What Auditors Look For: Cleaning Gaps That Can Lead to Regulatory Findings

In regulated industries, cleaning is not just about appearance. It is about safety, documentation, and compliance. Whether you operate in healthcare, food production, education, or manufacturing, failing to meet regulatory expectations in your janitorial program can result in serious consequences. Below are the most common cleaning-related gaps auditors uncover and how ATEB Cleaning Services helps you stay ahead of them.

1. Lack of Documentation

Auditors want proof that cleaning tasks are being completed as scheduled and according to protocol. If your vendor cannot produce logs, checklists, or verification reports, your facility is at risk.

The problem: Many cleaning companies either do not provide documentation or rely on informal notes that do not meet audit requirements.

Our solution: ATEB provides clear service documentation, including completed task checklists, disinfection logs, and supervisor reviews. This helps support your recordkeeping and gives auditors the visibility they expect.

2. No Defined Cleaning Schedule

Cleaning without a set schedule is one of the easiest ways to fall out of compliance. Auditors will ask when certain areas were last cleaned, sanitized, or deep cleaned. If your answer is uncertain, that is a red flag.

The problem: Some vendors operate on a clean-as-needed basis without formal routines, especially in shared or low-traffic spaces.

Our solution: We build and follow a documented cleaning schedule tailored to your site’s requirements, ensuring no area is overlooked and everything is cleaned at the proper frequency.

3. Inadequate Staff Training or Protocols

Your janitorial vendor should understand more than just how to mop a floor. In high-risk or regulated environments, cleaning crews are part of your compliance chain. Auditors may ask about chemical usage, restricted zones, PPE, and training documentation and expect clear, consistent answers.

At one manufacturing site we support, the previous cleaning company created multiple compliance concerns:

• They used unapproved cleaning agents on the production floor, violating internal safety rules.
• They left chemicals outside designated storage areas.
• Their staff wore jewelry and failed to wear the required safety shoes, both of which went against site policy and GMP expectations.

Any of these issues could have triggered findings in an internal or third-party audit. Worse, they put the facility at unnecessary operational risk.

Our solution: ATEB Cleaning Services trains all staff on your site’s specific protocols from PPE and chemical handling to restricted access zones and documentation. Our crews follow documented workflows and safety expectations, so your cleaning program helps support compliance, not compromise it.

4. Inconsistent Scope of Work

Auditors often flag inconsistent cleaning quality across departments, shifts, or facilities, especially in multi-site operations.

The problem: Many vendors lack standardized scopes of work, leading to variation in what gets done, how it gets done, and how it is verified.

Our solution: We create clear, location-specific scopes of work that align with your internal protocols. From administrative offices to production floors, we make sure every space is cleaned to the same professional standard.

5. Poor Issue Resolution or Corrective Action

If your facility has failed a cleaning-related audit or inspection in the past, auditors may ask what steps were taken to address the issue.

The problem: Most cleaning vendors are not equipped to develop corrective action plans, leaving facility managers to resolve it alone.

Our solution: ATEB helps facilities recover from audit findings by identifying root causes, retraining staff, updating protocols, and providing supporting documentation. We work with your quality and compliance teams to build corrective action plans that show real accountability.

Final Thoughts: Auditors are not just looking for a tidy space. They are evaluating your processes, records, and vendor performance. If your current cleaning partner cannot provide documentation, align with your compliance goals, or adjust to inspection demands, it is time to consider a vendor who can.

Schedule a free walkthrough with ATEB Cleaning Services to identify risks and strengthen your cleaning program before your next audit.