Event cleaning is a different challenge to anything in an office or retail environment. Unpredictable footfall, outdoor spaces, catering areas, welfare facilities, and the pressure of keeping a live event looking presentable while it is still running all require a different kind of cleaning operation to the standard scheduled contract.
What Does Event Cleaning Actually Cover
The scope of event cleaning depends on the size and type of event, but most contracts include some combination of the following.
On-site cleaning throughout the event, keeping high footfall areas, food and drink zones, and entrance points clear and presentable as the event runs. This is reactive work that requires a team who can move quickly and adapt to what the event throws at them.
Welfare facility management, covering portable or temporary washrooms, handwashing stations, and any other facilities provided for attendees. These need regular attention throughout the day rather than a single clean at the end.
Waste management and litter picking in public areas, particularly important at outdoor events where conditions change quickly and the visual standard of the site reflects directly on the organisers.
Post-event clean down, which is typically the largest part of the job. Once attendees have left, the site needs to be cleared, cleaned, and handed back to the venue or landowner in an agreed condition.
What to Ask Before You Book
Not all cleaning companies have experience in event environments. Before you book, it is worth checking a few things.
Has the company cleaned at events before and can they provide a reference or example? Event cleaning requires adaptability and quick decision making that a standard contract cleaner may not have experience with.
How will they staff the event? On-site cleaning during a live event requires enough resource to respond quickly. Understaffing causes problems that are very visible to attendees.
What is their approach to waste and litter? This varies significantly between companies and affects how the site looks throughout the event, not just at the end.
What does the post-event clean down include and by what time will the site be handed back?
A Recent Example
We have been working with Global Infusion Group in Hertfordshire for over two years, providing daily office and kitchen and toilet cleaning alongside carpet and hard floor cleaning. A team of two covers the site every day. See our Global Infusion Group case study for more detail.
