How to choose the right cleaning supplier: 7 questions you should ask

Ask seven questions before choosing a cleaning service provider: are they approved in the Renholdsregisteret, do they measure quality with INSTA 800, do they have ISO 9001/14001/45001, do they pay tariff wages, and can they provide references? A serious choice typically costs NOK 35-75 per sqm per month. If you choose based on price alone, you inherit the risk of undeclared work and poor quality.

Cleaning looks simple on paper. The difference between providers is what you don't see: whether the floor is actually clean every day, whether the cleaner is paid according to the tariff, and whether you are legally secure when the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority visits. Here is the checklist we believe you should use.

1. Is the provider approved in the Renholdsregisteret?

This is the first thing you check, and it's non-negotiable. All cleaning businesses in Norway must be approved by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and listed in the Renholdsregisteret (Cleaning Register). It is illegal to purchase cleaning services from an unregistered business, and the responsibility falls on you as the buyer.

Approval requires, among other things, HMS cards for all cleaners and an agreement for occupational health services (BHT). You can look up any provider in the public register in a minute. Ask for their organization number and check it yourself – don't take "of course we're registered" at face value. Read more about this in legal cleaning services and the Renholdsregisteret.

2. How do they measure cleaning quality?

"Good quality" means nothing without a benchmark. Ask if the provider uses NS-INSTA 800, the Nordic standard for measuring cleaning quality. It divides cleanliness into objective levels, so both you and the provider are talking about the same thing when assessing whether a surface is clean enough.

With INSTA 800 in the agreement, you can conduct spot checks and document the results. This avoids discussions based on gut feeling. A provider who offers this has thought through how quality will be followed up over time, not just delivered in the first week.

3. Do they have ISO certifications?

Certifications are not just website decoration. They show that the provider has documented systems that have been audited by an independent third party. Three are relevant for cleaning:

A provider with ISO 9001 has written routines for what happens when a cleaner is sick, or when you complain. That's the difference between an organization and an individual with a mop.

4. Is the service eco-labeled?

Many believe the Svanemerket (Nordic Swan Ecolabel) only applies to products. That's not true – the Svanemerket can also certify the cleaning service itself. The label then sets strict requirements for a high proportion of eco-labeled products and for employees to be treated according to laws and regulations, including wage and working conditions.

The latter is worth noting: a Svanemerket cleaning service is also a check on professionalism. If your company has its own environmental goals or reports on sustainability, this provides documentation you can actually show to customers and owners.

5. Do you get a dedicated contact person and structured follow-up?

What determines your daily life is who you call when something isn't right. Ask specifically: Do we get a named contact person? How quickly do you respond? How do you handle deviations, and how are they reported back?

With a larger, professional provider, there is an operations manager who knows your building, a plan for substitutes when someone is sick, and a system for logging deviations. A small operator can be skilled, but when the contact person is on vacation or quits, both quality and overview often disappear. Ask what happens if your cleaner quits on short notice.

6. Can they provide references and relevant case studies?

Ask for three references from clients similar to you in size and type of premises. An office building, a medical center, and a warehouse all have very different requirements. A provider who has delivered similar assignments knows the pitfalls before they arise.

Actually call the references. Ask if the quality has been maintained over time, how complaints were handled, and if they would choose the provider again. A serious operator shares references without hesitation. If you get vague answers or "unfortunately, we cannot disclose that," it's a warning in itself.

7. Do they pay tariff wages, and do they price seriously?

Cleaning has a generalized minimum wage. For adult cleaners, it is NOK 236.54 per hour (2025/2026), and the rate is revised annually in June. When someone comes in far below market hourly rates, the money must be taken from somewhere: wages, HMS, taxes, or the quality of the work.

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 specific quote from us – and it is often higher than the lowest estimate. Ask for a quote for a price that actually applies to your home or premises.

Regular office cleaning typically costs NOK 35-75 per sqm per month, or NOK 450-600 per hour for hourly rates. In central areas of Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger, the level is often 10-20% higher. A suspiciously cheap quote is rarely a good deal – it's a risk you pay for later. See what is normal in our guide on office cleaning prices.

Brief on tenders and specifications

If you are going out to tender, make the job easier by building the specification around the same seven points. This makes the quotes comparable, and you avoid ending up with seven different formats that you cannot weigh against each other.

A good specification should at least contain:

1. Requirement for approval in the Renholdsregisteret (org. no. provided and checked).
2. Quality level defined according to NS-INSTA 800, with the right to spot checks.
3. Requirement for relevant ISO certifications (9001/14001/45001).
4. Environmental requirements, e.g., proportion of eco-labeled products or Svanemerket service.
5. Description of contact person, response time, and deviation handling.
6. At least three relevant references.
7. Confirmation of tariff wages and a price proportionate to the market.

Weigh quality and professionalism, not just the lowest price. The cheapest provider often becomes the most expensive when you factor in complaints, re-delivery, and changing providers after six months.

How Vaskeladden does it

Vaskeladden provides commercial cleaning for offices, healthcare buildings, and premises in several locations in Norway. We are approved in the Renholdsregisteret (look up our organization number in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's register), we measure quality according to INSTA 800, and you get a dedicated contact person who knows your building. If you need to compare several providers, you can use our checklist for choosing a cleaning service provider as a template when obtaining quotes.

The most important advice: use the seven questions as a filter before looking at the price. Then you will choose a provider you are still satisfied with in two years, not just during the trial month.