How to keep your community's common areas always clean

A residential community’s common areas are the building’s calling card. A clean lobby, well-kept staircases and an immaculate lift say a great deal about the community living there. But maintaining that standard requires organisation, consistency and, often, professional help.

Establish a cleaning plan by frequency

Not all common areas need the same level of attention. An effective plan distributes tasks according to how often they are needed.

Daily tasks include sweeping and mopping the lobby and ground floor, cleaning the inside of the lift, emptying bins and ashtrays, and collecting junk mail from letterboxes.

Weekly tasks cover mopping all staircases and landings, cleaning banisters and handrails, cleaning lobby and communal window glass, and disinfecting handles and push buttons.

Monthly or quarterly tasks include garage cleaning, cleaning storage rooms and communal utility areas, floor treatments, and cleaning the exterior facade and garden areas.

Pay attention to critical points

There are areas that get dirty much faster and generate the most complaints among residents. Letterboxes accumulate junk mail and papers that end up on the floor. The lobby collects all the dirt brought in from the street. The lift gets dirty with every use. And communal waste bins generate odours if not cleaned regularly.

Identifying these critical points and giving them special attention prevents the overall perception of cleanliness from dropping, even if the rest of the areas are in good condition.

Involve the residents

Professional cleaning does not solve everything if residents do not cooperate. A few basic coexistence rules help enormously: not leaving rubbish bags outside the containers, cleaning pet areas if applicable, not leaving objects on staircases and respecting the usage times of common areas.

A noticeboard or building communication group can serve to periodically remind residents of these rules and allow them to report cleaning issues.

Adapt cleaning to the season

Cleaning needs change with the seasons. In autumn, leaves accumulate in lobbies and outdoor areas. In winter, rain and mud get tracked inside. In spring, pollen settles on every surface. And in summer, if the community has a pool, common areas need a considerable boost.

A good cleaning service adjusts the plan according to the time of year, increasing frequency or adding specific tasks when necessary.

Look after the materials

Each surface needs its own treatment. The marble in the lobby requires neutral products that will not damage it. Ceramic tile floors need different maintenance from terrazzo. Stainless steel banisters need a specific cleaner to avoid fingerprint marks.

Using the wrong product does not just fail to clean properly; it can deteriorate materials over the long term, generating repair costs far greater than the cost of cleaning.

The role of the property manager

The property manager is the key figure for coordinating the cleaning service, managing incidents and ensuring the contract is fulfilled. Smooth communication between the property manager, the cleaning company and the residents is the foundation for keeping common areas consistently in good condition.

If the community is not satisfied with the current service, the first step should be a meeting with the property manager and the cleaning company to review the plan, adjust frequencies and resolve specific problems before considering a change of supplier.