Seven Tips To Zone Cleaning In An Office Area

Office cleaning will vary according to whether you utilize zone or team cleaning.  Although team cleaning is almost always more productive, some customers and situations require zone cleaning.  Zone cleaning is when a person is responsible for cleaning the entire floor or area by themselves including trash collection, vacuuming, dusting, etc.  Team cleaning is when a team of four (or more or less) perform certain specialist functions in the same area.  

Following are the suggested steps for a zone cleaner to clean an office area:

1.  Prepare your cart or barrel for cleaning by making sure that you have all of the supplies and tools necessary to do the job.  Be sure that you have access to and are wearing correcting any required PPE’s (personal protective equipment) which also means you need to have read and understand the MSD information.

2. Check your schedule or organize your route so that you begin in an area and methodically clean a section/area/room at a time.  It is recommended your supervisor has provided a job card listing the route (Example: Room 102, then 104, then waiting area, etc.) with time requirements for how long it should take to perform the required tasks.

3. Inspect trash can(s) and empty into barrel while replacing any torn or soiled liners as needed.  If a recycling can is present, empty it into the recycling section of your barrel.  You may leave a few extra liners in the bottom.

4. Inspect and dust the assigned areas for the assigned day (Quadrant Cleaning).  Always dust from high to low using a clean microfiber duster or sleeve.  When possible, use a dust cloth made of microfiber being sure to use the correct color.

5. Damp wipe any surfaces that are soiled using either an all-purpose cleaner or disinfectant as directed.  Identify touch points such as light switches and other surfaces that need disinfecting. 

6. Inspect and clean any glass partitions, doors that have finger prints or show signs of dust.  Be careful to use appropriate cleaner for Plexi-glass surfaces that can be damaged by ammoniated window cleaners.

7. Vacuum carpet or clean hard floor surfaces by dust mopping and damp mopping.  Assuming that you are using an upright vacuum cleaner, use care in bumping furniture as well as capturing all the visible soils.  If you are utilizing Quadrant Cleaning, thoroughly vacuum assigned areas.  Dust mop and damp mop as directed.

As I wrote this it occurred to me that we have left out “empty ash trays” since most areas are non-smoking today.  

Your comments and questions are always welcome. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.