Short answer
A good office cleaning checklist splits tasks by how often they are needed. Daily: empty bins, clean kitchens and washrooms, wipe desks and touch points, and vacuum or mop main floors. Weekly: fuller dusting, internal glass and edges. Monthly: high-level dusting, inside appliances and skirting. Periodic: deep carpet and hard floor cleans and windows. Adjust the frequencies to how busy your office is.
How to use this checklist
Every office is different. A small professional practice with a handful of staff does not need the same schedule as an open-plan floor used every day by a large team. Use the lists below as a starting point, then adjust the frequency of each task to your footfall, the number of people using each kitchen and washroom, and how many days the office is occupied.
Hybrid working changes the picture too. If the office is busy on some days and quiet on others, it often makes sense to time cleaning around the busy days rather than spreading visits evenly. Whatever you settle on, write it down as a specification so everyone knows what is being cleaned, where and how often. Our guide to commercial cleaning contracts explains what that specification should include.
Daily tasks
- Empty all bins and recycling, replace liners and take waste to the collection point.
- Kitchen: wipe worktops, sinks, taps and the fronts of appliances; clean the microwave inside; load or empty the dishwasher if agreed; mop the floor.
- Washrooms: clean and disinfect toilets, urinals, basins and taps; clean mirrors; refill soap, toilet roll and hand towels; mop floors.
- Wipe touch points: door handles, push plates, light switches, lift buttons, handrails and shared equipment such as printers.
- Wipe clear desk surfaces where a clear-desk policy allows; leave papers and personal items untouched.
- Vacuum carpets in main walkways and mop hard floors in entrances and corridors.
- Tidy and wipe reception desks, meeting room tables and chairs.
Weekly tasks
- Thorough vacuum of all carpeted areas, including under desks where clear.
- Dust desk partitions, shelves, filing cabinets and window sills.
- Clean internal glass, glass partitions and door glass.
- Wipe telephones, keyboards and screens only if agreed, with suitable products and equipment switched off.
- Clean the inside of the fridge, and dispose of out-of-date food according to an agreed policy.
- Descale washroom and kitchen taps and spot-clean walls around bins and switches.
Monthly tasks
- High-level dusting: tops of cupboards, door frames, vents, light fittings and ceiling corners.
- Wipe skirting boards, doors and frames.
- Clean inside kitchen cupboards and appliances such as the dishwasher filter.
- Vacuum upholstered chairs and soft seating.
- Clean radiators and behind furniture that can be moved.
- Check and clean entrance mats.
Periodic tasks
- Deep cleaning of carpets, as covered by our commercial carpet cleaning service.
- Scrubbing and buffing hard floors, as covered by our hard floor cleaning service.
- Internal and external window cleaning, including high-level glass.
- Washroom deep clean, including grout and limescale.
- Upholstery cleaning for chairs and soft furnishings.
- A full office deep clean after a refurbishment, an office move or a long closure.
Things that are easy to forget
Agree who supplies consumables such as soap, toilet roll, hand towels and bin liners, and who reorders them. Decide how keys and alarm codes are handled and who the cleaners report to. Agree what happens with confidential waste, which usually needs separate secure disposal rather than general recycling. Set out where cleaning products and equipment are stored, and make sure safety data sheets are available for anything used on site.
Finally, build in a simple way to check the work: a regular walk-round, a short checklist signed off after each visit, or a named contact who can raise issues quickly.
When to call a professional
A checklist is only useful if it is followed consistently. If your current cleaning is patchy, or the office has grown and the old routine no longer fits, a professional contract built around a written specification can help.
Our office cleaning starts with a site visit and a written specification, so both sides know exactly what will be cleaned, how often and to what standard. We work within our core hours of 8am to 6pm and plan visits around the way your office runs. For a one-off reset, our office deep cleaning service covers the periodic jobs in one go. Call Jason on 07774 252535 or ask for a free quote.
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Clean, healthy workspaces for teams of every size. Family-run by Jason and Lucas Prior, covering south Essex.
- Office deep cleaning: a one-off reset that covers the periodic tasks in one go.
- Commercial carpet cleaning: periodic deep cleaning of office carpets.
- Hard floor cleaning: scrubbing and buffing vinyl, tile and stone floors.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on an office cleaning checklist?
Daily tasks such as bins, kitchens, washrooms, touch points and main floors; weekly dusting, glass and full vacuuming; monthly high-level dusting and skirting; and periodic carpet, hard floor, window and deep cleans.
How often should an office be cleaned?
It depends on how many people use it and how often. Busy kitchens and washrooms usually need daily attention, while other tasks can be weekly, monthly or periodic.
What is the difference between a cleaning checklist and a specification?
A checklist lists tasks. A specification goes further, setting out the areas, frequencies, standards, times, access arrangements and who supplies what, and forms part of a cleaning contract.
Related guides
- What a commercial cleaning contract should include: the points a commercial or office cleaning contract and specification should cover, so both sides know exactly what is expected.