Cleaning calculation explained: calculate the workload objectively

How much cleaning does a building really need? Anyone who answers this question with "we've always done it this way" often ends up paying too much - or too little. Cleaning calculation gives a factual, transparent answer.

What is cleaning calculation?

Cleaning calculation means systematically calculating a property's cleaning needs instead of estimating them. The basis is the actual areas, their use and recognised performance or standard values. The result is a justifiable effort - in hours, staff and costs.

Why estimating gets expensive

Blanket assumptions lead to two problems: if the effort is set too high, unnecessary costs arise. If it is set too low, quality and the building's substance suffer. Both come to light at the latest during a tender or a budget review. An objective calculation makes such discussions unnecessary, because every item can be documented.

The basics of the calculation

A clean cleaning calculation is essentially based on three variables:

• Area: the area to be cleaned per room and covering, recorded as precisely as possible.
• Performance value: how much area can be cleaned per hour for a given activity and floor covering.
• Interval: how often cleaning takes place - daily, weekly, seasonal.

The annual effort results from area, performance value and interval. In addition, special work such as deep and window cleaning as well as corrections for aggravating conditions are factored in.

From effort to statement

Once the effort is calculated, it can be translated into workloads and FTE percentages and compared against costs. This turns an area into a robust figure that can be used to plan, tender and compare - for all properties by the same rules.

The benefits at a glance

• Objective, justifiable budgets instead of gut feeling.
• A fair basis for tenders and offer comparisons.
• Full transparency towards committees, supervisory bodies and clients.
• Comparability across all properties.

Conclusion

Cleaning calculation turns a gut decision into a verifiable calculation. Especially in the public sector, where funds must be justified, this is a decisive advantage. Software like easyCAFM automates this calculation based on proven standard values - from over 17,000 properties calculated.

Back to the blog