If you run an office, gym, restaurant or other business, you’ll want your spaces to be clean and tidy in order to attract and retain customers. Commercial cleaning is an essential service for all businesses, as it helps your space look professional and hygienic.

This is where professional commercial cleaners can come in to help. They can help with anything from a general office clean to specialist cleaning for car dealerships, hospitals, gyms and more.

Ready to hire a commercial cleaning business, or just want to learn more about them? This page talks about all things commercial cleaning, including: 

• What is a commercial cleaner?
• Commercial cleaning cadence
• Commercial cleaning costs 
• Specialist commercial cleaning businesses 
• Questions to ask when hiring a commercial cleaner

What is a commercial cleaner?

Simply put, a commercial cleaner is a cleaner who specialises in commercial spaces like business. In general, you’ll need a commercial cleaning service for every type of business or organisation, including:

• Offices
• Factories
• Restaurants, shops and other small businesses
• Health facilities
• Schools and universities
• Clubs
• Theatres
• Retirement villages
• Apartment complexes
• Gyms
• Hotels

When you hire a commercial cleaning service, their services will usually cover all your cleaning needs, though some extra services may cost more. Common commercial cleaning services include:

• Vacuuming carpets and upholstery
• Sweeping and mopping floors
• Buffing and polishing of hard floors
• Stripping and sealing floors
• Cleaning furniture
• Disinfecting and polishing surfaces
• Cleaning kitchens, bathrooms and common areas
• Cleaning computers and equipment
• Cleaning outdoor areas
• Maintenance services
• Rubbish collection
• Recycling services
• Restocking supplies and consumables

While many businesses will be fine to have cleaners operate during open hours, most commercial cleaning services have staff who can work out of work hours to clean your spaces. This is great for restaurants and retail outlets, but it also usually comes with an extra cost. Because of this, it can be a good idea to think about whether it’s worth having them come in during the day (such as early morning).

Though the above list will usually be a part of the services of a commercial cleaner, some extra cleaning may be provided on request, such as:

• Tile and grout cleaning
• Steam cleaning
• Pressure cleaning
• Window cleaning
• Lawn and garden maintenance
• Sanitary services
• Pest removal
• Shredding documents
• Graffiti removal

How regularly should I have my spaces commercially cleaned?

The answer to this question will generally vary depending on the size of your building, the number of staff or customers using it and the nature of your business or organisation.

As a general rule of thumb, most businesses will need cleaning at least once or twice a week.

Hospitals or retirement homes, where sanitation is a priority, often have cleaning daily to ensure the health of their occupants. If you let your potential commercial cleaner know the details of your job, they’ll be able to recommend the frequency.

How much does a commercial cleaner cost?

Commercial cleaning rates will depend on several factors, including the size of your premises, the nature of cleaning required and your location and state. As each job is different, you should get several quotes from commercial cleaners near you to get an idea of rates in your area.

On average, commercial cleaning service rates are between $30 to $40 per hour, though your commercial cleaner may charge per task. Sanitary services will typically cost more than general cleaning, as will cleaning that involves the use of specialist equipment, such as pressure cleaning or steam cleaning.

A good way to estimate your commercial cleaning costs is by the square metre. Expect to pay around:

• $2–$3 per square metre for standard office cleaning
• $5–$6 per square metre for deluxe cleaning services

You can normally save money on commercial cleaner hire by organising regular contract cleaning. It's important to first find a commercial cleaning firm you're happy with so you won't be stuck in an undesirable contract.

Specialist commercial cleaning services 

Not all businesses and buildings will require the same type of services. Some businesses will have sanitation protocols or safety requirements that need to be followed. For these jobs, you’ll need to find a specialist cleaning service that’s familiar with the unique challenges of these environments. They’ll have specialised equipment and knowledge that a general cleaning firm won't.

Industrial commercial cleaners

Some commercial cleaners specialise in factory cleaning. They’ll be equipped to deal with the extra burdens of maintaining a factory,  as they can become dusty and dirty quickly causing potential health and safety hazards.

Industrial cleaning can include walls, garages, exposed pipes and other surfaces. Oil, sludge and other greasy substances can also get on work surfaces or floors. Their services will include:

• Clean factory floors, machines and other work areas using an industrial vacuum cleaner
• Thoroughly dust the factory, including exposed pipes and other fixtures
• Clean dust, oil and other debris from equipment

Many industrial areas also need more heavy-duty cleaning. This may involve employing people who know how to:

• Clean dirt, sludge and debris from machinery, boilers and tanks
• Do interior and exterior pressure cleaning
• Do groundskeeping to maintain a neat external appearance
• Clean car parks
• Clean roofing

Routine jobs will be charged at agreed commercial cleaning rates per hour, but other jobs may cost extra. For example, pressure cleaning may be needed only occasionally and may be charged on an as-needed basis.

Cleaning health and medical facilities

Sanitation is a priority in health and medical facilities so commercial cleaners who service these buildings need a variety of techniques to ensure these facilities are spotless and germ-free.

In most cases, commercial cleaners that specialise in cleaning medical facilities train their employees specifically to clean hospitals, clinics, aged care homes and other health facilities. These commercial cleaners are specialists in the field and can be relied on to give extra attention to the facilities.

Due to their extra training and skill, cleaners that specialise in health and medical facilities can charge higher rates per hour compared to businesses that only offer standard office cleaning.

Questions to ask when hiring a commercial cleaner

When choosing a commercial cleaner, there are a few key things you should know about the company to make sure you can trust them with your business. These include:

• Do they have public liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance?
• Can they provide you with references to follow up?
• Are their employees fully vetted and have they completed police checks?
• Will their employees be easily identifiable on your site?
• Does the quote cover all the services you need?
• Is the quote obligation-free?