Hiring an Office Cleaning Company in Hartford: What Your Cleaning Scope Should Include
Marcos Ortiz
Cleaning Expert
Before you hire an office cleaning company in Hartford, get the scope in writing: restrooms, break rooms, floors, trash, high-touch surfaces, supplies and floor care. Then ask every vendor for a certificate of insurance, references, who supplies the products, how quality is checked, what happens if something is missed, and how pricing and Connecticut sales tax work.
This guide is for office managers and property managers comparing vendors. Below is the scope we work from on commercial cleaning in Hartford and across Greater Hartford, and the questions we think you should ask any company, us included.
What does janitorial service include?
Janitorial service is the routine cleaning that keeps an office usable day to day. Think trash, restrooms, floors, dusting and wiping down desks. Floor care like stripping and waxing can be part of a recurring plan or a separate project.
The table is our scope. It comes from our office cleaning and workplace janitorial services pages. The right column is what to pin down with any vendor before you sign.
| Area | What we clean | What to ask any vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Restrooms | Disinfect toilets, sinks and door handles with EPA-approved products, and restock supplies | How often restrooms are done each week |
| Break rooms | Sanitize, stock supplies and keep the area hygienic | Whether appliance interiors and dishes are in the scope |
| Trash and recycling | Empty trash and remove recycling | Who supplies the liners and where the bags go |
| Floors on every visit | Vacuum carpets and mop hard floors | Which rooms get done on each visit |
| Floor care | Strip and wax hard floors, shampoo and extract carpets. Tile, carpet and vinyl | Whether it is in the recurring price or quoted as a project |
| High-touch surfaces | Disinfect high-touch surfaces with EPA-approved disinfectants | Which surfaces are on the list |
| Desks, surfaces and common areas | Dust surfaces, wipe down desks and clean common areas | Whether staff need to clear desks first |
| Details | Baseboards, corners and the spots under desks | Whether these are done every visit or on a rotation |
| Windows and high dusting | Window and blind detailing, vents and high-level dusting | How often, and whether outside glass is included |
| Supplies | Monitor and restock paper towels, toilet paper, soap and hand sanitizer on every visit | Who pays for the restock items |
| After a buildout | Final cleanup after a renovation or new tenant buildout | Whether it is quoted apart from the recurring plan |
If you manage a whole building, our commercial building cleaning page lists the standard service: trash removal, vacuuming and mopping, dusting, disinfecting high-touch areas, restroom sanitation and restocking supplies. Retail spaces, churches and other facilities are on our commercial cleaning page.
After hours, early mornings and weekends
Most of our office clients prefer evening or weekend service, so their team is never disrupted. We offer early morning, evening and weekend cleaning. If you need someone on site during the day, we also offer daytime porter service. Our janitorial page names weekends for deep cleans.
Our business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6:30 PM, and Saturday, 8 AM to 5 PM. We're closed on Sundays. Our pages don't list set cleaning times, so the evening or weekend window for your building is agreed during the walk-through.
Whoever you hire, put the cleaning days and the time window in the agreement. Also settle who gets keys or alarm codes, and what happens if a visit has to move.
How often should an office be cleaned?
Our office cleaning FAQ says most Manchester offices do well with 3 to 5 visits a week. Our janitorial FAQ says most Manchester businesses choose daily or 3 times a week. Smaller teams can go with a lighter plan, such as once a week.
Not every part of the office needs the same schedule. Restrooms and break rooms get the most use, so they benefit from daily cleaning. Floor care and detailed dusting can be weekly.
What moves the number up or down:
- Headcount: more people means more trash, more restroom use and more crumbs.
- Foot traffic: visitors, clients and deliveries bring in dirt and wear down floors.
- Office size: more space takes more time on each visit.
- Type of business: a medical suite or a storefront has different needs than a back office.
We recommend a schedule during the walk-through. Ask any vendor to explain how they got to theirs.
Questions to ask any commercial cleaning company
Ask every company you're comparing the same questions. Get the answers in writing, so you can line the quotes up side by side.
