The True Cost of Cheap Commercial Cleaning: What West Des Moines Office Managers Learn Too Late

You just saved $200 a month on your commercial cleaning contract. Congratulations—you're about to learn an expensive lesson.

It's a scene that plays out in West Des Moines offices constantly. An office manager, facilities coordinator, or business owner gets frustrated with their current cleaning company and starts shopping around. They get three quotes. One company comes in significantly lower than the others. The decision seems obvious: same service, lower price. Easy choice, right?

Six months later, that same office manager is typing "commercial cleaning West Des Moines" into Google for the third time this year, looking for yet another replacement. They're now paying more than they were originally, dealing with constant quality issues, and wondering how they got stuck in this cycle.

Here's what nobody tells you when you're comparing cleaning quotes: the cheapest option is almost never the most affordable option. And by the time you figure that out, you've already paid the real cost—in time, reputation, employee morale, and actual dollars spent fixing problems that shouldn't exist.

Let's talk about the true cost of cheap commercial cleaning, and why West Des Moines office managers who choose based solely on price end up paying more than those who choose based on value.

Why Cheap Cleaning Companies Can Afford to Be Cheap

Before we get into what cheap cleaning costs you, let's understand how companies can offer prices that seem too good to be true.

Spoiler: it's because they are too good to be true.

They're Cutting Corners on Labor

The single biggest expense in commercial cleaning is labor. To significantly undercut competitors, cheap cleaning companies have to pay less per hour, hire less experienced workers, or allocate less time to actually clean your building.

Often, they're doing all three.

They're paying minimum wage (or less, if we're being honest about some operators). They're hiring whoever's available without serious vetting or training. And they're scheduling 45 minutes to clean a facility that actually requires 90 minutes to do properly.

The math works great for their profit margins. It works terribly for your office.

They Have Massive Employee Turnover

The commercial cleaning industry averages 200-400% annual employee turnover. That means if a typical company has 10 employees, they're replacing 20-40 people every single year.

Cheap cleaning companies are on the high end of that range. When you pay poorly, provide no training, and treat workers as disposable labor, people quit constantly. That means you get a rotating cast of new, undertrained workers who don't know your building, don't understand your expectations, and won't be around long enough for it to matter anyway.

Some office managers in West Des Moines have reported seeing different faces every week. You're not building a relationship with reliable cleaners who know your facility. You're getting whoever showed up that night.

They're Skipping the Things You Don't Immediately Notice

Cheap companies are experts at optimization—not cleaning optimization, but "what can we skip without the client immediately noticing" optimization.

They'll vacuum the main pathways but skip under desks. They'll wipe down the front of the restroom counter but ignore the faucets. They'll empty the most visible trash cans but miss the ones in conference rooms. They'll make it look like cleaning happened without actually doing thorough work.

By the time you notice what they've been skipping, months have passed, and the accumulated neglect takes significant effort to correct.

They Have No Quality Control Systems

Quality control costs money. It requires management oversight, inspection time, documentation systems, and accountability structures. Cheap cleaning companies skip all of that because it cuts into their margins.

At Rodan Cleaning, an internal auditor's only job is visiting client facilities monthly, inspecting the work, and generating detailed reports. That auditor is a full-time expense that shows up in their pricing.

Cheap companies don't have that. They have no idea whether their crews are doing good work or terrible work until you complain. And by then, you've already lived with the consequences.

The Hidden Costs That Show Up in Your Budget Elsewhere

The money you "save" on cheap cleaning doesn't disappear. It just shows up in other budget lines—often in amounts that far exceed what you saved.

Your Employees Become the Cleaning Crew

When the cleaning company misses things, who fixes it? Your employees.

Your marketing director is wiping down the conference room table before the client meeting. Your HR manager is restocking the bathroom supplies because they ran out three days ago. Your receptionist is vacuuming the lobby because it clearly wasn't done last night.

You're not actually saving money—you're just shifting the cost to more expensive labor. That marketing director makes $75,000 a year. When she spends 15 minutes cleaning instead of working, you just paid $9.38 for cleaning labor. The cleaning company would have charged you maybe $2.50 for the same 15 minutes of work.

