A church building is a lot of things. It is a place of worship and a community center, but also a place to host events and bring people together.
Cleanliness demonstrates your commitment to the space and improves everybody’s experience. But a church clean up does not come without its own unique set of challenges. Here are some common problems faced during church clean up, and expert tips on how to navigate them.
Common Challenges During Church Clean Up Days
Church clean up days, whether they are an annual or more frequent occurance, are important milestones on the church calendar. Church clean up day serves a couple of purposes. First, it is a great day for fellowship and building a sense of community in the church body. Second, it also serves the practical purpose of cleaning, sanitizing, organizing, and tidying up the church.
But organizing and running a church clean up day is not always easy. Here are some of the most common problems you might face during church clean up.
Lack of Manpower
Church clean up days are a great opportunity for church members to grow their relationships with each other and Jesus Christ. Despite the valuable fellowship, church leaders often struggle to find enough volunteers for clean up duty. This means that everyone who does volunteer is forced to take on more labor.
Limited Resources
In addition to limited volunteers, many churches are also be limited in resources. Some church volunteers might be able to donate equipment and other resources but this rarely, if ever, covers all the costs required for cleaning supplies and other equipment.
Lack of Organization
Even if you have gathered enough volunteers and resources, organization of the event can still be a struggle. Unless everybody is assigned a specific task, volunteers may struggle to know what to do or exactly how to be helpful.
Difficulty Scheduling
One of the biggest obstacles facing church clean up is simply getting the project off the ground. Finding a date and time that works for the maximum number of volunteers is extremely difficult with variable family calendars. This is especially true if your church already has a busy calendar with other events.
Health and Safety Concerns
Any amount of physical labor comes with health and safety concerns. Notably, volunteers might be forced to lift heavy items or use hazardous cleaning materials during church clean up. Older church members in particular are at greater risk of injury during a clean up.
Differing Opinions
While your congregation should agree on the issues that matter most, not everyone will agree on the best ways to clean the church. This can cause different church volunteers to have differing priorities during clean up. While some disagreement is not a big concern, too much of it can affect productivity.
Limited Time
Everyone participating in a church clean up day is ultimately a volunteer. This means time is limited, for both planning and cleaning up. This can make it difficult to figure out solutions to all of the other challenges surrounding your clean up day.
15 Tips for A More Efficient and Successful Church Clean-Up Day
Don’t let any of the above challenges discourage you from organizing your own church clean up day. We only mention them to preface our expert tips on how to make your next church clean as successful as possible. Here are 15 of the best tips for church clean up from Dallas Janitorial, the Dallas Metroplex’s leader in church cleaning and maintenance.
1. Make a schedule and assign tasks in advance
Giving each volunteer a specific task helps them stay focused and feel like part of the group. Having a schedule also helps to keep people on task and set a clear timeline for how long each task should take.
2. Create a checklist of tasks to be completed
Having a church cleaning checklist is the best way to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. A church cleaning checklist is also extremely useful when it comes to assigning tasks, as it provides an easy reference after each new task is completed.
Your checklist should include both major and minor tasks. Some church members might not feel capable of performing some major tasks, like washing the windows or moving heavy items. But, having easier minor tasks on the schedule, like mopping the floors and cleaning the pews, ensures that everyone has a role to play.
3. Involve the entire church community in the clean up process
Another benefit of including small and large tasks in your clean up is that it enables more people to participate. There are plenty of people who enjoy volunteering to clean for the sake of service to the church, but might be worried they won’t know where to start or how they can make a contribution. The more you can tailor tasks to individuals based on their skills and capabilities, the more quickly list items will get knocked outt. This is a win-win, as it is better for both fellowship and clean up crew.
4. Use natural cleaning products
Not all artificial cleaning products are harmful, but some can be. When organizing a church clean up, it is safer to stick with natural cleaning products as often as possible. These are more eco-friendly, and thus are better for the health of the community. Natural cleaning products are often much less hazardous for those who are using them, too. Simple products like baking soda and vinegar can go a surpisingly long way towards making floors, kitchens, and bathrooms feel like new again.
5. Utilize proper storage solutions
Cleaning up is about more than dusting and freshening up. It’s also about organization. Proper storage and organization matters year-round, but especially during clean-up. Consider the annual needs of your church and how to best utilize available space during your church clean up so that the space can continue to serve you even between cleanings.
