Property management cleaning checklist

March 10, 2023

Ultimate Property Management Cleaning Checklist For Property Managers

Table of content

Cleaning may not be the first thing that comes to mind while managing multi-family residential homes or commercial land; we understand that. But the reality is when you tackle property cleaning fairly systematically, the outcomes are practically inevitable- stable tenants are more willing to pay higher rent, there are fewer maintenance issues, and fewer capital expenses.

Managing properties and taking care of several units simultaneously is exceedingly laborious and time-consuming. You may feel stressed due to constantly dealing with vendors and residents. As managers, lots of mental energy goes into scheduling and synchronizing maintenance and repair projects, ensuring that buildings are in top shape. 

However, one urgent aspect you ought to consider is property management cleaning. It is necessary, imperative, and requires much of your attention. 

So before you get another call for a property, let's take you to a detailed guideline about property management cleaning, which assures to make your life a lot easier. 

Keep reading!
 

What is Property Management Cleaning?  

Unclean and unorganized commercial or residential property can turn off potential renters and customers. It may hurt the company’s image too. That’s why there is property management cleaning. Such a process ensures everyone gets a perfect place to work and stay. The cleaners keep every corner of the property clean and maintain a schedule for consistency and wholesome living.

Commercial and residential property management cleaning is always beneficial. With the help of a thorough commercial cleaning checklist, the customer experience enhances due to the tidy and livable atmosphere. 

Property management cleaning ensures that the property remains in fantastic shape over time, protecting its value, interests, and expenditures.

Why Hire Property Management Cleaners?  

Depending on the size of the property, you have a lot of things that either way needs cleaning or maintenance. There are just too many details for property management to look after, including carpets, bathrooms, floors, elevators, and corridors. And don't forget the extra upkeep requirements the pandemic brought with it. 

So is this a point where you confusingly ask yourself- “should I hire property management cleaners?” We’d say yes, you should. 

Here are a few reasons why-

1. Property management cleaners hold your brand name  

As a property cleaning manager, the property not only represents you. It also signifies the business that operates from properties. The people you employ in your team to clean properties may repel or attract people. Professional land supervision cleaners represent your tenants and your brand accurately. 

2. They maintain a high cleaning standard 

Everyone has a different definition of cleanliness, whether you are a property manager or a cleaner. Hiring a professional cleaner will bring exceptional cleaning results and exceed the tenant’s expectations. Such cleaners will maintain the regulations and ethics of the cleaning company and provide services in hotels and restaurants. 

3. Minimization of tenant’s business  

Professional property cleaners are skilled in cleaning the space without obstructing the renters, their employees, or their clients. They won't bother anybody or impede business operations while keeping the entire space immaculately clean. This increases the efficiency of the companies in the property while ensuring a constant degree of sanitation.

4. Consistency in the maintenance process  

Commercial buildings get a lot of foot activity, making it simple for diseases to spread there. All areas in the facility may be kept hygienic with the help of a trained property cleaning team. They will promptly and thoroughly clean the door knobs, toilets, handrails, and other parts of the facility where germs are likely to hide.

5. A cost-saving choice for tenants  

Property management cleaners complete their work quickly without sacrificing quality. They can lessen a building's surface deterioration. Cleaners will adjust their approach for the finest cleaning techniques based on the cleaning area accordingly. Cleaners look into each item on the property carefully. As a result, there will be slow degradation of your building's components, leaving no room for extra expenditure.

The Process of Property Management Cleaning 

A property manager's responsibilities may include overseeing the apartments and amenities of an apartment complex or business construction. Keeping a high standard of sanitation is quite crucial. You, as a property manager, may strategically draw in renters who will pay more rent, require less upkeep, and last longer.

With the help of professional cleaners, you can get immaculate property deep cleaning. We share a property management cleaning process. This will help you keep the estate in top shape.

1. Pre-cleaning property assessment 

Through expert property cleaners, have a property audit before the cleaning process starts. It has to have goals of the audit, measurement, and tracking tools to monitor cleaning results. There should be an inspection of the property concerning which cleaning areas are high priority and which zone is low priority. You are bound to get a better outcome later through a proper audit before cleaning.

