Is My Office Cleaner Doing A Good Job? How To Properly Assess Your Contractor
Let me tell you a story about the time I nearly fired my cleaner because I thought he was slacking. The carpets looked grubby, the toilet paper kept running out, and the microwave smelled like something had died in it. I was gearing up for a row when I spotted him—on his knees, scrubbing under a radiator with a tiny brush. The poor bloke was knackered. He’d just had his hours cut by the facilities management company without telling me. He was cleaning the entire floor in three hours flat.
That’s when it hit me: most of us haven’t got a clue what good office cleaning actually looks like—or what the cleaner is up against. We moan when things look off, but we rarely ask how the job’s being done. So, let’s stop guessing. If you’re managing a workspace in London and relying on contract cleaning, it’s time to take a proper look at what you’re paying for—and whether you’re getting your money’s worth.
Why So Many Office Cleaners Get Away With Doing the Bare Minimum
If you run a business in this city, you already know the pressure. Costs keep rising, expectations keep growing, and somewhere in between, your cleaner’s pushing a trolley down a hallway at 10pm. They’re often invisible—until something smells off or the boardroom bins overflow.
Most office managers don’t inspect. They assume. The place “looks fine,” so they think the cleaner must be doing their job. But looking fine and being hygienic are two different beasts entirely.
The “It Looks Fine” Fallacy
You know that fake tidy look? The bin’s been emptied and the desk’s been wiped, but nobody’s touched the crumbs in your keyboard since Boris was Mayor. That’s the trick of superficial cleaning: it buys time and hides a multitude of sins.
It’s easy to miss the mould creeping up behind the sink if the tap’s shiny. But when flu season hits and half the staff go down, you’ll wish you checked more closely.
Cleaning at Arm’s Length – The Outsourcing Trap
If you’re dealing with a chain of contractors—agency cleaners hired by a facilities company hired by your building manager—accountability goes walkies. The cleaner doesn’t know you. You don’t know them. Nobody talks. Problems fester.
They’re under pressure to fly through as many offices as possible with little regard for quality. And guess who foots the bill for that? You, your team, and your sniffly sinuses.
What “Good” Office Cleaning Actually Looks Like
Let’s strip it back. A good office cleaner isn’t just someone who empties bins and spritzes a bit of flash about. They’re a silent technician keeping your workplace healthy, tidy, and safe. But how do you know they’re doing it right?
Daily Non-Negotiables
There are things that simply must happen every single day. Full stop.
- Bins emptied and liners replaced. Not just pushed down to save time.
- Toilets cleaned properly, including under the rim, behind the lid, and around the base.
- Desks wiped with a sanitiser, not just flicked with a dry cloth.
- Floors vacuumed or mopped—yes, even behind the chair.
- Touchpoints like door handles, switches, and lift buttons cleaned and disinfected.
In London, where every second person’s got a Pret wrap and an oat milk latte, it doesn’t take much for mess to multiply. Food waste alone can attract pests. You don’t want mice in Mayfair.
Weekly Deep Touches That Show Pride
The difference between “good enough” and “professional” is those little extras.
- Microwaves should not smell like science experiments.
- Skirting boards and behind radiators need regular attention.
- Fridge doors, soap dispensers and under sinks—easily missed but always dirty.
A cleaner with pride won’t need a reminder. They’ll get to it before it becomes a biohazard.
Equipment, Products and Smells
Ever sniffed that weird musty bucket smell? That’s not lavender. That’s bacteria being redistributed around your office like it’s on a grand tour.
Good contractors use decent kit. Colour-coded cloths, clean mops, working vacuums, and eco-safe products. If they’re rocking up with the same mop head every night, ask yourself what else they’re cutting corners on.
How to Assess Your Cleaner Without Becoming That Awful Micro-Manager
No one wants to be the office tyrant stalking around at midnight, lifting bin lids and sniffing taps. But you can check cleaning standards without becoming that person.
Walk the Floor—Properly
Once a week, do a walkthrough. But look at the forgotten zones.
- The back of the kettle.
- Lift buttons.
- Chair wheels.
- Under the sink.
- Top of the soap dispenser.
- The keyboard in the meeting room nobody uses.
Make a little checklist if it helps. You’ll start spotting patterns. If something’s missed once, it’s a fluke. Missed three times? That’s a habit.
Ask the Right Questions
You don’t need to be aggressive. Just ask casually:
- “Do you clean behind the printer?”
- “Who’s in charge of checking the fridge?”
- “Do the cleaners mop the meeting rooms or just hoover them?”
You’d be amazed what your team notices—and doesn’t report until you ask.
Get Feedback From the Quiet Ones
It’s not your exec team who know if the loos stink. It’s the admin staff. The night owl. The intern. These people see the unpolished bits of your office.
They’ll tell you, discreetly, if they’re walking past dried urine every morning. Or if the cleaner’s always in a rush. And that kind of intel? Priceless.
What Your Cleaning Contractor Should Be Telling You—But Probably Isn’t
A decent cleaning contractor doesn’t just mop and dash. They should be communicating. Not constantly, but enough to keep you in the loop.
Reporting Breakages, Hazards and Hygiene Issues
A broken toilet seat. A dripping tap. A blocked sink with the pong of doom. If your cleaner notices something off, you should hear about it.
But too many say nothing. Why? Because they think you don’t care. Or they’re not being paid to “get involved.” Change that expectation. Let them know you do want to hear.
Schedule Adjustments and Missed Areas
If your regular cleaner’s off sick, or a room was inaccessible due to a meeting, you should be informed. The good ones leave notes. The great ones offer to make it up next time.
If your contractor’s silent, and you’re constantly the one following up, then ask yourself: who’s managing who?
When It’s Time To Sack Your Cleaner
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Sometimes, enough is enough. Not all cleaning contractors deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Red Flags You Can’t Ignore
- Chronic lateness or no-shows.
- Dirty tools and supplies.
- Lying about work done.
- Rude behaviour.
- Disrespecting your space.
You’re paying for a service. If they can’t deliver the basics, don’t hang on hoping things improve. They won’t.
The Right Way to Replace Your Contractor
Start fresh with a proper brief. Do trial cleans. Ask for references and check them. Request photographic reports if you need visibility. Consider performance-based contracts where standards are tied to payment.
Don’t just go for the cheapest quote. Cheap contractors cut corners, pay cleaners peanuts, and vanish when you complain.
Don’t Blame the Cleaner—Blame the System
Before you get the pitchfork out, take a beat. Most of the time, poor cleaning is a sign of a broken system, not a lazy person.
Support Fair Pay and Realistic Hours
If your cleaner has 12 clients to hit before midnight, don’t expect perfection. In London, £11.50 an hour barely covers the bus fare. If your contractor’s paying the minimum and demanding the maximum, guess who suffers?
Back contractors who treat their workers well. They’re the ones whose teams actually stick around and give a toss.
You Get What You Pay For
It always comes back to this. If your office cleaning is being done for the price of a Tesco meal deal, you’re not buying hygiene. You’re buying problems with a time delay.
A good contractor pays properly, trains staff, invests in decent gear, and gives you peace of mind. That’s worth paying for.
So, is your office cleaner doing a good job?
Stop assuming. Start checking. Be fair—but be thorough. Expect communication, consistency, and care. And remember: a clean office isn’t a luxury. It’s the bare minimum for a professional workplace.
And if you’re not getting it? It’s time to clean house. Literally.
