Commercial Cleaning Review: An 8-Point Checklist
Review your commercial cleaning service in eight steps, from high-traffic areas and task frequency to communication, inspections and the agreed scope.
A commercial cleaning review is not about quickly checking if floors look clean. For a property manager, it mainly serves to identify discrepancies that become complaints: a persistent smell in the waste room, marks on the elevator, a neglected corridor after a busy week, or dust that comes back after construction work.
In a residential building, a condominium, a clinic, or an office, cleanliness is visible every day. It influences the experience of residents, visitors, employees, and tenants. A well-conducted review allows measuring the real quality of the service, adjusting frequencies, and ensuring that the team assigned to the building works according to the priorities of the site.
Why review cleaning rather than changing supplier too quickly?
A poor result does not always come from a lack of effort. It can reveal a too vague quote, an inappropriate frequency, a schedule that does not take into account the traffic, or a lack of communication between the cleaning team and the property manager.
For example, cleaning a lobby once a day may be appropriate for a small rental building. In a condo tower with dogs, deliveries, strollers, and constant traffic, this frequency may be insufficient. Similarly, a recycling room may require more attention in the summer when smells and liquids on the floor become a problem quickly.
Before replacing a supplier, a structured review helps distinguish a performance issue from a planning issue. It is also the best way to define observable expectations rather than simply asking for "cleaner" service.
The 8 points of a commercial cleaning review
1. Check the areas that influence the first impression
The lobby, glass doors, carpets, elevators, and corridors are the first areas judged by occupants. Fingerprints, salt, paper on the floor, stains, and forgotten corners are quickly noticed.
The inspection must be done at representative times. A perfect lobby at 6 a.m. may be marked at 4 p.m. To evaluate the service, look at the result after the team's visit as well as the program's ability to keep the place clean between two visits.
2. Examine the common areas as a whole
Who cleans the common areas of a condominium? Usually, an building janitorial service or a commercial cleaning team designated by the condo board or property manager. Their mandate may include lobbies, corridors, stairwells, elevators, common rooms, and entrances, according to the service agreement.
The review must confirm that each area is clearly included. Stairwells, baseboards, door handles, emergency exits, and window sills are often forgotten when the quote does not specify tasks and frequencies. A clean common area is not just a cleaned floor; it must appear well-maintained as a whole.
3. Control the waste and recycling rooms
These rooms are among the main sources of complaints in multi-unit buildings and condos. A useful inspection checks the floors, walls near bins, liquid traces, smells, overflowing containers, as well as the condition of handles and doors.
Cleaning this area often requires a different method than regular cleaning. Residues must be removed, affected surfaces treated, the floor washed, and situations that exceed regular cleaning, such as a damaged bin or a leak, reported. Without this follow-up, the smell returns quickly, even if the room was cleaned the day before.
4. Evaluate floors according to their actual use
A residential corridor floor, a commercial entrance, and an underground garage are not maintained the same way. Winter dirt, abrasion from wheels, water stains, calcium, and spills require appropriate frequencies and equipment.
During the review, observe the edges, corners, entrance carpets, and areas in front of elevators. These are often the places where dirt accumulates the most. A too quick cleaning may give a temporary good appearance while leaving a dull film or marks that degrade the floor finish over time.
5. Do not neglect the underground garage
The underground garage is rarely the most valued area in a quote, but its condition directly influences the perception of the building. Black dust, light debris, tire marks, stagnant water, and salt residue create an impression of neglect and can also complicate the maintenance of pedestrian access.
The review must establish what is regular and what requires specialized intervention, such as seasonal restoration or high-pressure washing when conditions allow. It must also check the stairs connecting the garage to the floors, which are often dirtier than main corridors.
6. Measure consistency, not just on good days
Reliable cleaning is recognized by its consistency. A single visit is therefore not enough. Take notes over several weeks, ideally at different times: after a rainy day, after a waste collection, before a condominium meeting, or during a period of construction.
Recurrent problems deserve precise documentation. Instead of indicating that "elevators are often dirty," note that interior panels are marked on Monday mornings or that the floor is stained from midday. These details allow adjusting the schedule, frequency, or method without wasting time on imprecise discussions.
7. Check communication and on-site follow-up
What does an building janitorial service include? Beyond cleaning common spaces, it generally includes organized presence, execution of planned tasks, identification of anomalies, and clear communication with the building manager. The exact scope depends on the contract.
A good team reports what cannot be resolved by regular cleaning: a leak, a damaged door, large debris, a burned-out light bulb, or unusual deterioration. For the property manager, this information flow prevents small problems from becoming visible too long to residents.
Ask for a simple communication method: responsible person, expected response time, way to transmit urgent requests, and confirmation when the correction is completed. Operational cleanliness depends as much on this follow-up as on the cleaning itself.
8. Adjust the quote to seasons and construction
A fixed quote does not always take into account the reality of a building in Quebec. Winter brings salt, water, and saturated carpets. Spring reveals accumulated dirt. Moves, housing renovations, and construction work produce dust, tape, residues, and unusual traffic.
A commercial cleaning review should include seasonal adjustments and define when specialized intervention becomes necessary. After construction, for example, regular cleaning does not replace a post-construction cleaning. Fine particles, adhesive traces, dust on high surfaces, and residues in elevators require targeted restoration before occupancy or handover.
A simple checklist for property managers
To make the review useful, associate each area with three elements: the expected frequency, the expected result, and the person to notify in case of discrepancy. A corridor can be cleaned three times a week, but the expected result should also specify the absence of debris, visible stains, and dust in accessible corners.
Keep the observations factual and related to the building. This approach facilitates corrections and makes meetings with the supplier more effective. It also avoids confusing an exceptional incident with a lack of consistency in the service.
Nickel & Krome S.E.N.C., NEQ 3381837957, supports property managers, condo boards, and property owners for building maintenance, building janitorial services, and commercial cleaning in Montreal, Laval, and on the North Shore. The team can be contacted at +1 514-974-3311 to assess the needs of a building, a business, or a site after construction.
A well-done review does not just look for defects. It gives the property manager a clear basis to keep shared spaces clean, reduce complaints, and preserve a consistent image of the building, week after week.