Career Advice

How to make a useful handover in cleaning operative work

Added to the archive on 15 November 2026.

Make clear what is finished, what is outstanding and what needs a decision.

A handover for site cleaning is easier to use when it starts with what the next person needs to do. Write one line for completed work and one for outstanding actions. Use a room checklist if the team already works from it, and give a clear time for any promised follow-up.

Run a handover exercise

Imagine a corridor still has heavy pedestrian traffic when it is due to be cleaned. Work out the status at the moment your shift ends, then record the area, time and outstanding issue. Read your note as if you are the next person on duty. Check if it makes clear what to do next, what has already been checked and who can make a decision.