Merry Christmas From Picture Perfect Cleaning

By Jared Sarbit

By: Ashley Barclay, Operations Manager and Administrative Assistant

Though it ‘tis the season for snow, gingerbread houses, and everything peppermint, it is also the season for the dreaded office Christmas party. Will your boss like the gift you got her? Should you wear your ugly Christmas sweater or should you go for something more polished? Is this a fun and casual type party or a classy and elegant party?

The stress of the season can be overwhelming sometimes, which is why it is important to take a deep breath and remember to enjoy yourself. The holidays are about connecting and reconnecting with friends, co-workers, and loved ones.

One of the benefits of working for a company like Picture Perfect Cleaning is that each employee carries their own version of the office with them wherever they go, and their work environment is personalized based on their work responsibilities. That being said, it can get lonely during the holidays when you spend most of your workday alone and out of the office, which is why we believe that events like Christmas parties are incredibly important for both team building and employee morale.

This year at our annual PPC Christmas party we partied like it was 1999. On December 8th we met up at our local Chop Steakhouse and Bar and our hosts did not disappoint! The food was delicious and the atmosphere was charming.

This great venue paired with our amazing employees and their wonderful families made our Christmas party a night to remember. The room was filled with smiling faces and the sound of friendly chatter as our employees caught up with one another and our entire PPC family savoured the feeling of coming together.

One thing I love most about PPC is that as more and more of our employees gathered the sense of kindness and humility only grew larger.

I for one think that we are all aware of the fact that we are individual little pieces in this big PPC puzzle, and that each person within the company is connected to the others. We help one another out and know that we can rely on each other, especially during tough times. I imagined all of our guests wearing their blue company shirts, shifting and moving like a vast ocean, each individual unique yet a part of the greater whole.

That being said, I think we all appreciated the opportunity to dress up a bit and celebrate our unique sense of style.

As with any PPC company, gathering time flew by too quickly, something that tends to happen when people get together to relax and enjoy themselves. During the three or so hours that we came together as a company and as a family we savoured some delectable food and basked in the warm glow of each other’s company.

This year while we celebrated with all of our employees, we also took a moment to draw attention to those members of our team who were celebrating their five year anniversary with the company. These individuals have contributed so much to us over the last five years, and we wanted to acknowledge this important milestone. We are filled with joyful anticipation for what the future will bring.

Food may offer a convenient excuse to get together, but in reality, it is the people that bring us together and keep us together through thick and thin. Without our amazing employees, Picture Perfect Cleaning wouldn’t exist. During our parties, whether we are celebrating Christmas or having a nice summer barbecue, allow us to come together and celebrate our accomplishments and show our appreciation for each other.

Thank you to everyone who made this night possible. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours.

Cost Calculator

What Is In-House Cleaning Really Costing You?

Adjust the four numbers below to see your true annual in-house cleaning cost, an estimated cost range with Picture Perfect Cleaning, and what you'd save by making the switch.

Current in-house staff cost

Annual wages plus benefits for your cleaning staff

Supply and equipment costs

Annual spend on products, tools, and machine upkeep

Management oversight time

Hours per week spent scheduling and supervising cleaning

hrs/wk

Sick days or missed shifts

Average per cleaning staff member, per year

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Your Cost Comparison

True In-House Cost

Est. PPC Cost Range

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Estimated Annual Savings by Outsourcing

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Estimates are based on average commercial cleaning rates across Alberta and typical management and coverage costs. Your actual quote depends on square footage, service frequency, facility type, and scope of work. Request a custom quote above for an exact number.

The Hidden Cost of In-House Cleaning

A wage comparison only tells part of the story. Here’s what usually gets left out:

Wages and Benefits

Payroll is usually the first number people look at when they think about cleaning costs, but it rarely tells the whole story. Supplies, equipment, manager oversight, scheduling headaches, and the inevitable sick days all add up over time. By the time you account for everything, the true cost of keeping cleaning in-house can look very different from what’s on the payroll report. That’s exactly what our cost comparison tool is designed to help you see, along with what outsourcing might save.

Supplies and Equipment

Cleaning products, paper goods, vacuums, floor machines, and the replacement parts that keep them running all add up over the course of a year. Businesses that clean in-house often buy retail-grade supplies at retail prices because they don’t have access to the commercial pricing that a cleaning company gets from its suppliers. Equipment also breaks down, and replacing a vacuum or floor buffer every few years is a cost that rarely gets planned for in advance.

Management Time

Somebody has to schedule shifts, check the quality of the work, order more supplies when they run low, and step in when something gets missed. That’s real time pulled from a manager’s actual job, and it rarely gets assigned a dollar value, even though it should. If a facilities manager or office lead spends even a few hours a week on cleaning oversight, that’s time not spent on the parts of their role that actually move the business forward.

Absenteeism and Coverage Gaps

Sick days and missed shifts are part of running any team. When they happen, the work still has to get done, which usually means paying someone else to cover the shift or accepting that some tasks will have to wait. Over the course of a year, those extra costs can become surprisingly significant. There’s another effect that’s harder to measure, too. When cleaning is inconsistent, people notice. Employees notice it, clients notice it, and visitors notice it, even if they couldn’t tell you exactly why the space feels different.

Cost Category	What It Covers
Wages & Benefits	Annual pay for in-house cleaning staff
Supplies & Equipment	Products, tools, and machine upkeep
Management Time	Hours spent scheduling and supervising
Absenteeism	Missed shifts and last-minute coverage

Why Outsourcing Often Comes Out Ahead

Once you’ve seen your own numbers, the reasons behind the gap start to make sense.

Predictable Pricing

A cleaning company quote covers labor, supplies, and equipment on a single line. You know what you’re paying before the work starts, and that number doesn’t shift because someone called in sick or a vacuum broke down. Budgeting gets easier when the cost of cleaning is a single line item rather than four separate ones scattered across payroll, supplies, and management time.

No Coverage Gaps

When a member of an in-house cleaning team calls in sick, someone on your staff has to figure out what happens next. With a professional cleaning service, that responsibility shifts to the provider. If a cleaner is unavailable, arranging a replacement is part of the service, so your team isn’t left scrambling to fill the gap.

Accountability Built In

Picture Perfect Cleaning holds COR certification and provides regular service reporting, so you can see what’s being done and when, without spending your own hours checking on it. That’s the management time most in-house teams never get back. Our team also uses EcoLogo- and Green Seal-certified products, so you’re not trading cost savings for a lower cleaning standard.

Get Your Custom Quote

Wages are only one line in what in-house cleaning actually costs. Once you add in supplies, the hours a manager spends overseeing the crew, and the gaps left by sick days, the real number is usually higher than what shows up on a payroll report and often higher than what a professional service would charge for the same work. That’s the gap the tool above is built to show you, along with what outsourcing could put back in your budget.

Our cost comparison tool gives you a reasonable estimate of what you could save by switching to a professional cleaning service, not a final number. Every building is different, and factors like your cleaning schedule, the size of your facility, and the services you need will affect the actual cost. If you’d like a more accurate quote based on your space, contact Picture Perfect Cleaning, and we’ll walk you through the options.