This happens more than you think. And it adds up faster than you realize.

Facilities Issues Get Worse Because Nobody's Catching Them Early

A good cleaning crew doesn't just clean—they're your eyes and ears in the building after hours. They notice when a pipe is leaking, when a light is out, when a door isn't closing properly, when there's water damage starting in the ceiling.

Cheap cleaning crews don't notice these things (or don't report them) because they're rushing through the work and don't care enough to communicate issues.

That small leak that could have been fixed with a $200 plumber visit? It becomes a $3,000 water damage remediation after six weeks of nobody noticing. That light bulb that was flickering? It shorted out and now you need an emergency electrician visit.

Quality cleaning companies catch these issues early and communicate them to you. Cheap companies don't. The facilities problems that could have been minor repairs become major expenses.

You're Constantly Spending Time Managing Your Cleaning Company

How much time do you spend each month dealing with your cleaning company?

If you're working with a cheap, unreliable contractor, the answer is probably "way too much." You're sending emails about missed areas. You're making phone calls because they didn't show up. You're walking the facility checking their work. You're onboarding new contacts because the person you were working with quit.

That's your time. Time you're paid to spend managing the business, not managing the cleaning contractor.

Let's do some math. If you spend even two hours per month dealing with cleaning issues and you make $60,000 per year (about $30/hour), that's $60 per month of your salary spent managing a vendor relationship that should be essentially invisible.

Over a year, that's $720 of management time. Add that to whatever you're "saving" with the cheap contractor, and suddenly the math doesn't look so good.

Your Professional Reputation Suffers

Here's a cost that's hard to quantify but absolutely real: the impression your office makes on clients, prospects, job candidates, and business partners.

When a prospective client visits your West Des Moines office for a meeting and the lobby looks dingy, the restrooms aren't clean, and the conference room has dust on the table, they notice. They don't say anything—they just form an impression about your company's standards and attention to detail.

When you're recruiting for that director-level position and the candidate walks through your facility, they're assessing whether they want to work in that environment. A poorly maintained office doesn't just look bad—it signals something about your company culture.

How many deals have been influenced by facility impressions? How many good candidates have chosen competitors partly because the office environment seemed more professional? You'll never know for certain, but the impact is real.

The Replacement Cycle Costs Add Up

When you hire a cheap cleaning company, you're not solving your cleaning problem—you're starting a clock that counts down to when you'll need to replace them.

The cheap company will probably be acceptable for 30-60 days. By month three, problems are emerging. By month six, you're actively looking for their replacement. By month nine, you're desperate to switch.

Each time you switch cleaning companies, you pay costs:

• Time spent getting quotes and vetting companies
• Disruption during the transition
• The learning curve as new cleaners figure out your building
• Usually a deep clean to fix accumulated problems from the previous company

West Des Moines office managers who chase cheap pricing often find themselves switching cleaning companies annually or more frequently. Those who pay for quality find companies they stick with for 5, 10, even 20+ years. The switching costs alone make cheap cleaning more expensive.

What "Expensive" Cleaning Actually Buys You (And Why It's Worth It)

Let's flip the script. When you pay more for commercial cleaning, what are you actually buying?

Stability Through Better Compensation

Companies that pay their cleaners well above market rate have essentially zero turnover. At Rodan Cleaning, every cleaner on the team has been with the company for over two years. Six team members work six or seven nights per week and haven't missed a single shift in two years.

Not one missed shift. In two years.

That stability means the same people who cleaned your office last month will clean it next month. They know your building, they know where everything goes, they remember your preferences. You're not constantly starting over with new people.

The cost of that stability is built into the pricing. It's worth every penny.

Training Systems That Actually Work

Rodan's Cleaning University program trains every cleaner on protocols, materials, equipment, and standards specific to different environments. That's a significant investment in time and resources that shows up in pricing.

Cheap companies don't train. They hand someone supplies and say "go clean that building." Then they're surprised when quality is inconsistent.

Training costs money upfront but saves money long-term through consistent quality, fewer mistakes, and better efficiency. You're paying for that investment—and benefiting from the results.

