What does community cleaning include?

Community cleaning covers the shared spaces and tasks agreed between the community and the cleaning company. A clear plan identifies the areas included, the work to be done and its frequency. This helps the board, property manager and residents understand the service and review the work.

Start with a list of the property's shared spaces. Entrances, stairways, lifts, glass and outdoor areas have different needs. A description for each area gives you a brief that can be assessed and compared between providers.

Start with the routes residents use to enter and leave their homes. Identify the entrances, stairways and floors to be included.

• Sweeping and mopping floors. • Cleaning handrails and agreed touch surfaces. • Dusting accessible letterboxes, skirting boards and ledges. • Cleaning accessible mirrors and glass.

Specify what happens at every visit and what follows another interval. “Stairway cleaning” becomes much more useful when accompanied by a concrete task list.

For lifts, the plan can specify cleaning floors, mirrors and agreed accessible surfaces. Identify door glass, windows and other glass panels the community would like cleaned.