After the pandemic hit, a lot of businesses started investing more in cleaning and janitorial supplies. That’s especially true for the hospitality industry which needs large quantities of commercial restaurant cleaning supplies. Not to mention, the food and beverage industry also is required by law to follow higher hygiene standards. Clients also expect to visit properly clean venues and pay for healthy products and meals. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into wholesale janitorial supplies. We’ll talk about the most frequently used ones as well as what businesses buy in bulk from wholesale distributors.
What Is the Difference Between Cleaning and Janitorial Supplies?
Most people consider janitorial services to be B2B-oriented. On the other hand, the term “cleaning service” is most commonly used for home cleaning jobs. In the context of supplies, the two terms are used interchangeably. Nevertheless, there are differences between them.
What Are Cleaning Supplies?
This term usually refers to a broad category of wholesale products used for keeping good hygiene levels and clean surfaces. The main cleaning products include chemicals, personal protective equipment, and paper supplies. Cleaning products are used not just by businesses but also by individuals and households. That’s why most producers of cleaning supplies are better known as direct-to-consumer brands.
What Are Janitorial Supplies?
This term is commonly used for more professional products. Companies often buy wholesale janitorial supplies such as paper towels, wholesale sanitizers, or restroom supplies. Professional items such as carpet cleaning machines, wet floor signs, and premium vacuum cleaners are also janitorial products.
Key takeaway: The most frequently used janitorial products include cleaning detergents, paper products, and janitorial equipment. Even though almost all businesses do cleaning, not all of them purchase bulk cleaning supplies. The ones that do have adequate storage or use up a lot of these products in a short period of time.
Most Commonly Purchased Janitorial Supplies
With a market size close to $250 billion worldwide, the cleaning products industry is very large and there are thousands of brands and products on the market. Let’s dive a little deeper into the main wholesale janitorial supplies purchased by businesses.
Cleaning Chemicals
This category includes a wide range of products such as degreasers, glass cleaners, and floor cleaners. Typically, companies prefer to buy specialized products for different surfaces in order to guarantee great cleaning results. That’s why you will find sanitizers and stainless steel cleaners in the inventory of most restaurants.
Janitorial Equipment
The cleaning process guarantees good results only when cleaning solutions are combined with the right tools. That’s why businesses often purchase new mops, vacuum cleaners, or scrubbers. A restaurant might also order wholesale plastic containers such as buckets and dustpans for their cleaning needs.
Protective Equipment
In terms of personal protection, cleaners should use gloves, masks, and goggles. There are other personal protective items used in restaurants such as aprons and coveralls.
Wholesale Paper Products
Businesses in the restaurant industry need paper towels and toilet paper in large quantities. That’s why it makes sense for them to purchase it from wholesalers.
Dispensing Systems
One of the pros of working with wholesales is the fact that they work with many manufacturers. That way, they can offer a variety of additional products. For example, toilet tissue dispensers and soap dispensers are among the items that might break down and need to be replaced.
Trash Solutions
Garbage bags and trash cans are also important supplies for keeping good hygiene levels. Companies usually order them from janitorial product suppliers.
Dishwashing Detergents
Venues often need restaurant cleaning supplies for their pans and other kitchen tools. Wholesale soap for dishes and dishwashing solutions designed for professional usage are also important.
Other Professional Janitorial Products
Businesses also need floor mat cleaners, carts for janitorial supplies, wet floor signs, and other cleaning-related items. They are likely to buy those from a wholesale janitorial supplies distributor.
Who Buys Wholesale Janitorial Supplies?
A lot of businesses buy in bulk. That way, they benefit from the lower price per unit. Even though cleaning is part of the process for almost every business, not every company orders wholesale janitorial supplies. The reason is they take up storage space that can be otherwise used for more important items.
- Retail stores and shopping centers. Malls and stores need to be kept in immaculate condition in order to attract customers. That’s why they often purchase wholesale janitorial supplies for their cleaning needs.
- Manufacturers. Keeping high hygiene levels in manufacturing facilities is crucial for many businesses. Especially the ones that produce and sell food products.
- Cleaning service companies. Businesses that offer cleaning for homes, institutions, and other businesses need a lot of cleaning products. Also, since their equipment is prone to amortization, they are likely to work with a distributor of wholesale janitorial supplies.
- Hospitality businesses. Hotels, resorts, and restaurants need to maintain cleanliness in all of their premises. There are even specialized restaurant deep cleaning checklists that help them not miss a single spot. Bar cleaning is also as important as cleaning the kitchens. That’s why there are special solutions for things like beer lines and bar mats.
The hospitality industry also partners with suppliers of wholesale table cloths, towels, and other restaurant supplies. Fast food places and cafes also need wholesale cups and other single-use items. - Institutions. Both private and public institutions need to maintain high hygiene levels. Some examples of such include schools, libraries, and daycare centers. Healthcare buildings such as senior living homes and hospitals also need a lot of cleaning products.
- Property management companies. Building managers either use a cleaning company or hire staff and buy wholesale janitorial supplies. That’s true both for office buildings and companies that maintain apartment complexes.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Wholesale Janitorial Supplies
When it comes to cleaning, there are hundreds of articles with cleaning tips online. However, most of them are focused on home cleaning. Below we have listed some of the common questions regarding wholesale janitorial supplies.
What Are the Benefits of Buying Wholesale Janitorial Supplies?
The main reason why businesses buy large quantities of wholesale janitorial supplies from distributors is the lower price per unit. Businesses prefer to work with as few suppliers as possible. That’s why another benefit of buying from distributors is the fact that they have a very wide range of janitorial products.
What Are the Disadvantages of Buying Wholesale Janitorial Supplies?
The main drawback of buying wholesale cleaning supplies is that they take up a lot of space. Businesses might experience difficulties with having enough inventory and storage for their products. Hence, it makes more sense to buy in bulk only the janitorial supplies that are used on a daily basis. Another con of buying wholesale janitorial supplies is the upfront capital investment. Even though the price per unit is lower, businesses need to pay the cost upfront.
How to Store and Handle Janitorial Supplies?
Chemicals and janitorial supplies have specific storage needs. Laws dictate that they should be written on the product’s label. There are also laws about disposing of empty containers of cleaning products or products that have expired. In general, wholesale janitorial supplies should be kept separate from other items in the storage, especially food products. Most cleaning items should be stored in a cold and dry place that is properly ventilated.
When it comes to working with cleaning supplies, manufacturers often recommend using appropriate personal protective equipment. Gloves and a face mask are especially important. Some strong chemicals might also irritate the eyes. Thus, cleaning personnel should also wear goggles.