Janitorial Services and Commercial Cleaning: What is the Difference?

There are two types of cleaning services that you can consider for cleaning of your office space or commercial building:

• Janitorial cleaning
• Commercial cleaning

While these terms are often used interchangeably, they aren’t actually the same and they entail two different sets of tasks. In order to ensure that your work area is getting the cleaning it needs, you have to be familiar with both of these types of services.

A janitor, custodian, porter, cleaner or caretaker is a person who cleans and maintains buildings such as hospitals, schools, and residential accommodation. Janitors’ primary responsibility is as a cleaner. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A similar position, but usually with more managerial duties and not including cleaning, is occupied by building superintendents in the United States (and occasionally in Canada) and School Site Managers in schools in the United Kingdom. Cleaning is one of the most commonly outsourced services.

Commercial cleaning services cover bigger cleaning jobs that do not need to be done on a regular basis. Most companies hire a professional for commercial cleaning services for a one-time job, but you can also contract their services for a few appointments per year. It helps for your company to know what bigger cleaning projects you want done and when, so you can plan your commercial cleaning services accordingly. Ask questions about the services when looking for a commercial cleaning service provider and see if they back their work with a satisfaction guarantee.

The difference between janitorial services and commercial cleaning is that janitorial services include small, everyday cleaning tasks while commercial cleaning involves bigger jobs that are done a few times per year. For example, janitorial services include regular vacuuming of the carpeting while commercial cleaning services include deep carpet cleaning. Hiring a janitorial service is beneficial for everyday cleaning and maintenance. Companies can look into hiring commercial cleaning services for deep cleanings or to get your workspace ready for a special event.