With so many home cleaning businesses to select from, how can you decide on a cleaning firm that offers honest, reliable, affordable cleaners and ironers? Are they insured? Do not just ask that question, but enquire exactly what the insurance covers. Does it encompass potential theft, key and lock replacement, damage to your property and personal injury to the cleaning lady? Many do not have theft insurance and you may wish to reconsider retaining a professional house cleaning service that does not provide this. These incidents are rare (and in the case of theft, extremely rare), but why expose yourself to the risk if you are hiring a cleaning company that is supposed to take the hassle and problems away from you in comparison to you finding a private cleaner or ironer yourself?
In relation to the price, some people are fixated on the absolute cheapest which is not really a good idea! Do they drive a Lada?! Unlikely! So, why should a domestic cleaner be the cheapest of the cheapest? In reality, if you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys, as the saying goes, so avoiding the absolute cheapest is a good idea. A cleaner paid the minimum wage by her novice employer who only wants to compete on the basis of (the lowest) price because he does not have any other skills is not a good idea. The cleaning lady will just be using this as a temporary option en route to a job paying a bit more, so the staff turnover will be horrendous. I would imagine you would prefer a stable, reliable cleaner, not a different person every month. On the other hand, some home help services could be considered really expensive, such as Molly Maid, often providing leased cars for their staff which you have to pay for! A price in the middle is probably the best option. Rates will also differ from area to area, depending on local labour costs, so for example Crawley, Croydon and Brighton are cheaper than Reigate, Redhill, Haywards Heath, Horsham and Burgess Hill.
Vetting a domestic worker is essential. She needs to have her proof of identification, address and right to work in the U.K. checked. It is best to have the same person every cleaning session, as some companies substitute different cleaners which would necessitate you explaining repeatedly what you require and also is a potential security risk having so many people in your house. Meeting the lady first is preferable, so that you can ensure you are comfortable with her. Beware of hidden extras in the price, such as vat.