By Spalls Clean Editorial Team · Updated 2026-09-02
A commercial office cleaning service can cover routine cleaning of workspaces, floors, washrooms, kitchens and communal areas, alongside periodic services such as carpet cleaning, window cleaning and hard floor maintenance. The exact work included should depend on the building, how it is used and the cleaning specification agreed between the business and its cleaning contractor.
For businesses requiring more than everyday office cleaning, professional commercial cleaning can also include post-construction cleaning, damp and mould treatment, specialist floor care and emergency cleaning.
Spalls Clean is a family-run commercial cleaning company with more than 45 years of industry experience. We provide commercial and specialist cleaning services across London, Essex and surrounding areas, operate 24 hours a day and provide a rapid 2–4 hour response.
Key Takeaways
- Commercial office cleaning should be based on the individual requirements of the workplace rather than a generic checklist.
- Routine cleaning can cover floors, desks, washrooms, kitchens, reception areas and other shared spaces.
- Periodic services can include office carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window cleaning and hard floor maintenance.
- Specialist cleaning may be required following construction work, flooding, sewage incidents, mould problems or biohazard events.
- A written cleaning specification makes it easier to compare commercial cleaning companies and quotes.
- Cleaning frequency should be based on footfall, building use, staffing levels and individual areas rather than one fixed schedule.
What Is Included in Commercial Office Cleaning?
The scope of commercial office cleaning varies between workplaces.
A small office occupied by a handful of employees may need a very different cleaning service from a busy commercial building with reception areas, meeting rooms, shared kitchens, washrooms and a high volume of visitors.
Routine office cleaning services may include:
- Vacuuming carpets and entrance matting
- Cleaning appropriate hard floor surfaces
- Dusting accessible surfaces
- Cleaning desks and work areas where agreed
- Cleaning washrooms and toilets
- Cleaning kitchens and staff break areas
- Wiping frequently used surfaces
- Emptying general waste bins
- Cleaning internal glass and partitions
- Maintaining reception areas
- Cleaning corridors and other shared spaces
The important point is that these tasks should form part of an agreed specification.
A professional office cleaning company should establish which areas need cleaning, which tasks need completing and how frequently each area requires attention.
Routine, Periodic and Specialist Cleaning Explained
Not every cleaning task needs to be completed at the same frequency.
Separating cleaning into routine, periodic and specialist requirements gives facilities managers a clearer picture of what is actually included.
| Type of cleaning | Examples | When it may be required |
|---|---|---|
| Routine office cleaning | Floors, desks, washrooms, kitchens, reception areas and shared spaces | According to the agreed cleaning schedule |
| Periodic cleaning | Carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window cleaning and hard floor maintenance | At planned intervals or according to condition |
| Deep cleaning | More detailed cleaning beyond the normal routine | When additional attention is required |
| Specialist cleaning | Post-construction, mould, fire damage, flood, sewage and biohazard cleaning | Following a particular event or specialist requirement |
| Reactive cleaning | Unexpected cleaning requirements | When an incident requires a faster response |
This distinction is important when businesses compare commercial cleaning services.
For example, routine vacuuming is not the same service as professional office carpet cleaning, while normal mopping is different from specialist commercial floor cleaning involving stripping, polishing or buffing.
How Should an Office Cleaning Programme Be Planned?
One of the most useful ways to organise professional office cleaning is to divide the premises into zones according to how heavily each area is used.
High-use areas
These can include:
- Entrances
- Reception areas
- Washrooms
- Shared kitchens
- Main corridors
- Frequently used meeting spaces
These parts of the building may require more regular attention because more people use them.
Standard working areas
These may include:
- Desks
- Individual offices
- Meeting rooms
- Storage areas
- Less frequently used corridors
The cleaning schedule can then be based on the way these spaces are actually used.
Periodic cleaning areas
Certain tasks may not form part of every normal visit.
Examples include:
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Upholstery cleaning
- Window cleaning
- Hard floor polishing
- Hard floor buffing
- Cladding cleaning
Reactive and specialist requirements
Businesses may occasionally require additional commercial cleaning services following an unexpected event.
