Paragraph by paragraph
I saw your advert for a Cleaning Supervisor with the University of Edinburgh's estates team, and I would like to apply. I have worked in cleaning in Edinburgh since 2019, first as a housekeeper at the Premier Inn in the city centre and since 2022 as a team leader for ISS.
The post and her history in two sentences
She names the team as well as the employer, then gives her two jobs in one sentence. The reader sees both hotel and commercial cleaning, which covers most of what a university needs.
At ISS I lead six cleaners across four office buildings, about 120,000 square feet in all. Our clients inspect our work every month, and our average score over that time is 96%.
Size and standards
Team size, number of buildings and floor area give the scale. The 96% comes from the client's own monthly inspections, so it is more than her opinion of her own work.
I also order our supplies and keep the COSHH records for every chemical we use. Since I took that on, we have cut what we spend on wasted products by 18%, mostly by using fewer products and making sure everyone dilutes them properly.
Chemicals and money
COSHH records and supply ordering are supervisor jobs. She says how the 18% saving happened, which makes it easy to believe, and a manager who holds the budget will like it.
I have trained more than ten new starters in infection control and safe chemical handling. At the Premier Inn I cleaned 16 to 18 rooms a shift and our guest satisfaction stayed at 98%, including while the extra Covid cleaning rules were in place. I was Team Member of the Month four times.
Training and hotel work
Training new starters is her best evidence for supervising. Sixteen to eighteen rooms a shift at 98% guest satisfaction shows she was quick and careful, and four Team Member of the Month awards back up her reliability.
I hold the BICSc Licence to Practise and a Level 1 disclosure from Disclosure Scotland. I can work early mornings from 5am, I am used to looking after keys and alarm codes, and I speak Polish as well as English. I can meet you on site whenever suits you.
The background check, and her hours
Her cleaning qualification and background check come first, because a manager must check both. Her hours, the keys and alarm codes are all part of the job, and Polish can help on a mixed team.
Which background check to mention
Many cleaning jobs need a criminal record check, especially in schools, hospitals and offices where you hold keys. The check has a different name in each part of the UK, and using the right one shows you know where you are applying.
| Where you work | Who does the check | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) | Basic, standard or enhanced, depending on the role. |
| Scotland | Disclosure Scotland | Since 1 April 2025, Level 1 has replaced the basic disclosure, and anyone can apply for one. Level 2 is only used for specific roles. Work with children or protected adults can be a regulated role, which legally needs PVG scheme membership, and the employer starts that application. |
| Northern Ireland | AccessNI | Basic, standard or enhanced checks. |
If your last check was done for an employer in another part of the UK, say so plainly. The new employer may still ask for a fresh one. If you don't have a check yet, say you are happy to get one. In Scotland you can apply for a Level 1 disclosure yourself.
The same letter for a short online form
Universities and big contract cleaning firms usually recruit through online forms with a short box for why you want the job. This is Maria's letter cut down to fit.
COSHH in a single line
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, the rules on using cleaning chemicals safely at work. You don't need to explain them in a letter, but a line about what you do helps, especially for a supervisor role:
- "I keep the COSHH records and safety data sheets for every chemical we use."
- "I train new starters on diluting and storing chemicals safely."
- "I check that the right protective equipment is used for each product."
Pick the one that is true for you. A single specific line is better than "fully COSHH compliant".
Other cleaning jobs and how to open them
Your first cleaning job
Show you are reliable, careful and happy with early or late hours. Any work where you looked after a space or kept to a routine counts.
I am looking for early morning cleaning work around my children’s school hours, and I am reliable, careful and used to keeping a busy home spotless.
Domestic or home cleaning
Clients let you into their homes, so trust matters most. Mention references, how long you have kept clients and your check.
I clean for eight regular households in the south of the city, most of whom I have worked for since 2021.
Hospital or healthcare cleaning
Infection control is what a hospital will ask about first. Give your training, the areas you have cleaned and how you follow colour coding and cleaning schedules.
I have cleaned at a care home for three years, working to strict infection control schedules, and I know the colour coding for every area.
Hotel housekeeping
Give rooms per shift and guest scores, and mention linen, minibars or any other duties you have covered.
I clean 16 to 18 rooms a shift to brand standards, and our guest satisfaction scores have stayed at 98%.
School or office cleaning, evenings
Say which hours you can work and that you are used to working alone in a locked building.
I can work every weekday evening from 5pm, and I am used to cleaning and locking up a building on my own.
Cleaning numbers that show your work
| Number | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Area or rooms | Square feet of offices, or rooms per shift in a hotel. |
| Inspection or audit scores | Your average score and how often you are inspected. |
| Guest or client satisfaction | The figure and the period. |
| Team size | How many cleaners you lead, and across how many sites. |
| Savings | Money saved on supplies or waste, and how. |
| Reliability | Awards, or a record of never missing a shift. |
Five mistakes in cleaner cover letters
Saying "reliable and hardworking"
It’s what every cleaning application says, so it doesn’t help you stand out.
Give an inspection score, a reliability award or the number of years you have kept a client.
No size or volume
Cleaning one small office and running a team across four buildings are very different jobs, and the reader can’t tell which you did.
Give square feet, rooms or sites, and team size.
Skipping chemical safety
For supervisor roles especially, managers want to see you take chemicals seriously.
Add one specific line about COSHH records or training.
The wrong background check
DBS checks cover England and Wales. An employer in Scotland or Northern Ireland will be looking for Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI.
Name the check for the nation you are applying in.
No hours
Cleaning shifts are often early, late or split, and managers fill them first.
Say which hours you can work.
Tone and references
- Length: Maria's letter is about 235 words. Much longer and the inspection score gets lost.
- Who hires: at a university or hospital, the facilities or estates manager named in the advert. At a contract cleaning company, the area or contract manager.
- Tone: plain and practical. If English is your second language, short sentences work well.
- References: say you can provide them. In cleaning, a good reference often decides the job.
The main points from this page
- 1Give an inspection or satisfaction score for proof of standards.
- 2Mention COSHH in one specific line.
- 3Name the right background check for the nation you are applying in.
- 4Show trust: keys, alarm codes, working alone.
- 5Say which hours you can work.
Frequently asked questions
What should a cleaner cover letter include?
The job and employer, your cleaning experience, the size of what you clean, an inspection or satisfaction score, chemical safety, your background check and the hours you can work.
Do I need a DBS check to be a cleaner?
Jobs in schools, hospitals and offices where you hold keys often ask for one. In England and Wales it is a DBS check, in Scotland a check from Disclosure Scotland and in Northern Ireland from AccessNI.
What is a Level 1 disclosure in Scotland?
Since 1 April 2025 it has replaced the basic disclosure from Disclosure Scotland. It shows unspent convictions, and you can apply for one yourself.
How do I write a cleaner cover letter with no experience?
Show you are reliable, careful and available at the right times, using any work or home experience where you kept a routine or looked after a space.
How long should a cleaner cover letter be?
About 200 to 250 words, or a few lines in an online form.