Getting Good Cleaning Value

Are You Getting Value From Your Cleaners?

A Cleaning Checklist

Keeping a workplace truly clean is more than just a fresh scent – it’s about consistent standards, thorough procedures, and accountability. Use this practical checklist to audit your cleaning service and ensure you’re getting real value for money.

• Overall Cleanliness: Inspect surfaces, floors and high-touch areas. Dust on ledges, crumbs under desks or untouched corners mean corners are being cut. A proper schedule is essential: “without a proper cleaning schedule, cleaners may miss areas… such as under and to the backs of furnishings”cleanology.com. Check behind and under furniture or equipment (e.g. keyboards, monitors). Don’t just rely on a strong “clean” smell – powerful bleach odors can mask dirt rather than guarantee cleanliness. For example, one manager had placed a personal item under a chair for 3 weeks to test their current cleaners – a clear sign of a rushed job.
• Cleaning Supplies & Equipment: Open the cleaning cupboard. It should be tidy, with fresh mop heads, clean cloths and (if applicable) fresh tea towels available. It certainly shouldn’t have dirty ones! Look for a range cleaning solutions (general-purpose detergent, floor cleaner, glass cleaner, etc.) and that bottles are full and clearly labeled. Empty or unlabelled containers are useless. In fact, CDC guidelines insist containers “should be clean, clearly labeled, and have an expiration date” and should never be “topped up” but replaced when emptycdc.gov. Also check for proper color-coding supplies: there should be separate cloths or mop-heads for different areas (e.g. red for toilets, green for kitchens, blue for general areas). A system like this prevents cross-contamination cdc.govbics.org.uk. Lastly, ensure stock items like paper towels, toilet tissue and hand soap are plentiful. A standard office-restroom checklist even notes to “stock towels, tissue, and hand soap” dailyjaniking.com – overflowing waste bins or empty soap dispensers indicate poor planning.
• Health & Safety Documentation: A professional cleaning firm should maintain up-to-date paperwork. There should be a cleaning risk assessment and a COSHH (Chemical Safety) file on site. Under UK law, every employer must assess cleaning hazards to protect staff highspeedtraining.co.uk. Correspondingly, there should be Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each chemical used (often kept in a COSHH binder). HSE guidance reminds us that cleaning agents can be hazardous: they “can cause skin allergies and asthma… [and] some are corrosive” hse.gov.uk, so safe use and storage (with gloves, ventilation, etc.) are crucial. Also ask to see a Method Statement or Safe Work Method Statement – this is a step-by-step cleaning plan outlining each task, hazards and controls. Such a method statement “ensures that everyone involved understands the job steps clearly, reducing the risk of accidents” sitemate.com.
• Service Hours & Thoroughness: Verify cleaners are on-site for the contracted hours. Inadequate cleaning is often due to too little time or staff. In our experience, rushing a job leaves dirt behind. Ensure the cleaning schedule meets the size of your premises; if not, tell the contractor. (Studies and best-practice guides emphasise that without enough scheduled time, germs accumulate and areas get missed cleanology.com.) For example, one client lost a contract because her previous cleaners argued over who missed a spot: an object under a chair went uncleaned for weeks. If cleaners barely use their paid hours, you won’t get a deep clean.
• Cross-Contamination Controls: Good cleaners will use a strict colour-coding system. This means different coloured cloths, mops or buckets for each area type (e.g. one colour for WC’s, another for kitchens, etc.). CDC and BICSc (UK cleaning standards) both advise this: the goal is always to “prevent cross-contamination from one cleaning area or surface to another”bics.org.uk. For instance, use red cloths for bathrooms and green for kitchens. If all your cloths look alike or one filthy mop is used everywhere, hygiene is compromised.
• Credentials & Insurance: Finally, check the company’s cover and vetting. A reliable cleaner will have comprehensive public liability insurance (covering any accidental damage during cleaning) and will perform DBS (criminal record) checks on staff. Cleaners who are DBS-checked have been vetted for criminal history, giving you peace of mind rainbowavltd.co.uk. Fully insured staff also protects you: as one industry guide notes, “in the event of an accident… you will be compensated” for any damager ainbowavltd.co.uk. Without insurance, any mishap could become your liability.

If you can answer “yes” to all of the above, you’re in good shape – you might even be as lucky as having Spot On Cleaners as your cleaner. If not, it’s time for a change. Spot On Cleaners Ltd meets every one of these criteria. Contact us today for a free on-site cleaning appraisal and quote: call 01624 612833 or email [email protected]. We’ll inspect your premises and ensure you truly get value for every cleaning pound spent.
Sources: Best-practice guides and regulations for commercial cleaning (e.g. UK HSE/COSHH, CDC, BICSc) highspeedtraining.co.ukhse.gov.ukcdc.govcdc.govbics.org.uksitemate.comjaniking.comrainbowavltd.co.ukrainbowavltd.co.ukcleanology.com.