Industries
Gallery, Museum and Cultural Space Cleaning
In a gallery the rule is simple and absolute: nothing touches the art, ever. Cleaning staff work to a defined exclusion distance from every work, plinth, vitrine and mount. Products are selected for what they off-gas as much as for what they clean, because volatile compounds affect sensitive materials. Anything on or near a work is the responsibility of your registrar or conservator.
The Exclusion Rule
An agreed distance from every work, plinth, vitrine, mount and wall label — typically measured and marked before installation opens. No dusting of frames, no cleaning of vitrine glass, no touching of mounts or pedestals, no adjusting of anything. If a vitrine needs cleaning, your registrar arranges it or supervises it. This is not caution for its own sake; a cleaning cloth against a frame is how damage happens.
Products Off-Gas, and That Matters Here
Ammonia, chlorine and strong solvents release volatile compounds that can affect sensitive media, metals and organic materials in an enclosed space. Product selection in a gallery is a conservation decision. Low-VOC, neutral-pH, fragrance-free chemistry is the default, and the product list should be reviewed by whoever is responsible for the collection before it comes through the door.
Dust and Floors
Dust is the everyday conservation problem, and the way to reduce it is to capture rather than disperse it: HEPA H13 filtration, microfibre rather than feather dusters, dust mopping rather than sweeping. Gallery floors — often polished concrete, white-painted, or original wood — are high-visibility, unforgiving surfaces that show every mark and need chemistry appropriate to the finish.
Openings and Turnarounds
An opening ends late and the gallery must be pristine the next morning, with works untouched and often with a visiting press or collector schedule. Event turnaround needs to be scoped in advance, with the same exclusion rules applying to glassware collection and furniture reset as to routine cleaning.
Our Protocol for This Environment
- Defined exclusion distance from every work, plinth, vitrine, mount and label — agreed before opening
- No contact with artwork, frames, vitrine glass, mounts or pedestals under any circumstances
- Low-VOC, neutral-pH, fragrance-free product set; list reviewed by the collection's custodian
- No ammonia, chlorine or strong solvents in gallery spaces
- HEPA H13 filtration and microfibre capture — dust removed, never dispersed
- Floors maintained with chemistry appropriate to the finish; white and polished surfaces detailed
- Wall condition monitored and marks reported rather than treated without instruction
- Event and opening turnaround scoped in advance under the same exclusion rules
- Back of house, offices, storage approaches and restrooms on standard commercial scope
Get a Scope Built for Your Space
We will walk the space, ask the questions specific to your environment, and send back a written scope, a fixed price and the exclusions.
Get a Scope for This Space
Written scope, fixed price and exclusions, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will your staff clean the vitrines?
No, not without explicit instruction and supervision from your registrar. Vitrine glass, frames, plinths and mounts are inside the exclusion zone by default. We would rather leave a fingerprint for your team to handle than risk contact with a work.
What products do you use in gallery spaces?
Low-VOC, neutral-pH, fragrance-free, with no ammonia or chlorine. We provide the full product list with Safety Data Sheets for review before we begin, and we will substitute anything your conservator objects to.
Can you handle turnaround after an opening?
Yes, scoped and priced in advance. Glassware collection, catering debris, furniture reset and floor recovery — all under the same exclusion rules that apply to routine service.
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.