How Often Should Your Office Be Cleaned?

Offices need regular cleaning to provide a healthy work environment and a good impression on visitors and clients. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how to ensure the ideal schedule for keeping your office clean, welcoming, and healthy.

How Often Should Your Office Be Cleaned?

Determining office cleaning frequency depends on a variety of factors, such as the number of staff, desired aesthetics of the business and foot traffic.

Smaller offices can usually opt for 1-2 visits per week, often with a lighter midweek clean and a more detailed end of week clean to keep their office clean and professional-looking. Larger offices with a higher number of employees or visitors will require at least 2 to 3 cleaning sessions a week or a daily service is common for high end businesses.

Along with regular cleaning, deep cleaning is recommended to be carried out on a periodical basis such as 6 monthly or annual for tasks like carpet cleaning, windows, walls and scrubbing of hard floors.

5 Key Factors to Consider When Deciding Your Cleaning Schedule

Each office space is unique and will require its own cleaning schedule for best results. However, there are a few factors that can determine the ideal general cleaning schedule. 

How often you need to schedule office cleaning depends on:

1. Number of visitors and staff
2. Business type
3. Building layout and size
4. Facilities available
5. Seasonal considerations

1. Number of Visitors and Staff

Foot traffic is one of the biggest factors affecting cleaning frequency. A small office with a handful of employees and limited visitors can typically stay hygienic and organised with weekly cleanings.

Busier offices with more staff or frequent visitors will require cleaning at least 2 to 3 times per week. Heavy foot traffic leads to more dirt, dust, germs, and build-up, requiring regular cleaning to ensure a sanitary, tidy environment.

Here are the basic guidelines for office cleaning frequency:  

• Small Office (1 to 5 staff members): Weekly
• Medium Offices (6 to 20 staff members): 2 to 3 times per week
• 20+ Employees or High-Foot Traffic: 3 times per week to daily

2. Business Type

Offices can usually schedule less frequent cleanings than other industries. Certain industries must adhere to strict regulations and safety guidelines.

Following are industries that will likely require a more intensive cleaning schedule:

• Childcare centres
• Hospitals and medical clinics
• Schools
• Restaurants

3. Office Layout and Size

The office layout, size, and complexity will also affect your ideal business cleaning schedule. Offices or buildings with large open spaces accumulate dirt and dust more quickly. Larger square footage and multi-story buildings will also demand more attention to maintain a clean environment.

Offices with multiple flooring types, large windows, and numerous cubicles will also require a more intensive cleaning schedule. 

4. Facilities Available

Does your office feature a kitchen, breakroom, multiple bathrooms, or conference rooms? A larger facility with multiple shared areas frequent cleaning compared to a small office with minimal square footage.

Kitchens, bathrooms, reception areas, breakrooms, and conference rooms require more attention to keep areas hygienic and clean.

5. Seasonal Considerations

Seasonal changes and certain times of year often require more frequent cleaning.

Examples include:

• Flu Season: Certain times of the year see an increase in illnesses and germs, such as the highly contagious flu virus. Flu season in Australia typically runs from April to October. This necessitates additional cleaning and sanitising to decrease the transmission of germs to ensure a healthy office environment.
• Cold, Rainy Months: Rainy days mean mud getting tracked onto carpets, floors, and rugs. Additional cleaning and mopping may be required to keep flooring, especially carpet, clean during these notoriously messy months.
• Allergy Season: Allergy season requires more frequent cleaning to protect your employees’ health. If you have asthma sufferers, a deep clean during allergy season is even more important. Cleaning more frequently during allergy season cuts down on pollen and allergens in the air.

Types of Cleaning by Frequency

Daily Office Cleaning

Certain surfaces and areas require daily cleaning, regardless of how big your office space is or the number of staff. For instance, bathrooms and kitchens are a breeding ground for germs.

Daily cleaning of these spaces is imperative to prevent the spread of illness and maintain a hygienic office space. Without adequate cleaning, grime can build up and germs can spread more easily.

