Commercial cleaning visits work best when the office is ready to be cleaned — not when the team has to work around piles of paperwork, personal items, or locked cabinets they cannot reach. We have cleaned hundreds of offices across New York and California, and we have learned that a little preparation on your side makes the difference between a good cleaning and a great one. Here is exactly what we recommend every business do before their first visit.
Clear desks and common-area surfaces
You do not need to tidy every paperclip on every desk, but the team needs to see the surfaces to clean them properly. Here is what helps most:
- Desks. Move loose papers, sticky notes, and personal items into drawers or a tidy stack at the edge of the desk. The less on the surface, the more we can disinfect.
- Kitchen and breakroom counters. Put away personal mugs, lunch containers, and any open food. We clean the countertops, microwave, and sink — but we cannot clean around someone's Tupperware.
- Conference rooms. Clear the table of notebooks, laptops, and leftovers from the last meeting. Push chairs in or stack them if you prefer a deeper floor clean.
- Reception area. Tuck away magazines, brochures, and personal bags. We dust and wipe every surface in the reception area — the cleaner it starts, the better it finishes.
Ten minutes of clearing before we arrive makes a real difference. If you want a walk-through of what we cover in every visit, check our Office & Commercial Cleaning page.
Secure sensitive documents and valuables
This is the most important step. We are bonded, insured, and background-checked — but you should still protect anything confidential or high-value before a cleaning team enters your space. Here is the rule we give every client:
- Client files and confidential paperwork should be locked in filing cabinets or a private office with a door you can secure. We clean common areas and open offices, but we do not need access to client records.
- Cash, laptops, and personal valuables should be locked away or taken home. A reception area with unlocked drawers is an invitation we do not want you to regret.
- Passwords and sensitive notes left on sticky notes or whiteboards should be removed before we arrive.
If your office has areas that need to stay locked during cleaning, just tell us in advance and we route around them — no questions asked. We cover our approach to security and confidentiality on the FAQ page.
Communicate access and after-hours instructions
A smooth visit starts with knowing how to get in and what to do once inside. Before the first cleaning, share these details with your account manager:
- Building access. Door codes, key locations, doorman or front-desk check-in procedures, and elevator or freight elevator requirements.
- Alarm system. The disarm code and re-arm code, plus any window of time we have to enter and exit before the alarm triggers.
- Parking. Where our team can park the van — street parking rules, loading zones, or a reserved spot in the building garage.
- After-hours rules. Any building policies about lights, locked zones, or security check-ins after a certain hour.
We confirm all of this the day before each visit so nothing is left to chance. If you have questions about how we handle access, reach out through the contact form.
What your team should know beforehand
Your employees are the ones who share the space with us. A quick heads-up goes a long way toward making everyone comfortable:
- When we clean. If we come after hours, your team just needs to know their desks will be tidy for them in the morning. If we clean during the workday, let them know what time and which areas we will be in.
- What to leave out. Ask them to clear their desks of food, drinks, and loose papers before they leave for the day. A five-second sweep before heading out saves us time and gets them a better clean.
- Personal items. Headphones, chargers, wallets, and phones should go in a drawer or bag. We dust and wipe every surface — if it is lying out, we will move it, but it is safer in a drawer.
- Any special requests. If someone prefers their desk not be touched or they need a specific area left alone, tell us. We note it in the cleaning plan and respect it every visit.
Most offices settle into a smooth routine after the first few visits. We learn your team's preferences and adjust without you having to repeat yourself. See how we build that rhythm on the Office & Commercial Cleaning page.
What we handle so you don't have to
This is the part that surprises new commercial clients the most — how much we do so you can focus on running your business. On every visit, our team handles:
- All trash and recycling — emptied, bagged, and taken to the building's disposal area
- Restroom sanitation — the toilets, sinks, counters, mirrors, and floor, plus restocking soap and paper products
- Floor care — vacuuming carpets, mopping hard floors, and spot-treating high-traffic areas
- Kitchen and breakroom cleaning — countertops, sink, microwave exterior, and wiping down the fridge door
- High-touch disinfection — door handles, light switches, elevator buttons, and shared equipment surfaces
- Dusting — blinds, window sills, baseboards, and all reachable surfaces
We bring our own vacuums, mops, microfiber cloths, and tools. You provide the cleaning products if you have preferences — otherwise we use our standard commercial-grade supplies. If you want to know exactly what product lines we use, just ask when you book your first visit.