Church Cleaning Services

Most churches benefit from a weekly clean to maintain hygiene and presentation, with extra touch-ups before or after services and events. A monthly deep clean helps preserve floors, woodwork, and fixtures, while seasonal cleans before major religious holidays ensure the space is at its best for worship and gatherings.

A church cleaner is responsible for keeping the worship space clean, safe, and welcoming. Typical duties include dusting and sanitising pews, altars, and lecterns, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning restrooms, emptying bins, and maintaining entrance areas. They may also handle seasonal deep cleans, such as polishing brass, removing candle wax, or preparing the church for special services and religious holidays.

Church cleaning usually goes beyond standard commercial cleaning because it balances hygiene, respect for a place of worship, and preservation of delicate features. It typically includes:

General Cleaning Tasks

• Dusting & wiping surfaces – pews, railings, woodwork, shelves, and windowsills.

• Vacuuming & sweeping – carpets, rugs, and hard floors.

• Mopping & polishing – tiled, stone, or hardwood floors.

• Emptying bins – including candle trays or donation box areas.

• Cleaning restrooms – toilets, sinks, mirrors, floors, and replenishing supplies.

Specialised Church-Specific Cleaning

• Pew and chair cleaning – dusting, polishing, or sanitising seating areas.

• Altar and pulpit care – careful dusting/polishing, respecting religious items.

• Stained glass and windows – gentle cleaning of glass, frames, and ledges.

• Brass, silver, and wood polishing – for crosses, candlesticks, communion plates, and decorative fixtures.

• Organ and musical instruments – light dusting only, with deeper cleaning handled by specialists.

• High-level dusting – chandeliers, beams, and light fixtures.

Additional Services

• Deep cleans – before/after major events like weddings, funerals, or festivals.

• Exterior cleaning – entryways, stone steps, doors, and outdoor pathways.

• Upholstery and carpet cleaning – stain removal and fabric care.

• Seasonal maintenance – e.g., clearing cobwebs in lofted ceilings or tower areas.

Yes — places of worship do benefit from professional cleaning, and in most cases, it’s strongly recommended.

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Here’s why:

1. High Footfall & Hygiene

• Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples often see large gatherings.

• Shared spaces like pews, prayer mats, restrooms, and community halls can quickly harbour dirt, dust, and germs.

• Professional cleaners ensure a safe, sanitary environment for worshippers.

2. Respect & Presentation

• A clean, well-maintained place of worship shows respect for the sacred space.

• It creates a welcoming environment for regular services, weddings, funerals, and community events.

3. Specialised Care for Sacred Items

• Professional cleaners are trained to handle delicate fixtures such as altars, pews, stained glass windows, brassware, and religious artefacts with care.

• Ordinary cleaning might damage these items, while professionals know which products and methods are safe.

4. Health & Safety Compliance

• Places of worship often have public liability responsibilities.

• Professional cleaning helps prevent slips, trips, allergens, and mould buildup — all of which can pose health risks.

5. Longevity & Preservation

• Regular deep cleaning and maintenance prevent long-term wear, protecting historic features like woodwork, stone floors, and fabrics.

• This helps reduce the cost of major restoration later on.

In summary: while volunteers can help with light tidying, professional cleaning ensures hygiene, safety, and the respectful preservation of the space.

Yes, we offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate the specific needs of your place of worship This can include adjusting cleaning times during holidays or special events, providing services outside regular hours, or offering one-off deep cleans as and when required.

We utilise a variety of specialised equipment to maintain high cleanliness standards. This includes professional floor cleaning systems, such as mops and vacuum cleaners designed for different surfaces, disinfecting machines for sanitising high-touch areas, and ergonomic tools that reduce strain on cleaners. Additionally, we use microfiber cloths and wipes for effective dusting and disinfecting, as well as no-touch trash cans to minimise germ exposure. The choice of equipment is crucial for ensuring a thorough clean while promoting a safe environment.

Our cleaning teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout all London boroughs, counties of Essex and Hertfordshire. 

We supply sanitary bins in female toilets to ensure hygienic disposal of menstrual products, as well as in male toilets to ensure hygienic disposal of male incontinence pads. These bins are regularly serviced and emptied to maintain cleanliness and prevent odours. Read more information on our Sanitary Bin Collections for Washroom Services.

Yes. Contracts are signed prior to commencing any work, along with the opening of your Ashley Cleaning account.

The Bible often connects cleanliness with holiness and reverence. While it doesn’t give direct instructions about cleaning church buildings, it teaches that God’s house should be treated with respect (Psalm 93:5, 1 Corinthians 14:40). Keeping a church clean is one way to honour God, create a welcoming place for worship, and reflect the care of the congregation.