How do janitorial services work?

• Gather and empty trash and trash bins
• Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming them
• Clean bathrooms and stock them with soap, toilet paper, and other supplies
• Keep buildings secure by locking doors
• Clean spills and other hazards using sponges and squeegees
• Wash windows, walls, and glass
• Order cleaning supplies
• Change light bulbs
• Notify managers when the building needs major repairs

One thing I would add is this: don’t just hire “a janitor” or “a janitorial company.” Hire a scope of work.

In a building like yours, the real question is whether you need:

1. a day porter/janitor for daytime touchups in the cafeteria and washrooms,
2. an after-hours janitorial service for the full nightly clean,
3. or a mix of both.

A lot of problems happen because the customer thinks they bought full coverage, but the cleaner thinks they were hired for basic nightly service only.

Before signing anything, I’d ask each company to put in writing:

• what gets cleaned daily, weekly, and monthly
• how often the washrooms and cafeteria get checked
• whether consumables are included
• who handles spot calls and response time
• whether they do inspections/quality control
• what is specifically not included

For your situation, the smell in the men’s washroom and the cafeteria mess sound like workflow issues more than “square footage” issues. You may need daytime coverage in those zones instead of just one general clean at night.

I’d compare vendors less on price alone and more on how clearly they define the service. The company with the best written scope usually causes the fewest headaches later.