Why Shared Offices Need Serious Cleaning: Supporting Employee Health with Janitorial Services

Shared workspaces offer incredible flexibility and cost savings for businesses of all sizes. But there’s one challenge that comes with the territory: when people work in close proximity, illnesses spread fast. It never fails: if my family gets sick, it goes around twice. That’s no different in an office space.

One sick employee can trigger a domino effect that disrupts entire teams, derails projects, and costs organizations thousands in lost productivity. The answer isn’t to avoid shared spaces entirely, but to adopt strategic janitorial services that emphasize both cleanliness and employee health.

Professional cleaning services create a foundation for a healthy workplace by targeting the sources of illness transmission before they become problems. When done right, these services don’t just make spaces look good; they actively protect the workers, employees, and clients who use them every day.

Why Shared Offices Become Germ Hotspots

Shared offices create perfect conditions for germs to spread. Cubicles, hot desks, communal break rooms, and shared bathrooms put employees within breathing distance of one another. High-touch surfaces like door handles, elevator buttons, coffee machines, and shared electronics become transfer points for bacteria and viruses.

Meeting rooms, kitchen areas, and shared bathrooms create countless opportunities for cross contamination. One person with a cold can infect a space within hours.

According to the National Institutes of Health, respiratory viruses can survive on some surfaces for days. That means a doorknob touched in the morning can still infect someone in the afternoon. The risk multiplies across locations, especially in co-working offices where different companies and organizations share one site.

Without clear communication or knowledge of space usage, even the most diligent cleaning teams can miss high-priority zones—leaving health risks unchecked.

The Role of Janitorial Services in Containing the Spread

Daily Disinfection Makes the Difference

Daily cleaning isn’t just about wiping down desks. It’s about consistent disinfection of high-touch equipment, surfaces, and shared areas. This includes door handles, keyboards, faucet handles, elevator buttons, and breakroom appliances.

Trained cleaning staff know which cleaning supplies are EPA-approved, how long to let disinfectants sit, and how to use vacuuming, dusting, and sanitation techniques that reduce airborne particles and improve indoor air quality.

Thankfully, that is very few and far between because they have us taking care of their disinfecting practices, and we know how to adjust to make sure this is prevented or reduced in the future.

Many offices also benefit from day porter services, where janitors are on-site throughout the day to perform mid-shift cleaning—keeping restrooms stocked, wiping down surfaces, and ensuring that the workspace remains clean and safe at all times.

Commercial Cleaning Services as a Health Strategy

The difference between DIY wipe-downs and professional commercial cleaning becomes obvious during flu season. Most employees don’t have access to the right chemicals, training, or PPE.

Commercial cleaners bring training, industry knowledge, and hospital-grade disinfectants to the job. They also understand how to minimize disruption to the workday while maximizing cleanliness. Their presence is one of the key components of a health-forward workplace culture.

This strategy also helps reduce costs. Fewer sick days, fewer complaints, and better tenant retention mean less money lost to downtime or maintenance emergencies.

Cleanliness as a Competitive Advantage for Shared Offices

Property managers are starting to realize that green cleaning, wellness-focused routines, and routine sanitizing aren’t just add-ons—they’re assets that help create better tenant experiences.

It would be a great selling point for your renters—that you provide a professional cleaning service not only as a perk of getting their trash thrown out, but as a prevention of the flu, a cold, what have you.

For freelancers and consultants renting office space, illness means lost income. For startups, it means missed deadlines. For larger organizations, it means decreased productivity. That’s why cleaning services are increasingly viewed as essential to business continuity and employee satisfaction.

And don’t forget: high hygiene standards also attract more customers. When tenants feel safe, they bring clients confidently into your environment.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Cleaning Partner

Not all professionals offer the same level of service. If you’re evaluating cleaning companies for your shared office, ask the following:

• Do you disinfect high-touch surfaces on every visit?
• Do you provide ongoing training to your cleaning teams?
• Can your team handle flu season surges?
• Are your cleaners familiar with unique cleaning needs of shared spaces?
• What protocols are in place for managing outbreaks?

You should also inquire about their knowledge of industrial ergonomics, how they reduce physical strain and physical workload for their cleaners, and how they manage heavy lifting safely.

Look for a provider who understands the unique cleaning challenges of your commercial property and supports health with every detail of the services they provide.

Shared Office, Shared Responsibility

Even the most cautious employee can’t control what happens when they’re not at their desk. A consistent, building-wide strategy is the only way to maintain a truly healthy workplace.

A professional cleaning team ensures every room, hallway, restroom, and lobby meets high standards, benefiting everyone from the chronically ill to the super healthy.

When janitorial services are executed well, everyone benefits: fewer sick days, better focus, and improved morale.

Keep Your Team and Tenants Healthy with ZIA Building Maintenance

ZIA Building Maintenance understands the real value of quality janitorial work. Our cleaning solutions are customized to each site, with an eye toward wellness, safety, and sustainability.

Whether you manage a co-working space, a multi-tenant commercial property, or a small business suite, we tailor our services to your schedule, your workplace, and your tenants’ expectations.

We also help you stay compliant with OSHA and public health guidelines, taking the guesswork out of managing your facility’s cleanliness. Contact us to schedule a walkthrough and see how ZIA Building Maintenance can support your needs.