Winter Office Cleaning Leicester: What Actually Changes (And What It Costs)

If you've been managing a Leicester office through a few winters, you already know: October to March is brutal for keeping your workspace clean. More mud, more illness, more complaints from staff about grimy carpets and dusty radiators.

Here's what actually changes during winter, what you should expect from your cleaner, and what it costs to keep your office properly clean when the weather turns.

The 5 Biggest Winter Cleaning Challenges (Leicester Offices)

1. Mud, Dirt & Salt (October-March)

The Problem:

• Wet weather = constant mud tracked in from car parks and streets

• Road salt and grit stick to shoes and get ground into carpets

• Entrance mats get saturated and stop working after 2-3 hours

• Hard floors become slippery and dangerous when wet

What This Means for Your Office:

• Carpets in reception and corridors get filthy within days (not weeks)

• Hard floors need mopping 2-3x more frequently

• Entrance mats need emptying/cleaning daily (not weekly)

• Staff track dirt to their desks, spreading grime throughout the office

What You Should Do:

• Increase cleaning frequency: If you're on weekly cleaning, move to 2x per week. If you're on 2x per week, move to 3x per week.

• Add entrance mat service: Daily or every-other-day mat cleaning/replacement (we offer this as an add-on)

• Schedule quarterly carpet deep clean: November, January, March (to remove salt and grit buildup)

Cost Impact:

• Increasing from weekly to 2x per week: +£200-£400 per month (depending on office size)

• Entrance mat service: +£30-£60 per month

• Carpet deep clean: £80-£150 per room (quarterly)

2. Flu Season & Illness (November-February)

The Problem:

• Flu, colds, norovirus, COVID variants all peak in winter

• One sick employee can infect 5-10 others via shared surfaces

• High-touch surfaces (door handles, keyboards, phones, light switches) become germ hotspots

• Toilets and kitchens spread illness faster in winter (people spend more time indoors)

What This Means for Your Office:

• More staff off sick = lower productivity and higher costs

• Clients and visitors notice if your office looks (or smells) unclean

• Standard cleaning (vacuum, mop, wipe) doesn't kill viruses or bacteria

What You Should Do:

• Add sanitisation service: Weekly or fortnightly disinfection of all high-touch surfaces (door handles, desks, phones, keyboards, light switches, toilet flush buttons, taps)

• Upgrade toilet cleaning: Daily or every-other-day toilet sanitisation (not just wipe-down)

• Deep clean after illness outbreaks: If 3+ staff are off sick in one week, schedule an emergency deep clean and sanitisation

Cost Impact:

• Weekly sanitisation service: +£30-£60 per visit (on top of standard cleaning)

• Daily toilet sanitisation: +£15-£30 per day

• Emergency deep clean after illness outbreak: £250-£600 (depending on office size)

ROI: One week of flu outbreak costs you £500-£2,000+ in lost productivity (sick days, reduced output). Spending £30-£60 per week on sanitisation is cheap insurance.

3. Heating Season Dust (October-April)

The Problem:

• Radiators and heating vents collect dust all summer

• When you turn the heating on in October, all that dust circulates into the air

• Dry winter air = more dust circulation (less humidity to weigh it down)

• Windows stay closed = dust has nowhere to go

What This Means for Your Office:

• Desks, shelves, and equipment get dusty within 2-3 days (not 1-2 weeks)

• Staff with allergies or asthma suffer (more complaints, more sick days)

• Visible dust on surfaces makes your office look neglected

• Air quality drops (stuffy, stale air)

What You Should Do:

• Schedule pre-winter deep clean (October): Clean all radiators, vents, high-level surfaces, and behind furniture before turning heating on

• Add high-level dusting to regular cleans: Weekly or fortnightly dusting of radiators, vents, tops of cabinets, light fittings

• Increase desk dusting frequency: If you're on weekly cleaning, desks might need dusting 2x per week in winter

Cost Impact:

• Pre-winter deep clean (radiators, vents, high-level): £100-£300 (one-off, October)

• Adding high-level dusting to regular cleans: +£20-£40 per visit

• Increasing desk dusting frequency: Included in standard clean if frequency increases

4. Shorter Daylight Hours (October-March)

The Problem:

• Offices are darker in winter (less natural light)

• Dust, dirt, and grime are less visible in low light

• Staff leave earlier (less time for evening cleaning)

• More demand for early-morning cleaning (before staff arrive)

What This Means for Your Office:

• Cleaning issues go unnoticed until they're bad (because you can't see them in dim light)

• Evening cleaning disrupts staff who are still working

• Early-morning cleaning costs more (out-of-hours premium)

