Scope of Work Guide
Office Cleaning Duties List — Complete Scope of Work
An office cleaning duties list defines every task that makes up a commercial cleaning program — by zone, by frequency, and by technique. For Melbourne office managers, it is the essential reference for setting up a new program, evaluating a contractor's proposed scope, or identifying what has slipped in an existing arrangement. This guide provides a complete zone-by-zone duties list, explains the correct professional cleaning sequence, and clarifies the difference between a duties list and a genuine scope of work.
Core Duties — What Must Happen at Every Visit
Regardless of office size, type, or cleaning frequency, a consistent set of core duties must be completed at every single cleaning visit. These are not optional or frequency-dependent — they are the tasks that accumulate a visible or hygiene deficit within 24 hours of non-completion. Any cleaning program that does not include all of these at every visit is delivering a sub-standard service.
The core duties of a commercial office cleaner are: emptying and relining all bins (general waste, recycling, and confidential waste); vacuuming all carpeted areas; mopping all hard floors after sweeping; wiping all clear workstation surfaces; fully cleaning the kitchen — benchtops, sink, appliance exteriors, and floor; fully cleaning all bathrooms with TGA-listed hospital-grade disinfectant — toilets, basins, mirrors, and floors; wiping entry glass and door handles; and restocking all consumables.
The swept-before-mopped rule: One of the most common cleaning errors in commercial offices is mopping hard floors without first sweeping or vacuuming them. A wet mop dragged across an unswept floor pushes loose soil around rather than removing it, leaves streaks as the soil re-deposits, and can spread bacteria across a larger surface area. The correct sequence is always dry preparation — vacuum or sweep — before any wet mopping.
The Professional Cleaning Sequence — Why Order Matters
The order in which cleaning tasks are completed is not arbitrary. A professional cleaning sequence is designed to prevent cross-contamination between zones, prevent re-soiling of cleaned surfaces, and work efficiently through the office without backtracking. Getting the sequence wrong — even with good products and technique — undermines the hygiene outcome.
1
High-level dry tasks first
Any high dusting, top-of-cabinet wiping, or above-head work must be done before any floor cleaning. Dust dislodged from height settles on surfaces that are then mopped — sequencing avoids double-mopping.
2
Office and workstation areas before kitchen and bathrooms
Workstation zones are lower contamination risk than the kitchen and bathrooms. Cleaning them first means the products and equipment used in these zones are not contaminated by bathroom or kitchen use before they enter workstation areas.
3
Kitchen before bathrooms
The kitchen is prepared food-adjacent — it must be cleaned with food-safe or food-compatible products. Bathrooms involve the highest-risk contamination. Cleaning the kitchen before the bathroom ensures bathroom products and contamination do not enter the kitchen zone.
4
Within bathrooms: basin and mirror before toilet, floor last
Within a bathroom, work from the cleanest surface to the dirtiest: start at the basin and mirror, then progress to the toilet, and mop the floor as the final step. This prevents contamination from the toilet zone being transferred back to the basin area.
5
All floors last across the office
Vacuuming and mopping all areas is completed after all surface work. This removes any debris that has fallen during surface cleaning and means clean floors are not walked over again by the cleaner carrying supplies or equipment between zones.
6
For health practices: reception is cleaned last
In medical, dental, or allied health practices, the standard zone sequence is reversed for the reception and waiting area. These are cleaned last — after consultation rooms — so that any contamination from clinical zones is not carried forward into the client-facing entry space. This is a specific infection control protocol, not a general office rule.
