Every day, three times a week or only on Fridays? There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to office cleaning frequency. A toilet used by a whole team needs more attention than an archive room, and a practice with a waiting room more than an office with three desks.
The start of the year, when budgets and contracts are being planned, is a good moment to look at the intervals. The following guide values from everyday practice show, for five zones, what is due daily, weekly or only a few times a year.
Office cleaning frequency: what determines the schedule
Employers must make sure that rooms, workstations and sanitary facilities stay clean and in good condition, as the SECO guidance on Art. 37 of Ordinance 3 to the Employment Act explains. How often cleaning takes place is up to each business, based on how its premises are used. These factors decide:
- Headcount: the more people use the toilets, kitchen and floors, the shorter the intervals.
- Visitor traffic: reception, waiting rooms and meeting rooms used by visitors need more care than pure office space.
- Sector: medical practices, hairdressers or businesses handling food have higher standards than an accounting firm.
- Season: in winter, wet shoes bring in dirt and road salt, and colds go round.
- Working model: with working from home and desk sharing, cleaning can follow the days people are in.
| Area | Guide value | More frequent if… |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets and washrooms | Daily | many people or clients use them |
| Kitchenette and break room | Daily | many meals are eaten on site |
| Entrance and reception | Daily to several times a week | winter, rain, lots of visitors |
| Office floors | 1–3 times a week | carpet, open-plan office, heavy use |
| Workstations | Weekly | desk sharing |
| Door handles, light switches, lift buttons | Several times a week | flu season |
| Windows | 2–4 times a year | busy street, glass frontages |
| Deep clean | Once a year | heavy use, medical practice |
These are guide values, not regulations. The tasks in each zone are listed in our office cleaning checklist.
1. Toilets and washrooms: daily
A lack of cleanliness is noticed fastest in the toilets. The toilet bowl, seat, flush button, washbasin, taps, mirror and floor are therefore part of the daily cleaning in most offices, along with refilling soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Walls, partitions and doors are usually fine once a week.
In small offices with only a few people, two or three cleans a week can be enough if the team restocks supplies in between and does a quick check.
2. Kitchenette and break room: daily
Where food, crockery and cloths come together, worktops, the sink, tables, the outside of the coffee machine and the bins need cleaning every day. The microwave and cupboard fronts are usually fine weekly. The fridge is best cleared out every week, on a Friday for example, before leftovers sit there over the weekend. Who loads and empties the dishwasher should be clearly agreed – our guide to office kitchen rules has ideas.
3. Floors and entrance: one to three times a week
Depending on use, office floors are vacuumed or mopped one to three times a week. The entrance and reception often need cleaning daily, especially in winter. Entrance mats that are big enough reduce the work throughout the office, and carpets need a periodic deep clean depending on how soiled they are.
4. Workstations and contact surfaces: weekly to several times a week
Clear desk surfaces, chairs and window sills are usually fine once a week with normal use – provided the desks are kept tidy. Bins are emptied daily or several times a week depending on the amount, and meeting rooms used by clients are cleaned as needed.
Contact surfaces such as door handles, light switches, lift buttons and handrails deserve more attention: several times a week, and daily in flu season. On norovirus, the Federal Office of Public Health explains that it is transmitted via hands and objects such as door handles and can remain infectious on surfaces for more than twelve days. If a stomach bug is going round the team, it is worth cleaning toilets and contact surfaces more frequently for a while.
5. Windows, blinds and deep cleaning: periodically
As a guide, office windows are cleaned two to four times a year, and glass entrance doors much more often, because fingerprints show there straight away. Blinds, lamps, radiators and the tops of cupboards are done during the deep clean. In most offices, once a year makes sense; in heavily used premises or medical practices, every six months. Our guide to maintenance cleaning vs deep cleaning explains the difference.
Cleaning windows at height is work with a fall risk: leave it to professionals with the right equipment.
Cleaning frequency per week: three typical models
| Office | Maintenance cleaning | In between |
|---|---|---|
| Small, few desks, hardly any clients | 1–2 times a week | Team restocks supplies and keeps the kitchenette clean |
| Medium-sized, regular visitors | 2–3 times a week, toilets and kitchen possibly daily | Clear desks, quick check at midday |
| Large, open-plan or practice with waiting room | Daily, 5 times a week | Extra cleaning of toilets and reception as needed |
How intervals and floor space affect the price is explained in our guide on office cleaning cost in Switzerland.
Common planning mistakes
- One schedule for everything: the archive doesn't need the same interval as the toilets.
- No plan for in between: if cleaning only happens twice a week, you need clear rules for the kitchenette and supplies.
- Forgetting the deep clean: dust and limescale build up in places routine cleaning doesn't reach.
- Never reviewing it: occupancy and use change, and the intervals should change with them.
Frequently asked questions
How often should an office be cleaned?
The right frequency depends on size, headcount and visitor traffic. As a guide: toilets and kitchenette daily, floors one to three times a week, workstations weekly, windows two to four times a year and a deep clean once a year.
Is cleaning an office once a week enough?
For a small office with few people and hardly any clients, it can be, as long as the team keeps an eye on the kitchenette and toilets in between. As soon as more people use the premises or clients come in, two to five visits a week make sense.
Is office cleaning required by law?
Under Art. 37 of Ordinance 3 to the Employment Act, buildings, rooms, workstations and sanitary facilities must be kept clean and in good condition. The cleaning frequency is planned by each business based on its use. This guide is not legal advice.
When is the best time to clean an office?
Ideally outside business hours, early in the morning or in the evening. That way staff are not disturbed, and mopped floors have time to dry before work starts.
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