Day Porter vs. Nightly Janitorial: Which Does Your Facility Need?

Most commercial buildings are cleaned after hours, when crews can work without interruptions. But in busy facilities, a building that looks great at 7 a.m. can look tired by lunchtime. That's where day porter service comes in. Here is how the two services differ and how to decide what's right for your facility.

What nightly janitorial service covers

Nightly or after-hours cleaning is the foundation of most programs. Crews work through a detailed scope: emptying trash, cleaning and disinfecting restrooms, wiping down surfaces, vacuuming and mopping, and resetting break rooms and common areas. Because the building is empty, they can be thorough and efficient. Learn more about our office cleaning services.

What a day porter does

A day porter works on-site during business hours. Typical duties include:

• Checking and restocking restrooms throughout the day
• Keeping lobbies, entrances and glass doors clean
• Wiping down break rooms after the lunch rush
• Cleaning up spills and handling urgent requests
• Resetting conference rooms between meetings
• Mopping entrances during snowy or rainy weather

Signs you need a day porter

• Restrooms run out of supplies or look rough by mid-afternoon
• You have a high-traffic lobby or reception area that clients see all day
• Your building has several hundred occupants or a lot of visitors
• Staff are spending time cleaning up instead of doing their jobs
• You manage a multi-tenant building and tenants notice common areas

When nightly service alone is enough

Smaller offices with moderate traffic and few visitors are usually well served by nightly or several-times-a-week cleaning. If your building still looks good at the end of the day, a day porter may not be necessary.

Why many facilities use both

For busy buildings, the best results come from combining the two. Nightly crews handle the deep, detailed work, and day porters maintain that standard while the building is in use. The result is a facility that looks the same at 4 p.m. as it did at 8 a.m.

Not sure which is right for you?

Legacy Cleaning offers both nightly janitorial service and uniformed day porters across the Twin Cities, Mankato and St. Cloud. Request a free walkthrough and we'll recommend the right mix for your building, your traffic and your budget.

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