ARCSI has added a powerful new tool to its many benefits of membership: ARCSI Learning, an online learning and training platform designed specifically for residential cleaning companies.

In the spring of 2020, ARCSI surveyed its membership to assess educational needs. Members responded that their most pressing educational needs are:

• Employees
• Marketing
• Operations
• Training

This provided strong guidance as ARCSI and its ISSA Residential Education Committee began to look at what programs are needed for the membership and the industry at large.

ARCSI Learning is born

As with anything else in the year 2020, being virtual is a must. The pandemic has put nearly all in-person education and training on hold. However, ARCSI has provided its members with a true training solution in a virtual environment.

“This is a true game changer for the members of our association as well as our industry,” Alonzo Adams, chair of the ISSA Residential Cleaning Council said. “It’s important that ARCSI meet the needs of its membership, and education is at the forefront of that promise.”

ARCSI Learning features two key courses:

• Professional House Cleaning (PHC) Certification program
• COVID-19: What House Cleaning Professionals Need to Know, Approved by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC).

ARCSI Learning is built on a platform that puts you in charge of your purchases. This means that you will have a “dashboard.” From your dashboard, you can not only assign the seats you purchase in the courses to members of your team, but you can also monitor their progress through the courses.

Pricing is always an important factor and, of course, there are benefits to membership: ARCSI members receive a 30% discount on the programs of ARCSI Learning. We also offer discounts on bulk purchase pricing:

• 6-15 courses for a 15% discount
• 16-25 courses for a 25% discount
• 26-50 courses for a 35% discount
• 51+ courses for a 50% discount.

Let’s take a look at our courses!

Professional House Cleaning (PHC) Certification

The centerpiece of ARCSI Learning is the Professional House Cleaning (PHC) Certification, which provides your team with the technical knowledge needed to function as professional house cleaners today, explaining the “why” behind what they do, leading to better decisions and higher commitment from your team.

The PHC program was built by Modern Cleaning, led by Tom and Janice Stewart, owners of Castle Keepers House Cleaning. Also contributing to the program were Liz Trotter of American Maid Cleaning LLC, Matt Ricketts of Better Life Maids, and Joe Walsh of Greene Clean Maine.

“Most training programs educate your cleaning professionals on the basics but fall short in giving them the necessary information to make the best decisions when the situation is more complex,” Tom Stewart says. “This certification helps professional cleaners understand why their jobs are important and gives them the technical knowledge to appreciate house cleaning as a profession.”

Employee engagement starts with making sure everyone knows what is expected of them. It is also dependent on a culture that encourages them to learn and grow. The PHC Certification allows cleaning businesses to do this in a consistent and affordable way, regardless of the daily challenges cleaning companies face.

Providing quality training to your cleaning professionals will improve employee retention, client retention, and productivity, as well as lower hiring costs. Many residential cleaning companies have already made an investment in their employees by educating them through the PHC program.

The PHC Certification is comprised of seven modules:

• What is Professional House Cleaning?—Role of the Professional House Cleaner in the Home Environment
• Oops, How Did That Happen?—Safety
• Is Hygiene a Dirty Word?—Health
• What Does Science Have to Do with It?—Chemistry and Physics of Cleaning
• How Do You Clean That?—Contents and Surfaces
• What Do You Do?—Procedures, Methods, and Productivity
• What Do You Use?—Tools and Equipment.

Each module ends with a “Knowledge Check” to test the skills learned. After completing all sections, the course concludes with a certification test. Given the virtual format, students are able to take the course at their convenience–whether they decide to take the course one module at a time or complete the course in one day. Candidates have one year from the date of purchase to finish the course.

Here is what a few of your fellow cleaning company owners have said:

“All of my employees do this training before graduating from the training period. They feel so proud when they are certified.”

—Leslie Shepardson Fields, Leslie’s Cleaning Service.

“My staff and I have been taking the Professional House Cleaning Program offered and it has been awesome! It covers everything that technicians need to know to perform their jobs at the highest level while teaching safety measures, how to stay healthy, and the science of cleaning. I feel that this course will be very beneficial to new inexperienced technicians, help them to realize that this industry is very necessary to overall health, and make them feel like they are true professionals.”

—Marlo Kanipe, Deserved Comfort House Cleaning.

“Not only is the information well presented, it relates to our business in many ways. I would recommend the cleaning classes to anyone in the cleaning business, even if you have been cleaning for a while.”

—Lucia Smith, Cronin Cleaning Services.

COVID-19: What House Cleaning Professionals Need to Know

Also available on ARCSI Learning is the COVID-19: What House Cleaning Professionals Need to Know, Approved by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC). This class is designed to complement the basic knowledge house cleaning professionals should already have, giving you the specific information you need in order to perform standard residential maintenance cleaning safely and responsibly in today’s COVID-19 world.

There are many online programs and courses that teach cleaners how to deal with COVID-19. This course focuses on cleaning homes, the very asset that your customers entrust to residential cleaning companies. GBAC, a division of ISSA, has reviewed this course and given it their seal of approval.

More content

ARCSI Learning has also become the new home to ARCSI’s Webinars. ARCSI’s regular Tuesday webinars are a staple of your ARCSI membership. And if you miss one, you can now catch up on these very valuable and insightful programs from 2020. 

This year, we had great content featured on our webinars, including:

• Residential Marketplace: Technology Showcase
  Featuring Software Vendors: Compass Wave, Maid Central, Pipehire HRM, and ZenMaid
• Add New Bi-Weekly Customers Without Offering Discounts
  Featuring Carrie Knight, The Cleaning Boss
• Want to Add Commercial Cleaning To Your Existing Residential Business?
  Featuring Sharon Cowan, CBSE, owner of Cleaning Business Consulting Group.

More to come

ARCSI is just getting started with the ARCSI Learning platform. As the platform launches and grows, our Education Committee will keep the needs of the membership and the industry in sight as they design offerings.

During 2021, we will be bringing you more education and training opportunities for residential cleaning companies of all shapes and sizes as they continue to grow and navigate today’s complex world. Make time today to browse the resources on ARCSI Learning at arcsilearning.com.