Uniforms for commercial cleaning companies

The kit also gets a hard life. Bleach splashes, detergents, constant bending and stretching, and a hot wash after almost every shift will finish off a cheap polo within weeks.

Chemicals, splashes and bleach spots

Bleach and some descalers strip colour from cotton in seconds. Darker polycotton tunics and polos hide marks better and hold their colour through hot washes. Tabards over the uniform take the worst of the splashes and are cheap to swap when they fade.

For chemical handling, the right gloves and eye protection come from the product's safety data sheet and your COSHH assessment, not from the uniform. Keep those separate in your planning.

Access, ID and client trust

Clients want to know who is in their building after hours. Matching branded tops, with the company name visible from the back as well as the front, make it easy for a night porter or keyholder to identify your team.

Some contracts ask for photo ID on a lanyard as well, and a polo with a placket handles both. If a client has a strict visitor policy, a consistent uniform also makes it easier for their reception to sign your staff in quickly.

Moving all shift

Cleaners walk miles, kneel to clean skirting, reach up to dust and carry vacuums up stairs. Stretchy trousers or joggers with a deep waistband, breathable tops and lightweight safety trainers or slip-resistant shoes make long shifts easier.

Check the client's site rules on footwear, as some industrial and warehouse contracts insist on toe protection for everyone on the premises, cleaners included.

Mixed teams on mixed contracts

Most cleaning firms run a mix of part-timers, agency cover and supervisors across many sites. A simple colour code, for example one colour for operatives and another for supervisors, helps clients know who to speak to.

A Client Wardrobe shop lets area managers order replacements for new starters without chasing paperwork, and stops sites ordering garments that are not part of the approved uniform.

Where to put your logo

Embroider the logo on the left chest of tunics, polos and fleeces, since stitching survives hot washes and bleach better than most prints. For after-hours contracts, add a printed company name across the back of tabards or fleeces so staff can be identified from behind. Keep the logo the same size and position across every garment so a mixed team of full-timers, part-timers and supervisors still looks like one company.

Ordering for cleaning companies

Most cleaning companies start with healthcare and beauty tunics, workwear polo shirts and aprons and tabards. You can order from one garment and add more as you take people on. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, so mixing styles and colours still gets the better price. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.