The 5 Office Cleaning Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making
Keeping your office clean isn’t just about how it looks; it’s about keeping everyone healthy, boosting morale and protecting your company’s reputation. But even though they mean well, a lot of businesses still make mistakes when they’re managing cleaning either in-house or with an outsourced team.
When it comes to commercial cleaning, if you don’t pay attention to the basics, you might have some major problems down the line. Here are five cleaning mistakes to stop doing right away.
1. Using the Wrong Cleaning Products
It’s a common mistake to choose the wrong cleaning products. It might seem like you can just grab an all-purpose spray for every surface, but the reality is that different materials need different care.
Wooden desks, leather chairs, glass partitions — each one needs its own specific treatment. Harsh chemicals can strip finishes, discolour materials, or leave behind sticky residues that attract even more dirt. Even worse, using ineffective disinfectants could leave dangerous germs hanging around.
So, what’s the answer? Make sure you work closely with your cleaning provider to make sure they’re only using approved products and that the cleaners know when and where to use them.
2. Ignoring High-Touch Surfaces
It’s easy to think that if the floors are vacuumed and the bins are emptied, an office is clean. But there’s one important part of commercial cleaning that often gets forgotten: high-touch surfaces.
Things like door handles, lift buttons, keyboards, phones and kitchen appliances get touched hundreds of times a day. If you don’t disinfect these surfaces regularly, they can become hotspots for viruses and bacteria, which can lead to more employees getting sick.
The best way to deal with this is to set up a daily checklist that highlights the high-risk areas. If you make sure you disinfect the right things in the right way every time you clean, you’ll get rid of a lot more germs and make your workplace much safer.
3. Reusing Dirty Cleaning Tools
It sounds almost unbelievable, but it happens far more often than businesses realise using dirty cloths, mops, or sponges across multiple surfaces.
It’s not only ineffective, but it also risks cross-contamination — potentially spreading germs from the toilets to the staff kitchen or from one desk to another.
When it comes to professional cleaning, keeping equipment clean is a must. You should use colour-coded cloths for different zones, regularly launder materials and replace worn tools. If you haven’t asked your cleaning provider about their tool hygiene protocols yet, now’s probably a good time.
4. Rushing the Cleaning Process
Cleaning isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about quality. But often, businesses expect cleaning to be done quickly — especially after hours — which leads to rushed jobs that miss vital areas or don’t let products work effectively.
For example, most disinfectants need to sit on a surface for a bit to kill off the bacteria and viruses. Spraying and wiping it off is only good for getting rid of the surface dirt, but it’s not actually getting rid of the harmful germs.
The fix is simple: just make sure you allow enough time for a thorough clean. If you need to, change the cleaning schedules or how many staff you have, just make sure you have enough people and resources to get the job done properly.
5. Neglecting Air Quality and Ventilation
One of the things people often forget to take care of in the office is the air itself.
Dirty air vents, clogged filters and poor ventilation systems can spread dust, allergens and pathogens around your building. This can reduce the quality of the air in your building and lead to “sick building syndrome”, where people who work in the building can get headaches, feel tired and have breathing problems.
If you’re serious about keeping your standards high, you should schedule regular HVAC maintenance and make sure you clean your air ducts every now and then. A good commercial cleaning partner will often provide or arrange these services, making sure your office environment feels as fresh as it looks.
Final thoughts
If businesses can avoid these common mistakes, they can protect their employees, boost productivity and leave a lasting positive impression on clients and visitors.
If you’re not sure your current cleaning routine is up to scratch, now’s the time to take a look at your practices or get in touch with us, as we can deliver the level of care your workplace deserves.