A clean office is about more than shine. It protects the health of your team, supports focus and productivity, and shows staff, students, and visitors that you take their wellbeing seriously.
With so many cleaners, tools, and paper products on the market, it is easy to overbuy some items and miss the essentials your workplace truly needs.
This guide walks you through:
- Everyday office cleaning must haves
- Safer, eco conscious choices that support your ESG goals
- A room by room supply list for your building
Core Office Cleaning Essentials for Every Workplace
Start with a core kit that works across the entire workplace. These staples should live in every janitor’s closet, supply room, or facilities cart.
Surfaces and Germ Control
Multipurpose cleaner
Example: fantastik® Multi-Surface Cleaner, ideal for desks, doors, and other hard surfaces.
Disinfectant wipes or sprays
Example: Sealed Air Oxivir Tb Disinfectant Wipes for high touch areas like door handles, elevator buttons, and shared equipment.
Glass cleaner
Brands like Windex work well on glass partitions, windows, and some screens.
Tools and Cloths
Microfibre and janitorial cloths
Options such as J Cloth and Chix style wipes are designed for repeated use and quick spill response.
Paper, Soap, and Hygiene Essentials
Paper towels and dispensers
For example, pair Tork hand towel dispensers with centre feed or multifold towels in washrooms and kitchens.
- Bathroom tissues and facial tissues for all washrooms and meeting rooms
- Hand soaps and hand sanitizers, plus touch free dispensers where possible
Waste, Recycling, and Responsible Disposal
Build this base first. Then layer in more specialised products by space.
Eco Conscious, High Performing Cleaning Choices
Many Canadian organisations are aligning cleaning choices with CSR and ESG goals. You should not have to choose between performance and responsibility.
Our Cleaning Supplies page includes:
- Brands with recognised eco positioning such as Green Works and Safeblend
- Compostable or degradable garbage bags from suppliers like Biosak and Supersak
- Paper products from Cascades and Tork designed with sustainability in mind
Pair these choices with your existing sustainability commitments. It is a simple way to turn a basic purchasing decision into Procurement with Purpose.
Room By Room Office Cleaning Supply Guide
Different areas of your building face different messes, odours, and levels of traffic. Here is how to focus your cleaning efforts.
Workstations, Open Offices, and Meeting Rooms
Keep the spaces where people spend most of their day clean and healthy.
- Multipurpose cleaner for desks, tables, drawer fronts, and door frames
- Disinfectant wipes for shared keyboards, phones, remotes, and chair arms
- Glass cleaner for interior glass, whiteboards, and screens
- Microfibre cloths to trap dust on monitors and workstation surfaces
- Recycling bins and waste containers, including vertical solutions like Lorell recycling towers for compact offices
- Facial tissues in meeting rooms to reduce germ spread
Tip: Encourage teams to adopt a “clear desk, quick wipe” habit at the end of the day. Facilities can then focus on deeper disinfecting and vacuuming.
Washrooms and Change Rooms
Washrooms shape how visitors and staff feel about your organisation. Consistency matters.
Essentials include:
Choose colour coded cloths and tools for washrooms to avoid cross contamination with other areas.
Kitchens, Lunchrooms, and Break Areas
Food preparation and shared snacks require special attention.
Stock your kitchen with:
- Dishwashing liquids and detergents from trusted brands like Dawn and Cascade, plus dish tabs where a dishwasher is installed
- Sponges and scouring pads for cookware, mugs, and counters
- Multipurpose cleaner and disinfectant spray for counters, handles, and appliances
- Glass cleaner for fridge doors, microwaves with windows, and interior glass
- Paper towels and reusable towels for spills
- Garbage bags and recycling bags that fit under counter and freestanding bins
- Drain cleaner for occasional build up in sinks and floor drains
Clear signage around what can be recycled, composted, or binned helps keep the space tidy and prevents odours.
Entrances, Hallways, and High Traffic Zones
These are your first impression areas. They also take the hardest hit from weather and foot traffic.
Make sure you have:
- Brooms, sweepers, and dust pans for daily grit and debris
- Mops and suitable floor and carpet cleaners for salt, moisture, and daily grime
- Squeegees and scrapers for glass doors and vestibules
- Indoor and anti-fatigue mats at entrances to trap dirt and reduce slips
- Spot and stain removers for carpets and upholstered seating
- Air fresheners or odour neutralisers for lobbies and elevator
Turning Everyday Cleaning Into Community Impact
When you work with eSupply Canada, every bottle of cleaner, carton of tissues, and box of garbage bags does more.
- You support an Indigenous owned company rooted in Saugeen First Nation, serving customers from coast to coast to coast.
- You help keep more procurement dollars in Indigenous and Canadian communities.
- You contribute to the eSupply Canada Future Leaders Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary education.
Cleaning supplies are not a glamorous purchase, but they are essential. By choosing where you buy them, you can align everyday operations with Truth and Reconciliation in a practical, measurable way.
Ready to refresh your office cleaning kit?
Visit the Cleaning Supplies collection on esupplycanada.ca to explore a full range of disinfectants, paper products, tools, and eco conscious options, or reach out to our team and we will help you build a tailored checklist for your office or school.