The commercial cleaning industry is wide. There are office janitorial firms, residential cleaners moonlighting commercially, large facilities companies, and specialty wellness and medical cleaners. They are not interchangeable. Hiring the wrong type of vendor for a med spa, pilates studio, or day spa is the most common operational mistake we see new owners make.
Here is what to actually look for, and the questions to ask before signing.
Non-negotiables
Insurance
Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance with general liability and workers' compensation. For wellness spaces with expensive equipment, ask whether they carry care, custody, and control coverage as well. If a vendor cannot produce these documents the same day, walk away.
Vetted, employed crews
You are giving someone keys to your space. Confirm whether the people cleaning are W-2 employees of the company or 1099 subcontractors, and ask about background checks. Wellness spaces, especially med spas with controlled substances, have a higher bar than a typical office.
Written scope of work
A real proposal lists the rooms, the surfaces, the products, the frequency, and what is explicitly out of scope. If your quote is a single sentence and a price, you will end up in a dispute within the first quarter.
Wellness-specific qualifications
- Familiarity with EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants and dwell times.
- Knowledge of which products are safe for vinyl reformer upholstery and which are not.
- Understanding of clean-versus-dirty workflow in treatment rooms.
- Experience with locker room and restroom maintenance at high frequency.
- Comfort working off-hours so the space is reset before doors open.
Questions to ask in your first call
- What other med spas, fitness studios, or wellness clients do you currently serve?
- Who specifically would be cleaning my space, and how long have they been with you?
- What is your supervisor-to-cleaner ratio, and how is quality inspected?
- What products do you use on treatment surfaces, mirrors, vinyl, and floors?
- How do you handle a missed clean or a quality complaint?
- Are you willing to start without a long-term contract?
- Can you provide references from comparable wellness clients in NYC?
Red flags
- Pressure to sign a multi-year contract on day one.
- No written scope, just a verbal quote.
- Inability to produce insurance, references, or product lists on request.
- One person who appears to do everything, with no backup if they call out.
- A price that is dramatically below comparable bids. It usually means the crew is being underpaid, which translates directly to turnover and inconsistency in your space.
The TidyMole take
The right commercial cleaning partner is a senior operations hire, not a line item. Vet them the way you would vet a studio manager. The wrong choice costs you reviews, equipment life, and management bandwidth. The right one quietly makes your business look better than it has any right to.