What is INSTA 800? The quality standard in cleaning tenders
INSTA 800, or NS-INSTA 800, is the Nordic standard for measuring and documenting cleaning quality on a scale from 0 to 5. It describes how clean a room or facility actually is after cleaning, not how often or how it is cleaned. As a buyer, you use it to order a measurable result and check that you receive it.
What is INSTA 800, really?
NS-INSTA 800 is a common Nordic standard developed by the cleaning industry in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. It defines a system for assessing and agreeing on the quality of executed cleaning. The core is simple: instead of describing which tasks should be done, the standard describes how clean a room should be when the job is done.
That difference is what makes it useful. A traditional cleaning tender often says "dusting free surfaces twice a week". That does not tell you if the surfaces actually get clean, only that someone stopped by with a cloth. INSTA 800 flips this: you agree on a quality level, and the provider chooses the method and frequency to reach it. Clean more often if needed, less often if that suffices, as long as the result meets the agreed level.
The standard divides impurities into four groups – loose dirt and waste, dust, stains, and surface dirt – and four object groups in the room: floors, walls, fixtures/furniture, and ceilings. For each combination, the level specifies how much is permitted.
What do levels 0 to 5 mean?
The levels range from 0 (lowest quality) to 5 (highest). The higher the number, the less dirt is accepted. The table below roughly shows how the levels relate to different types of premises. It is a simplification – the combination of impurity type and object group governs the actual assessment.
| Level | Quality | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Highest | Operating rooms, cleanrooms, laboratories |
| 4 | High | Receptions, meeting rooms for clients, healthcare institutions |
| 3 | Good | Open-plan offices, classrooms, common areas |
| 2 | Acceptable | Storage rooms, technical rooms, high-traffic stairs |
| 1 | Low | Seldom-used areas |
| 0 | No requirements | Areas with no cleaning needs |
For most offices, level 3 is a sensible starting point. The reception area or the meeting room where you receive clients can be set to level 4, while a storage room can sit at level 2. The point is that you can differentiate: you pay for high quality where it matters, and avoid paying for it where it does not.
How is quality inspected?
Inspection combines visual assessment with objective measurement. A person trained in the standard selects a random sample of rooms – statistically determined based on how many rooms of the same type exist – and evaluates each room against the agreed level.
Much of the evaluation is visual: the inspector looks for loose dirt, dust, stains, and adhered dirt on floors, fixtures, and walls. Certain conditions are measured with equipment, for example the amount of dust with a dry cloth or a special measurement technique. The room is passed or failed as a whole. If too many rooms fail, the agreed quality has not been delivered.
The practical point for you as a buyer: the inspection can be carried out regardless of who cleaned, and it provides a number you can discuss. "The meeting room failed on the fixture object group" is concrete feedback. "It didn't feel completely clean" is not.
Is Vaskeladden INSTA 800 certified?
No, and no one can be. This is worth being clear about, because the misunderstanding is common. INSTA 800 is a measurement standard, not a company certification. It says something about the quality of a surface in a room at a given point in time, not about the company that delivered the cleaning.
A cleaning company cannot "be INSTA 800" in the same way a business can be Eco-Lighthouse certified. What the company can do is deliver cleaning that is described and inspected according to the standard, and have personnel trained in using it. If a provider markets themselves as "INSTA 800 certified", you should ask for clarification. They likely mean that they work according to the standard – but the wording often reveals how well they actually know it.
For you as a buyer, the right question is not "are you certified?", but "can you deliver at level 3, and how do you document the inspections?".
Why require INSTA 800 in a tender?
The biggest benefit is that you can measure whether you are getting what you pay for. A cleaning tender described as quality levels per room type gives you three advantages:
- Comparable quotes. When all bidders respond to the same quality requirements, you compare apples to apples. Frequency-based quotes are nearly impossible to weigh against each other, because "three times a week" with one provider does not mean the same as with another.
- Objective follow-up. You can check the delivery after handover, and disagreements are resolved with a checklist in hand rather than a discussion based on gut feeling.
- Right price for right quality. You can set level 4 in the customer zone and level 2 in the storage room, and pay accordingly. The provider optimizes the frequency themselves.
However, it is not free to introduce. The standard requires someone at your organization, or a third party, to actually carry out the inspections; otherwise, the requirement is just a sentence in the contract. For a large office building, a school, or a nursing home, it is well worth the effort. For a small shop with regular cleaning twice a week, it is often more machinery than benefit.
If you are considering needs-based cleaning, INSTA 800 fits well with behovsstyrt renhold i næringsbygg – you agree on quality, not hours, and let the provider manage the frequency.
How to use the standard as a buyer
You do not need to be an expert on NS-INSTA 800 to benefit from it. Here is a practical approach:
- Map your room types. Divide the premises into groups: open-plan offices, meeting rooms, reception, restrooms, storage, stairwells. Each group can be assigned its own level.
- Set a level per group. Start with level 3 as standard, raise to 4 where first impressions matter, lower to 2 where they do not.
- Request inspection routines in the quote. Who inspects, how often, and how are deviations reported? A professional quote provides concrete answers.
- Agree on what happens upon failure. Is the provider required to rectify without extra cost within a given deadline? Include it in writing.
- Follow up during operation. Request inspection reports regularly. A standard you do not follow up on is just paper.
Be aware that INSTA 800 regulates quality, not price. For employees over 18 years old in private cleaning companies, the universally applied minimum wage is 236.54 NOK per hour from 15 June 2025. An unrealistically low hourly rate is reason to investigate scope, registration, and working conditions, but price alone does not show what someone is paid or if the work is legal. Always check that the business has legal status in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's Renholdsregisteret. Read more about this in our guide on lovlig vaskehjelp og renholdsregisteret.
What does it cost to order cleaning according to INSTA 800?
The standard itself does not cost anything extra – it is a way to describe and inspect the work, not an add-on service. You pay for the cleaning, and the inspection work is normally factored into the hourly or monthly rate.
The prices here are approximate starting points for 2026, not a binding quote. What the assignment costs depends on size, condition, and accessibility. You will receive the final price in a concrete quote from us – and it is often higher than the lowest estimate. Request a quote for a price that actually applies to your home or premises.
As a market estimate for 2026, regular office cleaning typically falls in the range of 350 to 600 NOK per hour for commercial clients, depending on area, frequency, and complexity. Larger, fixed contracts are lower per square meter than small, infrequent assignments. Figures well below this range should be investigated regarding scope, frequency, and what is actually included. We have gathered a more detailed overview in the article about hva kontorrenhold koster.
If you are issuing a joint tender for a housing cooperative or co-ownership property, where multiple parties need to agree on the requirements, INSTA 800 is a useful tool precisely because it provides a common language. See how to set up the process in our guide on commercial cleaning for housing cooperatives and co-ownerships on tender.
Summary
INSTA 800 shifts the focus from "what was done" to "how clean is it". For you as a buyer of commercial cleaning, it is the easiest path to a tender you can compare and a delivery you can inspect. Describe the quality level for each room type, request the inspection routines, and follow up on the reports. That way, you have done the job the standard was created for – and you avoid disputes over what "clean enough" actually means.