Quality Control Systems That Catch Problems Before You Do

Monthly audits where an internal inspector grades the work and generates detailed reports aren't free. That's a dedicated person spending time visiting facilities, inspecting work, and documenting results.

But it means problems get caught and corrected proactively instead of reactively. It means you're not discovering quality issues—the cleaning company is discovering and fixing them before you're ever affected.

That peace of mind has a cost. For most office managers, it's absolutely worth it.

Direct Communication with Decision-Makers

When you work with a premium cleaning company like Rodan, you get the owner's direct contact information. When something needs to be addressed, you're texting or calling someone who can actually make decisions and solve problems immediately.

Cheap companies have layers of management, voicemail trees, and "I'll have to check with my supervisor" barriers. Getting simple issues resolved becomes a frustrating, time-consuming process.

The cost of direct access to ownership is built into premium pricing. The value is getting your time back and solving problems the same day they emerge instead of weeks later.

Accountability That Means Something

When a company has been operating since 1998 and has clients who've been with them for 20+ years, they have something to lose. Their reputation in the West Des Moines and Greater Des Moines business community matters. They can't afford to let standards slip because word travels fast in commercial real estate circles.

Cheap companies often lack this long-term accountability. They're newer operations that can rebrand or disappear if their reputation tanks. They don't have decades of relationships to protect.

You're paying for the accountability that comes from working with an established company with deep roots in the community. That accountability ensures consistent performance over years, not just months.

The Real Comparison: Premium vs. Cheap Over Three Years

Let's do a realistic cost comparison over three years for a typical West Des Moines office building.

Scenario A: Cheap Cleaning Company

• Monthly cost: $800 (lowball price)
• Annual cost: $9,600
• Over three years: $28,800

But add the hidden costs:

• Three hours per month managing issues at $30/hour = $1,080/year
• One emergency deep clean per year to fix accumulated problems = $1,500/year
• Two facility issues not caught early (average) = $1,000/year
• Employee time spent on cleaning tasks = $500/year
• Three company switches in three years with transition costs = $1,500 total

Hidden costs over three years: $13,740

Total real cost: $42,540

Scenario B: Premium Cleaning Company (Rodan)

• Monthly cost: $1,000 (quality pricing)
• Annual cost: $12,000
• Over three years: $36,000

Add the hidden costs:

• Management time (minimal): $180/year
• Emergency deep cleans needed: $0
• Facility issues not caught: $0 (caught proactively in monthly audits)
• Employee cleaning time: $0 (not needed)
• Company switches: $0 (same company entire three years)

Hidden costs over three years: $540

Total real cost: $36,540

You "saved" $7,200 on the cleaning bill... and spent $13,200 more dealing with the consequences. The cheap option cost you $6,000 more over three years, plus all the frustration, time, and reputational impact.

This isn't hypothetical. This is the math that West Des Moines office managers figure out after they've already paid for the education.

Warning Signs You've Hired a "Cheap" Cleaning Company

Already working with a cleaning company and wondering if you're in the cheap category? Here are the warning signs:

1. You don't have a consistent crew If you're seeing different faces every week or month, you're working with a company that has massive turnover. That's a structural problem, not bad luck.

2. You're frequently discovering missed areas Quality should be consistent. If you're regularly finding missed trash cans, un-vacuumed corners, or skipped tasks, the company isn't allocating enough time or training to do the job properly.

3. Getting issues resolved takes forever When you report a problem, does it get fixed the same day, or do you send three emails and make two phone calls before someone responds? Premium companies fix issues immediately. Cheap companies make excuses.

4. You have no documentation or quality reporting Do you receive any documentation showing what was cleaned, when, and to what standard? If your only "proof" of service is an invoice, you're not getting quality management.

5. The crew seems rushed or corners are being cut If you're occasionally in the office when cleaning is happening, do the cleaners seem methodical and thorough, or rushed and careless? The behavior you observe reflects the culture and training they receive.

6. Communication is difficult or non-existent Can you easily reach someone who can answer questions and solve problems? Or do you navigate phone trees and wait days for callbacks?