Reception and Entry Zone Duties
Reception and Entry
Entry door glass — wipe both interior and exterior surfaces. Smeared entry glass is the single most-noticed presentation failure for arriving clients, visitors, and staff.Daily
Reception desk and counter — wipe full surface including the client-facing edge. Includes any payment terminal surround and pen holder area.Daily
Reception floor — vacuum carpet or mop hard floor. Reception floors carry the highest foot traffic per square metre in any office.Daily
Reception bin — empty and reline. Never leave an overflow bin at the reception desk in a client-facing office.Daily
Visitor seating — seat tops and visible surface wiped; chairs straightened. Do not reorder publications or alter desk arrangement.Daily
Internal glass partitions at entry level — clean all partition and sidelight glass near the reception zone.Weekly
Entry door handles and push plates — wipe and disinfect both sides. The highest-touch surface in any office by daily contact count.Weekly
Reception skirting boards — wipe the wall-edge junctions at floor level through the full reception area.Weekly
Visitor chair armrests — wipe all armrests with damp microfibre. Armrests accumulate hand-transfer soiling even when the seat appears clean.Weekly
Above-desk high dusting — dust all surfaces above the standard reach: light fitting surrounds, above-hung artwork, ceiling-mounted cameras, and signage.Monthly
Visitor seating full upholstery spot treatment — treat any staining or marks on fabric reception seating with appropriate fabric spot cleaner.Monthly
Workstation and Open-Plan Area Duties
Workstations and Open-Plan Areas
All bins — empty every bin and replace liner. Check under desks for any overflow or misplaced waste.Daily
Carpeted areas — vacuum all carpeted zones including under accessible desk areas, around chair legs, and corridor edges. Use edge tool for wall junctions.Daily
Hard floors — sweep or vacuum then mop with the correct product. Timber floors require pH-neutral product; vinyl floors accept neutral-to-mildly-alkaline products. Surface type confirmed at site inspection.Daily
Clear desk surfaces — wipe all desk surfaces free of personal items. Never move files, papers, or personal belongings. Wipe keyboard surround if clear.Daily
Phone handsets — wipe the handset, cradle, and dial pad. Phones are among the highest-bacteria-count surfaces in any shared office environment.Daily
Skirting boards — wipe full skirting board runs throughout all workstation and open-plan areas. Use slightly damp microfibre to capture rather than redistribute dust.Weekly
Window sills and reveals — wipe all internal window sills, ledges, and frame reveals. Particularly important in older Melbourne commercial buildings where sill seals allow more ingress.Weekly
Shelf tops and horizontal ledges — dust all accessible horizontal surfaces: bookshelf tops, filing cabinet tops, printer surrounds, picture frame tops, and plant shelf surrounds.Weekly
Chair armrests — wipe armrests on all task and visitor chairs in workstation areas. Include the armrest underside which is commonly missed.Weekly
Light switches and power point surrounds — wipe and disinfect all light switches, dimmer plates, and power point surrounds throughout workstation areas.Weekly
Cabinet and locker tops — high dust all above-head surfaces including filing cabinet tops, overhead lockers, and above-door ledges.Monthly
Blind slats and roller blind channels — wipe horizontal venetian slats individually; vacuum or wipe vertical blade blinds; clean roller blind side channels. Monthly blind cleaning is routinely neglected in standard programs.Monthly
Kitchen and Breakroom Duties
Kitchen and Breakroom
Benchtops and splashbacks — wipe all surfaces including the full splashback tile or panel area, particularly around the sink and any food preparation zone. Use food-safe surface sanitiser where food is prepared.Daily
Sink, basin, and tapware — clean the full sink bowl, drain surrounds, and tapware; wipe dry to prevent scale buildup on chrome fittings in Melbourne's moderately hard water zones.Daily
Appliance exteriors — wipe microwave, kettle, and toaster exteriors daily. Crumb residue and splatter accumulate quickly in shared kitchen environments.Daily
Kitchen floor — sweep then mop. Kitchen floors accumulate food particulate faster than any other office floor zone — dry preparation before mopping is essential.Daily
Kitchen bin — empty and reline including any recycling bin. Full or odorous kitchen bins are one of the most common staff complaints in Melbourne office environments.Daily
Microwave interior — clean all interior surfaces with food-safe degreaser. Dried splatter hardens significantly between weekly cleans and becomes increasingly difficult to remove.Weekly
Cabinet and drawer fronts — wipe all cabinet fronts, handle recesses, and drawer fronts throughout the kitchen. Hand-transfer grease is the dominant soiling agent on cabinet surfaces.Weekly
Refrigerator exterior and handles — wipe the full door face, handles, and top surface of the refrigerator. Handle surfaces carry high bacteria transfer from multiple daily users.Weekly
Stovetop or hotplate degreasing — if present, degrease and rinse the stovetop or electric hotplate. Use food-safe degreaser and rinse thoroughly — residue on a heating element creates a fire and odour risk.Weekly
