Clean-Skills Training
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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Clean-Skills Training

Answers about the program, the training options, the company-level Complete package, workplace resources, assessments and pricing. Choose a topic below or scroll through the full list.

01

About Clean-Skills

The program, who it is for, and why experienced cleaners take it too.

What is Clean-Skills Training?

Clean-Skills Training is information-based commercial cleaning training designed to give employees a consistent knowledge foundation.

The training helps employees understand the knowledge behind commercial cleaning tasks, procedures, products, equipment and contamination-control practices. It is designed to work alongside an employer's hands-on and workplace-specific training.

Who is Clean-Skills Training designed for?

Clean-Skills Training is designed for general commercial cleaning environments and can support both new and experienced cleaning employees.

Employers can use the training when onboarding new employees, identifying possible knowledge gaps in experienced hires, strengthening existing workplace training, or creating a more consistent knowledge foundation across their cleaning team.

Individual cleaners can also take the training to strengthen their commercial cleaning knowledge.

Do employees need previous cleaning experience?

No. Clean-Skills Training can support employees who are completely new to commercial cleaning as well as employees who have years of previous experience.

For a new cleaner, the training helps establish important knowledge from the beginning. For an experienced cleaner, it provides an opportunity to demonstrate what they already understand while helping identify areas where additional instruction or hands-on training may be beneficial.

Why would an experienced cleaner need training?

Previous cleaning experience tells an employer that someone has worked in the industry, but it does not necessarily show what they were taught, how they were trained, or what procedures and expectations existed in their previous workplace.

Employees can arrive with different knowledge, procedures and habits learned from previous jobs. Clean-Skills Training provides a consistent starting point so employers can better understand what an employee already knows and where additional training may be needed.

02

Training Options

Foundations and Professional: what each includes and how they differ.

What is the difference between Foundations and Professional?

Foundations was created as a practical starting point for employee onboarding. It allows employers to introduce important commercial cleaning knowledge quickly while also helping them see what an employee already understands and where gaps in their training may exist.

This can be particularly useful when hiring an experienced cleaner. Previous experience can vary considerably from one workplace to another. The questions throughout Foundations and the final assessment can help identify areas where an employee's knowledge may not align with the company's expectations or where additional hands-on instruction may be beneficial.

For someone new to commercial cleaning, Foundations helps establish that knowledge from the beginning. For an experienced cleaner, it gives the employer an opportunity to look beyond the employee's years of experience and see what they actually understand.

Professional provides broader and more detailed training. It expands into 32 modules covering a wider range of commercial cleaning procedures, commercial cleaning equipment operating procedures, floor care, specialised cleaning areas and more detailed contamination-control practices. Professional also includes 132 downloadable workplace resources.

Both options are designed to work alongside the employer's hands-on and site-specific training. Foundations provides a focused onboarding and knowledge-check foundation, while Professional provides greater breadth and depth of commercial cleaning training.

Why does Foundations have a Microfiber Cloths module but Professional does not?

Foundations introduces microfiber cloths through a dedicated module.

In Professional, microfiber training is incorporated into the broader Cross-Contamination module and covered in greater detail. The subject has not been removed; it progresses into more detailed contamination-control training.

Is the restroom training the same in Foundations and Professional?

No. Foundations includes a foundational Restroom Procedure module.

Professional expands the restroom training with a longer, more detailed Restroom module, followed by a separate Restroom Quality and Inspection module.

What is included with Foundations?

Foundations includes 15 commercial cleaning training modules designed to establish important foundational knowledge and support employee onboarding.

The course contains approximately 29 minutes of video instruction. Learners complete two knowledge questions after each module and a 12-question final assessment. Printable supporting materials also accompany the Hazard Communication and Basic Chemical Awareness training.

Foundations is designed to work alongside the employer's hands-on and workplace-specific training.

What is included with Professional?

Professional includes 32 commercial cleaning training modules covering a broader and more detailed range of commercial cleaning procedures, equipment, floor care, specialised cleaning areas and contamination-control practices.

It includes approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes of video instruction, two knowledge questions after every module, a 15-question final assessment, and 132 downloadable resources.

Individual Workplace Reference Sheets are available with their corresponding modules. Professional also includes the completed printable Workplace Reference Sheets binder and the Chemical Reference Library.

How long does the training take?

Foundations contains approximately 29 minutes of video instruction. When allowing time for the two questions following each module and the 12-question final assessment, learners should allow approximately 45 minutes to complete the course.

Professional and Complete contain approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes of video instruction. Actual completion time will be longer because learners also complete questions throughout the training and a final assessment.

Learners should work through the material at a pace that allows them to understand the information rather than focusing only on completion time.

03

Employers & Complete

The company-level package and how it works alongside employee training.

What is Complete?

Complete is the company-level package for employers and organisations rather than an employee training seat.

It includes the 32 training modules and 132 downloadable resources found in Professional, along with the completed Workplace Reference Sheets binder, Chemical Reference Library, 26 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), 9 Operational Standards, and the completed printable SOP & Operational Standards manual.