Basic daily cleaning in bathrooms and kitchens includes cleaning floors, emptying rubbish bins, and disinfecting high-touch surfaces.

Office cleaning tasks that need to be performed on a daily basis include:

• Sweeping or vacuuming
• Disinfecting high-touch surfaces (especially in common spaces, restrooms, and kitchens), such as light switches, phones, doorknobs, and desks
• Emptying rubbish bins
• Clean toilets and sinks
• Re-stock supplies (i.e. toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, etc.)

Weekly Office Cleaning

Weekly office cleaning tasks focus on preventing the buildup of dust and grime and minimising the spread of germs in shared spaces.

Weekly office cleaning should include:

• Dusting all surfaces, such as shelves, office equipment, desks, and tables
• Wiping down breakroom and kitchen surfaces, including the fridge, sinks, tables, and chairs
• Sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming floors
• Cleaning and sanitising shared spaces, meeting rooms, and restrooms

Monthly or Quarterly Office Cleaning

Monthly or quarterly office cleaning takes a more focused approach.

• Deep cleaning carpets
• Dusting and cleaning any air vents
• Cleaning prominent windows and internal glass partitions
• Washing walls
• Cleaning and sanitizing office furniture
• Moving loose furniture to clean behind them

Seasonal or Annual Office Cleaning

Seasonal or annual office cleaning involves deeper cleaning and a focus on removing allergens, dust, and pollen.

Seasonal or deep cleaning tasks should include:

• Cleaning blinds,
• Shampooing carpets & upholstery
• Large-scale sanitising of all surfaces throughout all rooms
• Cleaning and inspecting vents and HVAC systems
• Thoroughly cleaning all walls and windows

Special Considerations

An extra cleaning should be scheduled before any meetings with prospective clients. This ensures your company presents the most professional atmosphere possible.

Signs You Need More Frequent Office Cleaning

If you notice these signs, your office may require more frequent cleaning:

• Lingering odours in the space, especially in bathrooms or kitchens
• An increase in the number of staff calling in sick or experiencing allergies
• Unkempt or cluttered areas that need organising, such as workstations
• Visible stains or marks on carpeting, furniture, upholstery, or walls
• A layer of dust on display areas, desks, tables, decor, behind desks, or on surfaces
• Rubbish bins that overflow easily due to not getting emptied regularly
• Pest infestations
• Employees falling behind on their work tasks because they are using valuable work time to complete cleaning tasks instead
• Dirty or smudged windows or mirrors
• Consistently dirty areas, such as break rooms

Benefits of Hiring a Professional for Regular Cleaning

Regular professional office cleaning maintains a more pleasant work environment in a variety of ways. Commercial cleaners can contribute to a work atmosphere with lower sickness transmission and happier, more productive employees.

Some of the main benefits of scheduling regular professional office cleaning include:

• Healthier Work Environment
• Enhance Your Business Reputation
• Increased Employee Productivity
• Boost Employee Morale
• Customised Services and Cleaning Solutions
• Most reputable companies will provide their own equipment and materials which reduces the burden to ensure stocks are provided and may free up space if they don’t leave equipment on-site
• Long-Term Cost Savings
• Time Savings
• Free Up Storage Space
• Superior Results
• Healthier Cleaning Products
• Reduce Safety Hazards

We go in-depth into each of these commercial cleaning benefits in our guide here: 11 Benefits of Professional Office Cleaning Services for Your Office.

Customised Professional Perth Office Cleaning Solutions

A professionally cleaned office is more inviting for staff and visitors and can provide a healthier work environment. The right cleaning schedule is vital to ensuring your office maintains a professional appearance and welcoming atmosphere.

Need regular scheduled cleaning or a one-time deep commercial clean? Every office has unique needs, which is why we tailor our cleaning solutions and schedules to suit your requirements.

Contact our experienced team to discuss your commercial cleaning needs in Perth and for a free quote.