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Cleaning & Solid Waste Services

 

Courtesy Cleaning Services

All campus facilities have a set schedule of what is cleaned daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Custodial Services also offers add-on services on a recharge basis. If you are interested in add-on services, see services and rates here. See below for specific courtesy services provided. 

  • Classrooms

  • Daily
    - Trash bins are emptied

    - Chalkboard/chalk trays are cleaned
    - Large debris is removed
    - Tile is dust-mopped or the carpets are vacuumed
    - Minor stains are spot-cleaned
    - Large debris is removed from chairs
    - The instructor's table and lectern are cleaned
    - Chairs are placed back in position
    - Chalk is replenished and erasers cleaned or replaced as needed

    Weekly
    - Door frames and light switches are cleaned
    - Recycling containers are checked, wiped down, and emptied

    Monthly
    - All areas of the room are dusted: HVAC vents, window sills, baseboards, and fixtures

    Yearly
    - Chalkboards and whiteboards are washed

    What to expect
    Carpet and tile are clean but may be worn in high-traffic areas. Certain carpet and/or tile stains will remain if we are not able to remove them with spot cleaning techniques. Between weekly and/or monthly surface cleanings, dust build-up and fingerprints will be noticeable.

  • Conference Rooms
  • Daily
    - Trash bins are emptied
    - Large debris is removed
    - Floors are spot-mopped or the carpets are spot-vacuumed
    - Tabletops are wiped down
    - Large debris is removed from chairs
    - Chairs are placed back in position

    Weekly
    - Door frames and light switches are cleaned
    - Recycling containers are checked and emptied
    - Minor stains are spot cleaned

    Monthly
    - All areas of the room are dusted: HVAC vents, window sills, baseboards, and fixtures

    Yearly
    - Chalkboards and whiteboards are washed

    What to expect
    Carpet and tile are clean but may be worn in high-traffic areas. Certain carpet and/or tile stains will remain if we are not able to remove them with spot cleaning techniques. Between weekly and/or monthly surface cleanings, dust build-up and fingerprints will be noticeable.
  • Halls & Lobbies
  • Daily
    - Trash bins are emptied
    - Large debris is removed
    - Tile is dust-mopped or the carpets are vacuumed
    - Minor stains are spot-cleaned
    - Main lobby entry doors are cleaned
    - Drinking fountains are cleaned with disinfectant
    - Recycling containers are checked and emptied
    - Furniture is placed into its original position

    Weekly
    - Door frames and light switches are cleaned
    - Recycling containers are wiped down

    Monthly
    - All areas of the room are dusted: HVAC vents, window sills, baseboards, and fixtures

    What to Expect
    Carpet and tile are clean but may be worn in high-traffic areas. Certain carpet and/or tile stains will remain if we are not able to remove them with spot cleaning techniques. Between weekly and/or monthly surface cleanings, dust build-up and fingerprints will be noticeable.
  • Laboratories
  • Daily
    - Trash bins are emptied; recycling bins are checked and emptied when half-full or more
    - The floors are dust-mopped and stains are spot-cleaned with a wet mop
    - The furniture is returned to its proper position.

    What to Expect
    The floor is dusted, but stains that cannot be spot-cleaned may remain. Dirt build-up may be present around the floorboards and room corners. Occupants are responsible for cleaning their own desks and other surfaces.
  • Offices
  • As of April 2025, our custodial team no longer services offices or cubicles; this includes the removal of waste and recycling. Occupants in these spaces are responsible for sorting of their own trash into centrally located bins and keeping their spaces tidy. We understand this change will require modifications to your routine and appreciate everyone’s partnership in making this transition work.  Learn more here. Please direct additional questions here: facilities@ucdavis.edu.
  • Restrooms
  • Daily
    - Trash bins and receptacles are emptied
    - Dispensers are checked and restocked as needed
    - Tile is dust-mopped, sprayed with disinfectant, then mopped thoroughly
    - All surfaces are sprayed with disinfectant and scrubbed

    Monthly
    - All areas of the room are dusted: HVAC vents, window sills, baseboards, and fixtures