These should normally be considered separately from routine cleaning.
Creating these categories makes an office cleaning programme easier to understand and review.
How Often Should Different Office Areas Be Cleaned?
There is no universal schedule that works for every workplace.
Instead, businesses should consider usage and footfall.
| Office area | Factors to consider |
|---|---|
| Reception | Visitor numbers, external dirt and customer-facing presentation |
| Washrooms | Number of employees and visitors using the facilities |
| Kitchen or break area | Staff numbers and frequency of use |
| Main office | Number of employees and working patterns |
| Meeting rooms | Frequency of bookings and visitor use |
| Carpets | Footfall, staining and general condition |
| Hard floors | Surface type, footfall and existing condition |
| Windows | Building location, presentation requirements and condition |
| Communal areas | Number of people using the space |
This provides a more useful basis for daily office cleaning than assuming every room needs exactly the same treatment.
What Should Daily Office Cleaning Include?
Where daily cleaning is appropriate, the exact tasks should still be agreed in advance.
A daily office cleaning specification might cover frequently used areas such as:
- Washrooms
- Kitchen facilities
- Reception spaces
- Waste bins
- Main walkways
- Shared work areas
Other areas may require attention less frequently.
The right approach depends on the number of employees, opening hours, visitors, floor types and how the workplace operates.
UK workplace regulations also address cleanliness. Regulation 9 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires workplaces, furniture, furnishings and fittings to be kept sufficiently clean.
Businesses can also refer to the Health and Safety Executive’s workplace health, safety and welfare guidance for further information.
Does Commercial Office Cleaning Include Carpet Cleaning?
Routine vacuuming may form part of normal office cleaning services, but professional carpet cleaning is a different level of work.
Office carpet cleaning services may be useful for:
- Entrance areas
- Corridors
- Meeting rooms
- Reception spaces
- Heavily used working areas
- Carpeted communal spaces
Spalls Clean provides carpet and upholstery steam cleaning as part of our wider commercial cleaning services.
Professional commercial carpet cleaning can therefore be arranged alongside normal office cleaning when deeper carpet care is required.
The same applies to upholstery.
Office chairs, reception furniture and other upholstered items may require periodic upholstery cleaning rather than simply being included within the everyday cleaning routine.
What About Commercial Floor Cleaning?
Hard floors can require several different types of maintenance.
Routine cleaning may deal with everyday dust and dirt, while specialist commercial floor cleaning can involve more extensive maintenance.
Spalls Clean provides hard floor maintenance including:
- Stripping
- Polishing
- Buffing
The correct approach depends on the flooring material and its condition.
A business comparing professional commercial cleaning services should therefore check whether a quote covers only everyday floor cleaning or includes any periodic floor maintenance.
This is particularly important in entrances, reception areas and other high-footfall parts of a commercial property.
Is Commercial Window Cleaning Included?
Window cleaning can form part of wider commercial building cleaning, but businesses should confirm exactly what is covered.
Cleaning an internal glass partition is very different from cleaning external windows or cladding.
Spalls Clean provides commercial window cleaning and cladding cleaning alongside our wider cleaning services.
For larger properties, external window and cladding work may be scheduled separately from the normal office cleaning programme.
This is another reason businesses should avoid assuming that every task sits within a standard office cleaning package.
What Is Commercial Deep Cleaning?
Routine cleaning and commercial deep cleaning services are not necessarily the same thing.
Routine cleaning focuses on maintaining agreed parts of the workplace on a regular schedule.
Deep cleaning generally involves additional attention beyond the normal routine and may be arranged because of the condition of the premises, a particular event or a planned maintenance requirement.
The exact scope should always be agreed beforehand.
Businesses should therefore ask whether deep cleaning is:
- Included within the normal agreement
- Scheduled periodically
- Quoted separately when required
This makes commercial cleaning costs easier to understand and avoids comparing quotes that contain different levels of service.
Which Specialist Cleaning Services Can Commercial Properties Need?
