Reopening a workspace after a leak, an incident, or a seasonal deep clean is different from a routine nightly clean — you're certifying the space as genuinely ready for staff and customers, not just tidy. Missing a step here tends to surface as a complaint (or a health and safety issue) in the first week back, not during the cleanup itself.
Before you reopen the doors
- Confirm any moisture source has been fully resolved and dried — not just visibly dry
- Check for lingering odours in carpet, drywall, and HVAC ducting, not just open-air rooms
- Test HVAC airflow if vents were affected by water or smoke
- Inspect flooring for warping, soft spots, or delamination before staff walk on it
Washrooms and break rooms
- Full disinfection of all high-touch surfaces — taps, handles, dispensers, light switches
- Restock consumables (soap, paper towel, sanitizer) before the first shift back
- Check for slow drains or backups, especially after a water-damage event
Floors and common areas
- Carpet extraction, not just vacuuming, if the space had any water exposure
- Hard floor deep scrub and re-seal if the finish was affected
- Baseboards and corners — the first place residue and mould evidence shows up
- Window tracks and sills, especially if the incident involved standing water
Workstations and shared equipment
- Wipe down desks, keyboards, and shared equipment before staff return
- Check under-desk areas and cable runs for missed moisture or dust
- Reset shared kitchen appliances — microwave, fridge, coffee station
Documentation, if this follows an incident
If the reopening follows a leak or damage event rather than a routine seasonal clean, keep a record of what was cleaned, when, and by whom — it's useful for your own facilities record and for any insurance follow-up, and it gives you something concrete to point to if a staff member or tenant asks whether the space is actually safe to use again.