Office Cleaning Checklist for Concord-Area Businesses

Whether you clean your office yourself, split it among staff, or hire a cleaning company, it helps to write down what "clean" actually means for your space. Without a list, the visible things get done and the rest gets skipped until someone notices.

Here's the checklist we use as a starting point when we walk through an office with a new client. Every building is different, so treat it as a draft to adjust, not a rulebook.

Entry and reception

This is the first thing clients and visitors see, and in central New Hampshire it takes a beating from November to April.

• Vacuum or mop the entry and reception floors. Do this more often in winter, when salt, sand and slush come in on every pair of boots, and again in mud season.

• Wipe the front door glass, handles and push plates.

• Dust the reception desk, counters and waiting-area furniture.

• Empty the wastebaskets.

Workstations and private offices

• Dust the desks and any open surfaces, without moving papers that staff have left out.

• Wipe the high-touch items: keyboards, mice, phones and desk lamps.

• Vacuum carpeted areas, including under and around desks where you can reach.

• Empty the wastebaskets and recycling bins.

A note on keyboards and phones: these are among the most-touched objects in any office, and they're easy to forget. Agree ahead of time on whether your cleaners should wipe them or leave them to staff.

Conference rooms

• Wipe down the tables and chair arms.

• Clean the whiteboards if you want them cleaned. Some offices want notes left alone, so say which.

• Wipe presentation glass and any glass walls.

• Check for and remove leftover cups, food and wrappers.

Restrooms

Restrooms are where people judge an office most harshly, and where a careless cleaning method causes the most trouble.

• Clean and disinfect toilets, urinals, sinks and counters.

• Clean the mirrors.

• Wipe the stall doors, handles, faucets and dispensers.

• Mop the floors.

• Use disposable paper towels on toilets, not a reusable cloth that ends up on other surfaces.

Kitchen and break room

• Wipe the counters, tables and the outside of the microwave and refrigerator.

• Clean the sink.

• Wipe the coffee maker area and cabinet handles.

• Empty the trash and recycling.

• Mop the floors.

Decide who's responsible for dishes and for cleaning out the refrigerator. Those two items cause more office friction than anything else on this list.

Touch points throughout the building

Every visit, give these a separate pass with a disinfectant:

• Doorknobs and push bars

• Light switches

• Elevator buttons and stair railings

• Filing cabinet handles

• Shared copiers and printers

Periodic tasks

Some jobs don't need doing every visit, but they shouldn't be forgotten either. Put them on a calendar:

• Dusting high areas, vents and window sills

• Cleaning interior windows and partition glass

• Wiping down baseboards

• Cleaning chair bases and the underside of desks

• A full disinfecting of the office after an illness among staff

A few habits that matter as much as the list

Use fresh cloths and mop heads. A mop that was used somewhere else, or a towel that cleaned the restroom and then the kitchen, just moves dirt and germs around. Microfiber works well, as long as it's laundered and sanitized between uses.

Vacuum with a good filter. A vacuum with a HEPA filter and a sealed system keeps fine dust inside the machine instead of blowing it back into the room.

Write down who does what. If staff handle some tasks and a cleaning company handles others, put it in writing so nothing falls into the gap.

Check in after cleanings. Problems are easiest to fix when they're reported right away, not weeks later.

How we use this list

When Kelly Cleaning Service takes on a new office, we start with a walkthrough. We talk with you about which of these items matter, how often each one should be done, and what's specific to your space. Then we turn that into a cleaning program and train our staff on it before the first visit. We've been doing it this way for Concord-area businesses since 1998.

If you'd like help building a checklist for your office, request a free quote or call (603) 608-8128.

FAQ

Should every item be done at every visit?

No. Most offices need restrooms, trash, touch points and high-traffic floors done every visit. Other tasks can rotate weekly or monthly.

Who should clean keyboards and personal desks?

Decide that with your staff and your cleaning company ahead of time. Some offices want everything wiped, and others prefer cleaners to leave personal items alone.

What changes in winter?

Entryways need more frequent floor cleaning because of salt, sand and slush tracked in from outside.

Request a free quote

Request a free quote or call (603) 608-8128.