Weekly Communal Cleaning in Sutton

The property

A period residential building in Sutton, converted into flats, with a single communal entrance and an open stairwell running the full height of the building over three levels. Every communal surface underfoot is carpeted, including the stairs, every landing and both upper corridors. The only barrier matting is at the entrance. The stair has a turned timber balustrade, painted anti-slip nosings on each tread, and a dado rail running the length of the corridors.

What the managing agent needed

Carpet in a communal stairwell is unforgiving. It holds grit brought in on shoes, shows a traffic path within weeks, and cannot be rescued by a quick mop. The block needed a clean frequent enough to stop soil working into the pile, carried out to the same specification each time so the managing agent was not fielding calls about the stairs.

What the clean covers

Vacuum every stair tread, landing and corridor, including under the entrance matting
Dust the balustrade spindles and handrail by hand, because a vacuum brush will not reach between turned spindles
Wipe the dado rail, skirting, door frames and wall lights
Clean the internal communal windows, including the arched landing window and its sill
Sanitise the handrail, entrance door furniture, intercom panel and light switches
Wipe the fire notice board and keep its notices legible
Clean the entrance door glass and sweep the threshold outside it

How the clean is delivered

The block is cleaned once a week on a fixed day, by the same cleaner wherever possible, so they know the layout, the access arrangement and which doors belong to residents rather than to the building. Work starts at the top landing and finishes at the entrance, so dirt is carried downwards and the first thing a resident sees is the last thing cleaned. Residents decorate their own flat doors; those items are cleaned around and never moved.

We inspect the block ourselves rather than waiting for the agent to report a problem, and anything outside the cleaning specification, such as a failed light, a damaged tread or an obstruction in a corridor, is reported to the managing agent the same day.

Inside the block

Photographs taken at this property. Select any image to view it full size.

Carpeted communal staircase in the Sutton block, with a light oak balustrade and painted stair nosings — The main stair. Carpet on every tread, so a visit starts with a full vacuum from the top landing down.

Foot of the Sutton communal staircase beside the fire notice board and entrance matting — The stair foot and fire notice board. Notices are wiped rather than worked around, and the barrier matting is lifted and vacuumed underneath.

First floor landing in the Sutton block looking along the carpeted corridor — First floor landing. Turned spindles are dusted by hand, since a vacuum brush cannot get between them.

Upper landing in the Sutton block with an arched window above the carpeted floor — The upper landing. The arched window and its sill are part of the internal glass on the specification.

Long carpeted communal corridor in the Sutton block lit by wall lights — A residential corridor after cleaning. Wall lights, dado rail and skirting are dusted on the same visit as the floor.

View down the Sutton communal stairwell towards the entrance door and ground floor lobby — Looking down to the entrance. The ground floor matting traps most of the dirt, which is why it is done first and not last.

Landing outside two flat doors in the Sutton block, one with a resident's wreath — Residents decorate their own doors. We clean around what belongs to them and never move personal items.