Commercial premises are hubs for staff, visitors, and customers. They either expose people to a safe, healthy environment or an uncontrolled bacterial breeding ground. Every responsible manager thus faces the unending task of prioritizing thorough ongoing cleaning.
Any commercial site that fails to hire a reputable commercial cleaning team because they’re too worried about expenses could be making a big mistake. DIY cleaning attempts are a common fallback approach, but they can do more harm than good. This guide will walk you through the commercial cleaning process, the factors that affect cost, and what risks you need to avoid.
A Quick Look at Commercial Cleaning
This process covers every possible base in getting a commercial site cleaned, tidied, and hygienically safe. All spaces on the premises – especially high-risk locations such as bathrooms, eating areas, and elevators – are thoroughly sanitized, as is every aspect of the furniture and fittings. This includes any “high touch” contact points such as door handles, windows, or drawers.
Commercial site managers and other staff can do a great deal to prevent their space from becoming a hygiene emergency. The best way is to create a site-specific cleaning template that designates roles and expected standards. This is an excellent ground-level tactic, but there are more complex methods involved when the pros come in:
1. Specialized Equipment
Commercial cleaning involves vacuuming, washing, and dusting and can incorporate specialized hardware designed to handle areas that are often big or hard to tackle effectively. Sites may require the use of professional tools such as pressure washers, motorized polishers, rotary sweepers, or carpet cleaners.
2. Optimized Cleansing Agents
Cleaners use these to wash, polish, and mop a site to remove physical residue, dirt, and waste. The best commercial teams will use nontoxic cleaning agents and will not stain or corrode floors or other surfaces. Materials with strong chemical content will only be used when necessary and will be strictly applied to preserve health and safety.
3. Adherence to Industry Regulations
There are always two kinds of regulations involved in commercial cleaning – the ones that apply to the specific type of site and those that govern the cleaning team. Both must be followed to the letter on every job. Failure to do so exposes contractors and commercial locations to potential health hazards, penalties, and fines.
A thorough commercial cleaning may cost much less than managers expect. One significant cost of not doing it is the damage to a company’s reputation if it becomes known as a place that doesn’t keep its site clean and sanitary.
The 3 Main Factors Affecting Commercial Cleaning Costs
The world has gained a newfound respect for the commercial cleaning process, but keeping a clean workplace has always been important. The sanitization process includes various big and small jobs, but three primary factors cover most of them. Some of these have a universal application, while others will affect premises on a site-to-site basis.

1. Site Dimensions
Bigger sites naturally cost more to clean. Commercial cleaning rates are usually charged by the square foot for larger premises and by the hour for smaller locations. Pricing is ultimately dependent on the contractor but is often $140 to $300 for an office and $30 to $50 per hour for smaller spaces.
2. Nature of Business
Commercial premises carry the threat of bacterial exposure, but some have a higher risk profile than others. Restaurants and medical/care facilities are examples of sites that will require more diligent – and thus more expensive – cleaning work to protect people, products, and equipment.
3. Frequency of Service
Many commercial cleaners will charge more for a one-time clean than a regularly scheduled service. One-off visits often involve a deep cleaning that requires more time, labor, and materials than frequent maintenance. Keeping a cleaning team on a contract can be much more cost-effective.
Some commercial premises combine many factors on this list. A prime example is hospitals – 24/7 operations with heavy foot traffic and high exposure to infectious elements. Smaller premises may feel their risk correlates to their site dimensions, leading them to believe they don’t require as much care. It’s an error in judgment that can put their people and their profits at risk.
Common Pitfalls of Insufficient Commercial Cleaning
No site is immune from the hazards that a lack of hygiene creates. Every commercial manager shares the task of ensuring that their location is aware of all potential risks and not adding to the problem. Doing the bare minimum can have the following effects:
- Authorities have strict commercial cleaning guidelines for a reason. Ignoring these requirements exposes sites to bacteria and disease.
- DIY cleanup attempts also expose non-specialists to threats such as bacteria, pathogens, and fungi.
- “But we’ve been closed for a while! There was nobody here to spread germs.” Dormant commercial sites need cleaning as much as active ones before they reopen.
- Cutting corners rarely leads to cutting costs. Commercial cleaning bills are always less than fines from authorities or litigation from impacted staff, customers, and visitors.
- Time is money for commercial sites. Handling your own cleaning can take much longer and cause production delays and other issues.
- Commercial cleaning involves the experienced application of cleaning agents in safe quantities. Untrained parties may expose people and property to hazardous or damaging effects.
- The likelihood of physical hazards such as trips, slips, and falls increases dramatically without a trained cleaning team appropriately limiting access to an operational area.
The last pitfall is choosing just anyone to sanitize your premises. Some companies will hurry the work and do a substandard job while others can be a prolonged disruption. The best commercial cleaning teams strike the perfect balance between quick response and deep cleaning that doesn’t rush results and won’t interrupt the natural flow of business.
Contact an Expert With Your Commercial Cleaning Questions
Every commercial site deserves a cleaning team that provides transparent solutions and pricing to keep everyone safe from bacteria and germs. The licensed professionals at LUX Foundation Solutions combine our years of experience with the highest quality non-toxic cleaning agents to kill 99.999% of germs on the spot using materials approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Contact Lux Foundation Solutions today to speak with an expert about any aspect of commercial cleaning and disinfecting.