Best Office Cleaning Tips and Checklist

Office cleaning is a necessary but easily overlooked task that helps to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all employees. Whether you hire a commercial cleaning service or have staff members perform cleaning tasks, these tips and checklists will help you keep a clean and welcoming office space for everyone. Setting up some regular cleaning procedures can help keep your office tidy and prevent a buildup of dirt, grime, and germs. A clean work environment cuts down on employee sickness and the spread of germs, as well as creates a more welcoming, visually appealing office space for workers and clients.

Scheduling regular office cleaning is an important way to maintain a clean workspace and healthy environment for all of your workers. Our office cleaning Portland services include full-service commercial cleaning for offices, with options for carpet cleaning, deep cleaning, and more.

Check out these office cleaning tips to learn more about how you can keep your office clean and sanitary:

Assess Your Cleaning Needs

When you set out to create an office cleaning protocol, it’s important to first assess your needs. Every office is different so it is important to list the areas that need to be cleaned in your office. Make a list and be sure to include office spaces, office equipment, restrooms, eating areas, other common areas, hallways, lobby and waiting areas, entrances and exits, parking lots, and outdoor areas. Also, consider circumstances unique to your business such as special equipment and supplies you may have in your office that require specific cleaning procedures.

Create an Office Cleaning Checklist

Once you have a list of the areas that need office cleaning in your business, you can create a checklist of what needs to be done in each area. Here is a sample checklist you can use for a template:


Office Cleaning Checklist

Workspace Cleaning Checklist

  • Dust desks, computers, shelves, computer screens, keyboards, and other surfaces.
  • Clean computer screens
  • Empty trash and recycle bins
  • Vacuum/sweep/mop floors, including around desks and tables.
  • Clean office windows.
  • Disinfect surfaces, including phones, lamps, keyboards, copiers, staplers, and more.
  • Organize and declutter workstations.
  • Refill or replace empty tissue boxes.

Lobby Cleaning Checklist

  • Dust and disinfect the welcome desk, tables, buttons, and hard surfaces that people touch.
  • Vacuum/sweep/mop all floor areas.
  • Empty trash and recycling bins.
  • Organize and declutter all desktops and tables.
  • Refill the water cooler and replenish the water cups.
  • Organize books or magazines in the waiting area. Remove and recycle outdated items.
  • If there is a coffee area, clean the coffee machine and replace the filter.
  • Clean and dust the windows, company signs, and other visuals.
  • If you have carpet in the waiting area, get professional carpet cleaning at least once every 3 months.

Office Restroom Cleaning Checklist

  • Disinfect and clean all hard surfaces, including counters, sinks, faucets, and toilets.
  • Discard trash and recycling.
  • Refill soap dispensers, lotions, and other toiletries.
  • Sweep the floor and mop it with disinfectant.
  • Refill empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls.
  • Clean the mirrors.
  • Disinfect all areas people touch, including door handles, paper towel handles, and bathroom stall handles.
  • Make sure that all of the hand dryers are working. Let a manager know if any dryers are not working.

Breakroom and Common Area Cleaning Checklist

  • Vacuum/sweep/mop floors.
  • Discard old food, wrappers, and trash.
  • Empty trash and recycle bins.
  • Wash dishes and put clean ones away. Organize kitchenware.
  • Disinfect surfaces, including light switches, vending machine buttons, cabinet handles, and surfaces inside and outside of the refrigerator.
  • Clean the coffee pot and coffee machine.
  • Disinfect surfaces people eat on, including tables and counters.
  • Clean appliances.
  • Check the water cooler and refill the water cups.

Outside Office Cleaning Checklist

  • Clean and disinfect all door handles, keypads, and buttons.
  • Sweep and discard trash, leaves, and branches on the sidewalk and walkways.
  • Shake out and straighten welcome mats. Vacuum or sweep mats when applicable.
  • Clean windows and glass doors with glass cleaner.
  • Empty outdoor trash bins.
  • Discard any trash in the parking lot and make sure the lot is clear of any debris.
  • Clean and sweep outdoor signs and visuals.


Create a Cleaning Schedule

Once you have your cleaning checklists, you can create an office cleaning schedule to ensure all tasks are completed regularly. Some tasks may need to be completed daily, like putting all trash and recycling in bins and tidying workspaces, while others may need to be done weekly or even monthly. Organize the cleaning schedule by how often tasks need to be done.

Assign cleaning tasks to appropriate people. Some office cleaning may be done by employees – such as simply straightening up workspaces and keeping the kitchenware in order. You may have a nighttime checklist for the last employee who leaves as well as a morning checklist for the first staff members to arrive. However, most cleaning items should be completed by cleaning professionals, especially cleaning carpets and disinfecting surfaces.

Assemble Necessary Cleaning Supplies

If you have staff members who perform cleaning tasks, you will need to have the right cleaning supplies on hand. Even for offices that hire professional cleaning companies, it is good to have some basic cleaning supplies on hand to maintain hygiene between cleaning appointments. Some cleaning basics to have include paper towels, disinfectant, broom, vacuum, dustpan, mop, soap, trash and recycling bags, and dishwashing liquid.

Schedule Professional Cleaning

The best way to guarantee your office cleaning gets done and stays hygienic is to hire professional cleaners. Our office cleaning in Portland includes office cleaning services in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Our professional cleaning team can do regular maintenance cleaning as well as deeper cleaning tasks such as carpet cleaning and deep cleaning of restrooms and common areas. We also offer eco-friendly cleaning services using gentle but effective green cleaning solutions and eco-friendly techniques that reduce waste.

Book our professional office cleaning services for your Portland area business today, and rest assured that your business will stay clean and provide a welcoming environment to all.