How to Check Your Office Cleaning Service: A Practical Checklist for Office Managers
Updated: Oct 1
Learn what to check and how to compare the results with your cleaning agreement.
Introduction
Knowing whether your office cleaner is doing a good job isn't simply about whether the office looks clean. A good review should consider the agreed cleaning tasks, consistency, attention to detail, communication and whether the service is being completed as expected.
An office cleaning service quality check gives office managers a simple way to review the service against their current cleaning agreement or scope of works. By checking what has actually been completed against what was agreed, you can identify areas that are meeting expectations, areas that need attention and any issues that may need to be discussed with your cleaning provider.
When Should You Check Your Office After Cleaning?
For the most accurate result, the checklist recommends completing your check within 24 hours of the scheduled clean.
Where possible, the person completing the check should be the first person to inspect the workplace after the clean, before normal workplace activity begins.
This helps ensure you're assessing the cleaning service rather than mess or activity that happened afterwards.
Check Your Cleaning Agreement First
Before you start, have your current cleaning agreement or scope of works available.
Cleaning services can vary considerably between businesses, so it's important to only assess tasks that are actually included in your agreement.
For example, if a particular detailed cleaning task isn't included in your current service, it shouldn't automatically be recorded as a missed task.
Your agreement provides the standard against which the cleaning should be assessed.
Check the Office Area by Area
A good office cleaning review should look at the workplace as a whole.
Depending on what is included in your agreement, this can include:
Workstations & Office Areas
Check accessible work surfaces, dust, fingerprints and marks, high-touch areas, bins and visible dirt or debris on floors.
Reception & Meeting Rooms
Consider the presentation of reception areas and meeting rooms, including surfaces, glass, floors, bins and frequently touched areas.
Kitchens & Beverage Areas
Check shared kitchen areas, sinks, benches, appliances, handles, floors and bins, as well as beverage stations where these are included in your service.
Restrooms
Look at toilets, basins, taps, mirrors, dispensers, floors, doors, handles, bins, odours and overall presentation.
High-Touch Areas & Floors
High-touch areas and floors should also be assessed according to the tasks included in your cleaning agreement.
Consumables can include items such as toilet paper, paper towel, hand soap and other supplies that your cleaning agreement requires the cleaner to monitor or replenish.
How Should You Record the Results?
It's useful to distinguish between something being missed and something simply being outside the agreed service.
The checklist provides four options:
Included and completed
Included but needs attention
Included but not cleaned
Not included in the current agreement
There is also space to record notes and any areas that need attention.
This gives you something specific to discuss with your cleaning provider rather than simply saying that the office doesn't seem as clean as it should be.
Don't Just Look at One Clean
One missed area doesn't necessarily mean your entire cleaning service is failing.
What is more useful is looking for patterns.
If the same areas repeatedly need attention, or agreed tasks are regularly being missed, your records give you something clear to raise with your cleaning provider.
The checklist also includes an overall service assessment and a section for recording areas for improvement and future review.
Download the Free Office Cleaning Service Quality Check
I've created this checklist specifically to help office managers assess their current cleaning service.
It provides a structured way to review your workplace against your existing cleaning agreement and identify what is being completed, what needs attention and what may not be included in your current service.
Download your free Office Cleaning Service Quality Check
Use it during your next cleaning service review to get a clearer picture of how your current commercial cleaning service is performing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if my office cleaner is doing a good job?
Check the workplace after the scheduled clean and compare what you see with your current cleaning agreement or scope of works. You can also review What’s Included to see the areas commonly covered by a professional office cleaning service.
When should I check my office after it has been cleaned?
Ideally, complete the check within 24 hours of the scheduled clean and, where possible, before normal workplace activity begins.
What if something hasn't been cleaned?
First, check whether the task is included in your current cleaning agreement. If it is included but hasn't been completed, record it as an area that needs attention. If it isn't included, record it as outside the current agreement.
How can I check the quality of my office cleaning service?
Review the workplace after the scheduled clean and compare what has been completed with your current cleaning agreement or scope of works. Check the overall cleanliness, consistency, attention to detail, agreed tasks and any areas that may need follow-up.
How often should I review my cleaning service?
A regular review can help identify patterns and make sure the service continues to meet your workplace requirements. The appropriate frequency will depend on your business, workplace activity and cleaning arrangement.
Should I change cleaners if I'm unhappy with the service?
Not necessarily. First, check what has been agreed and identify any areas that need attention. Discuss your concerns with your cleaning provider and give them the opportunity to address them before deciding whether a change of cleaner is necessary.
Conclusion
Your office cleaning service should be assessed against what has actually been agreed, not simply what you expect to be included.
A structured review makes it easier to identify what's working, what needs attention and whether there are recurring issues.
If you're an office manager and want a simple way to assess your current cleaning service, download my free Office Cleaning Service Quality Check and use it alongside your cleaning agreement.
If you’re considering a change of cleaner, I offer a free 15-minute walkthrough to discuss your office, cleaning requirements and what you’re looking for from a commercial cleaning service.
Comments