What You Should Do:

• Switch to early-morning cleaning (before 8am): Office is clean when staff arrive, no disruption

• Add spot checks: Weekly or fortnightly quality control checks in daylight hours to catch issues

• Improve lighting: Not a cleaning issue, but better lighting helps cleaners (and staff) spot dirt

Cost Impact:

• Early-morning cleaning (before 6am): +15-25% premium

• Spot checks/quality control: Usually included in our service (no extra cost)

5. Christmas & New Year Shutdowns (December-January)

The Problem:

• Offices close for 1-2 weeks over Christmas/New Year

• Dust settles, heating is off (or reduced), and offices get cold and stale

• Staff return in January to a grimy, dusty, cold office

• Post-Christmas parties = extra mess (food, drink, decorations)

What This Means for Your Office:

• First week back in January is miserable (cold, dusty, dirty office)

• Staff morale drops (nobody wants to return to a grim workspace)

• Cleaning backlog takes 2-3 visits to clear

What You Should Do:

• Schedule pre-shutdown deep clean (last week of December): Full office deep clean before Christmas break

• Schedule return-to-work deep clean (first week of January): Full clean before staff return

• Add post-party clean (if you have a Christmas party): Emergency clean after office parties

Cost Impact:

• Pre-shutdown deep clean: £250-£600 (depending on office size)

• Return-to-work deep clean: £250-£600

• Post-party emergency clean: £150-£400 (depending on mess level)

VPS Ltd Winter Cleaning Services (What We Offer)

Here's what we offer to help Leicester offices survive winter:

Standard Winter Cleaning (Increased Frequency)

• What it includes: All standard cleaning tasks (vacuum, mop, empty bins, wipe desks, clean toilets, clean kitchen) but more frequently

• Recommended frequency: 2-3x per week (instead of 1x per week)

• Cost: £45-£95 per visit (depending on office size)

• Monthly cost: £360-£1,140 per month (2x per week), £540-£1,680 per month (3x per week)

Winter Sanitisation Service

• What it includes: Disinfection of all high-touch surfaces (door handles, desks, phones, keyboards, light switches, toilet flush buttons, taps) using hospital-grade disinfectant

• Recommended frequency: Weekly or fortnightly (November-February)

• Cost: £30-£60 per visit (on top of standard cleaning)

• Monthly cost: £120-£240 per month (weekly), £60-£120 per month (fortnightly)

Pre-Winter Deep Clean (October)

• What it includes: Clean all radiators, heating vents, high-level surfaces (tops of cabinets, light fittings), behind furniture, descale toilets, deep clean kitchen

• Recommended timing: October (before heating season starts)

• Cost: £100-£300 (one-off, depending on office size and condition)

Carpet Deep Clean (Quarterly)

• What it includes: Hot water extraction (steam cleaning) to remove salt, grit, and grime buildup from carpets

• Recommended timing: November, January, March

• Cost: £80-£150 per room (or £250-£600 for full office)

Entrance Mat Service

• What it includes: Daily or every-other-day cleaning/replacement of entrance mats to prevent mud and dirt spreading into office

• Recommended frequency: Daily (high-traffic offices), every other day (low-traffic offices)

• Cost: £30-£60 per month

Post-Christmas Deep Clean (January)

• What it includes: Full office deep clean after Christmas shutdown (dust, vacuum, mop, sanitise, descale, deep clean kitchen and toilets)

• Recommended timing: First week of January (before staff return)

• Cost: £250-£600 (depending on office size and condition)

Emergency Illness Outbreak Clean

• What it includes: Full office sanitisation and deep clean after illness outbreak (flu, norovirus, COVID) to prevent further spread

• When to use: If 3+ staff are off sick in one week

• Cost: £250-£600 (depending on office size)

• Response time: Same-day or next-day (we prioritise illness outbreak cleans)

What a Typical Leicester Office Spends on Winter Cleaning

Here are real examples of what Leicester offices spend on cleaning during winter months (October-March):

Example 1: Small Office (10 Desks, Leicester City Centre)

Standard Cleaning (Year-Round):

• Frequency: 1x per week

• Cost: £50 per visit = £200 per month

Winter Adjustments (October-March):

• Increase to 2x per week: £50 per visit x 8 visits = £400 per month

• Add fortnightly sanitisation: £30 per visit x 2 visits = £60 per month

• Pre-winter deep clean (October): £150 (one-off)

• Post-Christmas deep clean (January): £150 (one-off)

Total Winter Cost (6 Months):

• Monthly: £460 per month (vs £200 per month in summer)