Refrigerator interior — remove all shelves and drawers; wipe interior walls, base, and door seals; clean shelf surfaces and replace. Dispose of clearly expired items only with staff confirmation.Monthly
Range hood filter — remove and degrease the range hood filter (soak in hot water and food-safe degreaser if removable). A clogged range hood filter restricts ventilation and creates a grease fire risk over time.Monthly
Behind and under appliances — move the refrigerator and any other movable appliances to access the floor and wall areas behind them. Accumulated food debris in these zones is a pest attraction and odour source.Monthly
Bathroom Duties
Bathrooms and Amenities
Toilets — clean bowl with TGA-listed hospital-grade disinfectant at the correct concentration and minimum 2-minute dwell time before agitating; clean seat (top and underside), cistern, and all exterior surfaces. Do not clean in sequence: clean basin first, then toilet, then floor.Daily
Basins and tapware — clean basin bowl, overflow slot, drain, tapware, and surrounding bench or vanity surface. Wipe dry to prevent water spots on chrome in Melbourne's water conditions.Daily
Mirrors — clean streak-free using glass cleaner applied to cloth, not directly to mirror. Spray-directly application leaves residue on the mirror frame and any silicone seal.Daily
Bathroom floor — mop with TGA-listed disinfectant diluted to the label-specified concentration. The floor is mopped last in the bathroom — after all surface work is complete.Daily
Bathroom bins — empty and reline all waste bins including any sanitary disposal units.Daily
Consumable restocking — restock toilet paper in all stalls, hand soap in all dispensers, and paper towels or hand dryer function check at every visit. Never leave a bathroom with an empty dispenser.Daily
Tile wall wipe-down — wipe all accessible bathroom tile walls from top to bottom. Water splash and product residue create a film on tile surfaces that becomes increasingly visible between the 10–14 day mark without weekly intervention.Weekly
Shower (if present) — clean all shower surfaces including screen or curtain, floor, and drain. Apply disinfectant to the floor and allow dwell time before rinsing.Weekly
Exhaust fan cover exterior — wipe the visible exhaust fan cover grille surface. Note any visible dust blockage that indicates the filter requires the monthly internal clean.Weekly
Tile grout at basin and floor level — scrub grout joints at bench height and floor level with a grout brush and appropriate product. Grout is the most common growth site in commercial bathrooms.Monthly
Exhaust fan internal clean — remove fan cover, clean internal housing and fan blades, and replace. Blocked fans increase humidity and biological growth risk.Monthly
Full wall wash from ceiling to floor — wash all bathroom wall surfaces including tile, painted, and any rendered surfaces. Includes the area behind the toilet and behind the basin pedestal if accessible.Monthly
Meeting Room Duties
Meeting Rooms and Boardrooms
Meeting table — wipe the full table surface including any leaf extensions. Remove any cups, glasses, or crockery left by meeting participants (place in kitchen, do not wash unless explicitly agreed).Daily
Chairs — push all chairs into their standard position around the table. Wipe seat tops and accessible back panels on all chairs.Daily
Meeting room floor — vacuum carpet or mop hard floor as appropriate. Include under the table and around all chair legs.Daily
Meeting room bins — empty and reline all bins. Meeting rooms frequently have higher bin volumes after all-day sessions or catered meetings.Daily
Whiteboard ledge and tray — wipe the whiteboard ledge and clear the eraser tray. Do not clean the whiteboard surface unless it contains only completed and erased content — never erase a whiteboard that may have current working notes.Daily
Internal glass walls — clean all meeting room glass wall panels and door glass. These panels smear from fingerprints and marker contact quickly in active meeting rooms.Weekly
Door handles and light switches — wipe and disinfect all door handles, lock mechanisms, and light switch plates in each meeting room.Weekly
Chair armrests — wipe all armrests on meeting chairs. Armrests in long-format meeting rooms accumulate grime faster than any other meeting room surface.Weekly
AV equipment surround — wipe the remote, screen bezel, and presentation surface surrounds. Do not disconnect or handle cables. Note any visible dust accumulation on AV equipment vents for reporting.Weekly
High dusting — dust ceiling-height surfaces, light fitting surrounds, projector mounts, wall-mounted screens, and any above-head architectural features in the meeting room.Monthly
Blind cleaning — clean all blinds in meeting rooms using the technique appropriate for the blind type: individual wipe for venetian slats, vacuum for vertical blinds.Monthly
Duties Typically Excluded from Standard Quotes
The following duties are expected by most Melbourne office managers but are routinely omitted from standard commercial cleaning proposals. Before signing any cleaning contract, confirm in writing whether each item below is included or explicitly excluded. If excluded, ask for an explicit add-on price.