6. Don’t forget about the outside of the church
While you spend most of your time inside the church, the exterior of the building matters too. Give the outside of your church attention too, including repainting, power washing, and landscaping tasks where needed. Be sure to assign jobs for things like mowing the grass, raking leaves, and sweeping the sidewalk or walkways.
7. Consider hiring a professional cleaning service
Whether you’re short on volunteers or simply want more guidance, hiring professional church cleaning services can help. At Dallas Janitorial, church clean up is one of the most vital services we offer. Check out the areas we serve to find out if we can help your church during your next clean up day.
8. Set aside time for deep cleaning
Tasks like sweeping and vacuuming are important for day-to-day upkeep. But you should also be sure to set aside time for deep cleaning at least once per year. Church cleaning services can help with deep cleaning.
Deep cleaning tasks like carpet cleaning and scrubbing floors can remove dirt, mildew, and allergens from your church. These are not simple daily tasks, but they are imperative to the overall cleanliness of your church building. You should not rely on an old air freshener to remove musty or unpleasant odors. Deep cleaning is the most effective way to keep everything in the church clean.
9. Use microfiber cloths and mops
Microfiber cleaning tools are more effective at picking up dirt and other fine particles. They conserve water and are often gentler on sensitive surfaces than tool made of other materials. We highly recommend purchasing microfiber cloths and mops in bulk so that they are readily available at all times.
10. Invest in durable and long-lasting cleaning equipment
Unreliable equipment can derail any church clean up day. It is always worthwhile to invest in sturdy, reliable, and long-lasting cleaning equipment. This is simply more practical for both day-to-day use and organized mass clean up days.
11. Set up a maintenance schedule
Regular upkeep of your church is one of the simplest ways to make church clean ups a breeze. Having a regular church cleaning schedule for tasks like replacing light bulbs and checking pipes makes everything else simpler. If these fundamental tasks are a regular part of your church custodian checklist, you won’t need to worry about them during volunteer clean up days.
12. Have a plan for emergencies
Emergencies like fires, leaks, or power outages can derail any church event and cause serious injury. Make sure you have a plan in place in the event of an emergency. This includes evacuation plans and emergency contact numbers.
13. Use signs to designate areas and tasks
Assigning tasks, and keeping people on track with those tasks, is made easier by the use of signs to visually reinforce tasks and areas for church volunteers, especially those that may not be as familiar with the floorplan of the church. You can even use signs to designate certain areas for eating and drinking, for instance.
14. Consider using designated cleaning supplies for different areas
Mixing cleaning supplies can potentially be hazardous. To eliminate risks involved with using cleaning supplies, consider having designated areas for each cleaning product that you use. This ensures that no cleaning products are used improperly or mixed with any harmful chemicals.
15. Have a designated cleaning supply storage area
Similarly, it is critically important to keep all of your cleaning supplies properly stored. This keeps them out of reach of children, and also prevents them from contaminating other products in the church.
FAQs About Church Clean Up
How do you organize a church clean up day?
Pick a day, or series of days, where there are no other ongoing events in your church community. Give plenty of notice for volunteers to plan ahead and sign up. Also, make sure there are viable tasks for every volunteer.
What types of cleaning supplies should be used in a church setting?
Natural cleaning supplies are safer, easier to use, and more eco-friendly for church clean up. Adding other basic items, like an air freshener, can also improve the church’s atmosphere.
How can I involve the entire church community in the clean up process?
Make sure that everybody has a job to do during clean up. Another key to getting enough volunteers for church clean up is to supply snacks and meals for everyone on clean up day.
Are there any special considerations for cleaning religious artifacts or items?
Be very gentle. Stick to using natural cleaning products and soft, preferably microfiber, cloths when cleaning artifacts.
How can we effectively store supplies and equipment in the church to keep it organized?
Set aside a designated space for storage that is both secure and accessible. Cleaning supplies should be out of reach to children, but easy to find when needed.
Want Expert Help For Your Next Church Clean Up?
Church clean up is a great fellowship opportunity, but sometimes the challenges involved can be too much. If you want help cleaning and maintaining your church, consider hiring Dallas Janitorial Services. Our staff has the highest standards in the industry, and we take church clean up very seriously.
Dallas Janitorial serves the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area, offering all types of cleaning services. Contact us today to get a free quote on our church clean up services. Or, follow our blog to learn more about janitorial services and what you can expect from us.
