How to win medical office cleaning contracts

Medical offices are some of the best janitorial accounts you can hold. They usually want service five nights a week, they pay more per square foot than general offices, and once a practice finds a cleaner it trusts, it rarely wants the disruption of switching. They are also demanding. A practice manager is responsible for what an inspector, an auditor or a patient sees, and the cleaner is part of that. This guide shows how to win medical office cleaning contracts by meeting that standard on paper before you ever clean a room.

What makes medical office cleaning different from regular office cleaning?

Medical office cleaning is different because the work touches infection control, bloodborne pathogen exposure, patient privacy and regulated waste, and the practice has to be able to show it is done properly. A general office wants a clean space. A medical office wants a clean space and a record proving it.

The differences show up in four places:

• Tasks. Exam rooms, procedure rooms, waiting areas and restrooms need disinfection of high-touch surfaces, not just a wipe.
• Products and method. Disinfectants must be used the way the label says, including the time the surface stays wet.
• Training and safety. Staff who could be exposed to blood need specific training and protection.
• Documentation. Logs, checklists and training records matter to the buyer.

The work is also slower. CleanLink's guide to janitorial labor gives 2,600 square feet per hour as an example average production rate for medical facilities, drawn from experience in similar sites. Your rate will depend on the layout, but plan for exam rooms to take longer than open office.

What rules do practice managers expect a cleaner to follow?

Practice managers expect you to follow OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard where it applies, OSHA's Hazard Communication rules for chemicals, disinfectant label directions, and sensible privacy practices. You do not need to be a compliance expert, but you do need to show you know these exist and have a plan for each.

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

The standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) applies to workers with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Where it applies, the employer must, among other things:

• Have a written exposure control plan, reviewed and updated at least annually
• Provide training at initial assignment and at least annually after that
• Offer the hepatitis B vaccine within 10 working days of initial assignment to exposed employees
• Provide personal protective equipment
• Handle contaminated waste in containers that are closable, puncture resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, and labeled

Decide with a safety professional which of your staff have occupational exposure on each medical account, and keep the records. A practice manager who asks "is your team trained on bloodborne pathogens?" wants to see a date and a name, not just a yes.

OSHA Hazard Communication

OSHA's Hazard Communication standard requires labels and safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals, and training so workers can understand them. Keep safety data sheets for every product you bring into the building, in a binder on site or accessible digitally, and be ready to hand copies to the practice.

Disinfectant use

Disinfectants only work if used as directed. The EPA's guide to safe and effective disinfectant use stresses cleaning dirty surfaces before disinfecting and keeping the surface wet for the product's full contact time. A crew that sprays and wipes immediately is not disinfecting. Train it, write it into your procedures, and show the practice which products you use and their contact times.

Patient privacy and HIPAA

Most janitorial crews are not HIPAA business associates. HHS says janitorial services that clean a covered entity's offices are generally not business associates, because any exposure to protected health information, such as while emptying trash, is incidental. HHS adds that a service routinely handling records or shredding documents containing PHI likely would be a business associate. Train crews not to read, move or discuss anything on desks or screens, and to leave documents where they are. If the practice asks for a confidentiality agreement, sign it.

What should you show at a medical office walk-through?

Show written proof of training, procedures, products and supervision. The walk-through is where you move from "another cleaner" to "the one who gets it." Bring a folder or tablet with the following.

Medical office walk-through kit (checklist)

• Certificate of insurance (general liability, workers' compensation) and bond details
• Written cleaning procedures for exam rooms, restrooms, waiting areas and staff areas
• Bloodborne pathogens training records, with dates, for staff who will be assigned
• List of disinfectants with EPA registration numbers and contact times
• Safety data sheets for every product
• A sample nightly cleaning log the practice can keep
• Your process for sharps or regulated waste found outside containers (report, do not touch, unless trained and equipped)
• Background check policy
• Complaint and inspection process, with a named contact
• References from other healthcare or professional clients, with permission

During the walk, ask about the problems first. Common ones in medical offices are exam rooms cleaned before the last patient leaves, restrooms missed on busy days, dusty high surfaces in waiting rooms, and nobody being able to say what was done last night. Each answer tells you what to put in your proposal.

How should you scope a medical office cleaning contract?

Scope a medical office contract room by room, with a clear line between what you clean and what clinical staff clean. Clinical equipment and patient-contact devices are usually the practice's responsibility. Floors, walls, fixtures, restrooms and non-clinical surfaces are usually yours. Write it down so nobody assumes.

Sample scope by area (template)

Adjust for dental practices, which often need operatories cleaned between specific times, and for urgent care or imaging centers with longer hours. Our pages on medical office cleaning leads and dental office cleaning leads describe who buys in each.

How should you price medical office cleaning?

Price medical office cleaning from the hours the scope takes at a medical production rate, plus the cost of training, PPE, documentation and supervision. Do not just add a percentage to your office rate. That said, the market does pay more. Jani-King's pricing guide notes that healthcare cleaning may cost 20 to 30 percent more than standard office cleaning, and gives $2,000 to $4,500 a month as a sample range for a 5,000 square foot medical facility cleaned daily.

Run the full method in how to bid a janitorial job, then check:

• Did you use a slower production rate for exam and procedure rooms?
• Did you include time for logs and end-of-night checks?
• Did you include PPE and training costs?
• Is supervision frequent enough for a client who will notice small misses?

Who are the buyers, and how do you reach them?

The buyers are practice managers, office managers, physician owners, and property managers of medical office buildings. Reach them with a message about their specific worry: after-hours timing, documentation and reliability. A short email that mentions exam rooms being cleaned after the last patient and a nightly log gets more attention than a list of services. Cold email for cleaning companies includes an example written for a medical office.

Medical office buildings are also worth courting through property managers, because one relationship can open several practices. See property management cleaning leads.

How do you keep a medical office account?

Keep it by leaving evidence every night and by fixing problems before the manager has to ask. Leave a signed log. Inspect weekly for the first month and at least monthly after that. Refresh training on schedule and send the practice a note when you do. Ask for feedback at 30 and 90 days. A practice that feels looked after will give you a reference, and references from healthcare clients open doors at the next practice.

Where can you find medical office cleaning leads?

You can find medical office leads through your own outreach, referrals from existing healthcare clients, property managers of medical buildings, and lead providers. When buying, ask whether the contact is the practice manager or owner and whether they asked for recurring service.

LeadWharf finds practice managers and medical building decision-makers in your area, contacts them in your company's name, and sends you only the replies that clear three checks: the building is in your area, they want regular cleaning at your frequency and job size, and you get the person who signs with a direct line. Each lead is exclusive to you. See medical office cleaning leads or book a call to check your area.