Printable template
How do I write a cleaning brief? A printable scope template
A useful cleaning brief says what needs to be done, where, how often and under what access or safety rules. It also separates routine cleaning from specialist work, so a customer and cleaner can price and review the same written scope instead of relying on assumptions.
1. Record the job facts
Start with the practical information that changes the work. Leave personal security details out of a widely shared copy; provide keys, alarm codes and named contacts through an agreed secure channel.
- □ Property type and approximate size:
- □ Rooms or areas included:
- □ One-off or recurring visit frequency:
- □ Preferred visit window and expected access method:
- □ Occupancy, pets or other conditions that affect safe access:
- □ Customer contact and separate urgent access contact:
2. Define routine tasks by area
Tick only the outcomes you actually need, then add any surface or product restrictions. A room name alone does not explain whether cupboards, appliances, internal glass or consumables are included.
- □ Kitchen or tea point: reachable worktops, sink, splashback and exterior appliance surfaces
- □ Bathrooms or washrooms: reachable fittings, mirrors, surfaces and floors
- □ Bedrooms, desks or work areas: agreed reachable surfaces and accessible floors
- □ Shared areas: entrances, corridors, stairs, meeting rooms or living areas
- □ Floors: vacuuming, mopping or another method suitable for the finish
- □ Ordinary rubbish: move to named on-site bins only, unless removal is separately agreed
- □ Consumables: state exactly who supplies and replenishes each item
3. Separate periodic and specialist work
List non-routine items separately, with their own frequency or approval. This prevents an occasional task from silently becoming part of every visit.
- □ Inside ovens, fridges, cupboards or other appliances
- □ Carpet extraction, upholstery or specialist floor treatment
- □ External windows, high-level work or areas needing access equipment
- □ Bulky, hazardous, clinical or off-site waste handling
- □ Mould treatment, pest work, restoration, repairs or biohazard cleaning
- □ Post-construction dust or another condition needing specialist assessment
4. Add access, surface and chemical controls
Cleaning can involve slips, manual handling, work at height and exposure to substances. The Health and Safety Executive says employers should assess the actual risks and control exposure to cleaning chemicals. A scope should flag site-specific conditions; it is not a substitute for the responsible party’s risk assessment.
- □ Restricted rooms, locked storage and lone-working arrangements
- □ Fragile items, specialist finishes and products that must not be used
- □ Known allergies, sensitivities or ventilation constraints
- □ Wet-floor controls and a safe place for equipment and products
- □ Any work at height, heavy lifting or hazardous substance to assess before acceptance
- □ Product responsibility: customer-supplied, cleaner-supplied or agreed case by case
5. Agree waste, privacy and security boundaries
State what happens to ordinary waste and what must stay untouched. In a workplace, keep confidential papers, devices and secure rooms outside the cleaning scope unless access is specifically authorised. Businesses remain responsible for meeting their waste duty of care when waste leaves their premises.
- □ Named on-site bins and any recycling separation rules
- □ No off-site waste transport unless it is expressly agreed and lawful
- □ Confidential documents, devices and secure rooms that must not be handled
- □ CCTV, sign-in, key, alarm and incident-reporting rules
- □ Personal belongings or medicines that the cleaner must not move
6. Define completion and handover
Agree how completed work, access failures, damage, missing supplies and unsafe conditions will be recorded. Review a recurring scope after real visits: change the task list or frequency when evidence shows the original plan was unrealistic.
- □ Named person who can approve a scope change:
- □ Method for reporting an issue or blocked task:
- □ Evidence required where appropriate, such as a note or photograph:
- □ Date of first review:
- □ Customer approval and date:
- □ Cleaner or provider acknowledgement and date:
Sources and further guidance
This guide was checked against the current official UK guidance listed below.
- Common risks in cleaningHealth and Safety Executive · reviewed 12 August 2026
- COSHH and cleaners: key messagesHealth and Safety Executive · reviewed 12 August 2026
- The law on workplace safety: cleanlinessHealth and Safety Executive · reviewed 12 August 2026
- Dispose of business or commercial wasteGOV.UK · reviewed 12 August 2026