A cleaner may be alone in your home, with a key and the alarm code, every week. A few questions before the first visit tell you far more than a polished website. This guide covers how to check a cleaning company before you hire: what to ask for, why it matters and what a good answer sounds like.
It is about checks and paperwork. If you are still deciding what kind of help you want, start with how to choose a domestic cleaning service, or weigh up a company or a private cleaner.
Insurance
Ask whether the company holds public liability insurance. It covers the cost if a cleaner accidentally damages your property or someone is injured because of the work, for example a flooded floor or a broken fitting. Ask what it covers and whether it applies to every cleaner they send, not only to the business owner. A company with cover will not mind you asking to see the certificate.
How staff are checked
Ask how the company checks the people it sends into homes. A basic DBS check gives a copy of a person’s criminal record and shows convictions that are not spent (GOV.UK: basic DBS checks). Also ask whether the company takes references when it recruits, and whether new cleaners are trained or shadowed before they work alone.
Employed or self-employed cleaners
Some companies employ their cleaners; others introduce self-employed cleaners and take a fee. The difference matters if something goes wrong. Ask:
- who is responsible if something is damaged
- who arranges cover when your cleaner is ill or on holiday
- whether you deal with the company or with the cleaner about payment and complaints
There is no single right model, but you should know which one you are signing up to.
References and reviews
Read reviews on more than one site and look at the pattern rather than a single comment. One unhappy customer happens to every business; the same complaint again and again (missed visits, rushed cleans, poor replies) is a warning. Notice how the company answers criticism in public. If you know neighbours who use a cleaner, ask them as well.
Get it in writing
Before the first visit, ask for a written quote and terms that cover:
- what is included in each visit, and what costs extra
- the hourly rate or price, and any minimum charge
- who supplies products and equipment
- how much notice you need to give to cancel or change a visit
- how keys and alarm codes are stored and returned
Clear written terms protect both sides and prevent most disagreements later.
How complaints are handled
Ask what happens if you are not happy with a clean: who you contact, how quickly they reply and whether they will come back to put it right. A company that explains this calmly before you book is likely to handle a problem well afterwards.
A short checklist
Before you hire, make sure you can tick these:
- public liability insurance, confirmed in writing
- an answer on how cleaners are checked, including DBS checks
- you know whether cleaners are employed or self-employed
- reviews read on more than one site
- a written quote listing what is and is not included
- cancellation notice and key handling agreed
- a named contact for complaints
When you are ready to choose, our guide to questions to ask before booking a cleaner covers the practical arrangements, and signs your cleaning service is working well helps once visits have started.
You are welcome to put every one of these questions to us. Pro Cleaning Woking is fully insured and works with DBS-checked cleaners. To ask about anything else on the list, or about our domestic cleaning service, call 01483 773531 or contact us.