2. Making a property cleaning checklist  

After the pre-cleaning audit of the property, you will need to make a proper property management cleaning checklist. A property cleaning checklist should include every part of the land or building so that nothing goes missing. It should have a segregated checklist according to various kinds of cleaning processes, priority, and periodic schedule (daily, weekly, monthly), according to season, and so on. It will make the checklist simpler and clearer to follow.

3. Implementing a waste and recycling management system

Staying environmentally sustainable, aware and responsible is the key to a better living. One needs to have a sharp eye for comprehensive yet cost-effective solutions.

Property maintenance and deep cleaning services providers should identify the source of waste, target waste reduction, calculate the current waste disposal method, set targets to clean the waste, make action plans for waste management, train employees (if possible) for this mission, and track the progress.

You can also find opportunities for recycling and composting. It will be environmentally friendly. People can either use it for plants and gardens or sell it to farmers. The waste management system should also have room for some modification in the future for efficient results. 

4. Exterior cleaning of the property

You must have judged a property by just looking at the exterior part of it. The exterior says a lot about the property and the professional property managers. We often miss cleaning the exteriors because of the high emphasis on the interiors. It is important to make a property look spic and span for several reasons. The exterior cleaning should include a restoration process and cleaning of litter.

Together with conventional cleaning techniques, property exterior cleaning incorporates environmental protection, the maintenance of architectural integrity, and public security. Exterior cleaners are required to have a permit in certain jurisdictions to practice. For instance, Scotland's professional window cleaners must have a license to clean the exterior windows.

Planning is often considered the most crucial aspect of any task. Before embarking on your commercial property cleaning schedule, it is essential to understand how to create an effective cleaning schedule. This will aid in maintaining organization throughout the process.

Daily Property Management Cleaning Checklist

Property managers need to see if the cleaners are doing the daily cleaning tasks perfectly. They can use this list and assign it to the service and maintenance team, so no corner slips from the cracks. 

Here you go- 

1. Disinfecting and sanitizing toilets  

Numerous people use washrooms frequently. This has a high risk of dirtiness and the spread of infection. You don’t want that to happen on your property, right? Having a squeaky clean and sanitized toilet will be good for everyone. Cleaning this area was given more importance during the pandemic days as well. 

Cleaning the knobs, basin, mirror, and shower area and replacing toiletries should be done regularly. Tackling all the surfaces and using a suitable cleaning solution is a must. Professional property cleaners should also dust and sweep the other areas of the toilet. Lastly, cleaners should mop the floor, let it dry, and replace the trash and laundered rugs. 

2. Wiping of floors and worktops every day

No cleaning strategy works in every circumstance. The degree and kind of contaminants on your surfaces or worktops completely determine the cleaning process. But since contamination sees no bias in humans, it is better that cleaning of worktops and floors be done daily. Using a microfiber cloth and a suitable cleaning solution would do the needful. Daily property hard floor cleaning and maintenance help a lot.

Maintaining clean and well-dried floors helps stop the transmission of pathogens that can be fatal. It can also help people get more usage out of the flooring by keeping it from cracking and chipping, which could also occasionally lead to accidents.

3. Keeping pool and water features in good condition

Water collects several kinds of dirt and germs from various sources. It is a source of water-borne diseases. If you want to keep it healthy and clean, specialized property cleaners must look into the property management cleaning guidelines. 

Have the water circulation checked, ensure the experts clean it with proper tools, see if the balance of PH levels and alkalinity is safe, and have it filtered daily. Cleaners should skim the pool and check for chlorine levels. 

If the property has other water bodies like a fountain or a pond, cleaners must ensure it is running accurately. There shouldn’t be any algae growth. There should be sustainable property maintenance. Stay proactive about pool care and other water bodies.

4. Daily disposal of waste  

Condos, commercial buildings, complexes, and flats all produce waste continuously. Placing garbage outside is regarded as a daily task, much like cleaning and vacuuming. When it comes to property sanitization, waste disposal is the most important. 

