Skip to content Working out how to choose a cleaning company means answering one uncomfortable question: are you comfortable giving these people keys to your home or your business?
Price is the easiest thing to compare and the least useful. Here are the twelve things that actually matter, the questions that get straight answers, and the warning signs worth walking away from.
The three non-negotiables
1. Public liability insurance
If a cleaner knocks over a television, cracks a worktop or floods a bathroom, public liability cover pays for it. Without it, you are relying on the goodwill of whoever caused the damage.
Ask: “Can you email me your public liability certificate, and what is the policy limit?” A genuine company sends it the same day. £1m is common; £2m or more is typical for commercial work.
2. Employer’s liability insurance
If the company employs staff, this is a legal requirement. It matters to you because if a cleaner is injured on your premises and is not covered, the claim can end up pointed at you.
Ask: “Are your cleaners employed or self-employed, and do you hold employer’s liability cover?”
3. Background checks
DBS checks are not legally required for domestic cleaning, but any company sending people into homes unsupervised should be doing them. GOV.UK sets out the levels — Basic shows unspent convictions, Standard adds spent ones, and Enhanced adds relevant police information and applies to roles in healthcare, schools and care settings.
Ask: “Are your cleaners DBS checked, and at what level?” A company can confirm a certificate number even if it will not hand over the full certificate.
A legitimate company will not be remotely offended by any of these questions. If someone bristles at being asked for an insurance certificate, that is your answer.
Nine more things worth checking
- Is it a registered company? Search the name at Companies House. A registered limited company with filed accounts has more at stake than an untraceable trading name.
- Do they have a real address and a landline? A mobile number and a Facebook page is not necessarily a problem, but a verifiable address is reassuring.
- Will you get the same cleaner each visit? Continuity matters enormously for domestic work — someone who knows your home works faster and better.
- What happens when your cleaner is ill or on holiday? “You skip that week” is a legitimate answer, but you should know in advance.
- Is there a written specification? For commercial work this is essential. For domestic, at minimum a clear list of what is and is not included.
- What is the complaints process? Ask specifically: if you are unhappy, who do you contact and what happens? A re-clean guarantee is the strongest version.
- How are keys handled? Keys should be coded rather than labelled with your address, stored securely, and returned when the contract ends.
- What are the cancellation terms? 24–48 hours’ notice both ways is standard and fair.
- Are reviews specific? Ten reviews saying “great service” tell you nothing. One describing a real job, a real problem and how it was handled tells you a lot.
Warning signs
- A price well below everyone else. Once minimum wage, NI, holiday pay, insurance and equipment are covered, there is very little room at the bottom — our guide to what a cleaner costs in Liverpool shows where the realistic floor sits. A very low quote usually means corners somewhere.
- Large upfront cash deposits. A deposit for a big one-off job is reasonable; cash only, in advance, with no receipt is not.
- No written quote. A verbal figure is not comparable and not enforceable.
- Reluctance to visit before quoting on a large job.
- Pressure to sign today.
- Vagueness about who will actually attend.
- No contract for a commercial arrangement.
If something does go wrong and you cannot resolve it directly, Citizens Advice provides free guidance on your rights when a service has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill.
Domestic and commercial are different decisions
| Priority | Domestic | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Most important | Trust and continuity | Written specification and reliability |
| Insurance level | £1m public liability | £2m+, plus employer’s liability |
| Vetting | Basic DBS typical | Depends on sector; enhanced for schools and healthcare |
| Contract | Rolling, informal | Written, with notice periods and KPIs |
| Key question | “Will it be the same person?” | “What happens if standards slip?” |
For commercial buyers, the specification is where value is won or lost — our office cleaning cost guide covers how to write one so quotes are genuinely comparable.
Before you book
- Get three written quotes for the same scope
- Ask all three for insurance certificates
- Check the company at Companies House
- Read reviews looking for detail, not star ratings
- Confirm what is excluded, which is more revealing than what is included
- Start with a one-off or a trial period before committing to a contract
That last point is the most practical piece of advice here. A single deep clean tells you more about a company than any amount of research — you will see whether they arrived on time, whether they did what was agreed, and whether the oven was actually cleaned. Our guide to deep cleaning vs regular cleaning explains what to expect from one.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in a cleaning company?
Public liability insurance, employer’s liability cover if they employ staff, and DBS-checked cleaners. Beyond that: a written quote, a clear specification, continuity of cleaner, and a stated complaints process.
Do cleaners need a DBS check?
Not by law for domestic cleaning. Most reputable companies carry at least a Basic check for anyone entering homes unsupervised. Enhanced checks apply in schools, healthcare and care settings.
What insurance should a cleaning company have?
Public liability, typically £1m for domestic and £2m or more for commercial. Employer’s liability is a legal requirement if they employ staff. Ask for both certificates before booking.
Is the cheapest cleaning quote a bad sign?
Not always, but a quote well below the others usually means fewer hours allowed, no insurance, or excluded work. Compare what is included before comparing price.
Should I use an agency or hire directly?
A company costs more per hour but carries the insurance, vetting and cover. Hiring directly is cheaper but the risk sits with you. Both are legitimate — decide knowingly rather than by default.
What if I am not happy with the clean?
Raise it in writing within 24–48 hours. A company offering a re-clean guarantee will return free of charge. Under consumer law a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.
Ask us all twelve
We are happy to answer every question on this list before you commit to anything — insurance certificates, vetting, who attends, and what happens if you are not satisfied.
We are a Merseyside team covering Liverpool, Wirral, Bootle, Birkenhead, St Helens, Warrington and Knowsley. Read about us or see our cleaning services.