and additional PPE.
6. Dirty Laundry Basket- When laundry, aka rags, mops, and dust mops are dirty, having a dirty laundry basket helps keep things organized and keeps dirty laundry from hanging out in the open. 

Consumables

Products such as trash bags, paper towels, and toilet paper live in the janitor’s closet as well. Cleaners use these products to empty trash cans, replace emptying dispensers, and keep your facility clean and operating. These products don’t always stay in the closet, but it’s very common for them to be there.

How We Handle Our Closets

We believe that a clean and organized closet is essential to staying safe, delivering great service, and simply making your building look clean and organized in and out. We take the time at each beginning of service start-up to clean out and organize the closet as we move our supplies in. After start-up, our managers instruct cleaners on how to manage their closets and check on the cleanliness of the closet when they regularly stop in to make supply deliveries. 

Source

OSHA - Hazard Communications

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3514.pdf