APPA Cleanliness Levels 1-5 Explained (With Examples)

"Level 3" means nothing to a client until you show them what Level 3 looks like. That is the whole problem with cleaning quality: everyone agrees a building should be clean, almost nobody agrees on how clean, and there is rarely a shared scale to settle it.

APPA cleanliness levels solve that. They are a five-point scale for describing the appearance of a space, published by APPA, the association for facilities professionals. This guide explains each level in practical terms, how to score it consistently, and which level to target in different kinds of buildings.

Key takeaways

APPA defines five levels of cleanliness, from Level 1 (orderly spotlessness) to Level 5 (unkempt neglect).
Level 2 is the usual commercial target for client-facing space; Level 1 is reserved for critical or showcase areas.
The gap between levels is about how long the space has been neglected, not how hard someone scrubbed.
Photos are what make a level defensible. A number alone invites argument.
Published APPA definitions use different wording to ours, but the same 1-5 direction.

What the APPA scale is for

Facility managers needed a common language for appearance, so that a score given by one inspector in one building meant the same thing as a score given by another inspector in a different building. The levels give you that.

In practice the scale does three jobs:

It sets a target. "Lobby at Level 2" is an instruction a cleaner can act on. "Clean the lobby" is not.
It measures drift. A lobby that slips from Level 2 to Level 3 over three weeks tells you something about frequency or staffing, not about effort.
It settles disputes with evidence. Instead of arguing about a vague impression, you point at a level and a photo.

The levels describe appearance and time since last proper cleaning. They are not a hygiene or disinfection measure. For that distinction, see cleaning vs sanitizing vs disinfecting.

APPA Level 1: orderly spotlessness

Level 1 is a space that looks like it has just been cleaned, and cleaned thoroughly.

Floors are free of dirt, marks and debris, including along edges, corners and under furniture.
Surfaces are dust-free, including high dusting: vents, ledges, light fixtures and tops of partitions.
Glass and polished surfaces are free of streaks and fingerprints.
Waste is empty, bins are clean inside, and liners are fresh.
There is no visible soil on touchpoints such as handles, switches and rails.
Floors are dry, with no residue or dulling from stale finish.

Where it belongs: showcase lobbies, executive floors, operating theatres and clean rooms, food preparation areas, and any space a client walks through during a tour. It is expensive to hold everywhere and you should not promise it everywhere.

APPA Level 2: ordinary tidiness

Level 2 is the standard most commercial cleaning contracts are actually written to, even when the contract does not say so.

Floors are clean and free of debris, but may show light traffic marks, dulling or a few scuffs.
Surfaces are dust-free at normal viewing height, with possible dust on very high or rarely seen surfaces.
Glass and mirrors are clean, with occasional light smudges visible at an angle.
Waste is empty and bins are clean; liners may be slightly older.
Touchpoints are clean.
There may be minor marks on walls or partitions from normal use.

Where it belongs: offices, corridors, lobbies between scheduled cleans, classrooms, retail floors, and any general client-facing space. Level 2 is the realistic, sustainable target for the bulk of a commercial building.

APPA Level 3: casual inattention

Level 3 is where a space starts to look uncared for. It is the level that generates complaints.

Floors show obvious dirt, marks or debris in corners and under furniture; they may feel gritty.
Surfaces have visible dust, sometimes enough to write in.
Glass and mirrors show fingerprints and smudges.
Waste bins are full or overflowing, or liners are missing.
Touchpoints such as handles and switches feel or look soiled.
There may be visible litter, cobwebs or marks that have been left for some time.

Where it belongs: nowhere, in a building you are being paid to clean. Level 3 is a finding, not a target. Treat any Level 3 as a work order and re-inspect after correction. Our guide to what APPA Level 5 means covers the far end of the scale.

APPA Level 4: moderate neglect

Level 4 is a space that has clearly not been maintained properly for a while.

Floors are visibly dirty with accumulated soil, possibly sticky or stained.
Dust is heavy and obvious on most surfaces.
Glass and mirrors are noticeably dirty.
Waste has not been removed for some time; bins are overflowing and odour may be present.
Touchpoints and fixtures are visibly soiled.
There may be stains, build-up, or evidence of spills that were never cleaned up.

