How to Write a Cleaning Specification for Your Building

A cleaning specification does two jobs: it makes quotes comparable, and it gives you something concrete to point at when standards slip. Most buildings don’t have one, which is why most cleaning disputes come down to two opinions.

Here’s how to write one. It takes about two hours.

Structure

Organise by area, then task, then frequency. Never by task alone, "vacuum all floors" tells a cleaner nothing about the building.

AREA: Reception & Entry
  Task                                    Frequency
  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Entry glass doors, both sides           Every visit
  Reception counter sanitised             Every visit
  Entry matting vacuumed                  Every visit
  Entry matting lifted, floor cleaned     Weekly
  Seating vacuumed / wiped                Every visit
  Skirtings and door frames dusted        Weekly
  Light fittings dusted                   Monthly

Step 1: Walk the building and list every area

Be specific. Not "offices", "Level 1 open-plan, Level 1 meeting room, Level 1 kitchen, Level 1 bathrooms (×2), stairwell, Level 2 open-plan…"

Count your bathrooms honestly. They drive the price more than anything else.

Step 2: For each area, list every surface

Walk in and look at it as though you’ve never seen it. Horizontal surfaces, vertical surfaces, floor, glass, fixtures, fittings, waste. Write down everything that could need attention.

Step 3: Assign a frequency to every task

Use a fixed set of frequencies so quotes stay comparable:

• Every visit
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Annually

Never use "as required". It means "at the provider’s discretion", which in practice means "when someone complains".

Step 4: Add the standard, where it matters

For most tasks, the task name is enough. For a few, define what "done" means:

• "Mirrors cleaned streak-free, checked at an angle"
• "Bathroom floors mopped including behind toilet pans and into corners"
• "Carpet vacuumed including edges and under desks where accessible"
• "Consumables restocked to full, not topped up"

Those four lines resolve the four most common disputes in commercial cleaning.

Step 5: State what’s excluded

Explicit exclusions prevent argument later:

• Items on desks are not moved
• Height access beyond a two-step ladder excluded
• Dishwasher not loaded or unloaded
• Personal fridges not cleaned internally

Step 6: Add the verification clause

The section almost nobody includes, and the one that matters most over a three-year contract:

The Provider will record, per visit, the date, personnel attending, and the completion status of each task in this Specification. The Client may access and export these records at any time.

A worked example: small office

AREA: Bathrooms (×2)
  Toilets sanitised inside and out          Every visit
  Basins and tapware cleaned                Every visit
  Mirrors cleaned streak-free               Every visit
  Floors mopped incl. behind pans           Every visit
  Consumables restocked to full             Every visit
  Bins emptied and re-lined                 Every visit
  Partitions and handles sanitised          Every visit
  Extractor grille dusted                   Monthly
  Grout scrubbed                            Quarterly

AREA: Kitchen / Breakout
  Benches and splashback cleaned            Every visit
  Sink and tapware cleaned and dried        Every visit
  Microwave interior cleaned                Every visit
  Appliance exteriors wiped                 Every visit
  Tables and chairs wiped                   Every visit
  Floor swept and mopped                    Every visit
  Bin emptied, re-lined                     Every visit
  Bin washed                                Weekly
  Fridge interior cleaned                   Monthly
  Cupboard interiors wiped                  Quarterly

Two tests before you send it out

1. Could a cleaner who has never seen the building do the job correctly from this document alone?
2. Does every single line have a frequency from the fixed list?

If both are yes, you’ll get quotes you can actually compare, and a document you can hold someone to.