London cleaners: how to find a decent one

London’s got more cleaning companies than any one person can possibly ring, and the quality gap between the good and the bad is enormous. Here’s how to pick one that actually shows up, does the job properly, and doesn’t charge you for things you didn’t agree to.

There’s a decent spread of cleaners and cleaning services listed across London on WotsItCalled, covering everything from one-off end-of-tenancy deep cleans out in the suburbs to contract window cleaning for businesses. London’s a big city, the first filter is matching the job type to the right kind of operation.

Work out what kind of clean you need

“Cleaner” covers at least five different trades in London. Pick the wrong one and you either overpay by double or get a basic tidy when you needed a full strip-out:

• Regular domestic clean: weekly or fortnightly, two to four hours, same person ideally. The key word is “regular.” Agencies that rotate cleaners are fine in theory, rubbish in practice if you want someone who learns your flat.
• One-off deep clean: you’ve just moved in, or you’re hosting, or it’s been a while. Bigger team, longer hours, a much bigger price. Specify what’s included: oven, inside windows, skirting boards, behind appliances.
• End-of-tenancy clean: its own category because it’s judged by an inventory clerk, not you. Use a company that guarantees the clean against the inventory report. That guarantee is the whole point, don’t book one without it.
• Commercial contract clean: offices, shops, restaurants. Priced differently, insured differently, contracted differently. Completely separate shortlist from domestic.
• Specialist, carpets, windows, upholstery, post-build: separate trades again. A regular domestic cleaner is not a carpet cleaner, even if they say yes to the job.

Match the job to the operation and half your problems disappear before you’ve rung anyone.

Five questions to ask before you book

London has more chancers than most cities in this trade. These five slow things down enough to catch them.

1. Are your cleaners employed by you or subcontracted? Employed cleaners are insured through the company, vetted, and usually stick around. Subcontractors are a bit of a lottery. Neither is automatically bad, but you want to know which you’re getting.
2. What’s the exact hourly or job rate, and what’s included? Some quote a low hourly and add on products, transport, insurance, booking fees. Ask for the all-in number in writing.
3. Will it be the same cleaner every week? For regular jobs, a consistent person is the whole point. If the agency can’t promise it, that’s a flag.
4. Are you insured, and what’s covered? Public liability is the minimum. Ask specifically about breakages and accidental damage. A decent company answers this in one breath.
5. What happens if I’m not happy? Good companies offer a re-clean within 24-48 hours. End-of-tenancy specialists often re-clean for free if the inventory clerk flags something. If there’s no complaints process, assume there’s no quality control.

What a good listing actually tells you

A good cleaning listing saves you most of the ringing round:

• Clear scope, what they do and don’t do: the good ones are specific: domestic only, commercial only, carpet specialists.
• Transparent pricing or a rate card: hidden prices mean the real number shows up later.
• Recent reviews that name the cleaner or team: “Marta’s been coming weekly for eight months and my flat’s never been cleaner” beats generic praise.
• Responses to bad reviews: a company that offers a re-clean publicly is telling you how they handle mistakes. Silence is the worst answer.
• Insurance mentioned on the listing: the ones who have it aren’t shy.

London cleaners worth a look

A few already on WotsItCalled to start with, mix of specialisms and coverage across the city:

• Simple Clean: established domestic cleaning service with 60+ reviews, good default for regular or one-off residential work.
• Goldservice Contract Cleaning Ltd: Biggin Hill area, commercial contract cleaning if that’s what you need.
• Reach & Wash Cleaning Services: window cleaning specialist with top reviews, worth a shout if that’s the specific job.
• Capital: cleaning service listed on WotsItCalled for those who prefer a smaller operation.
• ICE Services Group: water damage restoration rather than standard cleaning, worth knowing about if that’s the situation you’re in.

London’s huge and the directory is still growing, if none of those match your postcode or the exact job, the full list is on the London cleaners category page, and the national cleaners directory covers the rest of the country.

The short version

• Sort the job first, regular, one-off, end-of-tenancy, commercial, or specialist. Different shortlists, different prices.
• Ask whether cleaners are employed or subcontracted. It tells you a lot about consistency and insurance.
• Get the all-in price in writing, not the headline hourly.
• For end-of-tenancy, only book companies that guarantee the clean against the inventory.
• A decent cleaner shows up on time, does what was agreed, and re-cleans without fuss if you’re not happy. That’s the bar.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Find the place everyone’s on about, or browse everything listed in London.