The cleaning of common areas is one of the most visible services in any homeowner community. A well-maintained entrance, clean stairs, and a parking lot in good condition not only improve the building's image but also contribute to the well-being of residents and the preservation of facilities.
However, many communities ask the same questions: how often should the stairs be cleaned? Which areas need more attention? How can it be verified that the contracted service meets expectations?
Properly organizing the cleaning of homeowner communities requires planning tailored to the characteristics of each building and monitoring to maintain the quality of the service.
Why is professional cleaning of a community important?
Cleaning shared spaces goes beyond an aesthetic issue. Common areas are exposed to constant foot traffic, dust, humidity, and other factors that can affect their condition.
Proper cleaning contributes to:
Improving hygiene: especially on frequently touched surfaces like handrails, switches, and elevator buttons.
Preserving materials: using appropriate products helps prevent the deterioration of floors, glass, and coatings.
Reducing risks: keeping floors clean and dry reduces the risk of slips.
Improving coexistence: well-maintained common areas create a more positive perception of the building's maintenance.
Detecting issues: cleaning staff can notice damages, leaks, or other anomalies that should be reported to the administrator.
For this reason, cleaning should be integrated into the community's general maintenance plan, along with elevator inspections, electrical installations, and other community services.
How often should a community's stairs be cleaned?
There is no universal frequency suitable for all buildings. The periodicity depends on factors such as the number of homes, foot traffic, the presence of commercial premises, the characteristics of the floors, and environmental conditions.
Small communities
In buildings with few homes and moderate traffic, one or two weekly interventions may be sufficient, provided they are complemented with more thorough periodic cleanings.
Medium and large communities
When the building has several landings, elevators, or a high volume of residents, it may be advisable to increase the frequency to three or more days per week.
Entrances, elevators, and frequently touched surfaces may require more attention than less trafficked areas.
Buildings with additional services
Communities with parking lots, storage rooms, gardens, or other shared facilities need specific planning.
Not all these spaces need to be cleaned with the same frequency. The key is to establish a schedule that meets real needs and allows budget adjustments.
What services should community cleaning include?
Before hiring a company, it is important to define exactly which tasks will be included in the regular maintenance.
Cleaning of stairs, landings, and lobbies
This is the basic service for any community and usually includes sweeping and mopping floors, dust removal, and cleaning shared elements.
It is also advisable to pay attention to mailboxes, handrails, switches, mirrors, and access doors.
Elevator cleaning
Elevators are high-use spaces and require proper cleaning of walls, mirrors, floors, and buttons.
It is especially important to use products compatible with the cabin materials and avoid water entering electrical components.
Cleaning of community parking lots
Parking lots accumulate dust, dirt from vehicles, and occasionally oil stains or other residues.
Professional cleaning may require specific machinery and treatments adapted to the type of flooring.
In these spaces, it is also advisable to check the condition of passage areas, doors, and visible elements of the facilities, without confusing this observation with regulatory technical inspections.
Glass cleaning and floor treatment
The glass of entrances and decorative elements in the lobby directly influence the building's image.
In addition to regular cleaning, some communities may need occasional services like floor polishing or specific treatments to preserve delicate materials.
How to choose a cleaning company for a homeowner community?
One of the most common mistakes is comparing quotes by focusing solely on the monthly amount.
Two quotes may show significant differences in service frequency, hours of dedication, products used, or supervision mechanisms.
Before making a decision, it is advisable to evaluate five aspects.
1. Experience in homeowner communities
Cleaning a residential building has different needs than an office or commercial space. Knowing the particularities of community spaces facilitates better organization.
2. Trained and identified staff
Having professionals prepared to work with different surfaces and products is essential for good results and risk reduction.
3. Service flexibility
Needs may change throughout the year. A company should be able to assess frequency adjustments or extraordinary services when the community needs them.
4. Supervision and quality control
A professional service should not be limited to executing scheduled tasks. It is also advisable to have a system to verify compliance and manage incidents.
5. Budget transparency
The contract should specify included areas, tasks, periodicity, materials, economic conditions, and services billed separately.
The importance of supervising the cleaning of common areas
Hiring a service does not automatically guarantee that the building's needs will remain the same over time.
Therefore, property managers can establish simple monitoring mechanisms, such as periodic reviews, incident logs, and communication channels with the company.
This control allows identifying recurring problems, adapting tasks, and preventing small deficiencies from becoming sources of conflict among neighbors.
It is also important to establish how absences, vacations, and holidays are managed so that maintenance is not unexpectedly interrupted.
Fercas Neteges' vision: adapting the service to each building
One of the aspects highlighted by Fercas Neteges in their service organization is the need to analyze the characteristics of each community beforehand.
The company, specialized in professional cleaning in Barcelona and the province, offers maintenance services for stairs, parking lots, and offices, as well as complementary tasks like glass cleaning, floor polishing, and anti-graffiti treatments.
According to their website, they have their own permanent staff, with initial and ongoing training, and incorporate periodic audits of service, quality, and safety to verify compliance with contracted work.
Fercas also highlights service continuity during vacations and the resumption of certain weekly cleanings when they coincide with holidays, according to the conditions indicated by the company.
This approach emphasizes an essential aspect: good community cleaning does not depend only on frequency but also on service planning and control.
Common mistakes in managing community cleaning
Some decisions can harm maintenance quality, even when the community has a professional service.
One of the most frequent mistakes is maintaining the same schedule for years without reviewing if the building's needs have changed.
It is also common not to differentiate between regular cleaning and extraordinary tasks. A community that has just undergone renovations, for example, may need a specific intervention not included in the usual contract.
Another problem is not establishing a clear interlocutor between the cleaning company and the community. Centralizing communication through the administrator or a designated person facilitates incident resolution.
Finally, it is advisable to avoid using inappropriate products on delicate materials, especially in lobbies with marble, natural stone, or other coatings that require specific treatments.
Fercas Neteges and ForConnect: professionals for community maintenance
Fercas Neteges is part of the network of partner companies of ForConnect, the platform that connects property managers, homeowner communities, and individuals with specialized professionals.
With over 45 years of declared experience in the sector, Fercas offers professional cleaning services in Barcelona and various counties of the province, adapting tasks and periodicity to the characteristics of each facility.
For property managers, having specialized professionals facilitates the coordination of maintenance and the management of necessary services to keep buildings in good condition.
If your community needs a professional cleaning service for stairs, parking lots, or common areas, at ForConnect you can find verified companies like Fercas Neteges and request a quote tailored to your building's needs.