    Yearly
    - Walls are washed
    - Floors are scrubbed or stripped

    What to expect
    All lights should functional. Soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, faucets, door, and stall handles, and other bathroom fixtures are cleaned. All supplies are stocked. Toilets, sinks, and floors are all cleaned and disinfected.
  • Stairways
  • Weekly
    - All tiled stairs are swept; carpeted stairs are vacuumed
    - Minor stains are spot-cleaned
    - All rails and other level surfaces are dusted

    Monthly
    - All areas of the stairwell are dusted including HVAC vents, window sills, baseboards, and fixtures
    - Cobwebs removed

    What to expect
    Carpet and tile are clean but may be worn in high-traffic areas. Certain carpet and/or tile stains will remain if we are not able to remove them with spot cleaning techniques. Between weekly and/or monthly surface cleanings, dust build-up and fingerprints may noticeable.

 

Add-on Cleaning Services and Rates

Customers interested in additional cleaning services beyond the routine services listed will be accommodated on a recharge basis. Listed below are some of the most requested additional services performed by our custodial staff.

The Custodial Services recharge rate is $63 per hour for add-on services and $94 per hour for event support. If you are interested, contact the Customer Experience Center for estimates.

Commonly requested services

  • Window washing
  • High-pressure cleaning
  • High dusting/ cobweb removal
  • Wall washing
  • Blind cleaning
  • Furniture dusting
  • Upholstery cleaning
  • Floor stripping/ scrubbing/ waxing
  • Carpet and tile cleaning
  • Restroom cleaning for events
  • Pre/post event cleaning
  • Emergency response clean-up (e.g. floods)
  • Additional custodial staff support for additional cleaning and portering during the course of an event 

 

Solid Waste Services

On average, the campus generates 25,000 tons of solid waste material per year, in which 6,100 tons of material is landfilled. For guidelines on what can go to the Yolo County landfill, see the A-Z Waste Acceptability list.

UC Davis Solid Waste services include:

  • collection and disposal of non-hazardous refuse for state-funded departments on campus
  • collection and disposal of waste from non-state funded departments
  • collection and disposal of large volumes of animal bedding material waste (straw)
  • transportation and disposal of refuse generated on campus to the Yolo County Landfill
  • collection of recyclable cardboard, metals, paper, glass, cans, and plastics and delivery to an off-site vendor who pays prevailing rates for the material

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can not be included in ordinary trash for landfill disposal. Anyone who generates HHW has “cradle to grave responsibility” and must dispose of it properly. UC Davis campus is not eligible to take HHW to the Yolo County Central Landfill and contracts with a third party for routine material pickup.

  • Common HHW Items

  • Acids
    Antifreeze
    Automotive products
    Batteries
    Brake / transmission fluid
    Electric switches / relays
    Electronic devices with a circuit board (e-waste)

    Fireworks
    Fire extinguishers
    Fluorescent bulbs and tubes
    Gasoline and flammables
    Household cleaners
    Medical waste
    Mercury thermometers
    Paints (latex or oil based)

    Pesticides and herbicides
    Pilot light sensors
    Poisons
    Propane tanks
    Solvents
    Unknown cylinders
    Unknown substances
    Used motor oil and filters

  • Specific Guidelines for Staff/Faculty Office and Lab Occupants
  • Utilize the WASTe system: https://safetyservices.ucdavis.edu/article/waste
    Contact Safety Services for additional assistance at 530-754-5058, hazwaste@ucdavis.edu.
  • Specific Guidelines for Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto Residents
  • Please refer to this flyer.
  • Specific Guidelines for Public and Private Partnerships (P3)

  • Please refer to this flyer.
    The following buildings are owned/operated by third parties who must arrange for routine proper pickup and disposal by an outside vendor. Residents living in the buildings should contact the management company for that location for proper disposal of HHW.

    8th & Wake
    Domes at Baggins End
    Hyatt Hotel
    La Rue Park

    Orchard Park
    Primero Grove
    Russel Park
    The Atriums

    The Colleges at La Rue
    Tri-Cooperatives
    West Village (Sol)
    West Village (The Green)