These are the duties to ask about: If a contractor does not offer a clear yes or no on each of these items, that is a meaningful signal about how they will manage scope questions once the program is underway.
Interior window cleaning (inside pane)
Blind cleaning — any type
Chair and upholstery cleaning beyond armrest wipe
Refrigerator interior cleaning
High dusting above 2 metres
Storeroom and server room floor cleaning
Car park, loading bay, or external area cleaning
Carpet extraction (hot water)
Exhaust fan internal cleaning
Behind-appliance kitchen cleaning
Clinical waste bin handling in medical offices
Heritage cornice or ceiling feature dusting
Duties List vs Scope of Work — The Difference
A cleaning duties list and a scope of work are not the same document, though they are closely related. Understanding the difference is important for evaluating what a cleaning contractor has actually agreed to deliver.
| Aspect | Duties List | Scope of Work |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Defines what gets cleaned and how | Formal program document for a specific office |
| Specificity | Generic — applies to any comparable office | Names your zones, your surfaces, your access method |
| Frequencies | Indicates typical frequencies by task type | Confirms agreed frequencies from the site inspection |
| Product notes | May note product category (e.g., "TGA disinfectant") | Names specific products or confirms surface-specific requirements |
| Compliance | Does not constitute a compliance document | Forms part of the contractor register and compliance documentation |
| Enforceability | Not enforceable — not agreed between parties | Enforceable — signed by both parties, referenced in the contract |
The practical test for a genuine scope of work is specificity: if you removed your business name from the document and it could apply to any Melbourne office, it is a duties list template dressed up as a scope. A real scope names the reception dimensions, notes that the kitchen has a gas stovetop requiring degreaser, records that heritage timber floors require pH-neutral product applied with a well-wrung microfibre, and documents that bathrooms are cleaned with a specific TGA product at a confirmed dwell time. That level of detail is what makes a scope enforceable — and what separates professional cleaning programs from informal arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The core duties of a commercial office cleaner are: emptying and relining all bins, vacuuming all carpeted areas, mopping all hard floors, wiping all workstation and desk surfaces, fully cleaning the kitchen (benchtops, sink, appliance exteriors, and floor), fully cleaning all bathrooms with TGA-listed hospital-grade disinfectant, wiping entry glass and door handles, and restocking all consumables. Additional duties — internal glass, chair wipes, skirting boards, high dusting — are assigned weekly or monthly depending on their accumulation rate.
A complete scope of work should include: zone-by-zone task lists with confirmed frequencies, the specific cleaning product and technique for each surface type, access instructions and site-specific notes, the cleaning sequence to prevent cross-contamination, consumable restocking responsibilities, compliance documentation obligations, and a service issue reporting and remediation process. A scope that could apply to any office without modification is a generic template, not a genuine scope of work.
The duties most commonly excluded from standard commercial cleaning quotes are: interior window cleaning, blind cleaning, chair and upholstery cleaning beyond armrest wiping, refrigerator interior cleaning, high dusting above 2 metres, storeroom cleaning, car park or external area cleaning, carpet extraction, and behind-appliance kitchen cleaning. Always ask a contractor to explicitly confirm inclusions and exclusions before signing.
The professional cleaning sequence is: (1) high-level dry tasks first before any mopping, (2) office and workstation areas before kitchen and bathrooms, (3) kitchen before bathrooms, (4) within bathrooms — basin and mirror before toilet, floor last. For medical and health practices, the reception and waiting area is cleaned last — not first — to ensure contamination from clinical zones is not transferred into the client-facing entry space.
Need a Written Scope of Work for Your Melbourne Office?
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