"Office cleaning" sounds simple until you compare two quotes and realize they describe different jobs. One includes restocking paper towels and wiping down the breakroom microwave. The other doesn't mention either. This guide walks through what a standard commercial cleaning scope usually covers, room by room, so you can tell what you're actually buying.
Every visit: the core of a nightly scope
These are the tasks most office cleaning plans include each time the crew comes in, whether that's nightly or a few times a week.
Entry, lobby, and reception
- Entry glass and door handles cleaned of fingerprints
- Reception desk and counters wiped
- Seating areas straightened and surfaces dusted
- Entry mats vacuumed or shaken out
- Floors vacuumed or mopped
Workspaces and private offices
- Trash and recycling emptied, liners replaced
- Clear desk surfaces dusted or wiped (most crews won't move papers or personal items)
- High-touch points disinfected: door handles, light switches, shared phones and keyboards if agreed
- Carpets vacuumed, with extra attention to traffic lanes
Restrooms
- Toilets, urinals, and sinks cleaned and disinfected
- Mirrors and fixtures polished
- Partitions and touch points wiped
- Soap, paper towels, and toilet paper restocked
- Floors swept and mopped with disinfectant
- Trash and sanitary bins emptied
Breakroom and kitchen
- Counters, sinks, and tables cleaned
- Appliance exteriors wiped: microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker
- Microwave interior cleaned (often weekly rather than nightly)
- Trash, recycling, and compost emptied
- Floors swept and mopped
Conference rooms
- Tables wiped and chairs pushed in
- Whiteboards erased if requested (many offices prefer not)
- Cups, food, and trash removed
- Floors vacuumed
Weekly or monthly: periodic tasks
Some work doesn't need to happen every night but shouldn't be forgotten either. A good scope lists these with their frequency.
- High dusting: tops of cabinets, vents, door frames, and light fixtures
- Baseboards and chair bases
- Interior glass partitions and sidelights
- Refrigerator cleanout (usually coordinated with staff so food isn't thrown away by surprise)
- Detailed restroom cleaning, such as grout and partition tops
- Upholstered furniture vacuumed
Usually not included unless you ask
These items are often quoted separately or scheduled as one-time projects. If you assume they're included and they aren't, that's where disappointment starts.
- Exterior windows, especially above the ground floor
- Carpet deep cleaning (hot water extraction), as opposed to vacuuming
- Hard-floor restoration: strip and wax, burnishing, tile and grout cleaning
- Moving furniture or cleaning under heavy equipment
- Electronics beyond a surface wipe; most crews avoid server rooms entirely
- Clinical or regulated waste in medical and dental offices, which is handled by licensed haulers, not janitorial staff
- Post-construction dust after a remodel or build-out
Supplies are a common gray area. Ask whether the price includes consumables like paper towels, toilet paper, soap, and trash liners, or only cleaning chemicals and equipment. Either approach is fine, as long as you know which one you're comparing.
How often should each area be cleaned?
The right frequency depends on headcount and traffic more than square footage. A rough way to think about it:
| Area | Busy office (daily use) | Small or hybrid office |
|---|---|---|
| Restrooms | Every visit, plus daytime checks if heavily used | Every visit |
| Kitchen and breakroom | Every visit | Every visit |
| Trash and recycling | Every visit | Every visit |
| Vacuuming workspaces | Every visit | Once or twice a week |
| Dusting desks and surfaces | Every visit or several times a week | Weekly |
| High dusting and baseboards | Monthly | Monthly |
Many offices settle on nightly service for restrooms, kitchens, and trash, with lighter attention on workspaces some nights. That approach can cost less than a full clean every visit while keeping the spaces people notice most in good shape.
How to write a scope you can hold someone to
The most useful thing you can get from a cleaning company is a written scope: a list of tasks, by area, with a frequency for each one. When you compare quotes, compare the scopes first and the prices second. A lower price often means a shorter list.
- Walk the space together before any quote, so nothing is priced from a guess.
- List every room type (restrooms, kitchens, offices, conference rooms, lobby) and the tasks for each.
- Set a frequency for every task: every visit, weekly, or monthly.
- Name the exclusions so there are no surprises.
- Agree on how issues get reported and how quickly they're fixed.
If a company won't put the scope in writing, that tells you something about how the work will go.