Definitive Church Cleaning Checklist & Guidelines [Checklist]

Use this Church cleaning checklist and cleaning system, to get your church ready before families and children step into your facilities, use the nursery or restrooms. High quality cleaning is a matter of health and perception of your congregation.

This church cleaning guide is based on the system that Universal Janitorial Services uses for it’s church cleaning services, which will help you achieve both high-quality cleaning and reduce your cleaning cost. A well-designed cleaning system consists of a cleaning process, cleaning equipment, cleaning products, and frequent training of the people executing the cleaning.

Cleaning System

Cleaning checklist – The importance of a cleaning checklist is that it is planned out what needs cleaning, the frequency by which it is cleaned, and a cleaning process. It’s easy to follow the cleaning checklist and frequency, but the “how” is achieved through a continuous cleaning training program.

Cleaning Products

Achieving streak-free floors, mirrors, glass doors/walls and still retain an efficient cleaning process, is easy if you use the right cleaning products, but labor-intense and frustrating if you are using the wrong product. The church cleaning guide will help you understand which products to use for each cleaning activity.

Use The Right Equipment For Efficient Cleaning

Are you cleaning the sanctuary floor with a mop or machine?

There are several elements to high quality and efficient cleaning which not only involves the right cleaning supplies but the use of the right cleaning equipment. Cleaning a large floor area in the sanctuary is faster with a machine, and vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner carried on the back is much faster than dragging a machine on the floor, there are a hundred more examples.

Cleaning equipment also includes mops, sponge, and brushes and here it is important to follow strict principles of which sponges, mops, and brushes are used where. You do NOT want to use the sponge used in the kitchen, in the nursery, or the mops used in the restroom, on the hallway floor. Beware, there can be serious health risks at play if a strict cleaning process is not followed.

Church Cleaning Checklist

When do you know if you have remembered to clean everything and not accidentally forgotten something important?

Getting your church cleaning systematized means first dividing the facility into areas and then the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annually) by which cleaning tasks should be carried out.

Entrance & Lobby

• Sweep Exterior Entrance Areas
• Dust off all lobby surfaces
• Thoroughly vacuum full surface areas of all entrance rugs and carpeting.
• Tile floor resurfacing

Sanctuary & Nave

• Empty wastebaskets and remove trash to the designated disposal area.
• Replace plastic liners as necessary.
• Clean and polish wood surfaces within the Worship Room
• Clean pews, altars; vacuuming, dusting, trash, and other necessary cleanings to ready these areas for weekend services.
• Dusting, trash, glass partition cleaning, furniture cleaning, vacuuming, and other spot cleanings, as well as countertops and sink areas.
• Clean the window sills to remove bugs, critters, dust, etc.
• Clean the rooms and hallway behind the Sanctuary, the Shepherd Center offices.
• Sweep and/or vacuum and mop all hard floor areas, specifically the Parlor, Preschool hallways.
• Sweep and mop, or vacuum the hallway, the stairways, elevator floors, Foyer, Foyer hallways, and coat closet.
• Clean any surface areas, and tidy as needed.

Fellowship Hall & Kitchen

• Sweep and mop and/or vacuum full-floor areas.
• Clean the horizontal surfaces of all furniture.
• Thoroughly clean and sanitize all countertops including coffee/food areas and vending machines.
• Deep-clean ovens, stove, toasters, or microwaves, inside and outside.
• Cleaning of refrigerators on all surfaces and handles outside.
• Clean dirty dishes/place dirty dishes in the dishwasher and “start” it.
• Place clean dishes from dishwasher in cubboards and drawers.
• Clean all light fixtures, fossets, and sinks.

Administrative Offices & Library

• Empty wastebaskets and remove trash to the designated disposal area.
• Replace wastebasket plastic liners as necessary.
• Dust off all desks, chairs, cabinets, shelves, and partitions.
• Clean all glass surfaces and windows.
• Throughly sweep and vaccum all floors and carpet areas.
• Leave documents and working-papers untouched.
• Materials in recycling containers shall be removed if provided, and placed in the designated area for removal by others.
• Recyclable materials shall not be mixed with trash. Replace the recycling in the non-Preschool areas at designated pick-up times.
• Report items in need of repair, e.g., inoperative lights, broken windows, and doors, leaking sinks, urinals, commodes, broken fixtures, etc.

Classrooms & Nurseries

• Sweep and/or vacuum and mop full-floor areas, including Preschool offices. Use a disinfectant while mopping.
• Materials in recycling containers shall be removed if provided, and placed in the designated area for removal by others. Recyclable materials shall not be mixed with trash.
• Clean all surfaces within both the Preschool kitchen areas and sinks within the classrooms.
• Wipe the doorknobs, light switches, windowsills, and door glass weekly, on a day of our choosing.
• Clean and disinfect the surfaces of the changing tables.
• Empty wastebaskets and remove trash to the designated disposal area.

Restrooms

• Report items in need of repair, e.g., inoperative lights, broken windows, and doors, leaking sinks, urinals, commodes, broken fixtures, etc.
• Sweep and wet mop or scrub the floor with a cleanser-disinfectant. Surfaces shall be dry and the corners clean.
• Clean, sanitize and polish all surfaces of fixtures, including toilets, urinals, washbasins, and commodes.
• All plumbing fixtures and brightwork shall be wiped clean.
• Clean and polish all mirrors and glass to remove all stains, streaks, and smudges.
• Wipe clean all dispensers and replenish as necessary, including liquid hand soap, paper towels, and toilet paper where provided.
• Empty trash cans and replace liners.
• Damp-mop all hard and resilient floors.
• Disinfect the full surface areas of all restroom walls, doors, windows, countertops, window frames, sills, vents, and waste paper receptacles, mirrors and glass, etc.
• Do a thorough deep cleaning of all restrooms.

Our Janitorial Services

Learn more about our floor cleaning services

Learn more about our church cleaning services

Learn more about our disinfection services

Learn more about our office cleaning