How to Write an Office Cleaning Specification (Free Template)

1. Building details

Start with the facts a supplier needs to estimate hours. Be as accurate as you can; guesses here are the main reason quotes vary.

• Address, floors and approximate floor area (sq ft or m²)
• Number of staff on a typical day, and peak days
• Opening hours and when cleaners can have access
• Number of washrooms, toilets and showers
• Kitchens or tea points, and whether there is a dishwasher
• Floor types: carpet, vinyl, hard floor, stone
• Alarm, keys or fob arrangements

2. Tasks and frequencies

List each area, then what you expect done and how often. Use daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

• Daily: empty bins, clean and restock washrooms, wipe kitchen worktops and sinks, vacuum walkways, spot clean desks that are clear
• Weekly: full vacuum including under desks, dust high-touch fittings, clean internal glass and partitions, mop hard floors fully
• Monthly: dust high-level surfaces, clean skirting boards, descale taps and showerheads, wipe chair bases
• Quarterly or as needed: carpet deep clean, window cleaning, hard-floor machine scrub

3. Standards and checks

Say how you will judge the work. A simple monthly walk-round with a scoring sheet is enough for most offices. Ask the supplier to describe their own quality checks, how often a supervisor visits and how they record it.

Agree a response time for complaints, for example a same-day reply and a fix by the next clean.

4. Consumables, equipment and products

State who supplies toilet roll, hand towels, soap, bin liners and dishwasher tablets. If you want plant-based or eco-certified products, write it down here so every supplier prices the same thing.

5. Compliance documents you expect

Ask for these with every quote, so you are not chasing them after signing:

• Public and employers' liability insurance certificates
• COSHH assessments and safety data sheets for the products used on site
• Risk assessments and method statements for the work
• Confirmation of right-to-work checks and staff training
• How they pay staff (for example, at or above the real Living Wage)

Send it, then compare

Send the same document to every supplier and ask them to state the hours per week they have allowed. Hours are the single best way to compare quotes like-for-like, which is the subject of our next guide.