Checklist for office cleaning

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Whether it’s the office of a small start-up or the multistory complex of an international corporation—clean business premises are essential to making a positive impression. To convince employees, customers, or investors of its integrity, any company requires neat, well-tended workspaces.

While this may sound simple, in reality it’s often more difficult than one would think. This is why hiring a commercial company for routine cleaning services pays off. And to make sure nothing is forgotten, we give you helpful tips here for drawing up a cleaning plan, along with an office cleaning checklist.

Drawing up an office cleaning plan—the key points

When you first visit the premises that are to be cleaned in order to calculate a bid, you should also discuss the desired cleaning services with the customer. How much time and personnel will be needed depends primarily on two factors:

• The services the customer requires
• The size of the office space

Cost pressure in the cleaning sector is huge—so your workforce should be utilized in an efficient and targeted manner. 

On the basis of the information provided, you can now draw up an office cleaning plan in which all cleaning tasks are listed. The purpose of this list is to ensure the fulfilment of your commitments to the customer and, accordingly, the thorough cleaning of the respective office areas and surfaces.

In this plan, you can also record which cleaning materials are to be used for which tasks. Consider, for example, incorporating ecological aspects when planning for effective cleaning that at the same time protects a facility’s materials, surfaces, and environmental quality. In addition, all sanitary and kitchen areas should be thoroughly disinfected so that any germs aren’t given a chance to spread.

Also record in the cleaning plan what cleaning equipment is to be used. For larger office areas, for example, cleaning robots using a cobotics approach are especially effective. And are mops, cloths, brushes, and spray bottles additionally needed? All of these things should be designated in writing in your plan. For orientation, we have gathered the most important points in a checklist.

Checklist for the cleaning of offices

Office safety and hygiene demands have risen sharply since the coronavirus crisis. High standards of cleanliness will continue to be pervasive in the cleaning sector in the future. So that these standards can be adhered to and nothing is left to chance, we have compiled a checklist for office or routine cleaning below. 

Individual customer requests should always be added to the list, and the list should be reviewed and updated regularly. In addition, conditions may require that certain tasks be carried out more, or less, frequently—depending on the number of employees in the customer company’s offices, the size of the space, or any situations arising outside of normal routines.

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Checklist: weekly(-plus) tasks

In every office, there are of course areas that need to be cleaned more often than others.

Kitchens and restrooms, especially, require more attention than, for example, shelves or filing cabinets.  

In the first part of the checklist, we have therefore listed the cleaning tasks that have to be done  once a week or more: 

• Empty waste containers and dispose of trash in accordance with regulations
• Take refuse bins out for waste collection
• Vacuum and mop hard floors
• Vacuum carpets, remove stains as necessary
• Wipe down tables and counters with a damp cloth
• Dust surfaces, e.g., shelves, cabinets, windowsills 
• Disinfect high-touch surfaces, e.g., telephones, light switches, door handles
• Clean glass surfaces of fingerprints, e.g., mirrors, windows, glass doors, partitions
• Water leafy plants
• Clean kitchen countertops and appliances, e.g., microwave, refrigerator, cooktop
• Clean water dispensers/coolers
• Load dishwasher and wash dishes
• Refill consumable supplies, e.g., sugar, tea, coffee
• Intensively clean sanitary facilities inside and outside, e.g., toilets, urinals, sinks
• Refill hygiene articles as needed, e.g., soap, towels, toilet paper
• Clean elevators
• Clean stairwells according to rotating schedule
• Tend outdoor facilities, e.g., sweep walkways, clear snow, water plants
• Check technical installations, e.g., in parking lots, garages
• Check functionality of fire and escape doors 

Checklist: monthly tasks

There is also a range of cleaning services that must be carried out regularly, though less frequently than those listed above. 

The DIN EN 1522-1 and DIN EN 13549 standards govern which tasks fall under facility management. 

The following is an office cleaning checklist of tasks that should be scheduled monthly:

• Clean office and outdoor waste containers
• Clean doors and door frames, windows and window frames
• Shampoo carpets to remove stubborn stains
• Wipe down surfaces, e.g., shelves, cabinets, windowsills
• Remove cobwebs
• Wipe down lamps and light fixtures
• Clean radiators
• Clean air conditioners
• Dust baseboards
• Clean table and chair legs
• Clean, or arrange for cleaning of, curtains and blinds if necessary
• Descale kitchen appliances, e.g., coffee maker, electric kettle, dishwasher
• Deep-clean kitchen appliances, e.g., refrigerator, microwave, oven
• Clean faucets and drain strainers
• Deep-clean sanitary facilities, including joints
• Place reorders for hygiene articles and supplies if necessary
• Clean auxiliary spaces, e.g., basement, utility rooms, storerooms
• Clean outdoor installations, e.g., bell system, mailboxes, handrails
• Tend outdoor facilities if necessary, e.g., weeding, mowing lawns, pruning plants
• Beat and clean floor mats, clean floor grills

Checklist: special tasks

Occasionally, a special cleaning is necessary. Such situations include, for example, when a customer has laid new flooring, painted their facilities, or relandscaped their grounds. Readying the offices for normal operations again calls for certain additional services outside of the usual schedule. Below is a list of tasks required only rarely:

• Clean floors and surfaces following renovations, e.g., painting, tiling, or carpentry work
• Impregnate and polish floors
• Clean PCs, e.g., keyboards, mice, fans, and housings
• Carry out minor repairs and maintenance, e.g., change light bulbs, replace water faucets
• Clean beverage machines by agreement with vendor
• Clean building facade
• Clean outdoor facilities, e.g., parking lots and grounds

Don’t forget anything—with an office cleaning checklist

Companies generally don’t have time during everyday operations to regularly clean their office spaces themselves. The absence of scheduled upkeep leads to compromised hygiene as well as diminished employee motivation—both of which will be judged negatively by visiting customers.

In terms of cleanliness, outdoor and parking areas are just as important as the indoor facilities, as they largely determine the first impression the company makes. Thorough, routine office cleaning services are therefore indispensable. An exact cleaning plan for each building concerned enables you to clean your customers’ offices reliably and meticulously. Thanks to digitization in the cleaning sector, it is becoming steadily easier to predict the necessary personnel deployment and dedication of labor. You are welcome to download and print our office cleaning plan template.