Cleaning for Law and Accounting Firms: What to Expect From Your Cleaner

Short answer: A law or accounting firm needs a cleaner who works after hours, follows your access and alarm procedures, and leaves client files and papers exactly where they are. At F&L Cleaning Solutions we don't read, move or sort documents, we're fully insured and police-checked, and we clean professional offices weekly or more often across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Tweed. Your first clean is free.

Professional offices have a particular problem with cleaners: the people coming in after hours are in a room full of confidential information. Here's what to look for, and how we work.

Why confidentiality matters for your cleaner

Lawyers and accountants work under confidentiality duties. The Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules include a rule on confidentiality (Rule 9)^[1]. The Tax Practitioners Board's Code of Professional Conduct says a registered tax agent must not disclose information about a client's affairs to a third party without the client's permission, unless there's a legal duty to do so^[2].

Privacy law can apply too. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) says most small businesses with an annual turnover of $3 million or less aren't covered by the Privacy Act, but some are, and businesses above that threshold generally are^[3]. For organisations it covers, Australian Privacy Principle 11 requires reasonable steps to protect personal information, and the OAIC lists physical security among the areas to consider, along with things like third-party providers^[4].

We're not your privacy adviser, and your obligations depend on your firm. But it's reasonable to expect the people who clean your office to respect the same lines your staff do.

What that means in practice

• We don't read, move or sort documents. Files, papers and folders on desks stay where you left them. We clean around them.
• We follow your access and alarm procedures, whether that's keys, swipe cards or codes.
• We're fully insured and police-checked.
• We clean after hours, so we're not in the office during client meetings or while your team is working.

The OAIC's guide to securing personal information covers physical security and access control, and asks whether there's a clean desk policy where personal information is handled^[5]. A clear desk at the end of the day makes things simpler for everyone, including the cleaner.

Shared buildings and after-hours access

Many law and accounting firms sit in shared office buildings, where building management sets rules for after-hours entry, swipe access and alarms. We work within those rules as well as your own. When we quote, we'll confirm how we get in, which areas we clean, which rooms stay off limits, and who to contact if something isn't right.

If there are rooms you'd rather we didn't enter, such as a file room or a partner's office, just tell us and we'll leave them out.

What a typical clean includes

We agree the list when we quote (see what commercial cleaning includes). For a professional office, most cleans include:

• emptying bins and replacing liners
• cleaning the staff kitchen and kitchenette
• cleaning bathrooms and toilets
• wiping reception counters, meeting room tables, door handles and other touch points
• wiping clear desk surfaces, working around anything left on them
• mopping hard floors and vacuuming soft floors.

Reception and meeting rooms are often where clients form their first impression, so they get attention every visit.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Employers must provide toilets, washing and eating facilities and keep them clean, taking into account things like the number of workers and the nature of the work^[6][7]. In a busy firm, the kitchen and bathrooms get heavy use, especially during long days.

Floors

Safe Work Australia lists wet, polished or greasy floors among the things that can cause slips^[8]. We keep entries, corridors and kitchen floors clean every visit.

How often should a law or accounting office be cleaned?

It depends on headcount, how many clients come through and how heavily the kitchen and bathrooms are used. As a general guide, many offices are cleaned weekly, and busier offices two or more times a week. We only do regular cleaning, weekly or more often. We'll suggest a frequency when we quote, and you decide.

Questions to ask any cleaner

• Are you insured, and can I see your certificate of currency?
• Are your cleaners police-checked?
• How do you handle our keys, swipe cards and alarm codes?
• Will your team leave documents on desks untouched?
• What's included in each clean?

For more on checking insurance and police checks, see are commercial cleaners insured and police-checked?

How it works with F&L

1. Call 0412 073 637 or get a quote online.
2. Quick call about your office, or a short walkthrough for larger offices.
3. One flat monthly price for your chosen frequency.
4. First clean free, so you can see the standard before you decide.

FAQs

Will your cleaners look at our files? No. We don't read, move or sort documents.

Can you clean after hours? Yes. We clean after hours, so we're not there during client meetings.

Do you bring your own products? Yes. We bring our own equipment and products.

Are you insured and police-checked? Yes. We're fully insured and police-checked.

Which areas do you cover? Brisbane within about 15 km of the CBD, the Gold Coast from Southport to Coolangatta, and the Tweed.

Get a quote for your firm

Call 0412 073 637 or get a quote online. We'll quote from a quick call and your office details, or a short walkthrough for larger offices. Your first clean is free, and after that it's one flat monthly price.