For companies and commercial properties, one question often comes up when planning cleaning and maintenance work: what can be handled by in-house staff, a property manager or regular cleaning services, and when is it better to bring in a professional cleaning and property maintenance company?
At first glance, it may seem sensible to save money by taking care of routine cleaning, seasonal maintenance or smaller cleaning jobs yourself. In reality, the right choice depends on the scale of the work, safety requirements, the equipment and products involved, and whether using the wrong method could damage surfaces and lead to higher costs later.
According to Tarvo Priimägi, Head of Forus Heakord and a long-time cleaning industry professional, companies and property managers should first consider whether a job is safe, manageable and clearly defined, or whether it requires specialist knowledge, professional equipment and greater responsibility.
Simpler jobs can often be handled in-house
Companies can usually manage low-risk tasks that do not require specialised equipment themselves. A company’s own team or property management partner can, for example, take care of minor tidying, remove litter and debris, perform basic surface cleaning or carry out seasonal inspections.
This works well when everyone understands what needs to be done, who is responsible and what standard is expected. The purpose of doing some tasks in-house should not be to replace professional cleaning altogether, but rather to handle smaller, manageable jobs where the risks are limited.
However, if the work involves surfaces whose maintenance depends on the material, the correct cleaning products or a specific technique, it is worth assessing the situation before getting started. An in-house solution may not always deliver the desired result and, in some cases, can create additional costs later.
The greatest risks involve surfaces and workplace safety
Commercial buildings, offices, customer-facing premises and production facilities contain many surfaces that are exposed to heavy daily use. Entrances, corridors, staircases, lifts, glass surfaces, flooring, carpets and washrooms all directly affect the impression a building makes on employees, customers and visitors.
At the same time, these surfaces can be sensitive to incorrect maintenance methods. An unsuitable cleaning product, for example, may damage flooring, wood, glass or stone. The wrong technique can wear away a protective coating, leave dirt trapped in porous materials or make a surface become dirty more quickly in future.
Workplace safety is another important consideration. Cleaning high-level windows and glass façades, pressure washing, cleaning garages or technical rooms, and working with stronger cleaning chemicals are not simply extra jobs that can always be fitted around someone’s normal duties. If a task requires safety equipment, machinery or specialist training, it is usually best left to professionals.
When is regular cleaning no longer enough?
One clear sign that routine maintenance cleaning is no longer sufficient is when a surface still looks tired, dirty or worn even after it has been cleaned. Another warning sign is when dirt returns very quickly or communal areas no longer give the impression of a clean and well-maintained environment.
An entrance or corridor may be cleaned every day, for example, while corners, skirting boards, floor joints and heavily used walkways are visibly in need of more thorough treatment. Persistent marks may remain on glass, salt, mud and oil residue may build up in garages, and visible layers of dust may collect around ventilation openings.
In such cases, simply increasing the frequency of routine cleaning may not solve the problem. What is needed instead may be specialist deep cleaning that removes dirt from areas regular maintenance cleaning can no longer reach effectively.
Seasonal planning helps prevent problems
Keeping a company or commercial property in good condition should not depend solely on reacting once a problem becomes visible. Many maintenance tasks are seasonal and deliver the best results when carried out at the right time.
In spring and early summer, it is worth reviewing the areas most affected by the muddy winter season, including entrances, glass surfaces, floors, carpets, garages, technical rooms and outdoor areas. In autumn, the focus should shift towards preparing for wetter and muddier conditions, when more dirt is brought indoors and entrances and floors are placed under greater strain.
Areas that are less visible in everyday use are often the easiest to overlook. These include technical rooms, storage spaces, parking garages, ventilation openings, high-level surfaces, back rooms and less frequently used corridors. If they are not maintained regularly, cleaning them later can become a much larger undertaking, requiring more time, specialist equipment and work outside normal operating hours.
Short-term savings can become expensive later
The cheapest-looking option is not always the most cost-effective one. If a maintenance task is carried out incorrectly or postponed for too long, restoring the surface later may cost considerably more than maintaining it professionally in the first place.
An unsuitable cleaning product can damage flooring, wood, glass or stone. Insufficient cleaning may allow dirt to become embedded in surfaces, while incorrect methods can accelerate wear. This is particularly important for materials that are expensive to restore or replace, such as flooring, glass, wood, stone, carpets and upholstered furniture.
Companies should also consider the cost of their own employees’ time. If staff or the property management team have to deal with tasks for which they lack the right equipment or training, the apparent saving may not be a real saving at all. A professional service provider can also schedule the work to minimise disruption to the building’s day-to-day use.
Regular and correctly performed maintenance helps extend the lifespan of surfaces, keeps premises in better condition and reduces the risk of having to pay for repairs or material replacement later.
How should you choose a cleaning and maintenance company?
When a company or property manager decides to outsource the work, it is worth defining the scope of the job, access requirements, surface materials, necessary equipment, suitable timing and the potential impact on building users. The more accurate the initial information, the more realistically the provider can assess the workload, cost and schedule.
A good cleaning and maintenance company does more than provide a quotation. It should also help assess how often different tasks are needed, what the priorities are and where the main risks lie. For a business customer, it is important to understand what is included in the service, which tasks are performed regularly and which need to be ordered separately.
Responsibility also matters. The shared areas, surfaces and communal spaces in a commercial building affect employees, customers, business partners and visitors alike. It therefore makes sense to choose a partner with relevant experience, trained employees, suitable equipment and a willingness to take responsibility for the quality of its work, including when something does not go according to plan.
How do you decide what to do in-house and what to outsource?
For a company or property manager, the easiest approach is to divide cleaning and maintenance work into three categories:
- First, there are simple, low-risk tasks that can usually be handled in-house, such as removing litter and debris, minor tidying and seasonal inspections.
- Second, there are tasks that should be planned seasonally, including window cleaning, garage washing, deep floor cleaning, cleaning ventilation openings and other more thorough jobs that are not covered by everyday cleaning.
- Third, there are tasks that should be left to professionals, including work at height, cleaning jobs requiring specialist equipment, and the maintenance of surfaces that could be damaged by incorrect treatment.
The communal areas of a commercial property are part of a company’s first impression. When entrances, glass surfaces, floors, lifts and shared spaces are clean and well maintained, people immediately get the sense that the environment is being properly looked after.
Professional cleaning and maintenance services do not necessarily mean a major additional expense. In many cases, they save time, reduce the burden on property management teams and help prevent situations that would otherwise require more expensive repairs or restoration later.
The most practical approach is a preventive one: know which jobs can safely be handled in-house, which should be scheduled seasonally and where it makes sense to involve a professional from the outset.
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