Spring cleaning is one of the best times of the year. A thorough cleaning can rid your commercial building of winter dust and grime for a clean, healthy, and refreshed environment. Maintenance each season can help prevent larger issues in the long-run. Plus, a clean building is the easiest way to improve your business’ profitability.
Below is our ultimate commercial spring cleaning checklist for your janitorial team and handymen.
How to start
Commercial spring cleaning is slightly different than residential, as it calls for greater organization and in-depth cleaning processes.
We recommend starting by sending out a notice to all employees that you’ll be going through a spring cleaning period. Tell them what the process will look like. Where will you be cleaning? What types of products will you be using? Note that surveys show that most employees, nearly 64%, prefer the use of eco-friendly products in their office buildings.
Provide a daily schedule so they know what to expect each day. For example, if your team is cleaning the main conference room on Wednesday, you want to make sure no one tries to book that space during that time.
You can also request that employees remove or box up their items for a certain time period, so you can fully clean their desks and workspaces. Provide a schedule of the days you’ll clean each department’s offices so they are prepared and can remove their items. You won’t waste time removing items from their desks, and they won’t worry about their private items being moved. It also gives them the opportunity to do their own personal spring cleaning.
Sharing this information guarantees a smooth and efficient spring cleaning process for your team. It also urges employees to get on board as well.
Now that everyone is on board, what are some of the key areas you should focus on during your spring cleaning?
Flooring
- Deep-clean carpets to remove stains.
- Deep-clean floor mats before storing.
- Move file cabinets, conference tables, desks, and other large furniture items to clean the entirety of the floor. This ensures there is no dust hiding out that could be impacting health and air quality.
- Clean flooring baseboards and corners with a high-powered vacuum.
- Buff and scrub tile and concrete.
- Consider re-finishing and re-sealing floors for a renewed appearance.
- Look for fire hazards on the floor. Remove any floor or stairway blockages.
- Observe tile for breaks, dents, or cracks. Consider replacing broken tile or redoing the flooring. Even one broken tile can be a huge liability for your business.
Walls
- Look for chipped paint and cracks. Determine if you need to repaint or if you can cover with a small coat (or even a picture frame). If the cracks are large, you may want to have a professional inspect for damage.
- Clean all windows to remove dust and marks. Clean both the outside and inside. For tall or high windows, hire a professional window cleaning service.
- Dust and wash the drapes and blinds. This area is usually forgotten in weekly cleanings.
- Dust ceiling corners, light fixtures, and tops of doors.
Furniture
- Deep-clean upholstery. This helps remove dirt and stains to renew appearance and smell. Odors can get trapped in fabric, especially in desk chairs or lobby waiting areas.
- Wipe down all desks with sanitizing solution. Clean the underside of desks. To make this easier, create a cleaning schedule so each person can remove items from their desk for the day.
- Wipe down conference room tables, trophy cases, and other shelving units.
Bathrooms
- Clean the grout in between the tiles.
- Sanitize and deep clean all surfaces with bleach-based products.
- Re-caulk in areas of cracking or splitting.
- Bleach the inside of toilet bowls. Rub the external of the toilet bowls with a sanitizing cleanser.
- Wash the floor baseboards around toilets and urinals.
- Wash all trashcans, including small disposals in stalls.
- Replace all toilet paper, soap, and other usables.
- Post hand washing signs throughout the bathroom to encourage cleanliness.
- Look for signs of mold or mildew, which is more common in high-humidity environments like bathrooms. Remove any mildew immediately.
Breakroom
- Clean all trash cans.
- Disinfect all surfaces including fridge handles, microwaves, microwave buttons, coffee maker, tables, and chairs.
- Remove all food from the fridge. Throw out expired products. Wipe down inside of fridge with healthy, eco-friendly solution. (Put products back in to avoid an office lunch disaster.)
- Clean the sink with an eco-friendly sanitizer, like white vinegar.
Electrical
- Replace burnt out light bulbs. We recommend LED lights for eco-friendly longevity. Plus, they’re great for high-lighting in office spaces.
- Clean air conditioning units. When you turn on these units in the spring, you don’t want them blowing out allergens and dust. Replace the AC air filters, clean coils, and dust the entirety of the main unit.
- Go through the building to clean heating and AC vents. Use a microfiber cloth to pick up dust.
- Check outlets for breaks or damage.
- Remove power cords from unsafe areas.
Supply closet
- Don’t forget to take care of your janitorial home as well. De-clutter. Throw out any old or expired chemicals.
- Ensure proper storage of all chemicals and products.
- Re-organize products and equipment for easy access.
- Clean floors and walls just like you would any other room.
Other
- Dust and clean computers. Unplug the keyboard, gently shake it over a trash can to remove crumbs. Wipe surface with alcohol wipe or cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. Turn off the computer and use a microfiber cloth to dust off the screen and back of the monitor.
- Wipe down surfaces that people touch every day. We recommend using an eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner. Surfaces can include elevator buttons, handrails, and doorknobs.
- Wash the insides of all trash cans and recycling bins. Spilled food and leftovers can cause unpleasant lingering odors.
Outside
- Pressure wash sidewalks and walkways. This helps remove a buildup of winter salt, sand, and dirt. Clear sidewalks are your first impression before someone walks into your building.
- Pressure wash the sides of your building. Snow and rain can cause staining on the outside of your building that can make the space look old and dilapidated. Clean it with a strong pressure washer to remove gunk and enliven the look of the building.
- Sweep and remove dust and debris from parking lots, patios, and sidewalks.
- Clean all gutters to ensure runoff doesn’t damage your roof or attic.
- Work with the landscaping team to maintain plants, stones, and outdoor design.
Don’t forget to keep your workers safe while cleaning!
The Bottom Line
Every facility has different cleaning needs. The above is a bare minimum checklist to help make sure you remember the key items. Go through each room and take note of what needs to be accomplished and cleaned.
Create an in-depth calendar to share with the building and janitorial team. This schedule will ensure all rooms get cleaned without impacting the productivity of the business.
With the right spring cleaning checklist and a little elbow grease, your commercial building will be spotless, clean, and revitalized in no time!
Do you need assistance spring cleaning your floors? Not sure how to choose the right equipment?
Contact Floorcare now for a floor consultation. We can help you find the perfect products and tools for your spring cleaning!