A car dealership in Metro Detroit needs two cleaning scopes under one contract: a retail standard for the showroom, customer lounge and restrooms, and an industrial standard for the service drive and shop. From now until spring, add a third layer for road salt, because it reaches the showroom floor on every customer's boots. The checklist below is organized by zone, so you can compare it against your current contract or hand it to a bidder.
Before you assign tasks, draw the line around the vehicles
Most disputes in dealership cleaning start here. Spell out in writing that the janitorial crew cleans the building and the detail department cleans the cars. Then add these house rules:
- Crew members never move, start or sit in a vehicle.
- No spraying near paint. Glass cleaner goes on a cloth first, then onto the showroom window.
- Floor machines and cords keep a set distance from display vehicles, agreed with the sales manager.
- Dust-producing work, such as burnishing or dry sweeping, happens only with a plan for covering or relocating vehicles close to the work.
- Key boxes, deal jackets and customer files stay untouched. Sales and finance offices are cleaned with desks left as found.
Showroom checklist
The showroom is the part of the building a buyer judges in the first few seconds, so it usually gets the most visits.
Every cleaning visit
- Dust mop, then damp mop, the full floor using a pH-neutral cleaner
- Clean entrance glass, door hardware and interior partition glass
- Wipe reception, sales desks, chairs and display stands
- Empty all trash, including small bins in the sales offices
- Spot clean visible marks on walls and columns
Weekly
- Detail baseboards, chair legs and floor edges where salt film collects
- Vacuum or extract any carpeted offices with heavier traffic
- Dust signage, brochure racks and low ledges
Monthly or quarterly
- Restore the floor finish according to the floor type (polish porcelain tile, burnish a coated floor, refinish a waxed one)
- Wash interior showroom glass at full height
- High dust lights, ductwork and overhead banners
Road salt season at the front door
Detroit winters run long, and a showroom with polished tile or coated concrete shows salt quickly. The white haze is mineral residue, and an ordinary mop tends to move it around rather than lift it. From about November through March, add these items:
- Larger walk-off mats at every customer entrance, plus a change schedule for peak weeks
- Daily damp mopping at entrances and along the walking path to the sales desks
- A neutralizing floor cleaner on a set schedule, matched to the flooring and approved by the finish manufacturer
- A daytime touch-up during Saturday traffic, when slush tracks in fastest
- One deep floor service in spring to clear what winter left behind, which pairs well with the floor care and specialized cleaning work most contracts already price separately
Michigan law restricts Sunday vehicle sales in its more populous counties, and many sales floors in the region close that day. If yours does, Sunday is a natural window for heavy floor work. Confirm it against your service department's hours first.
Customer lounge and restrooms
Customers may spend an hour or more here waiting on an oil change, so small lapses get noticed. Restroom standards should match the rest of the commercial cleaning scope at a well-run office or retail site.
- Clean and restock restrooms on every visit, with a midday check on busy days
- Wipe the coffee bar and clear spills, grounds and sugar packets
- Clean tables, armrests, charging stations and the kids' area
- Disinfect high-touch points: door handles, faucets, card terminals, vending buttons
- Vacuum seating areas and check under chairs
Service drive and write-up lane
This is where the two standards meet. Vehicles track in slush, oil and brake dust, and customers walk through it in office shoes.
- Sweep and scrub the drive on a schedule set by service volume
- Remove tire marks and fluid spots before opening
- Clean advisor desks, counters and customer door glass
- Replace or wash mats at the door between the drive and the lounge, so the shop doesn't follow people inside
- Clear salt and sand buildup along walls and at overhead doors
Service bays and parts department
Shop floors have their own hazards and rules. Decide clearly who cleans what, since technicians often own their bays and the contractor handles shared areas.
- Scrub open floor areas and walkways with a degreaser suited to the coating
- Clean parts counters, shelving aisles and the employee entrance
- Clean technician restrooms, the break room and lockers on a regular schedule
- Stay clear of lifts in use, and follow the shop's rules on tools, hot work and open fluid containers
- Leave oil, coolant, used absorbent and shop waste in the dealership's own waste containers, for its hauler
Where the mop water goes
Ask this question of every bidder, and put the answer in the contract. A floor drain in a service bay is not a general disposal point, and water that runs out an overhead door can reach a storm drain.
EPA treats a service bay floor drain that empties into a septic system or dry well as a motor vehicle waste disposal well, regulated as a Class V injection well, and new ones have been banned since 2000. Drains tied to the sanitary sewer often run through an oil-water separator, and local sewer rules set what may go in. Your service manager or environmental contact should tell the cleaning crew which sink or collection point to use. Michigan's guidance for shops also says plainly that wastes do not go down a storm drain.
Michigan workplace rules to reference
Michigan runs its own state plan, MIOSHA, so a contractor's paperwork should reference it instead of federal OSHA alone. Two items are worth checking:
- Hazard communication (Part 92): the crew needs labeled containers, safety data sheets and training for each chemical used, and the shop's chemicals should be shared with the contractor where its people may be exposed.
- Walking-working surfaces (Part 2): this general industry standard adopts the federal Subpart D rules, which is the backdrop for keeping aisles, floors and entrances free of hazards like standing water and fluid spills.
Bloodborne pathogen training also matters if the crew may handle sharps or bodily fluids in restrooms. Ask for current liability insurance and proof of Michigan workers' compensation coverage before anyone starts. Rules change, so have your compliance contact confirm the details for your site.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a car dealership be professionally cleaned?
Most dealerships need service five to seven days a week in customer areas, since the showroom and restrooms are in use daily. Shop floors and shared back-of-house spaces can often run on a less frequent schedule set by service volume. Periodic work such as floor restoration and high dusting is typically monthly or quarterly.
Should the janitorial contractor also detail the vehicles on the lot?
Usually not. Vehicle detailing is a separate trade with its own products, liability and scheduling, and most dealerships keep it in-house or with a detail vendor. Keep the two scopes in separate lines so nobody assumes the other party has it covered.
How do you get salt residue off a dealership showroom floor?
Use a neutralizing cleaner approved for the floor type, then rinse or auto-scrub so the residue actually leaves the floor. Repeat on a schedule through winter, because each snowfall brings more salt in. Larger entrance mats reduce how much reaches the floor in the first place.
What should a Detroit dealership ask a cleaning company before signing?
Ask how the crew protects display vehicles, where wash water goes and who holds the keys or alarm codes after hours. Ask for MIOSHA-aligned hazard communication training records, along with proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation. A sample inspection report will show you how completed work gets verified.
Get a cleaning plan for your dealership
Simple Service is a commercial cleaning company based in Greater Montréal. For dealerships in Metro Detroit, tell us about your facility and we'll connect you with a commercial cleaning team that serves Detroit. You can read more about the local market on our Detroit commercial cleaning page, or send us your facility details to get started.