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Office Janitorial Program

SOP Process Updated Jul 24, 2026 ยท Cleaning

Purpose

Define the recurring office janitorial service - typically nightly (5x/week), evening shift (5pm - 11pm), light-touch cleaning aimed at restrooms + trash + visible surfaces + floors. This is the backbone of every commercial cleaning business. Standard pricing.18 per square foot per month nightly.

Scope

Applies to:

  • 1,000 - 50,000 sq ft general office space
  • Nightly + 3x/week service frequencies
  • Class A + Class B commercial buildings

Excludes specialty work: medical (HIPAA + biohazard requirements), labs, food prep, datacenters. Each of those is a separate SOP with separate training.

Responsibilities

  • Janitor / nightly tech runs the route per checklist
  • Supervisor rotates through each site weekly (mystery-walk)
  • Site contact at customer side receives the monthly recap
  • Account manager owns retention + scope changes

Procedure (per site, ~60 - 180 minutes depending on size)

Arrival + setup (10 minutes)

  1. Park where directed by lease; never block tenant access.
  2. Use the dedicated janitor key OR access badge. Code your arrival in the building log if required.
  3. Lights on the floor you're working; off when leaving each section.
  4. Load cart: vacuum, microfiber kit, trash liners, restroom chemistry, floor mop kit, restock supplies.

Trash + recycling (15 - 45 minutes)

  1. Empty every desk-side bin into the central liner.
  2. Wipe rim of any bin with visible debris.
  3. Replace liner only when soiled or wet (sustainability + cost; daily-liner-swap is wasted material).
  4. Take central trash + recycling to dumpster. SEPARATE streams - recycling contamination is a customer-trust failure.
  5. Restock liners at each station.

Restrooms (15 - 30 minutes each)

  1. Floor inspection. Pick up debris.
  2. Disinfect ALL touch surfaces: toilet flush handle, partition lock, faucet, soap dispenser, paper holder, doorknob. EPA List N quat or peroxide, 1-minute dwell minimum.
  3. Toilet bowl: bowl cleaner, scrub, flush.
  4. Sink + counter: spray, wipe, polish chrome.
  5. Mirror: glass cleaner, microfiber.
  6. Floor: damp mop with disinfectant. Edges + behind toilets.
  7. Restock: TP, paper towel, soap, sanitary napkin.
  8. Empty waste; sanitary disposal in feminine units.
  9. Floor air-dry; wet floor signs while drying.

Common areas (15 - 30 minutes)

  1. Break room: counters, sink, microwave exterior (interior weekly), tables, chairs pushed in.
  2. Coffee station: pot rinse, surface wipe.
  3. Lobby + entry: glass interior, door fingerprints, mat shake.
  4. Floors: vacuum carpet; sweep + damp mop hard floors.

Office desks (light touch, per scope)

  1. Empty trash (covered above).
  2. Wipe non-personal hard surfaces if customer scope includes - desks with papers, keyboards, monitors are typically EXCLUDED unless contracted. Document this in the scope sheet.
  3. Vacuum the floor around desks.

Floors (last; vacuum after wet work to avoid spreading water)

  1. Vacuum all carpet - main paths every visit; full coverage 1 - 2x/week.
  2. Sweep + damp mop all hard floors.
  3. Spot-treat visible stains.
  4. Periodic deep tasks: edge vacuum monthly; carpet spot-extract quarterly.

Close-out (10 minutes)

  1. Lights off in each section as you leave.
  2. Verify all doors locked.
  3. Reset alarm if required.
  4. Log + sign the night-cleaning record.

Periodic add-ons (built into the monthly contract)

  • Window interior: monthly
  • High dusting (vents, top of cabinets): monthly
  • Carpet spot extraction: quarterly
  • Floor burnish (VCT): monthly or quarterly
  • Floor strip + wax: annually
  • HVAC vent grilles: quarterly

Each periodic is on a calendar; documented as completed per visit.

NEVER skip the restroom disinfection touch-point list. The faucet handle, paper dispenser, partition lock, + flush handle are the items the customer's employees touch - + the items audits + mystery shops check. A "clean-looking" restroom that misses touch points fails customer trust the moment one employee gets sick + management asks "what does the cleaning company actually disinfect?" Document the EPA-registered product + the touch points on the recap. Photos help.

Acceptance Criteria

  • All checklist items completed per visit
  • Restroom touch-points disinfected with EPA-registered product
  • Trash + recycling streams separated correctly
  • Periodic tasks executed on calendar
  • Monthly site recap delivered to customer contact

Customer-side success factors

  • One named site contact for issues
  • Mystery walk by supervisor weekly
  • Monthly written recap with what was done + what's coming
  • Quarterly review meeting with site contact

References

  • ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard
  • EPA List N: Disinfectants for use against pathogens
  • BOMA office building service standards
  • Manuall internal: Recurring Customer Operations, Commercial Cleaning Specification Reference

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