Janitorial training videos are a simple and efficient way to get more mileage out of your onboarding and training program.
In 2008, a single mother of four built her own home from the ground up. She had no construction experience, no one to guide her, and the only help she had came from her four children. How did she manage a project like this? YouTube videos.
YouTube is the place to go to learn pretty much anything you want. How to change the brake pads on a 1970 Corvette Stingray? Check. Play the 12-string guitar? Yup. Learn to speak Icelandic? No problem.
For obvious reasons, we’re most fond of janitorial training videos. They can be an excellent resource for learning how to use or maintain a new piece of equipment, getting tips for managing your janitorial business, or you can take advantage of them as part of your training program. And they don’t cost a thing (although you may have to sit through a few commercials).
Janitorial training videos are an efficient way to help keep your team and your business in top shape. Here’s the catch, though. Anyone can post a video to YouTube, which, as you can imagine, means that there are more than a few janitorial training videos that are… lacking.
We’ve watched hours upon hours of YouTube videos in search of high-quality content. Here are some of the best we’ve found in a variety of janitorial categories.
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9 Janitorial training videos that can help your business thrive
Janitorial business operations videos
There are plenty of videos that cover general business operations, but few of them are made by and explicitly directed toward commercial or residential cleaning businesses. In that area, here are some standouts.
1. Janitorial Manager videos are designed with business operations and business owners in mind. Get tips on reducing customer turnover, increasing profits, streamlining processes, and bidding. At the risk of tooting our own horn, we think these videos are entertaining and fun. They’re short and sweet, too, so they’re perfect when you’re looking for a quick idea.
2. Victoria Menifee has about 200 short janitorial training videos on her YouTube channel that are invaluable for cleaning business owners. There’s nothing fancy here, just her and a smartphone video in most cases, but the information she shares is critical for business success. She covers cold calling, marketing mistakes, what to do when your employees quit, how to fire employees (and customers), how to keep employees happy, and the nitty-gritty of things like financing your company, and she even takes you on a commercial office cleaning walkthrough.
3. Grow My Cleaning Company has a series of videos going back to 2015, which, as you can guess, cover a lot of ground. Some of the more recent videos take a deep dive into the differences between commercial and residential cleaning, how to increase your rates, and this bit of gold: Get Commercial Cleaning Contracts Without Begging and Competing on Price. Many of these videos clock in around 20 or 30 minutes, meaning you’ll need to set aside some dedicated time to watch them, but they go into a lot of depth in a variety of business operations.
Janitorial training videos
4. Mr. Jeff Custodian is an amusing YouTube page for learning the ins and outs of cleaning a school building. With plenty of humor and practical know-how, Mr. Jeff covers what you can expect on the job as a school custodian. However, there are plenty of tips and instructional materials here that could easily fit into your janitorial training videos library, from basic school bathroom cleaning to cleaning stairwells and stripping and waxing floors.
5. 4M Building Solutions only has a few janitorial training videos online, however, they are polished and matter-of-fact. Despite the small collection, they do go into the finer points of things like stocking your cart and tying off trash receptacle liners. And they offer videos in Spanish, as well as English.
6. HBS Janitorial Inc has a series of short training videos on their YouTube page where they cover the nuances of cleaning everything in an office environment from conference rooms to break room kitchens. Though not nearly as slick as 4M, these are as close to on-the-job training as you can probably get in a video. They go over tips for keeping your janitor’s closet and cart organized and color-coordinating rags for different uses.
Bonus videos
7. ISSA has a YouTube channel focused more on industry issues and product demonstrations rather than step-by-step janitorial training videos, although there are some best practice segments available.
8. The APPA (once upon a time known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators) is today simply known as APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities. They go through a variety of topics on their YouTube channel. Because the group is geared toward educational building management, there is a lot here that is well beyond standard janitorial training videos. Nonetheless, there is valuable content for cleaning business owners, operators, and employees regarding mold literacy, waste diversion, operational guidelines for facilities maintenance, and water damage.
9. OSHA training videos aren’t specific to the janitorial industry, (and they are on YouTube through the U.S. Department of Labor) but they do have a series of videos covering subjects like wearing and removing a mask properly, heat illness prevention, and preventing workplace falls.
YouTube is your source for almost anything you could want in running a janitorial business. Just be aware that you may need to dig a little to find exactly what you want, and at the level of quality you expect for your business.
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