December in Baltimore has a vibe. The air gets sharper, people track in grit and road salt, and suddenly your office carpet looks… tired. If you’re closing out the year, hosting clients, or just trying to keep everyone healthy through cold/flu season, a simple December office cleaning checklist can save you a lot of stress.
Here’s the plan: handle the high-touch stuff weekly, do a deeper reset before holiday schedules kick in, and book help where it actually matters (carpets, restrooms, floors). Let’s keep it realistic.
Quick December office cleaning checklist (print this)
Use this as your “don’t overthink it” list:
- Disinfect high-touch points daily (door handles, elevator buttons, fridge handle, copier, shared keyboards)
- Empty trash and replace liners (including kitchen + bathrooms)
- Breakroom reset: wipe counters, clean microwave, sanitize coffee station
- Restrooms: restock soap/paper towels/toilet paper, disinfect fixtures, mop floors
- Floors: vacuum entryways daily, spot-clean salt stains, mop hard floors 2–3x/week
- Glass + front door: wipe smudges (clients notice this fast)
- Desks/common areas: dust, wipe, and declutter surfaces
- Air: replace HVAC filters if due, wipe vents, keep supply closets tidy
- One deep-clean item each week (carpets, upholstery, baseboards, grout, etc.)
That’s the backbone. Now let’s make it Baltimore-proof.
Why December office cleaning gets harder in Baltimore
Two words: salt and slush. Even when it’s not snowing, you still get that wet sidewalk grit that rides in on shoes. It hits the lobby first, then hallways, then suddenly you’re finding little crunchy bits under conference room chairs. Not fun.
Also, December brings more people through the office—end-of-year meetings, visitors, sometimes holiday food. More traffic = more germs + more mess. This is the month where small cleaning lapses show up loudly.
What to clean daily (the “keep everyone from getting sick” list)
If you do nothing else, do these. Seriously.
High-touch disinfecting (daily)
- Door handles (front + restroom)
- Light switches
- Shared desks/hot desks
- Copy/print stations
- Conference room tables and remotes
- Breakroom fridge handle, microwave buttons, sink faucet
- Bathroom locks/handles
This is basic hygiene, not perfectionism. It’s also one of the best office cleaning tips for keeping call-outs down when winter bugs roll through.
Trash + food zones (daily)
- Empty breakroom trash every day (especially if there’s food)
- Wipe counters and tables
- Quick microwave wipe (it takes 30 seconds and saves you later)
- Rinse the sink and disinfect around the drain
And yeah, check the fridge. December fridges are a little… chaotic.
Weekly tasks that keep the office looking “sharp”
Floors: entryways first, always
Baltimore sidewalks can be messy in winter, so focus on the places people step in.
- Vacuum entry mats and lobby area 3–5x/week (daily if your foot traffic is high)
- Spot-clean salt stains on carpet as soon as you see them
- Damp mop hard floors 2–3x/week (more if it’s wet outside)
If you’ve got carpet tiles near the entrance, keep a small spot-clean kit in the closet. The longer salt sits, the uglier it gets.
Restrooms: don’t let them drift
Weekly deep clean (on top of daily wipe-downs) should include:
- Disinfecting partitions, handles, and behind toilets
- Scrubbing baseboards (they collect splash marks you stop “seeing”)
- A real mop job: corners, edges, behind the door
Restrooms are the first place people judge cleanliness, even if they never say it out loud.
Breakroom “reset”
Once a week, do a fuller pass:
- Clean the inside of the microwave properly
- Wipe cabinet fronts (sticky hands happen)
- Sanitize the coffee station (buttons, tray, surrounding counter)
- Check supplies and toss expired snacks
The December deep-clean items most offices skip (but shouldn’t)
This is where most teams fall behind because nobody “owns” it.
1) Carpet cleaning services before holiday schedules
If your carpet looks darker in the walking lanes, that’s not your imagination. Winter grime compacts fast.
Booking carpet cleaning services in December is worth it because:
- You remove salt and grit before it chews up fibers
- The office looks better for end-of-year visitors
- It reduces that stale “closed-in” smell some offices get in winter
If you’re choosing what to outsource, this is high on the list.
2) Upholstery and fabric chairs
Fabric chairs in waiting areas hold onto everything. Wipe hard surfaces, sure, but don’t forget:
- Armrests (they get touched constantly)
- The seat fabric (crumbs, dust, who-knows-what)
- Under cushions (it’s always worse than you think)
3) Glass and entry door
Baltimore winter light makes smudges really obvious. A quick weekly clean on:
- Front door glass
- Lobby glass partitions
- Conference room glass (fingerprints happen)
It sounds small, but it changes how the place feels.
4) Baseboards and corners
This is the “office looks clean from far away but not up close” problem. Pick one zone per week and do baseboards + corners.
When it’s time to bring in professional help
If your team is already stretched, it’s smart to call cleaning services for the heavy stuff and keep simple upkeep in-house.
Consider professional cleaners if you’re dealing with:
- Winter foot traffic and constant entryway grime
- Multiple restrooms and high daily use
- Client-facing spaces (lobby, conference rooms)
- Carpets that need extraction, not just vacuuming
- A “we’ll get to it later” cleaning closet situation
A good crew will come in with a plan and the right equipment. And honestly, it’s a relief not having staff arguing over whose turn it is to wipe the microwave.
Simple supply list for December office cleaning
Keep these stocked so cleaning actually happens:
- Disinfectant spray/wipes (EPA-registered if possible)
- Microfiber cloths (they work better than paper towels)
- Neutral floor cleaner
- Vacuum with a working beater bar (makes a difference)
- Entry mats (and backups if yours get soaked)
- Salt stain spot remover for carpets
- Gloves, trash liners, paper products
CTA: Want the “done for you” version?
If you’re in Baltimore and you don’t want to juggle cleaning schedules, supply lists, or half-done work, that’s where we come in. Our cleaning company focuses on showing up on time, working fast, and doing the job the right way—no rushing through corners, no excuses. We handle offices of all sizes and know how busy workplaces actually run, especially in December.
Our team is trained, experienced, and detail-focused. Most cleanings are finished quicker than clients expect, without cutting quality. We’re also Google Guaranteed, so you’re protected and know you’re hiring a trusted local service.
If you want reliable cleaning that doesn’t slow your business down, contact us today. We’ll take a look at your space and give you a clear plan that works for your schedule.