Knowing how to prepare your office for cleaners comes down to three things: clear surfaces, lock away what is private, and make access simple. A little setup before the first visit lets the crew spend its time cleaning instead of working around clutter.
BizProClean offers office cleaning services in Northern Virginia and Maryland, and we go through this list with you before we start.
How to Prepare Your Office for Cleaners, Step by Step
Desks and shared surfaces
- Clear the desks you want wiped
- Put food away and leave mugs in the kitchen
- Mark any desk or device the crew must not touch
Private files and rooms
- Lock files, checks and anything confidential
- Decide which rooms stay locked and which the crew may enter
- Log off or lock every screen before leaving
Trash and recycling
- Place a bin at each desk and label the recycling
- Mark shred bins so they are never emptied with the trash
- Set boxes for removal apart, with a note on top
Access
- Give the crew keys or key cards
- Set up an alarm code for the crew
- Show where paper towels, soap and toilet paper are kept
- Name one person the crew can reach about a problem
How Often Should You Update the Setup?
- Before the first visit: walk the office with the crew lead and go through this list.
- Every day: keep desks clear and leave a note for any special request.
- When something changes: tell the company about new rooms, new locked areas or staff who work late.
- Every three months: review the task list together and adjust it.
What OSHA and the CDC Advise
OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule asks that work areas and passageways be kept clean, orderly and free of hazards such as spills. The CDC advises regular cleaning of the surfaces many people touch, such as door handles, light switches and shared desks, so keep them reachable.
Offices We Clean in Northern Virginia and Maryland
Based in Tysons, Virginia, BizProClean is locally owned and operated. We clean offices for law firms, accountants, medical practices and small companies, on evenings and weekends after the staff goes home. Each office gets its own written checklist, and the crew follows it on every visit.
The same written checklist comes with our office cleaning services in Vienna, VA, our janitorial services in Arlington, VA and our commercial cleaning services in Bethesda, MD.
Beyond the desks, our janitorial services cover restrooms, kitchens and floors from the same written checklist, agreed before the first visit.
Our guide to commonly missed spots in office cleaning shows what crews skip most.
Book a Free Walkthrough of Your Office
On a free visit we go through this checklist with you, room by room. The written quote that follows shows every task and its frequency, so nothing is left to memory. Request a free quote and we will set a time.
Related reading: Secure Office Cleaning and Office Cleaning for Law Firms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I clear my desk before the crew comes?
Yes. Put papers and personal items away or in a marked tray, and the crew can wipe the whole surface.
Do I need to be there when the crew arrives?
Only at the start, if you like. After that the crew uses the keys or cards you set up and follows the written list.
How should confidential papers be handled?
Lock them away. A crew should never need to open a drawer or a file cabinet, and locked rooms stay closed unless you say otherwise.
What should I tell a new crew?
Which rooms are off limits, where the supplies are kept, how the alarm works and who to contact about a problem.