Short answer: Before you hire an office cleaning company, ask five things: who will actually clean your office, what is included on every visit, how the price is set, how keys and access are handled, and what happens when something gets missed. A good company answers each one in plain terms and puts it in writing. Vague answers now become complaints later.
Use the table below as a quick scorecard during sales calls and walk-throughs. Then read the detail on each question.
The 5 questions at a glance
| Question | A good answer | A red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Who will clean my office? | Their own W-2 employees, the same crew every visit | “We partner with local teams” or rotating cleaners |
| 2. What is included on each visit? | A written checklist built for your space | “Everything” with nothing on paper |
| 3. How is the price set? | A fixed monthly price after a walk-through | A quote over the phone with no visit |
| 4. How do you handle keys and access? | Numbered keys, a key log, named staff | Keys copied and shared across crews |
| 5. What happens when something is missed? | One point of contact and a fast fix | A general inbox and no follow-up |
1. Who will actually clean my office?
This is the question that matters most, and the one most buyers skip. Many cleaning companies sell the contract, then hand the work to subcontractors or 1099 workers. You never meet them, and they change often.
Ask directly: are the cleaners your own employees? Will the same people come every visit? Who supervises them?
A consistent crew learns your space. They know which conference room gets used most, where supplies live and how your alarm works. Turnover means retraining someone new every few weeks, and quality slips each time. At Park Slope Cleaning, every cleaner is a W-2 employee. No subcontractors. Here is why we hire W-2 employees only.
2. What exactly is included on each visit?
“Full office cleaning” means different things to different companies. Get the scope in writing, room by room. A solid checklist for recurring office cleaning covers:
- Restrooms cleaned, disinfected and restocked
- Kitchen and break room counters, sinks and tables wiped
- Trash and recycling emptied, liners replaced
- Desks and touchpoints like handles and switches wiped
- Carpets vacuumed, hard floors swept and mopped
- Glass doors and entry spot-cleaned
Also ask what happens on a weekly or monthly rotation, such as dusting high ledges or cleaning inside the fridge. If your office is busy during the day, ask whether they offer a day porter as well. Our post on day porter vs. nightly janitorial explains when that makes sense.
3. How is the price set, and what does it include?
A real quote needs a real look at your space. Square footage, restroom count, foot traffic and visit frequency all change the price. A company that quotes over the phone without seeing your office is guessing, and guesses tend to go up later.
Ask what the monthly price includes: supplies, restroom paper, liners, and any rotation tasks. Ask how they handle price changes. For reference, recurring office cleaning for smaller offices runs about $200 per visit in NYC and Miami. Larger spaces are quoted after a free walk-through. See office cleaning cost in NYC for what drives the number.
4. How do you handle keys, alarms and access?
A cleaning crew has after-close access to your office. Treat that like any other security decision.
Ask who holds your keys, how they are labeled, and how access is tracked. Ask what happens when a cleaner leaves the company. Ask whether they carry insurance and can send a certificate. We use numbered keys and a key log, so you always know who has access, and we’re fully insured.
5. What happens when something is missed?
Every cleaning company misses something sooner or later. What matters is how fast they fix it. Ask:
- Who is my point of contact, and how do I reach them?
- How quickly do you respond to a complaint?
- Do you do quality checks, and how often?
- What does the contract say about fixing missed work?
Get these answers into the agreement. Our guide to what should be in an office cleaning contract lists the clauses to look for.
Checklist: before you sign
- You met someone from the company in your space, not just on the phone
- You know whether cleaners are employees or subcontractors
- You have a written, room-by-room checklist
- You have a fixed monthly price and know what it includes
- You know how keys and access are tracked
- You have one named point of contact
- You have a certificate of insurance
Hiring an office cleaning company in Brooklyn or Manhattan
Park Slope Cleaning has provided office cleaning since 2021, and we’re M/WBE certified. We clean offices across Brooklyn and Manhattan, from Downtown Brooklyn to Chelsea and Flatiron, plus offices in Miami. Ask us all five questions. We’ll answer them at a free walk-through.
Frequently asked questions
Should I get more than one quote?
Yes. Two or three quotes give you a feel for the market. Compare them line by line against the same checklist, not just on the total.
How long should an office cleaning contract run?
Many offices start with a one-year agreement and a 30-day termination clause. That gives you a fixed price without locking you in if service slips.
Is the cheapest quote a bad sign?
Not always, but ask why it’s lower. Low quotes often mean subcontracted labor, fewer tasks on the checklist or supplies billed separately.
