Glossary

The words a cleaning contract is written in. Specifications, frequencies, audits, chemicals and transfers — what each term actually means, what it commits a contractor to, and where the gap opens between what was priced and what is done.

The colour coding convention. Pick any term below to see it highlighted on this drawing, or on one of the others.

Contracts & specification

Cleaning specification

A cleaning specification is the schedule that defines what will be cleaned, to what standard and how often, area by area.

Service level agreement

A service level agreement sets the measurable standards a cleaning contract will be judged by — audit scores, response times, staffing levels — and what happens when they are not met..

Periodic clean

A periodic clean is work carried out at a longer interval than the daily routine — carpet cleaning, floor restoration, high-level dusting, window cleaning — and scheduled separately from it..

Productivity rate

A productivity rate is the area one cleaner is expected to clean in an hour for a given task and standard.

Site survey

A site survey measures and assesses a building before a contract is priced — areas, surfaces, layout, access, hours and constraints.

Labour model

A labour model converts a specification into hours and people — how many cleaners, at what times, for how long, to deliver the tasks at the frequencies agreed..

Consumables

Consumables are the items used up in delivering a cleaning service — soap, paper, bin liners, chemicals — supplied either by the contractor or by the client depending on the contract..

Cleaning KPI

A cleaning KPI is a measure a contract is judged on — audit score, periodic completion, staffing levels, response times or complaint volume — reported at agreed intervals..

Method & standards

Deep clean

A deep clean is an intensive clean that goes beyond routine work, reaching surfaces, equipment and areas the daily round does not — usually scheduled, or triggered by an event such as an outbreak..

Colour coding is the practice of assigning colours to cleaning equipment by area — typically separating washrooms, kitchens, general areas and clinical spaces — so that equipment is not carried between them..

Touchpoint cleaning

Touchpoint cleaning is the targeted cleaning of frequently handled surfaces — door handles, light switches, handrails, taps, shared equipment — usually at a higher frequency than the surfaces around them..

Site audit

A site audit is a structured inspection of cleaning quality against the specification, scored consistently so results can be compared between visits and between sites..

BICSc

BICSc, the British Institute of Cleaning Science, is the professional body for the UK cleaning industry.

Washroom cleaning

Washroom cleaning is the cleaning of toilets, urinals and sanitary fittings.

Kitchen cleaning

Kitchen cleaning covers food preparation areas, where cleaning is a food safety control rather than a matter of appearance and is subject to inspection by environmental health..

General area cleaning

General area cleaning covers offices, corridors and other lower-risk spaces.

Clinical cleaning

Clinical cleaning is cleaning in healthcare settings, where it is an infection prevention control carried out to national standards and audited against them..

Infection control cleaning

Infection control cleaning is cleaning carried out to interrupt transmission — through segregation of equipment, correct products and contact times, and increased frequency on touchpoints..

Waste segregation

Waste segregation is separating waste streams at the point of collection — general, recycling, food, confidential and clinical — so each goes to the right destination..

Floor care

Floor care is the maintenance of floor finishes — stripping, sealing, polishing, buffing and deep cleaning — matched to the material, and normally delivered as periodic work..

Window cleaning

Window cleaning covers internal and external glass, delivered periodically and usually involving working at height or reach-and-wash systems from ground level..

Safety & chemicals

COSHH

COSHH is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, which require employers to assess the risks from hazardous substances and control exposure.

Lone working

Lone working is work carried out without close or direct supervision by others.

Food hygiene

Food hygiene requirements govern cleaning in premises where food is handled.

Safety data sheet

A safety data sheet is the manufacturer's document describing a chemical's hazards, handling, storage and first aid.

Dilution

Dilution is mixing a concentrated product with water to its working strength.

Chemical storage

Chemical storage is keeping cleaning products securely, separated by incompatibility, in labelled containers, in a place occupants cannot access..

Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment is the gloves, eye protection, aprons and footwear provided to protect cleaners where the risk cannot be controlled by other means..

Working at height in cleaning

Working at height in cleaning covers anything above floor level — high-level dusting, window cleaning, light fittings and access equipment — and is a leading cause of serious injury in the sector..

Access equipment

Access equipment is the steps, ladders, podiums and towers used to reach above floor level.

Lone worker check-in

A lone worker check-in is the arrangement by which a cleaner working alone confirms they have arrived and left safely, with a defined response if they do not..

Clinical waste in cleaning

Clinical waste is waste that may pose a risk of infection or contains medicines or sharps.

People & transfer

TUPE

TUPE is the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, which protect employees' terms when a business or a service contract changes hands.

Mobilisation

Mobilisation is the period between winning a contract and delivering it — recruiting or transferring staff, arranging equipment and consumables, and setting up access and records..

A–Z

More terms are being added. These pages explain what the words mean; they are not a substitute for a COSHH assessment or advice from a competent adviser.