The benefits of a clean office include enhanced overall productivity, a better impression on guests, and good hygiene. To maintain a tidy, clean office, frequent cleaning is crucial. Along with regular cleanings, offices need deep cleaning to ensure a hygienic workplace that supports employee morale and attracts customers.
If your office needs a deep clean, our guide will help streamline the process. This deep cleaning office checklist will clearly outline the exact steps required to leave your office space spotless.
Daily Office Cleaning vs Office Deep Cleaning
Daily or weekly office cleaning involves basic equipment and tasks, such as vacuuming and mopping, wiping down surfaces, dusting, and emptying trash cans in common areas.
Deep cleaning goes beyond standard tasks and focuses on hidden surfaces and areas that require extra attention and sanitising.
Deep cleaning focuses on more detailed tasks, such as:
- Cleaning hidden surfaces
- Dusting baseboards and decor
- Cleaning blinds, drapes, and upholstery
- Cleaning grout
- Cleaning window sills and ledges
- Polishing floors
- Cleaning equipment and electronics
- Shredding and discarding unnecessary or sensitive documents
- Dusting and cleaning light fixtures
- Cleaning vents and grilles
- Deep cleaning and shampooing carpets
Office Deep Cleaning Checklist
- Move Furniture and De-Clutter
- Dust from Top to Bottom
- Clean Walls
- Clean Office Decor
- Clean Blinds and Upholstery
- Clean Furniture
- Clean Nooks, Crevices, Hidden Surfaces, And Corners
- Wipe Down Electronics
- Clean Window Ledges and Tracks
- Clean Vents and Baseboards
- Clean Flooring
- Replenish and Reorganise
1. Move Furniture and De-Clutter
The first step is to give yourself adequate work space and easy access to the areas you need to deep clean. Do this by moving furniture, chairs, tables, and filing cabinets out of the way and to the middle of the room.
Heavy or bulky furniture, such as desks, can be carefully slid away from the wall. Unplug computers, devices, printers, and phone lines.
Remove boxes, items, or bags from the floor, clear clutter off of desks, and shred any documents that are no longer needed.
2. Dust from Top to Bottom
Start dusting, working from the top near the ceiling and making your way to the bottom. Dusting with this method ensures that any dust or debris that is knocked loose from higher areas will get cleaned later.
Make sure to vacuum up any cobwebs, dust the borders of the ceiling, and pay attention to corners. Dry dust any air conditioning units, radiators, and vents.
3. Clean Walls
We’ve noticed that walls are commonly missed when it comes to deep cleaning. Walls can accumulate grime, dirt, and stains, especially in heavily used offices or commercial spaces.
Use a slightly damp microfibre cloth and a mild detergent or cleaning agent to wipe down walls, working from top to bottom. Focus on stained or soiled areas or marks on painted walls. Use a cleaner that is appropriate for the wall material and allow the surface to fully dry.
4. Clean Office Decor
Carefully dust and wipe down any office decor, including:
- Lamps
- Pictures
- Artwork
- Vases
- Plaques and awards
- Clocks
5. Clean Blinds and Upholstery
Clean blinds and upholstery according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Faux wood or vinyl blinds are the easiest as they can simply be wiped down with a slightly damp microfibre cloth and a drop of mild detergent.
Fabric blinds and upholstered curtains are more difficult, often requiring specialty products or dry cleaning.
6. Clean Furniture
Scrub all chairs, desks, and tables, including the legs and the undersides. Spot-treat any stains on sofas and clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Clean Nooks, Crevices, Hidden Surfaces, And Corners
When completing an office deep clean, don’t forget about hidden areas, high spaces, or areas that are hidden by shelving or desks.
