A good office cleaning program isn't a vague promise to "keep things clean" — it's a specific list of tasks at specific frequencies. This checklist reflects how professional janitorial scopes are actually written. Use it to audit your current service, build a scope of work for bids, or organize in-house cleaning.
Daily Tasks (Every Service Visit)
- Empty all trash and recycling; replace liners; take waste to designated disposal.
- Clean and disinfect restrooms: toilets, urinals, sinks, counters, mirrors, dispensers, and touch points; restock supplies.
- Clean breakroom/kitchen counters, tables, sinks, and appliance exteriors; spot-clean cabinet fronts.
- Vacuum carpeted traffic lanes and walk-off mats; sweep and damp-mop hard-floor traffic areas.
- Wipe and disinfect high-touch points: door handles, light switches, elevator buttons, shared equipment surfaces.
- Spot-clean entrance glass and interior partition glass at touch height.
- Straighten common areas: lobby, conference rooms, and reception.
Weekly Tasks
- Full vacuum of all carpeted areas, including offices and edges (not just traffic lanes).
- Complete damp-mopping of all hard floors, including low-traffic areas.
- Dust workstation surfaces (where cleared), window sills, ledges, and file cabinets.
- Clean interior glass throughout, including conference room partitions.
- Detail-clean breakroom appliances: microwave interiors, refrigerator exteriors and handles.
- Disinfect telephones, shared keyboards/equipment per office policy.
Monthly Tasks
- High dusting: vents, ceiling corners, tops of cabinets and partitions, light fixtures within reach.
- Low dusting: baseboards, chair legs and bases, and under-desk areas where accessible.
- Machine-buff or scrub hard floors per surface type.
- Vacuum upholstered furniture and fabric partitions.
- Clean and polish door hardware, kick plates, and elevator thresholds.
Quarterly to Annual Tasks
- Carpet extraction: quarterly in high-traffic zones, annually or semi-annually facility-wide.
- Strip and wax (or scrub and recoat) VCT and resilient flooring.
- Exterior window cleaning per building height and exposure.
- Deep-clean restrooms: machine-scrub floors, descale fixtures, wash partitions and walls.
- Detailed dusting of blinds and window treatments.
Using This Checklist as a Scope of Work
Written scopes prevent the most common cleaning-contract failure: mismatched expectations. Attach a frequency-organized checklist like this one to your agreement, adjust items to your facility, and quality inspection becomes objective — either the task list is being executed or it isn't. When comparing bids, insist every bidder prices this same list; that's the only way the numbers mean anything.