The Difference Between Janitorial and Cleaning Services

Wait, these aren’t the same thing? No, professional janitorial services and cleaning services are not the same. They encompass different parts of your business and its needs for cleanliness. 

From daily maintenance to specialty events, janitorial services and cleaning services require different talents, experience, and management needs.

In this blog we will go over:

  • What each service is
  • Their differences
  • Their benefits
  • When to use both

So let’s get started so you can sweep away the look of a dirty office or building.

What Are Janitorial Services?

Janitorial services encompass a range of tasks designed to maintain the cleanliness, hygiene, and the overall appearance of a property. Unlike general cleaning services, janitorial services are ongoing and structured to ensure the building remains in pristine condition every day. 

These services may include daily, weekly, or scheduled cleaning of common areas like lobbies, restrooms, and elevators. This ensures any multi-level office building leaves a lasting impression on tenants, employees, and visitors alike.

The main focus of janitorial services focuses on maintaining high traffic areas while ensuring efficiency within your building. Various tasks are performed to uphold the cleanliness of the space like:

  • Vacuuming carpets
  • Mopping floors
  • Emptying trash bins
  • Sanitizing shared spaces

For a high-rise office building, these spaces can include conference rooms, shared kitchens, and break areas. The goal is to create a safe, pleasant environment that reflects professionalism and care for a property’s tenants.

These services often include specialized maintenance activities that go beyond surface-level cleaning. Some of these tasks include:

  • Floor waxing
  • Window cleaning
  • HVAC Service
  • Plumbing Services
  • Changing Lightbulbs

By integrating these services into a regular schedule, you can prevent minor issues from escalating into costly repairs. Furthermore, a professional janitorial team is trained to handle the unique challenges of a multi-story office building, such as coordinating cleaning during off-hours to minimize disruptions to tenants.

commercial cleaning and janitorial services outside a hotel room

What Are Cleaning Services?

Cleaning services are professional tasks focused on restoring and maintaining cleanliness in a space. These services are typically one-time projects or specialized deep-cleaning jobs. 

Unlike ongoing janitorial services, cleaning services are tailored to address specific needs. Such needs can be

  • Post-construction cleanup
  • Seasonal deep cleaning,
  • Preparing spaces for new tenants. 

These services can include detailed dusting, scrubbing, and disinfecting of surfaces, furniture, and fixtures, ensuring every corner of the building is refreshed and sanitized.

For a multi-level office building, cleaning services are ideal for situations that require an extra level of attention. We describe these types of events as:

  • Lease turnovers
  • Preparing for inspections
  • Post event clean-ups

These services target dirt and debris that build up over time, addressing issues that daily maintenance may not fully resolve.

Because cleaning services often involve more intensive labor and specialized equipment, they are typically scheduled less frequently than janitorial services. However, they still play a critical role in maintaining the condition of your property. By periodically incorporating professional cleaning services, you ensure the longevity of your building’s materials, such as carpets, tiles, and windows, and create a polished, inviting environment for tenants and visitors.

Commercial Cleaning service bucket

Key Differences Between Janitorial Services and Cleaning Services

Understanding the distinction between janitorial services and cleaning services is crucial for effectively maintaining your building or office space. While both contribute to the cleanliness and upkeep of your property, there are differences that need to be understood.

Scope of Work

Janitorial Services: Focus on daily or scheduled maintenance tasks, such as vacuuming, mopping, emptying trash bins, sanitizing restrooms, and maintaining common areas. These tasks ensure your building remains clean and presentable.

Cleaning Services: Typically involve the specialized, deep-cleaning projects, such as carpet shampooing, window washing, pressure washing, or post-construction cleanup. These services target areas and tasks that are not part of the regular maintenance routine.

Frequency

Janitorial Services: Janitorial services are performed on a consistent basis. This can be daily, weekly, or as part of a tailored schedule. These keep your building in top condition at all times.

Cleaning Services: These are scheduled as needed, either periodically or for specific events, such as after a tenant moves out or following a major renovation.

Purpose

Janitorial Services: These services are designed to maintain cleanliness and functionality in high-traffic areas and shared spaces. This is to ensure a clean, safe, and professional environment for all tenants, employees, and visitors.

Cleaning Services: These provide a deeper level of cleaning to address accumulated dirt, grime, or damage, often improving the appearance and extending the life of building materials and furnishings.

Examples of Services

Janitorial Services

  • Daily restroom sanitization
  • Trash removal
  • Wiping down high-touch surfaces
  • Replenishing supplies

Cleaning Services: 

  • Intensive grout cleaning
  • Upholstery cleaning
  • HVAC vent cleaning
  • Polishing floors

By combining regular janitorial services with periodic cleaning services, you ensure your high-rise office building remains pristine, functional, and inviting. 

Janitorial services done in an office

Benefits of Janitorial Services

Now that you understand the differences between the two services, we can look into the benefits of each. Let’s start with the benefits of janitorial services.