Some requirements fall well outside ordinary office building cleaning services.
Spalls Clean provides a range of specialist commercial cleaning services, including:
- Damp and mould treatment and cleaning
- Fire damage cleaning
- Post-construction cleaning
- VOID cleaning
- Clinical cleaning
- Graffiti removal and jet washing
- Sharps and hypodermic sweeps and removal
- Trauma and crime scene cleaning
- Flood and sewage cleaning
- Pigeon guano removal and cleaning
These services are distinct from routine office cleaning.
For example, a refurbished office may require post-construction cleaning before normal occupation resumes.
A flood or sewage incident requires a different cleaning response from a scheduled workplace clean.
Having access to both routine and specialist services can therefore be useful for organisations responsible for wider facility management.
What Should Be Included in an Office Cleaning Specification?
Before requesting an office cleaning quote, businesses should create a basic specification.
It does not need to be complicated.
A practical specification should answer six questions:
- Which areas need cleaning?
- What tasks are required in each area?
- How often should each task take place?
- When can cleaners access the premises?
- Which periodic services are required?
- How will additional or reactive work be arranged?
The specification can then be shared with different cleaning contractors.
This makes it much easier to compare like-for-like proposals.
Without a specification, one commercial cleaning quote might include window cleaning and periodic floor maintenance while another covers only routine cleaning.
The cheaper quote may therefore provide substantially less work.
What Affects Commercial Cleaning Costs?
There is no single commercial cleaning price that applies to every workplace.
Commercial cleaning costs can depend on the scope and requirements of the property.
Factors that can affect a quote include:
- Size of the premises
- Number of areas requiring cleaning
- Cleaning frequency
- Building access
- Working hours
- Floor types
- Washroom and kitchen facilities
- Periodic cleaning requirements
- Specialist cleaning requirements
Businesses comparing a commercial cleaning service should therefore focus on what is included rather than looking at the headline price alone.
Two quotes can be very different even where the overall office size is similar.
How Do You Compare Commercial Cleaning Companies?
When comparing commercial cleaning companies, start with the cleaning specification rather than the sales pitch.
Ask each provider to quote against the same requirements.
Check:
- What areas are included?
- What tasks are included?
- How often are they completed?
- Are carpets included beyond routine vacuuming?
- Is window cleaning included?
- Is hard floor maintenance separate?
- How are additional cleaning requests handled?
- Can the provider support specialist requirements?
- Who is responsible for communication when requirements change?
This creates a much fairer comparison between providers.
It also helps businesses understand whether they are comparing a general cleaning service with a broader professional commercial cleaning arrangement.
What Should You Look for When Searching for Office Cleaners Near Me?
Businesses often begin with searches such as office cleaners near me, commercial cleaners near me, office cleaning companies near me or commercial cleaning services near me.
Location matters, but it should not be the only consideration.
Before selecting a provider, establish whether they can meet the actual requirements of the building.
For businesses comparing commercial office cleaning services near me, useful questions include:
- Does the provider cover the location?
- Can they provide the required cleaning schedule?
- Do they offer the specialist services the property may need?
- Is the quote based on a clear cleaning specification?
- How are reactive cleaning requirements handled?
- Can cleaning arrangements change as the workplace changes?
A nearby provider is only useful if the service itself fits the building.
Commercial Office Cleaning in London
Businesses looking for London commercial cleaning services can range from smaller offices to larger commercial properties with multiple working areas and shared facilities.
The right cleaning arrangement depends on the premises rather than simply the postcode.
Spalls Clean provides office cleaning London businesses can tailor around their requirements, alongside specialist commercial cleaning services.
Our verified coverage includes:
- London
- Essex
- Kent
- Cambridge
- Hertfordshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Surrey
- Surrounding areas
For organisations comparing commercial cleaning London providers, it is worth establishing whether the provider can support both the normal cleaning schedule and any additional requirements that may arise.
Spalls Clean operates 24 hours a day and provides a rapid 2–4 hour response.
Businesses requiring London office cleaning can discuss the building, cleaning requirements and appropriate service specification with our team.
