Setting up an office cleaning service can be a daunting task. There are hundreds of companies in London offering office cleaning services, and the choice alone can be overwhelming.

Having a regular, professional office cleaning schedule is essential though, so don’t let the size of the task put you off!

To help make the process simple and straightforward, we’ve compiled a guide to finding the perfect office cleaning service in London. 
 

Step 1: Consider your requirements

The first stage of setting up any new cleaning arrangement is to consider your requirements.

When it comes to office cleaning, there are a few considerations you should think about:

The tasks that need to be completed

You’ll need to think about what the actual tasks are that you need help with. Think about the size of your office, including the number of desks, toilets, kitchens etc. Which tasks do you need your cleaner to help with and which tasks, if any, are looked after by employees at the office?

Make a quick list of the tasks that you’d like your cleaner to complete so you can share this with any prospective service providers.

The frequency of cleaning

Next, consider how often you’ll need cleaning. Fortnightly? Weekly? Daily?

Much of this will depend on the size and busy-ness of your workplace. If you have a high footfall, 7 days a week, for instance, it’s likely that you’ll need more regular cleaning than a spacious office that is only occupied a few times each week. 

Look back at your tasklist too. Do all of these tasks need to be completed during every visit, or are there some daily tasks, some weekly task and some more ad-hoc tasks?

You may find that you need to find a service that can accommodate varying clean lengths, depending on the tasks required during each visit.

The timing of your cleans

When considering your cleaning arrangement, you’ll need to have a think about when it works best. For some businesses, daytime cleaning is okay. If you have a busy workplace though, it might be best to look for evening cleaning instead. You might even find that early morning is best for you.

Make sure that you know the possibilities before researching potential service providers - not all cleaning companies operate ‘around the clock’.

Flexibility of your arrangement

Depending on your office environment, you may find that your requirements are hard to predict, and could change week on week.

Some office cleaning services will ask you to sign a contract, committing to your cleaning arrangement. If your needs are changing though, this won’t be suitable for your workplace.

Many of our office clients enjoy the flexibility of the Housekeep platform, skipping unnecessary cleans some days, or adding longer complementary cleans when they’re required. 

Consider this point carefully before locking into a contract that may not provide the flexibility that you require.
 

Step 2: Research & shortlist potential service providers

Although it may seem obvious, it’s crucial that you spend some time researching potential service providers. Use Google to find local, established office cleaning companies and read up on their services.

Look for high ratings on review platforms like Google and Trustpilot, and read client testimonials on the websites of providers you’re considering using.

When researching service providers, you’ll want to compare your requirements to the service that they each offer. A service provider may have rave reviews, but if the service they’re offering doesn’t quite match up to your needs, it’s unlikely to work out. 

If you’re not sure whether a service provider is right for you then you can always reach out to them via phone, live chat or email and see if they’re equipped to provide the service that you’re looking for.

Jot down a shortlist of suitable service providers as and when you come across them, noting the things you like about each service, as well as any negatives that come to mind!
 

Step 3: Compare quotes

Once you’ve compiled a shortlist of prospective service providers, it’s time to gather some quotes.

Most office cleaning providers will ask you to fill in an online form about the size of your office and your cleaning requirements. You’ll already have all of this info to hand from step 1, so it should be nice and simple! Your quote will usually be provided over the phone, or in an email.

Some providers may insist that an office visitation is arranged before they can commit to a quote. In our experience, this shouldn’t be necessary prior to your first clean - after all, you can always make minor changes to the arrangement after the first clean, if too much or too little time has been arranged.

Once you have approximate quotes for each service provider, you’ll want to revisit your earlier notes. Compare the price of each service provider, with your own budget in mind. It’s important that you don’t make a decision purely based on price though; review the pros and cons you noted down earlier, and consider the price as part of a holistic view of each provider.

Once this is done, you should be able to pick a clear favourite, or at least have a decent idea on your preferences.
 

Step 4: Organise a trial clean
 

Once you’ve decided on your preferred service, it’s time to organise a clean. You should be able to organise this easily through the contact channels you received your quote through.

Ideally, the service provider should be able to offer a trial clean without you needing to commit to a contract or similar. After all, it’s important you see the work first-hand before committing.

Here at Housekeep, we’ll always look to get the regular schedule booked in first, to ensure that the cleaner(s) who attend the trial clean are available to visit regularly. 

There’s no contract or minimum term though, so things can always be changed or even cancelled if anything was disappointing.
 

Step 5: Book in your new office cleaning schedule

 

Assuming that all goes well with your trial clean, you can now go ahead and book in your regular office cleaning schedule!

It’s important you feed back honestly about the clean - let the cleaner, or the service provider, know about any areas you thought needed more attention, or where you thought they might have spent too much time. With Housekeep, you can leave these notes directly in your online account, and other service providers may leave a facilities book that you and your cleaner can leave notes in. 

If you were displeased with your trial clean, contact the service provider and see if they can send a different cleaner - or cleaning team - next time. If you can provide pictures of the missed areas, you should be able to ask for a discount or maybe even an entirely free reclean.

With a bit of luck, the results will be much better the second time out. If not, it’s probably time to return to Step 4 and look to engage another of your shortlisted service providers. Don’t let this get you down though - sometimes it takes a few frogs to find your price.
 

Office cleaning with Housekeep

Housekeep is the UK’s market leader in home and office cleaning services - we’ve completed over one million cleans all across London, with an average rating of 4.9 stars!

In other words: we’re cleaning experts.

We have plenty of highly rated office cleaners available for daily, weekly, or fortnightly cleaning (and everything in between!).

Our online platform is user-friendly, and puts you in control of your cleaning schedule. With just a few simple clicks, you can skip or amend your cleans at any time. 

As well as recurring office cleaning, we also offer a deep cleaning service for offices, as well as a COVID-19 antiviral sanitisation service.

If you’re interested in booking office cleaning with Housekeep, you can get a quote here.