• One-off deep cleans: £300 total

• Total 6-month winter cost: £3,060

Cost increase vs summer: +£1,260 over 6 months (+£210 per month)

Example 2: Medium Office (25 Desks, Hinckley)

Standard Cleaning (Year-Round):

• Frequency: 2x per week

• Cost: £70 per visit = £560 per month

Winter Adjustments (October-March):

• Increase to 3x per week: £70 per visit x 12 visits = £840 per month

• Add weekly sanitisation: £40 per visit x 4 visits = £160 per month

• Pre-winter deep clean (October): £200 (one-off)

• Carpet deep clean (November, January, March): £300 per clean x 3 = £900 total

• Post-Christmas deep clean (January): £200 (one-off)

Total Winter Cost (6 Months):

• Monthly: £1,000 per month (vs £560 per month in summer)

• One-off deep cleans: £1,300 total

• Total 6-month winter cost: £7,300

Cost increase vs summer: +£3,940 over 6 months (+£657 per month)

Example 3: Large Office (50 Desks, Leicester Meridian Business Park)

Standard Cleaning (Year-Round):

• Frequency: 5x per week (daily)

• Cost: £100 per visit = £2,000 per month

Winter Adjustments (October-March):

• Maintain 5x per week: £100 per visit x 20 visits = £2,000 per month

• Add weekly sanitisation: £60 per visit x 4 visits = £240 per month

• Add entrance mat service (daily): £60 per month

• Pre-winter deep clean (October): £400 (one-off)

• Carpet deep clean (November, January, March): £500 per clean x 3 = £1,500 total

• Post-Christmas deep clean (January): £400 (one-off)

Total Winter Cost (6 Months):

• Monthly: £2,300 per month (vs £2,000 per month in summer)

• One-off deep cleans: £2,300 total

• Total 6-month winter cost: £16,100

Cost increase vs summer: +£4,100 over 6 months (+£683 per month)

How VPS Ltd Winter Pricing Compares to Competitors

Here's how our winter cleaning pricing compares to other Leicester commercial cleaners:

Budget Cleaners (Sole Traders)

• Standard cleaning: £30-£50 per visit (cheaper than us)

• Winter adjustments: Often don't offer sanitisation, deep cleans, or emergency services

• Risk: No backup if cleaner is sick (common in winter), no insurance, inconsistent quality

VPS Ltd (Mid-Range, Local Established Company)

• Standard cleaning: £45-£95 per visit

• Winter adjustments: Full range of sanitisation, deep cleans, emergency services, entrance mat service

• Backup: If your regular cleaner is sick, we send a replacement (no missed cleans)

• Insurance: £5m public liability, employer's liability

Premium/National Chains (ISS, Mitie, OCS)

• Standard cleaning: £80-£150+ per visit (30-50% more expensive than us)

• Winter adjustments: Same services as us, but much higher cost

• Service: Less personal (you're a contract number), slower response times

What Questions Should You Ask Your Cleaner About Winter?

Before winter hits, ask your current cleaner (or any cleaner you're considering) these questions:

1. What Happens If You're Sick or Unavailable?

Cleaners get sick in winter too. If your cleaner is a sole trader, you'll have no cleaning for days or weeks. Established companies (like us) send a replacement.

2. Do You Offer Sanitisation Services?

Standard cleaning (vacuum, mop, wipe) doesn't kill viruses or bacteria. Ask if they offer hospital-grade disinfection of high-touch surfaces.

3. What's Your Emergency Response Time?

If you have an illness outbreak or urgent cleaning need, how quickly can they respond? We offer same-day or next-day emergency cleans.

4. Do You Offer Deep Cleaning Services?

Carpets, radiators, and vents need deep cleaning in winter. Ask if they offer these services (and what they cost).

5. What's Your Winter Pricing?

Some cleaners increase prices in winter (higher demand, harder work). Ask upfront if winter costs more.

6. Are You Insured?

Wet floors in winter = slip hazards. If your cleaner isn't insured and someone gets injured, you could be liable. Ask for proof of public liability insurance (minimum £5m).

How to Book VPS Ltd Winter Cleaning

If you want to prepare your Leicester office for winter:

1. Call or email us with your office size, current cleaning frequency, and any winter concerns

2. We'll recommend a winter cleaning plan (frequency, sanitisation, deep cleans) and give you an exact price

3. We can start within 1 week (or schedule your pre-winter deep clean for October)

Contact VPS Ltd:

• Website: www.vpscleaning.com

• Phone: 07805126356 / 07510290434

• Email: info@varapropertyservices.com