The Ultimate Janitorial Checklist: Daily, Weekly & Monthly Tasks for Metro Detroit Facilities

The Ultimate Janitorial Checklist: Daily, Weekly & Monthly Tasks for Metro Detroit Facilities

Why a written checklist beats “clean it when it looks dirty”

A consistent, inspection-ready facility doesn’t happen by accident. Written checklists turn expectations into repeatable action—especially across multiple suites, shifts, or buildings. In Metro Detroit, winter salt, spring pollen, summer humidity, and fall debris change soil loads week to week. A structured daily/weekly/monthly program adapts to those swings, protects floors and finishes, and keeps staff, visitors, patients, and shoppers safe.

How to use this guide

• Customize by area & traffic. A high-traffic lobby needs more frequent touchpoints than a back office.
• Document frequency & owners. Assign tasks to a night crew, day porter, or vendor.
• Measure outcomes. Tie tasks to KPIs—complaints, rework, slip incidents, ATP/hygiene audits, and supervisor QA scores.
• Seasonalize. Add salt-control, matting expansions, and exterior glass cycles based on the Metro Detroit forecast.

Daily Janitorial Checklist (by zone)

Entrances, Lobbies & Reception

• Remove litter; empty/relines; tidy brochure racks & signage
• Inspect entry matting; vacuum/roll/replace as needed (critical during salt season)
• Dust & wipe horizontal surfaces (reception, credenzas, ledges) with appropriate cleaner
• High-touch disinfection: door handles, desk edges, pen cups, bell/call buttons
• Spot clean interior glass & partitions; polish fingerprints at vestibules
• Floors: vacuum carpets; dust mop hard floors; neutral mop VCT/LVT/ceramic; place wet-floor signs when needed

Offices, Conference Rooms & Workstations

• Trash/recycling removal; replace liners as needed
• Wipe desks/tables (respecting clear-desk policies) and chair arms
• Dust monitors/bezels (no liquids on screens) and accessible vents
• Vacuum carpets & chair mats; damp mop hard floors
• Reset chairs & cables; tidy shared tech (remotes, conference phones)

Breakrooms, Kitchens & Cafés

• Sanitize counters, sinks, and appliance handles (fridges, microwaves, vending)
• Wipe tables/chairs; spot-clean cabinet fronts & splash zones
• Dust mop/wet mop floors with food-safe neutral cleaner
• Remove trash & food waste; insert new liners; check drains and odors
• Restock towels, soap, and consumables

Restrooms

• Disinfect & detail toilets, urinals, partition touchpoints, sinks & counters
• Polish fixtures & mirrors; spot clean doors and walls
• Refill paper, soap & sanitary bins; check for leaks/odors
• Dust mop/wet mop with disinfecting solution; machine scrub on schedule
• Document checks on a visible log (compliance & accountability)

Elevators, Stairwells & Hallways

• Wipe buttons/rails; disinfect call panels
• Spot-clean walls & kick plates; remove scuffs
• Vacuum/mop traffic lanes; inspect lighting & signages

Weekly Janitorial Checklist

Floors & Baseboards

• Edge vacuuming along walls, under desks, and around furniture
• Machine scrub small restrooms/tile areas to lift mineral & soil film
• Detail clean baseboards, door jambs, and corners (salt residue shows here)

Surfaces & Fixtures

• High/low dusting: vents, diffusers, tops of frames & cabinets
• Disinfect shared devices: printers, copiers, breakroom appliances, elevator interiors
• Deep clean breakroom microwaves (interior), fridge handles/gaskets (exterior)

Glass & Touchpoints

• Full pass on interior glass: conference rooms, partitions, vestibules
• Polish stainless and metal finishes (elevator cabs, railings, kick plates)

Waste & Odor Control

• Inspect and sanitize bins, caddies, and mop buckets; replace malodorous liners
• Drain maintenance (enzymatic where appropriate)

Monthly / Periodic (30–90 Day) Checklist

Floors

• VCT: burnish & top-coat as gloss/traction decline; schedule strip & wax as needed
• LVT: top-scrub & recoat (no harsh strip) to refresh protection & sheen
• Ceramic/grout: machine scrub & detail grout lines; address efflorescence or salt haze
• Concrete: autoscrub; consider guard/burnish cycles in high-traffic zones

Carpets

• Low-moisture encapsulation on traffic lanes (monthly/bimonthly)
• Hot-water extraction (quarterly/semi-annual) for restorative cleaning
• Stain mapping & targeted spot-treat protocols (coffee, toner, road-salt, dyes)

Windows & High Areas

• Interior glass detailing; exterior storefront cycles (increase spring/summer)
• High dusting of beams, ceiling fans, can lights, signage, and exposed duct

Deep Cleaning & Compliance

• Restroom machine scrub with dwell time on grout lines & urine splash zones
• Breakroom/kitchen: appliance fronts/sides/pulls, kick plates, backsplash grout
• Emergency/egress inspections; update SDS, labels, and site playbook

Specialty Spaces (adjust as needed)

• Medical/clinical (non-regulated): meticulous touchpoint disinfection; scent-free, manufacturer-approved chemistry; respect PPE & sharps protocols (no handling of regulated waste).
• Education & childcare: toy sanitization cycles; classroom tables & chairs; nurse’s office hygiene; gym floor care per manufacturer spec.
• Retail & restaurants (front-of-house): host stands, menus/kiosks, pin pads (per vendor rules), partitions, entry glass; grease-aware mopping and matting.
• Light industrial & logistics (non-hazardous): time-clock & handrail disinfection; dock dust control; office/breakroom/restroom programs aligned to shift changes.

Seasonal Adjustments for Metro Detroit

• Winter (Dec–Mar): Expand entry matting, increase vacuuming & damp mops; add salt-neutralizer passes; faster autoscrub cadence; protect finishes with more frequent top-coats.
• Spring (Apr–May): Pollen & dust removal, exterior glass run, carpet extraction reset after salt season.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Humidity management; grout and odor control; night-cleaning to avoid guest disruption.
• Fall (Sep–Nov): Leaf & grit control; gutter/entry checks; pre-winter floor protection plan.

Staffing Models: Day Porter vs. Night Crew

• Day Porter: Handles midday restrooms, lobby resets, spills, light policing of glass & touchpoints; ideal for clinics, schools, retail, and multi-tenant lobbies.
• Night Crew: Full dusting, restrooms, waste, and floor care with minimal disruption.
• Hybrid: Porters stabilize the day; night crews deliver the deep reset.

Safety, Sustainability & Quality Assurance

• SDS/OSHA-aligned training; labeled bottles; correct dilution (prevents residue & dulling).
• Color-coded microfiber and restroom-only tools to stop cross-contamination.
• Low-odor/eco chemistries and HEPA filtration where specified.
• QA program: room-by-room checklists, supervisor inspections with photo notes, measurable KPIs (complaints per 10k sq ft, rework %, slip incidents, ATP benchmarks).
• Communication: one accountable contact, rapid issue resolution, seasonal recommendations.

Pro tip: Protect the floors that sell your space

VCT and LVT carry your brand the moment someone walks in from Telegraph, Woodward, or Ford Road. The right cadence—neutral daily + periodic burnish/top-coat (VCT) or top-scrub & recoat (LVT)—keeps gloss even, improves traction, and cuts long-term replacement costs. Pair that with monthly encap + quarterly extraction for carpets and a proper matting strategy at every entrance.

Ready to put this checklist to work?

If you want a customized, building-specific checklist with frequencies, products, and QA steps aligned to your exact square footage and traffic patterns, we’ll map it during a quick walk-through and provide a clear, itemized plan.