Define the cleanable space
Record the floor area and list workspaces, meeting rooms, receptions, kitchens, washrooms, stairs, lifts, stores and external entrances. Note floor finishes, desk density, shower facilities and any zones cleaners may not enter.
Occupancy and use are as important as square footage. A smaller office with hot-desking, food preparation and high visitor traffic can need more time than a larger lightly used site.
- Number of regular users and peak attendance days
- Washrooms, showers and kitchen points
- Carpet, hard floor and specialist surface areas
- Waste streams, confidential waste and recycling
- Secure, restricted or high-value areas
Build an office cleaning specification
Set the frequency for each task. Bins and washrooms may need attention every visit, while high-level dusting, carpets, internal glass and hard-floor treatment can sit on weekly, monthly or quarterly schedules.
Describe the required result where possible. A specification that says ‘clean as necessary’ gives neither party a reliable way to price, inspect or resolve a disagreement.
| Area | Example recurring tasks | Questions to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Workspaces | Bins, accessible surfaces, spot cleaning and floors | Are desks clear; are screens or personal items excluded? |
| Kitchens | Worktops, sinks, touchpoints, floors and bins | Are dishes, fridges and appliances included? |
| Washrooms | Sanitary ware, touchpoints, mirrors, floors and replenishment | Who supplies paper, soap and sanitary services? |
| Meeting and reception | Surfaces, presentation points, glass and floors | Is resetting furniture included? |
| Periodic work | Carpet extraction, hard-floor treatment and high-level dusting | Included in monthly price or quoted separately? |
Set frequency and cleaning hours
Choose daily, several-times-weekly or less frequent visits according to use and hygiene needs. Hybrid attendance may justify variable schedules, but reducing visits too far can make each clean slower and cause standards to fall.
Ask bidders to disclose cleaner-hours per week and the assumptions used. Use the prices and rates guide to turn the labour plan into a monthly budget.
Daytime or out-of-hours cleaning
Daytime cleaning can improve visibility and reduce keyholding, energy and lone-working issues. It may also disrupt calls and meetings.
Evening or early-morning work reduces disruption but requires robust access, alarm and lone-worker arrangements.
Agree how cleaners enter, which doors may be opened, whether staff can use lifts and where chemicals and equipment are stored. Record incident and key-loss procedures.
Measure office cleaning quality
Combine scheduled inspections with an easy fault-reporting route. Score agreed areas and tasks rather than relying on a general impression, then record owners and deadlines for corrective work.
Useful service measures include attendance, inspection score, unresolved faults, repeat complaints, consumable shortages and completion of periodic tasks. Avoid incentives that encourage a supplier to hide problems.
Frequently asked questions
What should an office cleaning service include?
Typical recurring work covers bins, accessible surfaces, floors, washrooms, kitchens and common areas. Windows, carpet extraction, hard-floor treatment, dishes, fridges, sanitary services and consumables may be separate, so define them in the specification.
How often should an office be cleaned?
Frequency depends on occupancy, use and risk. Busy washrooms and kitchens may need daily or daytime checks, while a lightly occupied workspace may need fewer visits.
Set frequency by area and task rather than one rule for the whole building.
How many cleaning hours does an office need?
There is no reliable size-only formula. Ask suppliers to survey the layout and disclose the cleaner-hours behind their price.
Occupancy, desk density, floors, washrooms, kitchens, access and the required standard all affect productivity.