What to Include in an Office Cleaning Scope: Template for Melbourne

This guide explains exactly what to include when you prepare an office cleaning scope for businesses in Melbourne. It covers standards and regulations, practical checklist items, frequency recommendations, pricing influences, eco-friendly options, COVID-19 and infection-control considerations, and includes ready-to-use scope templates tailored for Melbourne offices. Use this as a working document to brief cleaning contractors or to produce tender-ready documents.

Why a Clear Office Cleaning Scope Matters

A well-defined office cleaning scope sets expectations, reduces disputes, and ensures consistent outcomes. For Melbourne workplaces, a robust scope also demonstrates compliance with health and safety duties under Australian workplace safety guidance and reflects modern employee expectations for hygiene, indoor air quality and sustainability.

Primary Keywords to Use in Your Scope

When drafting or optimising a scope for search and clarity, include and highlight these terms:

• office cleaning scope
• office cleaning Melbourne
• commercial cleaning checklist
• office cleaning template
• eco-friendly cleaning

Applicable Standards, Regulations and Guidance (Melbourne / Australia)

While there is no single nationwide “office cleaning” law, several standards and frameworks inform best-practice cleaning scopes in Melbourne:

1. Work Health and Safety (WHS) duties under state legislation — the employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace and reasonable measures to control infection risks.
2. Australian Standards relevant to hygiene and surface cleaning where applicable (refer to sector-specific standards if your office is part of healthcare, childcare or food handling).
3. State and federal public health guidance — particularly relevant when heightened infectious disease controls are required (e.g., pandemic responses or outbreak management).
4. Industry best-practice documents and cleaning-sector guidelines for disinfection contact times, PPE and safe chemical use.

Common Client Requirements in Melbourne

Clients in Melbourne commonly ask for the following in a scope:

• Daily cleaning of high-touch points (desks, door handles, lifts, bathrooms).
• After-hours or weekend cleaning to avoid disturbance during core business hours.
• Clear product lists with eco-certifications (low-VOC, biodegradable, fragrance-free options).
• Documented cleaning schedules, hygiene logs and an on-site or account-based contact person.
• Periodic deep cleans and specialised services (carpet hot-water extraction, window cleaning, high-level dusting).
• Flexible add-ons: event cleans, emergency response, and additional sanitisation for outbreaks.

Comprehensive Commercial Cleaning Checklist (Detailed Items)

Below is a practical checklist to embed in your scope. Group tasks by area and include the required frequency and quality standard.

Reception & Common Areas

• Empty bins and replace liners; tidy and arrange magazines or promotional items.
• Dust and wipe reception desks, counters and display surfaces with appropriate cleaners.
• Clean glass doors and internal windows; buff chrome and stainless surfaces.
• Vacuum mats, carpets and mop hard floors using low-residue solutions.
• Sanitise high-touch surfaces: door handles, intercoms, phones and lift buttons.

Workstations & Offices

• Wipe desktops, phones and communal keyboards using a microfibre cloth and approved sanitiser.
• Dust shelving, vents, light fixtures and picture frames; spot-clean marks on walls.
• Empty personal waste bins (if authorised) and remove recyclables to correct streams.
• Detail cleaning of meeting room tables, chairs and AV equipment.

Kitchens & Breakrooms

• Wipe down benches, microwaves, fridges (external surfaces) and vending areas.
• Degrease and descale sinks and taps; clean drains and wipe cupboard handles.
• Empty and clean rubbish and recycling bins; clean spillages promptly to avoid odours.

Bathrooms & Amenities

• Disinfect toilets, basins, urinals and partitions with hospital-grade products where specified.
• Descale taps and showerheads; clean grout, tiles and mirror surfaces.
• Top up consumables (soap, paper towels, toilet paper) and record stock usage.

Floors, Carpets & Specialty Surfaces

• Daily vacuuming of carpeted areas; periodic low-moisture bonnet and hot-water extraction quarterly or biannually depending on foot traffic.
• Mop hard floors with appropriate neutral cleaners and machine-scrub high-traffic zones monthly.
• Periodic polishing/strip-and-seal for vinyl or polished concrete as required.

Waste Management & Recycling

• Segregation of general waste, co-mingled recycling and confidential shredding streams.
• Schedule for regular removal to avoid overflow and pest risk; document collection times.

Frequency Recommendations

Recommendations to include in your scope (tailor to occupancy and building type):

1. Daily: High-touch disinfection, bathrooms, kitchens, reception and spot cleaning of workstations.
2. Weekly: Thorough dusting, meeting room cleaning, emptying of larger bins, glass cleaning for internal partitions.
3. Monthly: High-level dusting, machine scrub of hard floors in medium-traffic zones, clean air-conditioning return grilles as accessible.
4. Quarterly to Semi-Annual: Deep carpet extraction, strip and reseal floors where applicable, window cleaning (external depending on height).
5. On-demand: Post-event cleans, emergency sanitisation following confirmed infection, and special projects such as upholstery cleaning.

Pricing Factors and How to Structure Costs

Pricing should be transparent in the scope and reflect:

• Gross floor area (m2) and usable area versus circulation space.
• Complexity of the layout (open-plan vs many private offices) and number of meeting rooms.
• Frequency of service and number of staff required per visit.
• Specialised tasks (carpet extraction, window or facade cleaning, high-level work, pest control).
• Access and security requirements (after-hours access, swipe cards, building inductions).
• Supplies and consumables — state whether consumables are included or invoiced separately.

Include an itemised pricing appendix in the scope: per-visit base rate, hourly rates for extra tasks, and unit prices for periodic services. Also clarify invoicing periods and service-level penalties or rectification processes.

Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Cleaning Practices

Melbourne businesses increasingly require sustainability in cleaning. Include these sustainable measures in the scope:

• Use of certified eco-friendly cleaning products (low-VOC, biodegradable, non-toxic).
• Microfibre systems to reduce chemical use and water consumption.
• Bulk dispensing and refillable containers to reduce single-use plastic waste.
• Waste segregation and clear recycling targets.
• Careful scheduling to reduce vehicle trips and encourage low-emissions transport for crews where possible.

COVID-19 and Infectious Disease Considerations

Although public health directives have evolved, maintain infection-control clauses in your scope:

• Enhanced disinfection of high-touch surfaces and shared equipment during outbreaks.
• Use of disinfectants with proven efficacy and specified contact times; include product names and safety data in an annex.
• Documentation requirements: cleaning logs, sign-off sheets and digital evidence (photos or time-stamped records).
• Protocols for notified infection events: escalation paths, isolation of affected zones and additional deep cleans.
• PPE and competency standards for staff performing high-risk sanitisation tasks.

Quality Assurance, Reporting & Performance Metrics

A scope must define how performance will be measured. Include KPIs and reporting mechanisms such as:

1. Completion checklists for each service visit signed by the crew and the client representative.
2. Monthly or quarterly performance reviews and corrective action plans for missed items.
3. Customer satisfaction surveys and routine audits (internal and independent when required).
4. Response times for remedial work or urgent tasks.

Supplier Requirements & Contractor Responsibilities

State what you expect from the contractor:

• Insurance coverage (public liability, workers’ compensation) and certificate of currency.
• Police checks for staff if required by the building owner or tenant.
• Evidence of training, chemical handling competencies and WHS induction records.
• Provision of cleaning equipment or agreement on client-supplied equipment.

Where to Find Professional Services Locally

If you are tendering or want examples of service pages and scope descriptions from Melbourne providers, consult reputable local suppliers and sample industry blogs for up-to-date practices. For a local Melbourne service example see office cleaning Melbourne. Also research broader industry insights and operational tips from third-party cleaning-sector resources such as industry blogs and best-practice guides.

Sample Office Cleaning Template (Ready to Copy)

Use this template as a starting point. Replace the bracketed text with site-specific details.

Scope of Works — [Company Name] — [Site Address]

Effective from: [Start Date] — Review: [Review Date]

1. Objectives

   Provide daily, weekly and periodic cleaning services to maintain hygiene, presentation and safe workplace conditions in accordance with WHS obligations and client requirements.

2. Site Details

   Floor area: [xx m2] | Occupancy: [xx persons] | Hours of access: [e.g. 18:00–22:00 Mon–Fri]

3. Service Frequencies & Tasks
   1. Daily — Empty bins, vacuum public areas, mop kitchen and bathroom floors, disinfect high-touch points, replenish consumables in bathrooms.
   2. Weekly — Dust blinds, clean interior windows, wipe down kitchen appliances, detailed meeting-room clean.
   3. Monthly — High-level dusting, machine-scrub hard floors in high-traffic zones.
   4. Quarterly — Carpet steam extraction, external window cleaning for lower levels, upholstery cleaning as required.
4. Products & Equipment

   Approved products: [List product names and eco-certifications]. Microfibre cloths and colour-coded systems to be used to prevent cross-contamination. Contractor to supply equipment unless otherwise agreed.

5. Quality Assurance

   Daily checklists completed by crew, monthly KPI report, site inspections quarterly. KPI targets: 95% checklist completion; response time for complaints: 24 hours.

6. Pricing & Payment

   Base fee: [amount] per week/month. Periodic works priced separately. Invoicing monthly in arrears, 14-day payment terms. Variations agreed in writing.

7. Health & Safety

   Contractor to provide risk assessments (JSA), PPE for staff, SDS for all chemicals used, and evidence of insurance and relevant licences.

8. Termination & Notice

   90 days’ notice by either party for standard agreements; immediate termination for safety breaches or insolvency.

Tips to Get the Best Outcomes from Your Cleaning Contractor

1. Be explicit: include exact frequencies, task descriptions and product expectations in the scope document.
2. Audit regularly: short surprise audits and monthly reviews keep quality consistent.
3. Clarify consumables: who supplies and who pays? Put it in writing.
4. Allow for flexibility: hybrid working patterns in Melbourne mean you may need to adjust frequencies seasonally.
5. Ask for references and sample checklists — reputable suppliers will provide them readily.

Further Reading and References

For broader industry guidance and examples of operational articles, review well-known industry blogs and guides that discuss commercial cleaning trends, technology and best practice implementation for Australian workplaces. A useful general industry resource is available at ServiceMaster Clean blog.

Final Checklist Before Issuing Your Tender or Brief

1. Have you specified precise frequencies and time windows for work? (e.g. 18:00–22:00 daily)
2. Have you listed all areas and special surfaces that require specialist attention (carpets, upholstery, polished floors)?
3. Is the product policy clear (eco-friendly, hospital-grade where required) and are SDS documents requested?
4. Are KPIs, reporting cadence and audit rights included?
5. Are insurance, training and WHS obligations defined?
6. Are pricing structures and variation mechanisms documented?

Creating a detailed and clear office cleaning scope tailored to Melbourne’s commercial environment will reduce ambiguity, improve hygiene and deliver measurable outcomes. Use the templates and checklists above to build a scope that aligns with your building’s needs, sustainability goals and employee expectations.

If you need a downloadable version or a customised editable scope template (Word or PDF) tailored to a specific Melbourne site, adapt the sample template provided above and include site-specific measurements and operational details.