Here are commonly ignored or missed areas that require attention when deep cleaning:
- Top of the fridge
- Tops of cabinets or desks
- High shelves
- Light fixtures
- Drawer interiors
- Vents
- Hardware pulls
- Ceiling borders and corners
- Flooring corners and baseboards
- Behind desks and under furniture
- Behind and under phones, printers, and computers
8. Wipe Down Electronics
Wipe down any electronics with a microfibre cloth and an ammonia-free cleaner that is compatible with the manufacturer’s instructions. Focus on computers, phones, air conditioners, touchscreens, printers, copiers, fax machines, and other commonly used electronics.
9. Clean Window Ledges and Tracks
Window ledges are commonly overlooked but they collect a large amount of dirt and grime. Vacuum out window ledges with a brush attachment and use a crevice tool to clean dust, insects, and dirt out of window tracks and ledges.
Next, use a disposable wipe to remove stains and dirt from the window track. Dry thoroughly with a microfibre cloth. Lastly, use a glass cleaner to leave the windows sparkling.
10. Clean Vents and Baseboards
Vents and baseboards are commonly forgotten. During a deep clean, vacuum any dust out of vents and off of baseboards using a brush attachment. Wipe down vents and
Baseboards with an appropriate cleaner and slightly damp cloth and dry them thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.
11. Clean Flooring
Deep cleaning flooring starts with vacuuming or sweeping up loose debris. For carpets, spot treat stains before shampooing using an appropriate cleaner.
For hardwood floors, use an appropriate cleaner and furniture polish (check the manufacturer’s recommendations). Tile floors need to be vacuumed and mopped before cleaning the grout.
12. Replenish and Reorganise
Once you’ve inspected everything and allowed all surfaces to dry, begin repositioning furniture, desks, chairs, and tables. Plug all electronics, printers, computers, and phones back in. Replenish any cleaning supplies, waste bin liners, and other office supplies.
Office Deep Cleaning Guides by Area
Along with following the office deep cleaning steps above, here are special considerations based on the area you are focusing on.
Common Office Areas
Lobbies, meeting rooms, and waiting and reception areas are where your guests form their first impressions of your business. Common office areas need to make staff and guests feel welcomed and at ease.
Here are the deep cleaning steps to remember for common office areas:
- Dust, wipe down, and sanitise any welcome desks, tables, and hard surfaces
- Organize books and magazines on tables or bookshelves
- Clean windows, company signs, and other objects that give guests a first impression
- Shampoo the carpets or mop hard flooring
- Clean the water cooler and replenish water cups or glasses
- Empty trash and recycling bins and wipe them down
- Vacuum and clean under tables, furniture, and desks
- Dust desks, shelves, and cupboards, including underneath desks and on the tops of cabinets
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, including light switches, door knobs, and handles
Cubicles and Desks
Deep cleaning cubicles and desks involves sanitising all surfaces, including hidden ones.
Here are the steps to deep cleaning office desks and cubicles:
- Use compressed air to dust and clean keyboards
- Wipe down and clean the mouse, remotes, headsets, earbuds, and mousepads
- Clean computer screens
- Empty trash and recycling bins
- Vacuum and mop floors, including under desks, chairs, and tables
- Clean office and cubicle walls
- Dust desks, shelves, cabinets, and desks, including the underside and hard-to-reach areas
- Disinfect commonly touched surfaces, such as phones, keyboards, light switches, lamps, copiers, and staples
Office Restrooms
Office restrooms require daily attention as well as an expansive deep clean on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
Here are the steps to disinfecting and cleaning office restrooms to ensure a hygienic, clean environment:
- Wipe down the flooring before mopping with a disinfecting cleaner
- Empty and wipe down trash bins
- Sanitise hard surfaces, such as countertops and bathroom doors and handles
- Clean and sanitise toilets, sinks, and urinals
- Wipe down and sanitise commonly touched surfaces, such as hand dryers, paper towel and toilet dispensers, and soap dispensers
- Clean mirrors
- Replenish all supplies, such as hand soap, air fresheners, toilet paper, paper towels, and air fresheners