Complete gives employers access to a broader collection of company resources that can support workplace training, documented procedures and more consistent expectations.

Who should purchase Complete?

Complete is designed for employers and cleaning companies that want company-level resources in addition to employee training.

For an established company, the resources can support documented procedures, training and greater consistency across the workplace.

For a new cleaning company, the SOPs and Operational Standards provide a foundational starting point for developing procedures and expectations rather than having to create everything from scratch.

Companies should review and adapt the resources as necessary for their own facilities, equipment, products, chemicals, policies and workplace requirements.

Does a company need to purchase Complete for every employee?

No. Complete is purchased at the company level, not per employee.

After purchasing Complete, an employer can purchase Foundations or Professional seats for individual employees based on the level of training they require.

A company may choose Foundations for some employees and Professional for others depending on its training needs.

If my company purchases Complete, do my employees automatically receive employee training?

No. Complete is the company-level package. Employee training is purchased separately.

Employers can choose Foundations seats, Professional seats, or a combination of both depending on the training needs of their employees.

This allows the company to choose the appropriate level of employee training without having to purchase Complete for every employee.

04

Workplace Resources

Reference Sheets, SOPs, Operational Standards and the printable binder and manual.

What are Workplace Reference Sheets?

Workplace Reference Sheets are practical, easy-to-reference resources designed to reinforce procedures and information taught within the training.

Employees can refer back to them after training, and they can also be printed and displayed in janitorial rooms, staff rooms, supply areas, or other appropriate workplace locations where cleaners may need a quick reminder of the proper procedure.

Individual Workplace Reference Sheets are available with their corresponding Professional training modules, while the completed printable Workplace Reference Sheets binder provides the full collection together.

The completed binder is included with both Professional and Complete.

What is the difference between Workplace Reference Sheets, SOPs and Operational Standards?

Workplace Reference Sheets are practical resources designed for quick reference. They reinforce procedures and information taught during training and can be printed and displayed in janitorial rooms, staff rooms, supply areas, or other appropriate locations where cleaners may need to refer back to the proper procedure.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are more formal written procedures for cleaning tasks. They provide employers with documented procedures that can support employee instruction and greater consistency in how work is performed.

Operational Standards (OSs) provide documented expectations that can help establish consistency in how cleaning work is carried out and inspected.

For a new cleaning company, the SOPs and Operational Standards can also provide a foundational starting point for developing its own workplace procedures and expectations rather than beginning with a blank page.

In simple terms, Workplace Reference Sheets provide quick, visible references for cleaners, while SOPs and Operational Standards provide employers with a more formal foundation for documented workplace procedures and expectations.

If the Workplace Reference Sheets binder is included with Professional, why is it also included with Complete?

The Workplace Reference Sheets binder is included with Complete so the company has its own full collection of workplace reference materials, regardless of whether it chooses Foundations or Professional training for its employees.

A company that purchases Complete may choose Foundations seats, Professional seats, or a combination of both depending on its employees' training needs. Because Foundations does not include the full Workplace Reference Sheets binder, including it with Complete ensures the employer has access to the complete collection regardless of which employee training option it chooses.

If the company also purchases Professional seats, those learners receive the Workplace Reference Sheets as part of their Professional training. It is the same collection, not a different set of reference sheets.

The company can choose how many copies it wants to print and where they will be most useful—for example, in janitorial rooms, staff rooms, supply areas or other appropriate workplace locations.

Do I have to put the SOPs and Operational Standards together myself?

No. The 26 SOPs and 9 Operational Standards have already been compiled into a completed printable SOP & Operational Standards manual.

The individual documents are also associated with their corresponding training areas, making it easier to access a particular procedure or standard when needed.

Can my company use the SOPs and Operational Standards as its own procedures?

The SOPs and Operational Standards are designed to provide companies with a foundational starting point for documented cleaning procedures and workplace expectations.

However, every company and workplace is different. Employers should review the documents against their own facilities, equipment, products, chemicals, policies, contractual requirements and applicable workplace requirements before implementing them.

Companies can then build on that foundation to reflect how work is performed within their own operations.

05

Chemicals & Equipment

The Chemical Reference Library, brand neutrality, dilution and equipment training.

What is the Chemical Reference Library?

The Chemical Reference Library is a generic, brand-neutral printable resource that supports the Commercial Cleaning Chemicals training. It provides reference information about common types of commercial cleaning chemicals, their purposes and where they fit within commercial cleaning.

It is intentionally not built around specific manufacturers or product brands. Employers and employees are expected to match the chemical categories and information in the library with the actual products approved and used at their own workplace.

This allows the Chemical Reference Library to be used across different companies and facilities without assuming that every workplace uses the same products.

Employees must still follow the product label, Safety Data Sheet, manufacturer instructions and their company's site-specific procedures for the products they actually use.

The Chemical Reference Library is introduced with Professional and is also included with Complete.

Does Clean-Skills Training recommend specific cleaning brands or products?

No. Clean-Skills Training is designed to be brand-neutral.