If cleaners don’t dispose of waste daily, the surroundings look disgusting and become smelly. There are high chances of fleas, raccoons, and pests accumulation. It would lead to the spread of diseases, which none of us want. 

Property managers should make it a point to have wastes disposed of daily for a rejuvenated living. The waste can be divided according to dry waste, wet waste, and hazardous waste. It can make the waste disposal task simpler.

5. Common area cleaning

There are spaces for visitors to use in various commercial and residential properties. It can be a garden area, toilet, lobby area, gym, banquet halls, corridors, elevators, swimming pool, entrance, etc.

The professional cleaning team should maintain a detailed cleaning schedule for these places throughout the night because of the significant traffic in the common areas. Cleaners should regularly clean and repair the other areas during the day.

6. Cleaning the carpets

As a result of continuous use, carpets become dirty over time. Professional managers will have to accept it as a fact of property management work. They must take severe precautions to prevent carpets from remaining unclean.

The carpets may need to be replaced if they go too long without being cleaned, as cleaning won't be able to save them any longer. In the long run, this will cost you more money.

Be sure to get experts who can vacuum the carpets and assist you in removing any stains from the flooring. If the rugs are not kept clean and aren't in good condition, it may become difficult for you to gain suitable tenants. It is preferable to handle these matters daily or weekly according to the need.

7. Entrance and exterior walkway cleaning

Let the cleaners patrol the full perimeter of the properties' exteriors to remove any trash, including leaves, paper, and cigarette butts. When required, they should sweep neatly and efficiently. Have professionally cleaned all the external walkways every night. Professional property cleaning should also include getting rid of any water splash marks. Wipe clean the metal and glass of the entrances.

Having a clean property is not enough for the managers. Although we have made a checklist for you, you also have to check if the property rules are being followed. Walk through the property and see if people are as helpful in keeping the property clean or not. It will help you a lot. 

Weekly Property Management Cleaning Tasks

Keeping a property clean is now more important than ever. While some need daily cleaning work, other activities can be done weekly. We have listed down a few tasks that will help you with specialized property cleaning- 

1. Dusting hard surfaces

Dust hard surfaces that have porous and non-porous materials. Stainless steel, laminate, solid surface, a variety of tiles, porcelain, and textured plastics are typical hard-surface materials. Cleaners should do it with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner which can revitalize the surrounding.

You can then use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe all the hard surfaces. Take a clean natural-bristle paintbrush or cosmetics brush to remove dust from crevices and complex carvings. Afterward, wipe with a microfiber towel. For any kind of basic dusting, simply use a lightly dampened cloth, as feather dusters only spread the dust even more. 

2. Vacuum and/or mop floors

Professional property cleaners should use appropriate mops depending on the floor type. Cleaners need a different mop altogether if the floor has a lot of texture. For smooth floors, sponge mops work the best.

Having suitable cleaning detergent is mandatory. Vacuum the floor first and then clean it with the mop. Using hot water helps a lot more than warm or cold water. Cleaners must stop and concentrate on stubborn marks. 

3. Cleaning all the appliances

The trained cleaners should disconnect all the devices once a week, at the very least, and then clean the appliances. They can avoid the heat source using a soft cloth bathed in hot, soapy water. To access any tight places, they could use a fresh, gentle toothbrush. Before using them, it would be good to rinse them with an ordinary water-dipped towel and let them air dry for at least ten minutes. 

4. Wipe and disinfect countertops

It's crucial to employ the proper cleaning technique while cleaning your counters. It’s not just swiping with a cloth, there’s more to cleaning countertops. Using proper countertop cleaning techniques will safeguard your counters and stop the spreading of foodborne diseases. Inappropriate technique use might result in a microbial spread or countertop damage.

Property managers should know what professional cleaners are using. It will help prevent damage to the countertop material like granite, quartz, Silestone, laminate, concrete, etc. 

5. Clean the mirrors

The maintenance of your mirrors over time requires regular cleaning, but how frequently is that essential? It depends. The property mirrors may only require cleaning every two to three weeks for some of them, while others—the bathroom mirror, for example—might need it more frequently. We suggest having a weekly cleaning routine. It can be essential to reducing wear like desilvering, particularly of mirrors in high moisture settings, for instance (yes, we're speaking about washroom mirrors). 

