What is Considered Commercial Cleaning?

November 21, 2019

Commercial cleaning services represent a highly specialized array of services that require unique skills and knowledge depending on the cleaning context. In fact, when it comes to commercial cleaning, there are many types of cleaning services depending on the type of commercial facility. For example, commercial cleaning may refer to cleaning retail spaces, office spaces, and other business environments. So exactly what is considered commercial cleaning and how does it differ from residential cleaning?

It’s true that commercial services may be similar to residential services. Just as you would clean the bathroom in your home, you would also clean the bathroom in a restaurant or retail space. I suppose the main difference is that you might consider commercial cleaning akin to residential cleaning on steroids. Commercial cleaning tasks tend to be bigger, more frequent, and sometimes even more arduous. Commercial spaces tend to see more traffic, and we also tend to expect different types of surfaces and materials to be cleaned.

As you may expect, commercial cleaning services must be performed by employees with specific training as well as with commercial cleaning products and equipment. For example, commercial waste cleanup may require training and experience cleaning up hazardous materials. Additionally, commercial cleaners will offer recycling and document shredding services to ensure sensitive information isn’t breached. Whereas you may separate your home recyclables, commercial waste management must be tailored to the commercial environment, the volume of waste, and the specific cleaning requirements for that waste.

Speaking of the cleaning products and equipment, commercial cleaners offer unique skills and abilities. Commercial spaces often include machinery, technology, and other equipment that must be carefully cleaned to ensure proper operation. In fact, any good commercial cleaning contract will carefully explain which tasks cleaners are expected to provide to ensure that commercial equipment is not damaged.

Finally, while we might expect residential cleaning services to be detail oriented, the depth and scope of cleaning for commercial services is much different. For example, a residential cleaner might focus on sanitizing and dusting every nook and cranny of your home, commercial cleaners almost take a macro approach to cleaning. Certainly, floors, windows, and surfaces will be cleaned, but it’s the approach that differs. Carpets must be deep cleaned more regularly in a commercial space, and hard flooring will be regularly buffed with special equipment. Commercial cleaners aren’t usually going to wash the dishes in a shared kitchen, but they will sanitize areas where people eat.

So, when it comes to commercial cleaning, you really can expect everything you would see in a residential setting, but with a different perspective. Commercial cleaning includes all the tasks required to keep a healthy and safe work environment in offices, retail spaces, buildings, and other facilities and you’ll even find commercial cleaners doing clean-up after floods and fires. It’s a huge industry where various commercial cleaning companies may specialize in one area or another.