Most people start looking for a cleaner when the house has already got on top of them, and then pick the first name that answers the phone. Knowing how to choose a domestic cleaning service takes the guesswork out: compare a handful of services on the same six points and the differences show up quickly. This guide covers those points, with notes on how we handle each one at Pro Cleaning Woking.
What a standard visit should cover
Ask every service for its list of tasks. A typical regular visit includes:
- dusting and wiping surfaces
- vacuuming carpets and mopping hard floors
- cleaning the bathroom and toilet
- kitchen worktops, the sink, splashbacks and the outside of appliances
- emptying bins
- light tidying, and changing bed linen if you ask
If a list is vague, ask what happens to the jobs it leaves out. Inside the oven, inside cupboards and windows are often extras charged separately. You can see what our domestic cleaning includes, with the extras listed, on the service page.
How the price is worked out
Cleaning is usually priced in one of two ways:
- Hourly: you pay for the time spent. Easy to compare between services, but check the minimum visit length, because a short visit is often charged as a longer one.
- Fixed per visit or per job: common for one-off and end of tenancy cleans, where the size and condition of the property set the price.
Also ask whether products are included, whether weekends cost more, and how a one-off clean is priced compared with a regular one. Our hourly rates, the minimum call-out charge and our fixed prices are all on our prices page. For the thinking behind a quote, read how cleaning quotes are worked out.
Products and equipment
Some services bring everything; others expect to use what is under your sink. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which you are paying for, so ask who supplies products and whether they are in the price. We bring the cleaning products and equipment. If anyone at home has allergies, sensitive skin or a pet, say so at the start.
Will you get the same cleaner?
A cleaner who comes every week learns how you like things done and where the problem spots are. Ask whether the same person comes each time, and what happens when they are ill or on holiday. Where possible we send the same cleaner for every regular visit.
Ask, too, how you give feedback. If something has been missed, you want to tell someone who can put it right, not leave a note and hope.
Contracts and notice
Check whether you are signing up for a fixed term, and how much notice you need to give to pause or stop the visits. Holidays, a new baby or a change in work hours can all change what you need. Our regular cleaning has no long contract: you choose the frequency, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and change it when your life changes.
Trust and checks
You are handing over a key, so the checks matter as much as the price. Ask whether cleaners are vetted and whether the business is insured. Our cleaners are DBS-checked and we are fully insured. Our guide on how to check a cleaning company covers the checks in more detail, and if you are weighing up a company against an individual, see a cleaning company or a private cleaner.
When you have a shortlist, take our questions to ask before booking to each service.
Comparing cleaners? Call 01483 773531 and ask us the same questions, or send us a message.