Why a Tailored Office Cleaning Service Matters
A one-size-fits-all cleaning package can make it difficult to know what is actually being delivered.
A tailored office cleaning service starts with the building.
Consider two offices of the same size.
One might employ 20 people and receive very few visitors.
Another might employ 60 people, operate longer hours and have busy meeting rooms, washrooms and customer-facing areas.
Giving both workplaces exactly the same cleaning programme would ignore how differently the buildings are used.
A better approach is to set requirements according to:
- Area
- Usage
- Footfall
- Cleaning task
- Frequency
- Periodic maintenance needs
This gives facilities managers a clearer way to assess whether the cleaning services continue to meet the needs of the property.
Commercial Office Cleaning with Spalls Clean
Spalls Clean is a family-run commercial cleaning company with more than 45 years of industry experience.
We provide commercial and specialist cleaning services across London, Essex and surrounding areas.
Our verified commercial cleaning capabilities include:
- Window and cladding cleaning
- Carpet and upholstery steam cleaning
- Damp and mould treatment and cleaning
- Graffiti removal and jet washing
- Fire damage cleaning
- Post-construction cleaning
- VOID cleaning
- End of tenancy cleaning
- Clinical cleaning
- Hard floor maintenance
We also provide specialist biohazard and emergency cleaning services.
Spalls Clean operates 24 hours a day and provides a rapid 2–4 hour response.
Businesses can explore our commercial and specialist cleaning services or visit www.spallsclean.co.uk to discuss their requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a commercial office cleaning service include?
A commercial office cleaning service can include floors, desks and work areas, washrooms, kitchens, waste bins, reception spaces and communal areas. Periodic services such as carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window cleaning and hard floor maintenance may also be arranged depending on the agreed specification.
What is the difference between office cleaning and commercial cleaning?
Office cleaning focuses specifically on workplace environments, while commercial cleaning can cover a wider range of commercial properties and specialist cleaning requirements. The exact service depends on the premises and the agreed scope.
Is carpet cleaning included in office cleaning?
Routine vacuuming may be included within normal office cleaning, but professional office carpet cleaning is usually treated as a separate periodic task. Spalls Clean provides carpet and upholstery steam cleaning.
Does commercial cleaning include windows?
It can. Businesses should check whether their cleaning specification includes internal glass, external windows, or both. Spalls Clean provides window and cladding cleaning.
How often should an office be cleaned?
There is no single schedule suitable for every workplace. The right frequency depends on employee numbers, footfall, opening hours, building size, shared facilities and how individual areas are used.
What should I ask for in a commercial cleaning quote?
Ask for a clear breakdown showing the areas covered, individual cleaning tasks, frequency, periodic services and how additional cleaning work will be handled. This makes quotes from different commercial cleaning companies easier to compare.
Does Spalls Clean offer professional office cleaning services in London?
Yes. Spalls Clean provides professional office cleaning services and wider commercial cleaning across London, Essex and surrounding areas.
Can Spalls Clean provide specialist cleaning as well?
Yes. Spalls Clean provides specialist services including damp and mould treatment and cleaning, post-construction cleaning, fire damage cleaning, flood and sewage cleaning, clinical cleaning and biohazard and emergency cleaning.
Conclusion
A commercial office cleaning service should be built around the way a workplace actually operates.
Routine cleaning may cover workspaces, floors, washrooms, kitchens and communal areas. Periodic work can include commercial carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, commercial window cleaning and hard floor maintenance, while specialist requirements may need a separate response.
The most effective approach is to create a clear cleaning specification covering the areas to be cleaned, individual tasks, frequency and any periodic requirements.
This makes it easier to compare professional commercial cleaning providers, understand commercial cleaning costs and choose a service that matches the premises rather than relying on a generic package.
Spalls Clean provides professional commercial cleaning services across London, Essex and surrounding areas, backed by more than 45 years of industry experience, 24-hour operation and a rapid 2–4 hour response.
To discuss your workplace requirements, visit www.spallsclean.co.uk.