The Complete Office Building Cleaning Checklist
A practical daily, weekly and monthly cleaning guide for New Zealand office buildings and commercial workplaces
A clean office creates a healthier, more productive workplace while making a positive impression on employees, customers and visitors. Regular cleaning helps reduce the spread of illness, improves workplace wellbeing and protects your office furniture, flooring and facilities.
This checklist is suitable for office buildings, commercial offices, corporate headquarters, business parks, shared workspaces, professional practices and government offices throughout New Zealand.
Daily Cleaning Checklist
Reception & Entrance
☐ Vacuum entrance mats and carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean entrance doors and glass
☐ Wipe reception desk and counters
☐ Sanitise reception counters
☐ Clean visitor seating
☐ Empty rubbish and recycling bins
☐ Restock hand sanitiser stations
☐ Remove fingerprints from glass and stainless steel
☐ Check entrance mats remain clean and safe
Office Work Areas
☐ Vacuum carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Empty desk rubbish bins
☐ Empty recycling bins
☐ Dust desks (where permitted)
☐ Wipe filing cabinets
☐ Spot clean glass partitions
☐ Remove marks from walls where required
☐ Clean internal windows where accessible
☐ Tidy common workspaces
Meeting & Board Rooms
☐ Wipe meeting tables
☐ Clean chairs
☐ Sanitise presentation remotes
☐ Wipe telephones
☐ Clean video conferencing equipment
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Vacuum carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean whiteboards and markers
Shared Kitchens & Break Rooms
☐ Clean kitchen benches
☐ Sanitise food preparation surfaces
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Clean microwave inside and out
☐ Wipe refrigerators externally
☐ Empty rubbish and recycling bins
☐ Clean dining tables
☐ Vacuum or mop floors
☐ Restock paper towels
☐ Refill hand soap
Staff Bathrooms
☐ Clean toilets and urinals
☐ Sanitise toilet seats
☐ Clean hand basins
☐ Clean taps
☐ Polish mirrors
☐ Refill soap dispensers
☐ Restock toilet paper
☐ Refill paper towel dispensers
☐ Empty sanitary bins
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check odours
Lift Lobbies & Common Areas
☐ Vacuum carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean lift interiors
☐ Polish stainless steel
☐ Clean lift buttons
☐ Wipe handrails
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Spot clean walls
Stairwells
☐ Sweep stairs
☐ Mop stairs where appropriate
☐ Clean handrails
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Check emergency exits remain clear
Staff Facilities
☐ Clean lockers
☐ Wipe benches
☐ Vacuum or mop floors
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Restock consumables
Throughout the Day
☐ Patrol washrooms regularly
☐ Empty bins before they overflow
☐ Restock soap and paper products
☐ Respond immediately to spills
☐ Clean high-touch surfaces
☐ Maintain hand sanitiser stations
☐ Remove litter from common areas
☐ Record completed inspections
Weekly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Machine scrub hard floors
☐ Deep clean kitchens
☐ Deep clean bathrooms
☐ Wash internal glass
☐ Dust high surfaces
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Wash rubbish bins
☐ Remove marks from walls
☐ Vacuum upholstered furniture
☐ Clean ventilation grilles
☐ Deep clean meeting rooms
☐ Inspect dispensers
Monthly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Deep clean carpets
☐ Pressure wash external entrances
☐ Machine scrub foyer floors
☐ Polish hard floors where required
☐ Deep clean kitchen appliances
☐ Clean ceilings
☐ Dust light fittings
☐ Review cleaning chemical stock
☐ Inspect cleaning equipment
☐ Service vacuum cleaners
☐ Service floor scrubbers
☐ Audit consumable stock
☐ Review cleaning procedures
☐ Inspect emergency exits
☐ Deep clean stairwells
High-Touch Surface Checklist
These surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day.
☐ Door handles
☐ Lift buttons
☐ Handrails
☐ Reception counters
☐ Meeting room tables
☐ Telephones
☐ Computer keyboards (shared workstations)
☐ Computer mice (shared workstations)
☐ Photocopier touchscreens
☐ Printer controls
☐ Kitchen cupboard handles
☐ Refrigerator handles
☐ Microwave controls
☐ Tap handles
☐ Flush buttons
☐ Light switches
☐ Water cooler buttons
Office Building Cleaning & Workplace Hygiene Tips
✔ Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces to help reduce the spread of seasonal illnesses.
✔ Keep shared kitchens clean throughout the day to maintain a pleasant workplace.
✔ Empty rubbish and recycling bins before they become full.
✔ Use colour-coded cleaning equipment to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between kitchens, washrooms and office spaces.
✔ Respond immediately to spills to minimise slip hazards.
✔ Schedule noisy cleaning activities outside normal business hours where practical.
✔ Machine scrub hard floors regularly to extend floor life and maintain a professional appearance.
✔ Keep reception and visitor areas clean as they form the first impression of your business.
✔ Inspect washrooms multiple times throughout the day in larger office buildings.
✔ Maintain documented cleaning schedules to ensure consistent cleaning standards.
Recommended Colour-Coding System
Red – Toilets and sanitary areas
Yellow – Washrooms, kitchen sinks and other wet service areas
Blue – Offices, meeting rooms, reception, foyers and public spaces
Green – Staff kitchens, break rooms and food preparation areas
Separate cloths, mops, brushes and buckets should always be used for each colour-coded area to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Recommended Cleaning Equipment
- Microfibre cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded flat mops
- Commercial vacuum cleaners
- Wet & dry vacuum cleaners
- Floor scrubbers
- Floor sweepers
- High-speed burnishers
- Neutral floor cleaner
- Multi-purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Washroom cleaner
- Food-safe sanitiser
- Stainless steel cleaner
- Hand soap
- Alcohol hand sanitiser
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Bin liners
- Disposable gloves
- Wet floor signs
- Dusters
- Gum removal
- Air freshening systems (where appropriate)