What Does a Commercial Cleaning Service Do?

What Does a Commercial Cleaning Service Do?

What Does a Commercial Cleaning Service Do?

A commercial cleaning service handles the daily tasks that keep your business safe, compliant, and productive—such as disinfecting restrooms, emptying trash, cleaning floors, wiping high-touch surfaces, and maintaining common areas. These services are designed to protect employees, impress visitors, and prevent costly health or safety issues.

If you manage a facility in Commerce, cleanliness goes beyond appearances. Whether it’s a warehouse near Citadel Outlets or an office on Eastern Avenue, knowing exactly what’s included in each visit—and what costs extra—helps you spot gaps, avoid overpaying, and ensure your provider delivers real value.

What is included in a standard commercial clean?

A standard commercial clean typically includes four core areas: trash removal, floor care (vacuuming and mopping), surface dusting, and restroom sanitation. These are the daily or weekly maintenance tasks required to keep a facility hygienic and presentable. Your contract should explicitly list these general upkeep items to avoid confusion later.

Floor Care and Maintenance

Floors take the biggest beating, especially in industrial areas like ours. A standard service includes sweeping and mopping hard surfaces and vacuuming carpets.

  • Hard Floors: We use neutral cleaners that lift dirt without damaging the wax finish.
  • Vacuuming: This covers high-traffic areas every visit, with wall-to-wall vacuuming usually scheduled once a week.

Surface Cleaning and Dusting

Dust settles fast, particularly in buildings near the I-5 corridor. Standard service involves dusting horizontal surfaces like desks, file cabinets, and window sills. We also sanitize "high-touch points"—doorknobs, light switches, and phone handles—which helps reduce the spread of illness in your office.

Restroom Sanitation

This is the most critical part of the job. A proper restroom cleaning involves scrubbing toilets and urinals, wiping down mirrors and sinks, mopping floors with disinfectant, and refilling paper products and soap. In my experience, if a cleaning crew is going to rush a job, the restroom is usually where you notice it first.

Trash Removal

It sounds simple, but it's essential. This includes emptying all wastebaskets, replacing liners, and taking the trash to the designated dumpster or collection area.

Do I need specialized cleaning services?

Specialized cleaning services go beyond daily maintenance and usually require specific equipment, certified technicians, or heavy-duty chemicals. You typically schedule these services—such as window washing, deep carpet extraction, or post-construction cleanup—on a monthly, quarterly, or one-time basis rather than as part of your daily routine.

Deep Cleaning vs. Standard Maintenance

Sometimes, a standard sweep isn't enough. If you have just finished a renovation or a tenant improvement project, you need commercial construction cleaning. This service removes the fine drywall dust that coats everything after a build-out. It involves detailed scrubbing of baseboards, light fixtures, and windows that standard janitors don't touch during a regular shift.

Other advanced services often include:

  • Window Washing: Cleaning the interior and exterior glass (often requires a lift for higher floors).
  • Carpet Extraction: Using hot water extraction to remove deep-set stains.
  • Strip and Wax: Removing old wax from VCT flooring and applying new layers for shine and protection.

How much do commercial cleaning services in Commerce California cost?

Commercial cleaning typically costs between $0.11 and $0.25 per square foot for general office maintenance, though this varies based on frequency and facility type. Medical facilities or industrial sites with hazardous materials will be on the higher end of that spectrum due to safety requirements.

Understanding the Breakdown

To give you a realistic idea of where your money goes, labor usually accounts for 55% to 65% of the total cleaning cost. The rest covers supplies, insurance, and equipment.

According to data from Angi, the average cost for commercial cleaning ranges significantly based on the size of the crew needed. For a standard office, you might pay a flat rate of $150 to $350 per visit, depending on the square footage.

  • Timeframes: An experienced cleaner can typically clean 3,000 to 4,000 square feet of general office space in one hour.
  • Restrooms: Thoroughly cleaning a standard multi-stall restroom takes about 15-20 minutes.

If you're looking for reliable office cleaning, price shouldn't be your only factor. A bid that seems too good to be true usually means the cleaning company is underpaying its staff or skipping insurance, which puts your business at risk.

Can you customize your cleaning plan?

Yes, you can and should customize your cleaning plan to fit your specific operations, budget, and facility traffic. A warehouse on Washington Blvd has very different needs than a dental office near the Commerce Casino, and a "one-size-fits-all" scope of work rarely delivers good results for either.

Green Cleaning Options

Many businesses now request eco-friendly products. This minimizes chemical fumes, which is great for employee health, especially in enclosed spaces.

Event Cleaning

If you host company events, you know the mess left behind can be overwhelming. You can request pre-event cleaning to get the space ready and post-event cleanup to handle the trash and spills afterward.

Why Customization Matters

In my 12 years in this industry, I have seen too many businesses paying for services they don't use. For example, if you have a conference room that is only used once a month, you don't need it vacuumed every night. We adjust your plan so you put your budget toward the high-traffic areas that actually need attention.

How to choose the right provider?

Finding commercial cleaning services in Commerce California is easy, but finding a partner who communicates well is harder. You want a team that feels like an extension of your own staff.

Look for these green flags:

  1. Transparency: Do they break down their quote, or just give you one big number?
  2. Responsiveness: If you have an issue with a missed trash bin, how fast do they fix it?
  3. Local Knowledge: Do they understand the specific needs of Commerce businesses, like dealing with industrial dust or specific trash ordinances?

The Bottom Line on Clean Facilities

A clean workplace isn't just a luxury; it's a necessity for keeping your team healthy and your professional image sharp. Whether you need a daily porter service or a weekly deep clean, knowing what is included helps you hold your provider accountable.

You don't have to manage the mess alone. If you're ready for a cleaning plan that actually makes sense for your business, we are here to help.

Contact S&W Janitorial Services at (323) 264-7800 today for a free walkthrough and quote.