6. Scrub and disinfect the kitchen sink

Why must you maintain the pipe and sink in your kitchen? Shouldn't it be already clean due to the water and soap that go through the basin? Sadly, the response is no.

Professional cleaners must use appropriate tools to do a thorough property kitchen sink cleaning. They can use a sponge and some dish wash liquid (or a kitchen sink cleaner) to clean the sink. Cleaners should thoroughly rinse the sink and make sure everything goes down the drain. They should also clean the handle, faucet, and drain along with the kitchen sink every week. 

7. Clean and scrub showers and tubs

How often are the showers and tubs cleaned thoroughly? Cleaning and scrubbing the shower can improve the water pressure release. It would also look shiny to the people using it. Weekly cleaning of bathtubs is necessary. Bacteria, filth, hard-water residues, sticky gunk, and even mold or mildew can accumulate over time without routine cleaning.

Cleaning such places is the best way to reduce illness and the spread of infection. For different bathtub materials such as marble, steel, or porcelain-enamel surfaces, using suitable solutions is advisable. Let the property management cleaners handle such areas with precaution. 

8. Change and launder sheets and towels

Do you know the amount of dead skin, bed bugs, and germs that reside in bedsheets and towels? It needs to be cleaned frequently. Therefore, washing and ironing bedsheets will not only help one stay healthy but also helps look tidy.

Imagine having to look at messy sheets and used towels on the property. It creates a bad impression of the manager and the brand they represent. Cleaners should remove stains, scrub the tub’s sides, scrub the bottom, and then drain it all out. They must clean it dry with a separate rag and use a solution to bring the shine. 

9. Perform maintenance on outdoor lighting

Other electrical issues include inspecting the lights throughout your complex and setting aside one day every week to replace destroyed bulbs. A gloomy complex makes it unsafe to drive and stroll through, and it can turn off prospective tenants who think it's dangerous. 

10. Remove dead plants and replace them

Professional cleaners should include the task of removing dead plants as a weekly work. It helps the lawn look neat and vibrant. Property managers should look into these tiny details by inspecting the landscape beforehand. Replacing dead plants with new ones would be a charming idea. 

11. Check for leaks and water damage

By keeping an eye out for important indications of water damage, such as flaking paint or wallpaper or discolored spots, you can find breaches in walls. A water leak may also be indicated by a musty odor inside. By drilling into the walls or utilizing a water meter, one may locate the specific area of a leak. Property managers and cleaners should inspect any area for plumbing issues. The sooner the trained property cleaners are called the better. 

12. Elevator cleaning

Elevators are filled with debris due to daily use. Find a fixed day in a week and use it to clean the walls as there may be handprints of people. Clean the mirror inside, if any. Elevators also contain germs, so cleaning this area is quite vital. Let the expert cleaners sweep every corner of the elevator. Vacuuming the channels, cleaning the exterior of the doors, and shampooing the carpet overnight for elevators. 

13. Don’t neglect walls

Dingy walls with filthy edges and corners convey the message that the facility isn't top-notch. Just painting over the dirt each year to address the issue is pricey (and eventually leaves walls looking much older). Setting up a routine for cleaning the walls, particularly in places with high activity, can keep the building looking fresh for an extended period and prevent the accumulation of grime that necessitates repainting.

Making The Old, New Again!

If property cleaners follow these property management cleaning guidelines, managers would gain a lot. Many of the tasks will not take more than half an hour, but loads of them take hours. If the cleaners do not do their work methodically, it will straightaway affect the property’s brand image, reviews, and sales.

Keeping everything pleasantly clean is crucial in the real estate industry, hence, be sure to do the best you can. It’s not just about the funds, but the experience of using that property as well. 

Hiring cleaning professionals is an exceptional way to make sure everything is tidy and spotless as expected. You may get excellent maintenance and sanitation services for residential or commercial property from Sterling Cleaning Services at reasonable prices. Because of the brilliant teamwork and use of the most recent tools, the task is completed quickly. Call Sterling Cleaning Services soon!

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