- Clean any grills, exhaust fans, or vents
- Thoroughly mop all floors
- Deep clean the grout
- Scrub down all walls, doors, and handles
Office Kitchens and Breakrooms
Kitchens and breakrooms see heavy usage, requiring thorough cleaning and sanitation. Along with daily cleaning tasks, here are the steps to deep clean office kitchens and bathrooms:
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as tables, sinks, handles, and door knobs
- Clean the refrigerator (discard old or unwanted food, wipe up stains or crumbs, and disinfect all surfaces and handles)
- Carefully slide appliances away from the wall (fridge, oven) to clean behind them
- Empty and replace garbage and recycling bins and wipe down and disinfect the bins
- Sweep and mop floors (clean grout if necessary)
- Clean the interior of the fridge by wiping down all surfaces and drawers and cleaning out any items
- Remember to clean the fridge seals and use a degreaser if needed
- Empty out all cabinets and wipe down the inside and outside of cupboards
- Deep clean and sanitise drain outlets, sinks, and fixtures
- Dust and wipe down hidden surfaces, such as the top of the fridge, tops of cabinets, and lighting fixtures
- Clean and sanitise countertops
- Wipe down all tables and chairs, including the legs and underside
- Wash all dishes and utensils
- Disinfect food prep surfaces and stations
- Wipe down and clean the coffee maker and run a deep cleaning cycle according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Wipe down and sanitise the appliances, such as toasters, microwaves, range hood, and exhaust
Tips for Office Deep Cleaning
- Start dusting from the top to the bottom (i.e. ceilings, high shelving, tall furniture, railings, and light fixtures should be dusted first before working down to the walls, furniture, decor, and lastly the flooring)
- Make sure the office is well ventilated during the deep cleaning process
- Always wipe surfaces down with a microfibre cloth or duster before using wet wipes or disinfectant sprays to avoid smearing wet dust around
- Know materials before using cleaners on them (i.e. untreated wood should not be cleaned with wet wipes)
- Before cleaning computer monitors, keyboards, printers, or phones, or monitors, check the manufacturer’s instructions
Office Deep Cleaning Equipment
We recommend deep cleaning supplies and tools such as:
- Rubber gloves
- Vacuum cleaners
- Scrub brushes
- Appropriate cleaning solutions
- Squeegees
- Glass cleaner
- All-purpose cleaner
- Disinfectant
- Toilet cleaner
- Antibacterial surface spray
- Duster
- Lint-free cleaning cloths
- Microfibre cloths
- Furniture polish
- Sponges
- Mop and bucket
- Toothpicks or cotton swabs (these are wonderful for cleaning hard-to-reach areas and crevices)
- WD-40
- Bin bags
- Floor cleaner and polish
- Carpet shampooer
- Compressed air
How Often Should You Deep Clean an Office?
There is no set rule on how often to deep clean an office. The frequency will depend on the size of your office, the number of employees, how heavily used it is, and the type of business.
You may choose to do office deep cleaning as necessary but in general, we recommend deep cleaning an office at least every 2 to 3 months. For some businesses, 4 to 6 month intervals between deep cleanings will be appropriate. Busy businesses with a high number of staff or visitors and heavy usage often require monthly deep cleanings.
If you aren’t sure how often your office needs a deep cleaning, feel free to contact our team for personalised recommendations.
Along with regular deep cleaning, be sure to schedule office deep cleaning before and after:
- Office parties
- Meetings
- Special events
- Switching offices
- Visits with new clients
How a Professional Office and Commercial Cleaning Service Can Help You
A tidy, clean workplace is crucial for a safe, hygienic environment where guests feel welcomed and employee morale is high. To ensure a clean, tidy, welcoming environment, keep up with daily, weekly, and deep cleaning tasks.
Looking to spend your time focusing on improving your bottom line rather than debating which disinfectant is best? Our professional commercial cleaners can deep clean your office, creating a hygienic, tidy work environment and saving you time.
We are proud to be an OHS/WHS Accredited Company, adhering to safe work practices, OHS requirements, and strict protocols. Contact us today with questions or to book your consultation.
