Assign office plant watering and container movement to the plant owner or maintenance provider, then define the accessible floor and surrounding surfaces for cleaning. Coordinate the two schedules and record recurring moisture near a pot. Removing a puddle does not resolve why it returns, and a heavy planter should not be shifted without authorization.
That’s the standard a building should be held to. If you’d rather have it in writing, tell us about the space — we walk it and come back with a scope of work and a price, usually within one business day.
Map the plant-care responsibilities
Identify who waters, trims and moves each group of plants. A rented installation, an employee’s desk plant and a large lobby planter may have different owners. Keep watering out of an implied cleaning task, especially when plant care follows a separate provider’s schedule. Ask the owner to identify any saucer, hidden reservoir or fixed attachment that affects access without asking cleaning staff to dismantle it.
Make the floor boundary practical
Decide whether the routine visit covers only the accessible perimeter or includes an occasional floor section after authorized staff move a container. Plan the temporary plant location so it does not block another cleaning area. Agree what happens to ordinary fallen leaves on the floor, while pruning, soil replacement and pest concerns stay with the plant-care owner. Do not use a floor-cleaning task to authorize moving wet soil or treating the living plant.
Record moisture that keeps returning
If water appears repeatedly, note the planter location and the timing relative to the watering visit, without diagnosing the source. Notify the plant owner and facilities so they can assess the container and affected building surface. Keep their correction open until they resolve it; another wipe does not close the issue. After any approved relocation or repair, update the cleaning map so nobody continues to work from an obsolete placement.
Published scope and the limits of this guide
The published JAS scope says: “Weekly or monthly maintenance” — Read the source service page
This article does not offer horticulture, pesticide application, planter relocation or moisture remediation. It addresses the handoff between the plant owner and the ordinary surfaces included in the cleaning scope.
Related decisions before you schedule
Keep recurring water concerns separate from routine cleanup. Assigning maintenance responsibilities
Arrange a cleared area before requesting work beneath a planter. Planning accessible floor care
Document location and timing without an unsupported diagnosis. Useful observation records
Frequently asked questions
Should cleaners water plants they find dry?
Keep plant-care decisions with the assigned owner. Appearance alone does not create permission or provide the plant’s care instructions.
Can a large planter be tilted to clean underneath?
Do not assume that is safe or authorized. Have the owner arrange any required movement before releasing the underlying floor.
Who handles insects around a planter?
Report the observation to the plant owner and the site’s designated facilities contact. Ordinary cleaning is not a pest assessment or treatment.