Office buildings should have a janitorial service, but figuring out how often you want them to come in and what you want them to do isn't always simple. Not only does the size of the office and staff influence your decision, but other issues like pets staying in the office can play a role. If you own commercial property and are the one to arrange for these services, you'll have to evaluate just how much help you think you'll need in keeping the office clean.

Contract Length

Most commercial janitorial services offer different contract lengths. Some are indefinite; you sign up and pay by service. Others are for a set number of weeks or months and include specific tasks, with the price changing depending on both time and task type. If the cleaning frequency you think is ideal turns out to be too pricey for you, there may be ways to modify the contract to make it more affordable. You may be able to sign up for a longer contract that essentially gives you a discount on each month (for example, paying a certain amount per month for a three-month contract but a smaller amount per month for a six-month contract). There may be tasks that you wanted done daily that could actually be done three times a week instead, like emptying recycling bins.

Number of People in the Building

In general, the more people you have working in the office or building, the more often you'll need janitorial services. This isn't always the case, as sometimes you can have a small number of very messy staff or a large number of very clean staff. But if you're just not sure where to start, you could look at how large your staff is and create an initial contract based on the idea that more people equal more cleaning. You could have the janitorial services empty trash nightly but vacuum three times a week, for example, and increase the frequency of vacuuming if you think the carpet in the office still looks too dirty.

Pet-Friendly Offices

If your office is pet-friendly, it will need a lot more cleaning than one that isn't pet-friendly. Pet hair and dander will be a daily issue, especially if people bring in lots of pets with very hairy coats. That's an office where you'd want a commercial janitorial service to vacuum nightly and possibly wipe down surfaces in common areas as well. Trash bins should be emptied nightly from each office as they may contain pet treats and food wrappers. You can set up a contract for nightly cleaning and let the janitorial service know if there are any spots that they should clean extra carefully, such as the office kitchen.

Remember, you can ask about short-term contracts so that you can test out different cleaning frequencies. Some janitorial services may even allow you to modify contracts without waiting for renewal time, and yet other companies may offer open-ended agreements that can be modified as needed.

Contact a company like Performance Plus to learn more.