If you're experiencing multiple items from this list, you're paying for cheap cleaning and getting exactly what you paid for.

Making the Switch: What to Look for in a Quality Cleaning Company

If you're ready to stop chasing cheap prices and start getting actual value, here's what to look for when evaluating commercial cleaning companies in West Des Moines:

Stability indicators:

• How long has the company been in business?
• What's their employee retention rate?
• Can they provide long-term client references?

Quality systems:

• Do they have documented training programs?
• Is there regular quality auditing?
• What do their inspection reports look like?

Communication structure:

• How quickly do they respond to issues?
• Who's your point of contact?
• Can you speak directly with decision-makers?

Specialization and expertise:

• Do they have experience with your type of facility?
• Have they worked with medical facilities, financial institutions, or other high-standards environments?
• Can they explain what makes them different from generic janitorial companies?

Pricing transparency:

• Do they explain what you're paying for?
• Are there hidden fees or surprise charges?
• Do they offer fair pricing that reflects the actual cost of quality service?

Don't make your decision based solely on who has the lowest number. Make it based on who provides the best value and who you'll actually want to work with for the next five years.

Why West Des Moines Businesses Choose Rodan Cleaning

West Des Moines has one of the most sophisticated commercial real estate markets in the state. From corporate headquarters to professional services firms to financial institutions, businesses here expect excellence.

That's why established companies in West Des Moines choose Rodan Cleaning over cheaper alternatives.

They're not paying for marketing fluff. They're paying for:

• 26+ years of proven performance since 1998
• Audit-verified quality with monthly inspections and documented results
• Direct owner access with Zach Vander Ploeg's personal contact information
• Zero turnover among cleaners, with team members who've been with the company for years
• Specialized training through Cleaning University for consistent standards
• Local accountability from a family-owned business with deep roots in Des Moines

These aren't marketing claims. They're the operational realities that make premium pricing worth paying.

When you're done chasing cheap cleaning companies and ready to work with a contractor you can actually count on, the decision becomes obvious.

What to Do If You're Currently Stuck with Cheap Cleaning

If you're reading this and recognizing your current situation, here's your action plan:

Step 1: Calculate what "cheap" is actually costing you Add up the time you spend managing issues, the employee time spent fixing missed work, the facility problems that weren't caught early, and the professional impact of an inconsistently clean office.

Step 2: Get a quote from a quality company Schedule a free cleaning assessment with Rodan or another established provider. Get real numbers for what quality service costs.

Step 3: Do the math honestly Compare the "savings" from cheap cleaning against the hidden costs you identified. Be realistic about what your time is worth and what consistency is worth to your business.

Step 4: Make a strategic decision Choose the option that provides the best value over three years, not the lowest number on a monthly invoice.

Most West Des Moines office managers who make this analysis realize they're paying more for cheap cleaning than they would for premium service. That realization makes the switch easy.

The Bottom Line on Cheap Commercial Cleaning

Cheap isn't affordable. It's expensive in ways that don't show up on the cleaning invoice.

You pay in time spent managing problems. You pay in employee productivity lost to fixing what the cleaning crew missed. You pay in facility issues that aren't caught early. You pay in the impression your office makes on clients and job candidates. You pay in the constant stress of wondering whether your cleaning company will actually show up and do the job.

Premium cleaning isn't about status or unnecessary luxury. It's about getting reliable results from a contractor you can count on for years, not months. It's about having one less thing to worry about because the cleaning just works, consistently, without drama.

For West Des Moines office managers who've learned this lesson the hard way, the decision to switch to a quality contractor like Rodan isn't about spending more—it's about finally getting value for what they're paying.

Ready to stop overpaying for cheap cleaning? Contact Rodan Cleaning at (515) 276-1618 or schedule your free assessment for your West Des Moines office.

Rodan Cleaning provides premium commercial cleaning services throughout West Des Moines, Des Moines, Waukee, Ankeny, Johnston, and Urbandale. Specializing in office cleaning, medical facility cleaning, and financial institution cleaning. Family-owned and trusted since 1998.

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