Heritage cleaning goes far beyond appearance. Every day, our teams operate in some of the UK’s most iconic and culturally significant spaces — environments where precision matters and the wrong approach could cause lasting damage.

When cleaning historic masonry, guidelines like the NPS Preservation Brief 1 stress that poorly chosen methods — such as high-pressure washing or inappropriate repellent coatings — can cause irreversible damage.

From national galleries to historic performance venues, delivering cleaning services in these spaces requires careful coordination, specialist training and a deep understanding of what makes each site unique.

Conservation Comes First

In heritage environments, every cleaning task must be approached with conservation in mind. Surfaces, materials, and artefacts are often irreplaceable. Our operatives are trained not only in specialist techniques, but also in situational awareness — understanding what can and cannot be cleaned, and when supervision is required.

To align with best practice, businesses should refer to the Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance from Historic England, which emphasise understanding significance, minimum intervention and sustainable decision-making.

We work in close partnership with conservation and curatorial teams to ensure our activity supports preservation efforts and never compromises the long-term condition of a space.

Cleaning Gallery Spaces with Care

Gallery spaces present a specific set of challenges, particularly around moisture control, air quality and environmental protection.

Low-Moisture Floor Care

Excess water cannot be used in these settings due to humidity sensors that monitor environmental conditions. Instead, dry methods such as sweeping, vacuuming and pulse mopping are employed daily. Heavier equipment, such as walk-behind scrubbers, may be used after events, but only when necessary and with appropriate permissions.

Managing Dust and Air Quality

Dust is a known risk to both artwork and the wider environment as it can encourage pests like moths. Vacuuming is prioritised over traditional sweeping to reduce airborne particles, even though it may be more time-intensive.

In some locations, ductwork beneath gallery spaces is professionally cleaned on a scheduled basis. The volume of debris removed (mostly compacted dust) can then be weighed and reported as part of an ongoing environmental management programme.

Wall Care Under Supervision

Walls finished with silk, fabric or other specialist materials require delicate handling. Vacuuming is performed under supervision and in line with strict protocols to prevent any damage to surfaces.

Tailored Cleaning for Complex Spaces

No two heritage sites are the same. Cleaning programmes must be tailored to account for the architecture, materials, usage patterns and conservation requirements of each individual building.

This may include:

• Cleaning architectural features at high level during maintenance periods.

• Planning and costing bespoke cleans for delicate or hard-to-access structures.

• Scheduling work around public opening hours and event programmes.

Our site managers and operatives often collaborate with external specialists to deliver complex or technical cleaning tasks safely and effectively.

Specialist Training & Responsible Delivery

Every operative working in a heritage environment requires site-specific training and clear operational boundaries.

This includes:

• Awareness of restricted zones and artefacts.

• Clear escalation protocols for potential conservation concerns.

• Safe systems of work for high-level access, always with oversight where required.

Cleaning tasks in sensitive areas are only undertaken when authorised and, in many cases, directly supervised by conservation or facilities personnel.

Progress Through Partnership & Innovation

Successful heritage cleaning is never delivered in isolation. It depends on strong collaboration and carefully considered innovation — both of which play a vital role in how we deliver our services across complex and sensitive sites.

Our teams work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including conservation specialists, facilities managers, security personnel and approved subcontractors. These partnerships ensure that every task is aligned with broader preservation goals and operational requirements. Open communication, shared priorities and mutual respect are key to maintaining the integrity of the environments we care for.

As part of our internal collaboration, our Head of ESG, Jeff Silver, hosts quarterly heritage group focus meetings. These sessions bring together operational leads, site managers and specialists from across our client portfolio to share best practice, identify challenges and explore new ways to enhance service delivery while safeguarding sensitive environments.

Innovation also plays a key role in how we evolve our services – in alignment with our Beyond Cleaning strategy, which places sustainability, social value and responsible operations at the core of our approach. One example is the rollout of digital tools that allows operatives to track tasks, log completed work and report issues in real time. This enables site teams to maintain high levels of visibility and responsiveness, without increasing disruption or risk.

All new systems and equipment are reviewed carefully before implementation. If a proposed innovation introduces excess noise, moisture, vibration or environmental risk, it’s ruled out. In heritage spaces, doing the right thing always takes priority over doing things faster.

Our approach to innovation is shaped by the needs of each space and recognised by those who trust us to protect them. By combining collaboration with thoughtful innovation, we continue to evolve our service for our longstanding heritage clients.

Request our Expertise

Cleaning within heritage buildings is a specialist discipline and a privilege. We take great pride in the role we play in maintaining some of the UK’s most iconic cultural and historic spaces.

Get in touch today to speak with our experts. Reach out to helpdesk@doccleaning.com and we’ll get back to you shortly.