Consistent Cleanliness and Hygiene

One of the primary benefits of janitorial services is their ability to maintain a consistently clean environment. Regular janitorial tasks ensure high-traffic areas and shared spaces remain spotless.  

For office buildings, maintaining cleanliness across floors can project professionalism and contribute to the overall positive experience for tenants, employees, and visitors.

Health and Safety

Janitorial services focus on sanitizing and disinfecting key areas like restrooms, kitchenettes, and high-touch surfaces. These tasks help reduce the spread of germs and viruses.

Regular cleaning of high-contact areas also ensures that allergens, dust, and dirt are kept to a minimum, making the building more comfortable for everyone, especially those with respiratory sensitivities.

Long-Term Cost Savings

By maintaining the building’s cleanliness regularly, janitorial services can help extend the lifespan of your building’s materials. 

For example, regular vacuuming and floor care prevent dirt from damaging carpets and hardwood floors. With proper care, you can avoid costly repairs and replacements, saving money on both cleaning and maintenance.

Improved Tenant Satisfaction

A clean, well-maintained environment has a significant impact on tenant satisfaction and retention. Tenants are more likely to stay in a building that offers a clean and inviting atmosphere. This can reduce vacancies and improve overall property value. 

On another note, the cleanliness of shared spaces such as lobbies can positively influence tenants’ perceptions of the building’s management and brand image.

Customizable to Your Needs

Janitorial services are often customizable based on the specific needs of your building. This flexibility ensures that your building receives the right level of attention without the need for multiple service providers.

Commercial cleaning janitorial services being performed

Benefits of Cleaning Services

Now for the benefits of cleaning services:

Deep Cleaning and Specialized Tasks

As stated earlier, cleaning services focus on tasks that require specialized attention like carpet shampooing or grout cleaning. These services help restore the building’s appearance, giving it a refreshed, polished look. 

For high-rise office buildings, cleaning services can tackle hard-to-reach areas, such as windows on higher floors, ensuring that the entire structure is well-maintained.

Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal

Cleaning services provide a level of detail that regular janitorial services may not address. From buffing floors to removing accumulated grime from kitchen and break areas, these services help maintain the aesthetic appeal of your building. 

In addition to creating a welcoming environment for tenants, it also ensures that your building makes a great impression on visitors and potential clients, which is especially important for businesses that host meetings or events.

Focused on Specific Needs

Cleaning services are ideal for situations where focused, intensive cleaning is needed. This might include preparing a space for a new tenant, post-renovation cleaning, or cleaning after a corporate event. These services can target areas that require more attention than the usual janitorial maintenance allows. 

For example, a post-construction cleanup can involve removing dust and debris from areas such as carpets, walls, and windows, restoring the space to a move-in-ready condition.

Preventive Care for Building Materials

Over time, dirt and grime can build up in areas that are not cleaned regularly. This can cause wear and tear on materials like carpets, tiles, and windows. Cleaning services help prevent damage to these materials by providing occasional deep cleaning. 

For example, regular window washing can prevent dirt from corroding glass surfaces, while deep carpet cleaning removes trapped dirt that could degrade the fibers over time.

Flexibility in Scheduling and Scope

Cleaning services are typically scheduled on an as-needed basis, making them ideal for occasional or one-time projects. Whether it’s preparing your building for a special event, completing an end-of-year cleaning, or ensuring a property is spotless before tenant move-in, cleaning services offer the flexibility to address the building’s specific needs. 

These services can be scheduled around your timeline and tailored to meet any specific challenges your building might face.

Man angry about the Difference between Janitorial and cleaning services

When to Choose Janitorial Services vs. Cleaning Services

Now that we’ve looked at the differences and benefits of both services, we can simplify all of it down to when you should choose each service

Choose Janitorial Services When:

  1. You Need Consistent, Daily Maintenance
  2. You’re Focused on Daily Hygiene and Cleanliness
  3. You Want to Maintain a Professional, Polished Appearance Daily
  4. You Have Set Schedules for Regular Cleaning

Choose Cleaning Services When:

  1. You Need Intensive, One-Time Cleanings
  2. You’re Preparing for Special Events or Tenant Move-ins
  3. You Have Specific Problem Areas That Need Attention
  4. You Want to Extend the Life of Your Building Materials

A Combination of Both Services for Comprehensive Maintenance

In many cases, the best solution is a combination of both services. By integrating both services into your property management strategy, you can ensure that your building is always in excellent condition—both on a regular basis and when extra attention is needed.

Citic Cleaning Is Here for Both Services

It’s time to move forward and book your service. Whether it’s janitorial, commercial cleaning, or both, you can count on your partners at Citi Cleaning Services to help you and your office building achieve cleanliness and peak performance.

Our team has over 20 years of experience in professional cleaning from small offices to large high-rise buildings. Get your free quote today!

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