1. Can you send a certificate of insurance?
Ask for the certificate itself, not a line on a website. Check the dates, the type of coverage and the limits. If your lease or building management sets insurance requirements for vendors, send those over and ask the company to show its policy meets them. If a company says it is bonded, ask what the bond covers.
2. Can we talk to your references?
Ask for current clients with a space like yours, and call them. Ask what gets missed and how fast it gets fixed. We share references on request.
3. Who supplies the products and equipment?
Ask who brings the chemicals, vacuums and floor machines. Ask what products are used in restrooms and around staff. Then ask who pays for the paper towels, toilet paper, soap and liners, and get that in writing too.
Our crew brings commercial-grade equipment and EPA-approved disinfectants. We favor safe, non-toxic cleaning products, and we restock paper goods, soap and hand sanitizer on every visit.
4. How do you check the work?
Ask who checks the cleaning, how often, and whether you get a checklist. Our crews work from detailed checklists and do a final walkthrough before they leave. Every commercial client gets one point of contact, and there is founder oversight on major projects.
5. What happens if something is missed?
Ask how you report a miss, who you report it to, and when it gets fixed. On our final walkthrough, if something was missed, we fix it right then. If you spot something later, tell your point of contact.
6. How is the price set, and is tax included?
Ask what the price is based on, what it includes and what costs extra. Ask if it is per visit or per month. Then ask whether Connecticut sales tax is in the number or added on top. Compare totals, not base prices.
Connecticut sales tax on janitorial services
Connecticut taxes janitorial services. The Department of Revenue Services (DRS) lists janitorial services on its page of services subject to sales and use taxes. The rate is the state's general 6.35% sales tax. That covers office cleaning, not only homes.
So a cleaning company's quote should account for 6.35% tax, in the total or as its own line. If two quotes look far apart, check whether one of them left the tax off. One exception: a janitor your business employs directly, for regular wages, is not a taxable service. Our post on whether cleaning is taxable in Connecticut covers the rules in more detail.
This is a plain summary, not tax advice. Check with DRS about your own situation.
How a walk-through quote works
Our instant quote tool prices homes only. Commercial work is priced after we see the space, so there's no set office price to post here. This is how it goes:
- Send a request. Use the form on our contact page. Tell us the type of cleaning, where the property is, and a little about the space.
- We walk the space. We walk through your office, note the high-traffic zones and any special surfaces, and ask about your priorities.
- We build a plan. It covers what gets cleaned, how often, and a schedule that fits your office hours.
- You get a free quote for that plan. Compare it against other vendors using the questions above.
- We clean and check. Each visit ends with a final walkthrough.
We do the same walk-through for offices in Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester and the rest of the Greater Hartford area.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask a commercial cleaning company?
Ask for a certificate of insurance and references. Ask who supplies the products and paper goods, how the work is checked, and what happens if something is missed. Ask how the price is set and whether Connecticut sales tax is included. Get the answers in writing.
What does janitorial service include?
It covers the routine cleaning: trash and recycling, restrooms, vacuuming and mopping, dusting, wiping desks and disinfecting high-touch surfaces. Ours also includes restocking paper goods and soap. Floor care like stripping, waxing and carpet shampooing is part of a recurring plan or a separate project.
Can you clean our office after hours or on weekends?
Yes. We offer early morning, evening and weekend cleaning, plus daytime porter service. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, and we're closed on Sundays. The cleaning window for your building is set during the walk-through.
How often should an office be cleaned?
Our FAQs put most offices at daily service or 3 to 5 visits a week. Smaller teams can go with a lighter plan, such as once a week. Restrooms and break rooms benefit from daily cleaning, and floor care and detailed dusting can be weekly.
Is office cleaning taxed in Connecticut?
Yes. DRS lists janitorial services as taxable, and the general rate is 6.35%. That applies to offices and other buildings, not only homes. Ask every vendor whether the tax is in their quote.
Why don't you list commercial prices?
Every office is different in size, layout, traffic and schedule. Our instant quote tool covers homes only. For an office, we walk the space, build a plan and send a free quote for that plan.
Request a walk-through quote
Tell us about your office or building, where it is and what you need cleaned. We'll set up a walk-through and send you a free quote.