Where it belongs: this is an escalation. At Level 4 you should be asking process questions, not effort questions: is the area on the schedule at all, is staffing sufficient, is equipment working, has access been blocked?

APPA Level 5: unkempt neglect

Level 5 is severe neglect.

Floors have heavy, established soil and may be hazardous.
Surfaces are heavily soiled or covered in dust and debris.
Waste has accumulated well beyond capacity.
Odours are noticeable.
Fixtures and touchpoints are visibly dirty and may be damaged.
The space looks abandoned, whether or not it is.

Where it belongs: Level 5 is a serious finding. It usually signals a breakdown in the contract, a building condition issue, or a space nobody has access to. It needs documenting with photos and escalating the same day.

The five levels side by side

Level	Name	Looks like	Typical use
1	Orderly spotlessness	Just-cleaned, including high dusting	Showcase and critical areas
2	Ordinary tidiness	Clean, light traffic marks	Standard commercial target
3	Casual inattention	Visible dust, marks, full bins	A finding — fix and re-inspect
4	Moderate neglect	Heavy soil, established dirt	Escalate: process problem
5	Unkempt neglect	Severe, hazardous, odorous	Serious finding, same-day action

How to score a level consistently

The scale only works if two people looking at the same washroom give it the same number. That takes calibration.

Fix your target per area type first. Write down the intended level for each area before anyone inspects. A parkade and an executive floor do not share a target.
Score the worst observable condition, not the average. A single heavily soiled fixture in an otherwise clean washroom is the finding, because that is what the client will notice and complain about.
Walk the same route in the same order. Consistency of inspection is what makes scores comparable week to week.
Photograph anything at Level 3 or worse. The photo is the evidence that turns a number into an action.
Calibrate together. Have two supervisors score five areas independently, compare, and discuss the disagreements. Repeat until they land within half a level of each other.
Separate appearance from hygiene. A washroom can look like Level 2 and still fail a hygiene requirement. Score both, and keep health-critical items flagged separately.
Inspect when the client does. Checking a lobby at 6am, straight after cleaning, tells you how well the clean was done. Checking at 2pm tells you how well it lasts.

Which level should you target?

There is no single right answer, but there is a predictable pattern:

Level 1: showcase lobbies you know the client tours, executive areas, food preparation, and any space tied to a regulatory standard.
Level 2: the default for offices, corridors, washrooms, classrooms, retail and general client-facing space.
Level 3 acceptable? Only in genuinely low-traffic, low-visibility areas, and only if the client has agreed to it in writing. Otherwise treat it as a failure.

The most common commercial mistake is promising Level 1 everywhere and then measuring Level 2. That gap is where client dissatisfaction lives. Promise what the frequency and budget actually support, then hold it consistently.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 5 APPA cleanliness levels?

They run from Level 1, orderly spotlessness, through Level 2, ordinary tidiness, Level 3, casual inattention, Level 4, moderate neglect, to Level 5, unkempt neglect. Lower numbers mean cleaner and more recently serviced.

What is APPA Level 5?

APPA Level 5 is unkempt neglect: heavy, established soil, accumulated waste, and noticeable odour. It signals a serious breakdown in cleaning frequency or process rather than a cosmetic miss, and should be documented with photos and escalated immediately.

What is the difference between APPA Level 1 and Level 2?

Level 1 looks freshly and thoroughly cleaned, including high dusting and edge detailing. Level 2 is clean and tidy at normal viewing height but may show light traffic marks and dulling. Level 2 is the standard commercial target; Level 1 is reserved for showcase or critical areas.

Is APPA Level 3 acceptable?

Generally no. Level 3, casual inattention, shows visible dust, marks and full bins, and is the level that generates client complaints. Some contracts accept it in low-traffic, low-visibility areas, but that must be agreed in writing.

How do you score APPA levels consistently?

Set the target level per area type in advance, score the worst observable condition rather than the average, always inspect the same route in the same order, photograph anything at Level 3 or worse, and calibrate inspectors by scoring the same areas together until they agree.

Put APPA levels to work

Knowing the levels is step one. The value comes from scoring them the same way every week, with photos, and showing the client the trend rather than a single number they can argue with.

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