The training teaches employees about common types of commercial cleaning chemicals and their purposes rather than building the training around one manufacturer's products.

This allows employers to connect the knowledge taught through Clean-Skills with the products approved for use in their own workplaces.

Does the chemical training teach dilution ratios?

No. Clean-Skills Training does not teach universal dilution ratios because products and manufacturer instructions differ.

Employees are taught to read the Safety Data Sheet and follow the manufacturer's instructions and their company's procedures for the products being used in their workplace.

Does Clean-Skills teach employees how to use commercial cleaning equipment?

Professional includes information about commercial cleaning equipment and operating procedures. It helps learners understand the equipment, its purpose and the procedures associated with its use.

However, information-based online training does not replace hands-on equipment instruction. Employers remain responsible for showing employees how to safely and correctly operate the specific make and model of equipment used in their workplace.

Does every company apply floor finish the same way?

No. There are multiple methods and procedures for applying floor finish, and practices can vary depending on the facility, flooring, products, equipment and workplace requirements.

Clean-Skills Training teaches the floor finish procedure used and understood through the course creator's commercial cleaning experience. It is provided as a practical training method and is not intended to suggest that it is the only procedure used in the commercial cleaning industry.

Employers should ensure employees follow the procedures appropriate for their own workplace, including the flooring and products being used, manufacturer instructions and company-specific requirements.

06

Scope & Training Approach

Where Clean-Skills fits beside your own hands-on and site-specific training.

Does Clean-Skills Training replace hands-on training?

No. Clean-Skills Training is information-based training designed to support an employer's hands-on and workplace-specific training, not replace it.

Every workplace is different. Employers remain responsible for training employees on their specific facilities, equipment, products, chemicals, policies and procedures.

Clean-Skills provides the knowledge foundation that employers can build upon through hands-on instruction and workplace experience.

Can Clean-Skills Training be used with my company's existing procedures?

Yes. Clean-Skills Training is designed to provide a consistent knowledge foundation that employers can build on with their own procedures and expectations.

Companies should continue providing training specific to their facilities, equipment, cleaning products, chemicals, policies and workplace procedures.

Can Clean-Skills help make cleaning more consistent across a team?

That is one of the reasons Clean-Skills Training was created.

Employees can enter the same workplace with very different previous training, habits and levels of understanding. Giving employees the same knowledge foundation can help reduce those differences and provide employers with a more consistent starting point for training.

Clean-Skills does not replace supervision or hands-on instruction. It gives employers a foundation from which they can train, coach and evaluate their employees.

Can Clean-Skills help identify training gaps?

Yes. The questions throughout the training and the final assessment can help identify areas where an employee may need additional instruction.

This can help an employer or supervisor identify where further explanation, hands-on demonstration, observation, coaching or retraining may be beneficial.

The assessments should be used as one part of the training process, alongside observing the employee performing the actual work.

Is Clean-Skills Training suitable for healthcare or medical facilities?

No. Clean-Skills Training is designed for general commercial cleaning environments.

Medical and healthcare facilities can have specialised infection prevention, cleaning, disinfection, regulatory and facility-specific requirements that are outside the scope of this program.

Why might some training visuals look different from the products or equipment in my workplace?

Some supporting images and visual demonstrations used within the training are currently a work in progress and may not precisely represent every product, piece of equipment, procedure or workplace setting.

The instructional information and narration are the primary training content.

07

Assessments & Completion

Knowledge questions, the final assessment, completion and recognition.

Are there questions throughout the training?

Yes. Learners complete two knowledge questions after every module.

These questions reinforce the information that was just taught and can also help identify subjects that may require additional instruction or review.

Is there a final assessment?

Yes. Learners complete a final assessment after completing the training modules.

Foundations has a 12-question final assessment, Professional has a 15-question final assessment, and Complete has a 20-question final assessment.

The final assessment provides another opportunity to evaluate the learner's understanding of the information covered during the training.

Does passing the course mean an employee is fully trained to perform the work?

No. Successful completion demonstrates that the learner has completed the information-based training requirements of the course.

It does not replace hands-on instruction, workplace observation, or an employer's responsibility to ensure an employee can safely and correctly perform their assigned work.

Clean-Skills provides the knowledge foundation. Employers provide the hands-on and facility-specific training needed to apply that knowledge in the workplace.

Will learners receive a certificate?

Learners receive recognition of successful course completion.

The final certificate details will be provided once the certificate system is finalised.

08

Pricing & Enrolment

What each option costs and when enrolment opens.

How much does Clean-Skills Training cost?
  • Foundations$149 CAD per employee seat
  • Professional$349 CAD per employee seat
  • Complete$899 CAD per company

Foundations and Professional are employee training options. Complete is the company-level package and is not purchased as an employee seat.

Can I enrol now?

Not yet. Clean-Skills Training is preparing for launch.

Pricing and training information are available for review, but enrolment and purchasing are not yet open.

Still Have a Question?

We Are Happy to Help

If your question is not answered here, email us and we will get back to you.

Questions about the training or employee access? Email info@clean-skills.com