Disinfecting the office was always important before the pandemic, and it’s still important now, even if it seems the worst of COVID is behind us. And the more people there are sharing an office, the more important it is to disinfect.
Having your staff wipe down work and break areas with disinfecting wipes isn’t enough. These troublesome illness-causing germs are small enough to hide in carpets, upholstery, and the small spaces in electronics.
A professional cleaning service has the equipment and expertise with EPA-approved disinfectants to help prevent your workforce from getting sick with all kinds of illnesses. Not only will workers call out sick less often with colds, coronavirus, the flu, etc., but when they feel better, they’ll perform better.
Naturally, costs are a major factor in your decision about how often to schedule professional cleaning services for disinfection or which company to hire. So here, we talk about the costs of disinfecting an office, how they’re calculated, and whether or not disinfecting is necessary post-COVID. Before you get too ahead of yourself asking a bunch of questions, know that you will be able to find the most frequently asked questions, about office disinfecting costs, at the end of the guide.
Cost Basis: How Do Disinfection Services Calculate Costs?
When office disinfection service providers calculate pricing, the biggest parameters they consider are the size of the space, how long it takes, and any office features like restrooms and kitchens.
Square Footage to Disinfect
The logical assumption is the larger an office space is, the more expensive it is to disinfect. Typically, this logic tracks up to a point.
For example, a service provider may charge an average cost of $0.25-0.38 per square foot up to a threshold like 7,000 square feet and decrease the rate per square foot incrementally for larger offices.
The average costs for larger office spaces or whole buildings may be $0.05-0.12/sq. ft. from 7,000-20,000 square feet, $0.9/sq. ft. from 20,000-1000,000 square feet, and so on.
On the more expensive end of the spectrum, a company may charge $2.50/sq. ft. for disinfection services.
The Amount of Work it Takes to Disinfect
Commercial cleaning services disinfection cleaning services reflect the amount of work required for the specific job.
Normally, a larger office or building will take more work, staff, and supplies to clean or disinfect. But it depends somewhat on the complexity of the floor plan, the types of surfaces, and how crowded the space is. A small, open floor plan with minimal clutter and easy-to-disinfect surfaces is more efficient to disinfect than a larger but more cramped office.
Office Features that Can Affect Cost and Add-On Cleaning
There are some variables companies tend to calculate as add-ons due to the increased demands. Prices for disinfecting kitchen, breakroom, and restroom space will be higher, because these areas are exposed to more dirt, residue, and contaminants and require higher cleaning standards.
If you’re trying to anticipate professional disinfection costs, know the square footage of your kitchen/break room and bathrooms, and apply a higher rate.
Cost Calculator: Typical Price Ranges
If possible, obtain the price ranges from this client, and use a chart/table
To calculate a fair commercial cleaning price range for disinfecting your office, start by finding the overall square footage, excluding kitchens, breakrooms, and bathrooms. For those ‘add-on’ areas, expect a higher rate per square foot, and for the rest of the office, use this chart as a guide for the average costs:
| Under 5,000-7,000 sq. ft. | $0.25-0.38 per sq. ft. |
| Up to 20,000 sq. ft. | $0.12 per sq. ft. |
| Up to 100,000 sq. ft. | $0.09 per sq. ft. |
| Over 100,000 sq. ft. | $0.05-0.07 per sq. ft. |
Pandemic: Should You Still Do COVID Disinfecting?
Many of us are glad to be free of some of the exhausting measures put in place at the height of the pandemic, but COVID-era disinfecting practices are here to stay. The coronavirus isn’t the only germ we have to worry about making us sick, and everyone’s awareness has increased regarding health and safety measures.
In short, nobody wants to get sick, miss work, and have to play catch-up, and nobody wants to bring illnesses home to their families. The whole workplace and surrounding community is better off when we take the initiative to thoroughly, professionally disinfect our offices.
FAQs About Office Disinfection Costs
Are Disinfecting Services Different from Sanitizing Services?
Yes. The EPA-approved disinfectants providers use are chemicals with the ability to destroy or deactivate microorganisms living on surfaces. On the other hand, sanitizing services use less potent chemicals (sanitizers) that reduce the numbers of microorganisms, but don’t always eliminate them.
When is the Best Time to Disinfect My Office Building?
If any outbreak of a potentially dangerous illness like COVID occurs at the office, it’s the most urgent time to disinfect and conduct special cleaning.
High-traffic businesses with plenty of workers and guests coming and going should take the opportunity to disinfect as often as they can. Medical facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, and doctor’s offices disinfect most frequently.
Does Frequency of Services Affect Cost of Disinfection?
Some cleaning companies may offer lower disinfection costs for facilities enlisting more frequent disinfection cleaning services, i.e., daily or weekly.
The Best Way to Estimate What it Will Cost to Disinfect Your Office: Get a Custom Quote
If you’re determined to continue upholding the high health and safety standards that come with disinfecting services, you need an accurate, personalized cost estimate to help you carry out your plan.
When you contact us at Dallas Janitorial Services, we’ll use your office’s details to provide a free quote for disinfection services and other commercial cleaning prices.
