You’ve locked in a commercial cleaning service. You’re excited to get your space looking sharp. But then you pause and think…
“How many cleaners are actually going to show up?”
It’s a fair question, and one we get all the time at Cleancorp. Whether you’re managing a boutique retail store, a bustling corporate office, or a sprawling school campus, understanding how many cleaners are needed (and why) helps set clear expectations and ensures you get the results you’re after.
So let’s break it down.
When it comes to commercial cleaning, staffing is based on the size, type, and needs of your space, not just a fixed headcount.
Here’s why that matters:
Too few cleaners? The job gets rushed, details get missed, and quality drops.
Too many? You’re overpaying for labour you don’t need.
At Cleancorp, we tailor staffing so your job gets done efficiently, thoroughly, and on time, without wasting resources or budget.
Let’s look at how it works in real-world scenarios.
Think: retail stores, boutique offices, salons, cafés, or consulting rooms.
For spaces under 200-300 square metres, you generally only need one or two cleaners. That’s enough to vacuum, mop, sanitise, clean washrooms, and dust without dragging the job out.
For example, small optometrist’s clinic in suburban Brisbane gets a once-daily clean with just one Cleancorp cleaner, five days a week. It’s spotless by 8am, every time.
What affects staffing in smaller spaces:
Frequency of service (daily, weekly, fortnightly)
Whether cleaning happens during or after business hours
Specialist tasks like floor polishing or disinfection
Think: corporate offices, medical clinics, gyms, or multi-room facilities.
Once you cross into 500-1,000 square metre territory, it often makes sense to have 2-4 cleaners, especially if the clean needs to be done in a tighter time window, like after business hours.
This allows teams to divide and conquer: one person handles the bathrooms, another does the kitchen and breakroom, someone tackles floors, and so on.
For example, a large physiotherapy clinic in Sydney employs three Cleancorp cleaners every evening - one for treatment rooms, one for public areas, and one for floors and bins. Clean, fast, and compliant with healthcare-grade hygiene.
Factors that influence staffing here:
Hygiene requirements (especially in healthcare)
Number of rooms and touchpoints
Timeframes for completion
Think: schools, manufacturing facilities, aged care homes, universities, warehouses.
Larger sites call for larger teams. It’s not unusual to send 6 to 10+ cleaners, sometimes split into teams by zone, or working in staggered shifts if 24/7 coverage is required.
For schools, it’s about sanitising high-touch areas, toilets, classrooms, and staff zones - every single day. For warehouses, there might be heavy-duty floor scrubbers involved. These jobs need coordination, speed, and consistency.
For example, a private school in Melbourne uses a team of 8 Cleancorp cleaners each evening after classes finish. We cover classrooms, staff rooms, toilets, locker areas, the gym, and admin zones - done and dusted before sunrise.
Staffing drivers in larger facilities:
Compliance requirements (especially in education and aged care)
Shift patterns and operational hours
Site access and security protocols
| Facility Type | Sqm Range | Cleaners Needed | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Boutique | < 300 sqm | 1–2 | Optometrist in Brisbane |
| Physiotherapy Clinic | 500–1000 sqm | 2–4 | Sydney health clinic |
| Private School | 1000+ sqm | 6–10+ | 8-person team for daily clean |
Some jobs aren’t about square metres, they’re about the task itself. Think:
Deep cleans
Post-construction cleans
COVID-19 disinfection
Floor buffing or high-pressure washing
You might only need 2-3 cleaners, but for a longer time or using specialised equipment. In these cases, efficiency comes from skill, not numbers.
We’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that getting the team size right is key to quality.
Here’s how we approach it:
We scope every job properly - We don’t guess. We measure your site, ask the right questions, and consider your industry’s requirements.
We send the right number of cleaners - Not too many, not too few. Just what’s needed to get the job done properly and on time.
We scale as your needs change - Growing office? More foot traffic? Seasonal deep cleans? We adjust staffing accordingly.
We train every cleaner - So even if you only have one person onsite, they’re efficient, professional, and know exactly what to do.
1. What size is my space (in square metres)?
2. Do I need cleaning during or after business hours?
3. Are there areas that require special care (e.g., healthcare, food prep)?
4. How quickly does the clean need to be completed?
5. How many people do I think I need - and what does the cleaning company recommend?
Cleancorp tip: Any cleaning company that gives you a quote without asking these questions probably isn’t doing their homework.
| Consideration | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Facility size | Dictates baseline cleaner count |
| Operating hours | Impacts cleaning windows & shift needs |
| Room types / high-touch zones | Affects how work is divided |
| Hygiene standards (ISO, HACCP) | May require special training or steps |
| Security/site access rules | Limits when and where cleaners can work |
There’s no “magic number” of cleaners that suits every business. Staffing depends on the type of space, required tasks, and how quickly it needs to be cleaned.
But with Cleancorp, you’re never left guessing.
We scope your site, design a cleaning plan that fits, and send a team that’s just right - whether that’s 1 cleaner for your boutique store, or a 10-person team to keep your school pristine.
Let’s figure it out together. Get a free quote, and organise a site walkthrough and personalised cleaning plan - no obligation, just clarity.