Preparing Your Facility for Winter: A Fall Commercial Cleaning Checklist

by | Sep 5, 2025 | Maintenance Guides, Seasonal Guides

Introduction

As summer fades, businesses in the Lloydminster region know what’s coming: a long, harsh winter. The snow, ice, salt, and slush that accompanies a prairie winter can wreak havoc on a commercial facility. A proactive fall cleaning and preparation plan is essential to protect your floors, ensure safety, and maintain a clean environment throughout the winter months. Getting ahead of winter is far easier than trying to catch up in January.

Here is an essential checklist for preparing your facility for the season ahead.

Your Fall Commercial Cleaning Checklist

1. Deep Clean and Protect Your Floors

Your floors are the first line of defense against winter. Before the first snowfall, it’s the perfect time for restorative floor care. For hard floors like VCT, this means a professional strip and wax. The fresh coats of high-quality wax will act as a barrier against corrosive salt and abrasive sand. For carpets, a deep hot water extraction will remove embedded dirt, making them more resilient to winter grime.

2. Implement a Matting Program

The best way to keep winter messes contained is with a proper three-part matting system at all entrances. This includes a scraper mat outside to remove heavy snow and debris, a wiper/scraper mat in the vestibule to capture smaller particles and moisture, and a final wiper mat inside to dry shoes completely. A professional mat rental service can ensure these are swapped out and cleaned regularly.

3. Schedule a Thorough Window Cleaning

Clean your windows, both inside and out, before the deep freeze sets in. This removes a summer’s worth of dirt and grime, maximizing the amount of natural light that enters your building during the shorter winter days, which can positively impact employee morale.

4. Clean Out Gutters and Eaves

While often part of outdoor maintenance, ensuring your gutters are clear of leaves and debris is a critical cleaning task. Clogged gutters can lead to ice dams, which can cause serious and expensive water damage to your roof and walls.

5. HVAC and Duct Cleaning

Your heating system is about to work overtime. Before you turn it on for the season, have your HVAC system inspected and your air ducts professionally cleaned. This improves energy efficiency and, more importantly, enhances indoor air quality by removing the dust, pollen, and other allergens that have accumulated over the summer.

Get Ahead of Winter

A comprehensive fall cleanup is one of the smartest investments a facility manager can make. It reduces the daily cleaning burden during the most challenging months and prevents the long-term damage that winter can cause. As we outlined in our guide to preventative maintenance, being proactive is always the most cost-effective strategy.

Partner with the Lloydminster Region’s Trusted Cleaning Experts

Ready to get your facility winter-ready? Contact our team today to schedule your comprehensive fall cleaning services.