Keep a close eye on quality in spaces that form a visitor’s first impressions.
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Public areas such as lobbies and reception areas form a visitor’s first impression of a space. They also get the most traffic. Regular inspections help keep these high-visibility spaces looking good.
This is an example of a daily or weekly inspection form for evaluating cleaning quality. We’ve kept it short and quick to fill out. You’ll also want to perform a more in-depth inspection on a monthly or quarterly basis to catch buildup and other issues that take more time to evaluate.
| Item | Description | Pass / Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Floors | Freshly vacuumed or mopped with no buildup in corners. | Pass / Fail |
| Furniture | Free of dust and dirt. | Pass / Fail |
| Trash | Emptied with fresh bags. Bin exteriors wiped down. | Pass / Fail |
| High-touch surfaces (light switches, doorknobs, push plates, etc.) | Sanitized and free of fingerprints or buildup. | Pass / Fail |
| Vertical surfaces (walls, dividers, etc.) | Spot-cleaned with no accumulation of dust. | Pass / Fail |
| Horizontal surfaces (desks, tables, etc.) | Clean and dust-free. | Pass / Fail |
| Lighting | All bulbs lit and no insect or dust buildup. | Pass / Fail |
| Safety | No obvious hazards such as loose cords, curling mats, or broken items. | Pass / Fail |
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Overall notes |
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Inspection frequency depends on building traffic, cleaning frequency, and your contract or service level agreement (SLA). That said, public areas should be among your most frequently inspected spaces.
If it’s a building you clean once a week, for example, you’ll likely want to inspect the public areas every time you’re there. If you’re responsible for maintenance of a busy building throughout the day, you might inspect a space like the lobby multiple times a day.
Additionally, areas such as lobbies and receptions are often adjacent to outdoor entrances. They’re susceptible to tracked-in mud, salt from the parking lot, and dripping raincoats. Frequent inspections give you great data about the best cleaning times and frequencies, as well as how you can adjust those based on the season and building traffic.
Routinely inspecting common areas helps you stay on top of your client’s most visited (and valued) spaces. When they bring visitors or their own clients into the building, they want to know the space will look clean and professional.
Spaces such as lobbies and hallways are also the first places they themselves walk into each day. A good first impression of these areas creates a good impression of the building’s overall cleanliness.
Client Services by Tishman Speyer services high-profile buildings from an impressive portfolio that includes Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Before OrangeQC, the team would take photos of a space, then come back to the office and fill out a paper form. But sometimes, the details would get lost in the process.
Now, the team can complete digital forms right on-site. That process helps them meet their goal of a 24-hour turnaround time for addressing requests.
Communicating common standards for supervisors and anyone else doing inspections helps you get consistent, reliable results. Best practices include:
Use digital forms if possible. A digital form looks more professional than a clipboard and paper checklist, especially if you’re completing inspections when other people are around.
Consider the guest experience. When someone walks into the space, what do they need? What are typical traffic patterns? What might stand out most if it’s not clean?
Time inspections intentionally. If your inspections are supposed to measure cleaning effectiveness, be sure to complete them after the clean and before people use the area again.
Spot-check areas your team is servicing throughout the day. If you offer day service, spot-checking toward the end of the service window can reveal how badly the area needs cleaning. Adjust frequency and timing accordingly.
Ask these questions during your initial bid walkthrough or during follow-ups with the customer. They’ll help you understand what the customer prioritizes and the challenges you’re likely to face.
If inspectors catch an issue that needs fixing, the whole team should have a process to follow. Teams that use a digital quality control platform, such as OrangeQC, often track corrective actions in a ticketing system.
Whatever process you use, be sure to consider:
Your contract or SLA may also have metrics for response time when the corrective action originates from the client.
In addition to regular inspections, the cleaning team supervisor can inspect public areas whenever office or operations staff is in the area.
Shorter is better for frequent inspections. Focus on quick checks and the most important line items. This means the inspections are quick and easy to do, making it much more likely that you will actually complete them.
Assign inspections to a specific person or team, then track progress toward the goal and check in regularly. For example, if you ask a supervisor to submit 15 inspections each month, you don’t want them all coming in on the last day of the month.
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