- Daniel Hiza
Janitorial Cleaning Services Checklist
For businesses seeking to outsource janitorial cleaning duties and other, similar cleaning and maintenance responsibilities, an initial janitorial cleaning services checklist is a must-have. Businesses need to know what they are looking for when they seek out janitorial cleaning companies, commercial cleaning companies, or facility management companies.
One of the best signs of service quality is customer retention. When cleaning jobs are poorly managed, it’s often rather apparent. Businesses should never settle when it comes to cleaning. Poor air quality is one of the silent killers of productivity and personal well-being in the workplace.

What is Janitorial Cleaning and What does it Include?
Janitorial cleaning is defined by cleaning and upkeep—that often includes basic building maintenance. Janitorial cleaning services tend to provide high-quality cleaning and sanitization alongside maintenance. We recommend that businesses use a janitorial task checklist to avoid fine details that would otherwise fall into the cracks.
Maintenance often includes tasks such as changing light bulbs, repairing furniture if needed, and carrying out basic mechanical repairs on common equipment such as hand dryers, dispensers, and similar items.
Janitorial cleaning should occur regularly—upkeep cleaning often occurs daily to weekly, depending on the task. Cleaning tasks should include ceilings, floors, walls, furniture, and windows. Many businesses prefer a greater depth to cleaning than this, but this is a solid start.
General Office Cleaning List
The following lists of cleaning and maintenance activities are separated based on location types. We’ve included this list for convenience.
Entrance and exists
These are often high-traffic areas with multiple touchpoints. Many businesses use a two-door entry system to limit weather-related expenses. This has proven to be a concern for consumers due to the sealing effect of small spaces, such as these temperature barriers. Professional janitors will often take care of the following tasks to ensure a safe and clean operational space:
Wipe and remove handprints from the doors
Wipe and clean door knobs
Clean and air door mats
Vacuum carpet
Dust and clean any planters
Wipe and clean lights and fixtures
Remove cobwebs from ceilings and corners
Sweep and mop floor and dry thoroughly
Lobby, reception, conference rooms, public waiting rooms, halls
Close-proximity marks these areas as potential hazards since the rise of COVID-19. Lobbies and other communal spaces, such as conference rooms and public waiting rooms are infamous for acting as breeding grounds for bacteria and other microbes. Ensure that your janitor of choice accepts responsibility for the following tasks:
Wipe and clean door and glass surfaces
Dust all visible surfaces
Spray cleaner and wipe all picture frames and decor
Dust and clean lights and fixtures
Spot clean the walls
Remove cobwebs from ceilings
Check air conditioner
Clean and air door mats
Dust and clean furniture
Remove and stack magazines and newspapers
Remove any coffee cups and glasses
Sweep, mop and dry the floor
Vacuum carpeted area
Remove trash and replace liners in the bin
Restock stationery
Restock refrigerators
Staircase and elevators
Elevators offer similar potential risks, though without exercising. An enclosed space which requires passengers to stand in close proximity does not provide an ideal experience for passengers when microbes such as SARS, the Flu, or COVID are rampaging.
Perhaps more enclosed than hallways, stairs provide uniquely dangerous circumstances when considering microbial threats. People are exercising in a sealed area that may be frequented by hundreds or thousands of other people each day. Janitors should manage these tasks to limit the spread of microbes and ensure safety for building inhabitants—whether visiting or regularly present.
Wipe the ceiling and lights
Clean the mirrors
Wipe the buttons
Mop the floor
Public and employee’s restrooms
Restrooms offer a proverbial petri dish for microbes in the same space as one of the best methods of fighting microbe-based threats. Sinks must remain clean alongside regular disinfection of soap and other dispenser types. Floors must be mopped, dried, and swept regularly to prevent falling and health hazards. The following tasks are staples of professional janitorial services providers:
Clean and disinfect the toilet
Clean and disinfect the sinks
Sweep the floor of debris
Mop the floor with disinfectant
Clean of hard surfaces
Discard paper towels
Replace empty toilet paper rolls
Clean the mirror with glass cleaner
Office bay
Workers can sometimes leave minor messes around their desks. Even something simple like a couple of coffee creamer containers and a napkin can add up quickly day-over-day. Further, a minor coffee spill can quickly escalate into a larger issue. For this reason, janitors often take care of these simple, yet effective cleaning and maintenance tasks:
Dust all tables and desks
Clean any spills and stains
Clean the chair heads
Rearrange stationery
Dust and clean all electrical gadgets
Sanitize the telephones
Clean the window panes
Clean all lights and fixtures
Vacuum clean the carpets and rugs
Canteen and kitchen area
Company kitchens and deli areas have proven vital to retaining top talent in busy areas such as Silicon Valley and New York City. These spaces allow workers to procure nutrition without fronting the fee for delivery, waiting and hoping someone else places their order correctly, or leaving with the risk of returning to work late. Professional janitorial services help enable workers to thrive with these facilities by completing the following hygiene-related tasks:
Wipe and clean all visible surfaces
Wipe and clean microwave inside out
Clean the sink and faucet
Empty trash, replace liner
Sweep, mop and dry the floor
Pritchard Industries provides professional janitorial services to many of our facilities management clients. Our porters and other specialized staff are on-call 24/7 in the event of a spill or emergency. Our janitorial staff work tirelessly around the clock to maintain our client sites to the Pritchard Standard. Book a free consultation today to see how our janitorial services can help your business.