Quick answer: The Christmas shutdown is the best time of year for an office deep clean. The building is empty, desks are clear, and floors and carpets have time to dry before anyone walks on them. Book by mid-November, agree a written scope, ask staff to clear their desks and the fridge on the last working day, and schedule the clean early in the break. Gold Keys runs Christmas shutdown deep cleans across the Gold Coast, with a documented checklist and photos when the job is done.
Every January it is the same story. The office closed for Christmas, the regular clean paused, and staff walk back in to a fridge nobody emptied, dust on every ledge and carpet that has carried a full year of foot traffic. It is not the first impression you want for the new year.
The shutdown is the one stretch of the year when an office sits empty for days at a time, which makes it the only time you can reach everything properly. With Christmas Day on a Friday this year, many Gold Coast offices will close from the week of 21 December and reopen in early January. That is a clear window, as long as it is booked early.
Why the shutdown is the right time for a deep clean
- No staff to work around, so every desk, room and floor can be reached
- Carpets and hard floors have time to dry fully before anyone returns
- Kitchens and fridges can be emptied and cleaned properly
- Staff come back to a reset office on the first day of the year
- If your regular cleans pause over the break, the deep clean fills the gap
What a Christmas shutdown deep clean covers
A deep clean reaches what the regular clean does not. This is a typical scope, which we adjust on the site visit.
Kitchens and breakout areas
- Fridge emptied and cleaned inside, including shelves and seals
- Microwave cleaned inside and out
- Dishwasher filter and seals cleaned
- Cupboard fronts, splashbacks and benches degreased
- Bins washed and sanitised
Workstations and meeting rooms
- Cleared desks wiped down, including under monitors and keyboards
- Chairs vacuumed and spot cleaned
- Skirting boards, door frames and light switches wiped
- High dusting of ledges, partitions and light fittings
- Internal glass partitions and doors cleaned
Floors
- Hard floors machine scrubbed, not just mopped
- Carpets cleaned by hot water extraction, part of our commercial carpet cleaning service
- Entry mats vacuumed and washed
Washrooms
- Taps, glass and fixtures descaled
- Tile grout scrubbed
- Partitions, doors and dispensers wiped inside and out
- Floor corners and edges detailed
Glass and entries
- Entry doors and glass detailed
- Internal windows and reachable external glass cleaned
- Reception desk and waiting area detailed
Christmas shutdown cleaning timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| By mid-November | Book a site visit and confirm the clean date |
| Late November | Agree the written scope and confirm building access over the break |
| Early December | Tell staff the desk and fridge clear-out date |
| Last working day | Staff clear desks, take food home and empty personal bins |
| Early in the shutdown | Deep clean completed, checklist and photos sent |
| Before reopening | Review the photos or walk the site, then regular cleans restart |
How to get your office ready
- Ask staff to clear their desks fully, or the cleaners can only wipe around what is left
- Set a fridge cut-off: anything left after the last working day goes
- Label anything that must not be moved, such as equipment or files
- Check building access over the break, as some buildings limit after-hours entry or close the car park
- Let your alarm monitoring company know the clean is booked
- Nominate one contact who can be reached during the break
Christmas shutdown cleans with Gold Keys
Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning & Facility Services runs end-of-year deep cleans for offices, childcare centres, gyms and strata buildings across the Gold Coast and Tweed. Every shutdown clean includes:
- A free site visit and a written scope, area by area
- A fixed price agreed before the clean
- A police-checked, uniformed team
- A documented checklist with photos when the job is done
- A 24-hour make-good guarantee and a direct line to the owner
- No lock-in contract if you want to keep us on in the new year
December fills quickly, so book your site visit early. See our office cleaning Gold Coast service, use our commercial cleaning checklist to compare scopes, check the areas we cover, or call 0468 081 191 to book.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book a Christmas shutdown clean?
Book by mid-November. The days between Christmas and New Year are the first to fill, because many offices want the same short window.
How long does an office deep clean take?
It depends on the size of the office and the scope. A small office can often be done in a day. A larger floor with carpet cleaning may need two or three days so the carpet is dry before staff return.
Do we need to be on site during the clean?
No. Most shutdown cleans are done with key, swipe card or alarm access arranged in advance, and you get a checklist with photos when the job is finished.
How is a deep clean different from our regular clean?
A regular clean keeps the office tidy and hygienic week to week. A deep clean reaches what the regular clean does not: inside appliances, high surfaces, carpets, grout and glass.
Written by Fabricio Chaves, founder of Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning. Fab has worked in commercial cleaning on the Gold Coast since 2013, starting on the tools before leading operations teams and founding Gold Keys.
