Even offices that look clean often harbor a handful of neglected spots that accumulate dust, grime and bacteria over time. If your current cleaning crew is not addressing these, you are paying for a partial clean.
1. Keyboards and Mice
Studies have found keyboards carry surprisingly high bacterial loads compared to other office surfaces, yet most standard cleaning routines skip them entirely without explicit instructions.
2. Light Switches and Outlet Plates
High-touch surfaces that almost never get wiped in a standard routine.
3. Door Handles and Push Plates
Touched constantly throughout the day — among the highest pathogen-transfer points in any commercial building.
4. Tops of Filing Cabinets and Tall Shelving
Out of sight until someone reaches up for something. High dusting requires extension tools and deliberate effort most routine passes skip.
5. Break Room Appliance Handles
Refrigerator handles and microwave buttons see constant use but often only the exterior surfaces get wiped.
6. Air Vents and Return Grilles
Dusty vents redistribute allergens and dust directly into breathing zones — relevant year-round in a dusty desert climate. These should be wiped monthly and deep-cleaned quarterly.
7. Chair Bases and Casters
Rolling chair wheels pick up debris from every floor surface and spread it. Chair bases should be cleaned monthly.
8. Phone Handsets
Used near the mouth multiple times daily, office phones are a significant surface that rarely appears on a standard checklist.
9. Blinds and Window Tracks
Blinds accumulate dust quickly and release it back into the air whenever adjusted.
10. Under and Behind Furniture
Dust and debris accumulate under desks and behind furniture without periodic furniture-moving during deeper cleans.