Specialised cleaning · updated August 2026
Cleaning a Tech Office: ESD, Exclusion Zones and SOC 2
Two constraints define it: static-sensitive equipment and SOC 2. Cleaning near racks and workstations requires ESD-safe, HEPA-filtered equipment and no liquid applied directly to any surface. And SOC 2 Common Criteria CC6.4 requires restricting physical access to facilities — which means your auditor will ask about your cleaning vendor.
The Zone Model
| Zone | Areas | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Open floor, kitchen, meeting rooms, phone booths, restrooms, corridors | Full clean |
| Yellow | Desks with monitors and peripherals, AV equipment, printer areas | Clean with restrictions — nothing unplugged, nothing sprayed, minimal movement |
| Red | Server room, IDF and MDF closets, security room, secure storage | No entry. Off the master key. No credential issued. |
Equipment and Method Specification
- ESD-safe vacuums with HEPA H13 filtration (99.97% at 0.3 microns)
- No standard consumer vacuums anywhere near rack space
- 70% isopropyl applied to the microfibre cloth, never sprayed on the device
- No compressed air near racks or equipment
- Microfibre colour coding to prevent cross-contamination
- Nothing unplugged, nothing repositioned beyond what is needed to clean the surface
Static is not theoretical: a person crossing a carpeted floor can generate thousands of volts, and components are damaged well below that threshold.
The SOC 2 Evidence Pack
Four documents answer the janitorial-access question in a CC6.4 review:
- The restricted-areas exhibit from your cleaning agreement, listing rooms by number with an access rule
- The current named access list for your account
- The entry and exit log from your building's credential system
- Signed vendor NDAs with a background-check attestation
Having those ready turns an audit scramble into an email. Most vendors cannot produce them at all.
Clean Desk Policy Interaction
Decide in advance what cleaners do with papers left out, and write it down. The two workable answers are never move, never discard or anything in a designated shred bin is collected. What does not work is leaving it to a crew member's judgement at 9pm.
Our full tech office protocol.
Last reviewed August 2026. Figures for prevailing wage and regulatory schedules change on 1 January and 1 July — we re-verify this page each cycle.
Want This Answered for Your Actual Space?
We publish the general answer because it is useful. For a number that applies to your building, send us the square footage and the nights you need.
Get a Price for Your Space
Written scope and fixed monthly price, usually within two business days.
We reply to every request. If your building needs a Certificate of Insurance or vendor registration, we handle that paperwork before the first night.
Ready for a Cleaning Contract You Can Actually Read?
Send us your square footage and how many nights you need. You get a written scope, a fixed monthly price, and the SLA in the same document — usually within two business days.