How to hire a cleaner (and what’s fair to expect)

Agree exactly what’s included, agree the hours, and trial it for two visits before signing up long-term. Most problems start because nobody had that conversation on day one.

Hiring a cleaner is one of those jobs where people don’t know what’s normal until they’ve had it go wrong. There are cleaners listed on WotsItCalled, from solo cleaners to agency teams, and a bit of structure on the first visit makes the difference between “best money I spend all month” and “had to replace them within a fortnight”.

Solo cleaner or agency – the trade-offs

• Solo cleaner. Same person every visit, usually cheaper per hour (£12-18 is typical), builds a relationship with you and the house. Downside: if they’re ill or on holiday, there’s no cover. You might also need to handle your own paperwork if you’re paying cash.
• Agency. A company that sends one of their cleaners. More expensive per hour (£18-25 is typical), but they cover holidays, handle tax and insurance, and usually have liability cover. Downside: you might get a different person week to week.
• Two-person team. Some agencies and some indies work in pairs. Faster, often better for a bigger house, more expensive per visit but often the same per-job cost because they finish quicker.

Neither is better. Solo cleaners are great once you find one you click with. Agencies are more reliable and hands-off. Pick the trade-off that matches what you actually need.

Agree exactly what’s included

The biggest source of cleaner disputes is a gap between what you thought was included and what they thought was included. Be specific on the first conversation:

• Which rooms. Whole house or just downstairs? Spare room included or not?
• Which tasks. Hoovering, mopping, bathrooms, kitchen, dusting, bed-changing, oven, fridge, windows. The last four are usually extras.
• Whose products. Most cleaners bring their own, some expect you to supply. Ask.
• Laundry and ironing. Not every cleaner does either. Some do laundry but not ironing. Not a gripe, just check.
• Deep vs regular. Skirting boards, behind the bed, inside cupboards – these are a deep clean, not weekly. Quoted separately.

Put it in writing – even just a text or email. Prevents the “I thought you were doing the bathrooms” conversation later.

What’s fair to pay, and how

Hourly rates vary by region. £12-15 is normal for a solo cleaner outside the south-east. £15-20 in and around London. Agencies add a bit on top for overheads. Some cleaners quote a fixed price per visit rather than hourly – this is often fairer on both sides.

• Hourly. Simple, flexible, easier to scale up and down. Risk: a slow cleaner costs more than a quick one for the same result.
• Fixed per visit. Same price every week, regardless of how long it takes. Works well once you know the scope. Good for predictability.
• Monthly rolling. Set a standing order. Saves handling cash every week. Most cleaners prefer it.

Tipping isn’t expected weekly, but a Christmas bonus equivalent to one visit is a decent standard if you’re happy with them.

Keys, trust and the small stuff

• Keys. Most regular cleaners need a key or a code. Ask how they store them. A cleaner with a bunch of unlabelled keys is fine. A cleaner with keys labelled with addresses is a security worry.
• Insurance. Agencies handle this. Solo cleaners usually have public liability cover too – ask. £1-2 million is standard. Covers broken vases, carpet stains, the lot.
• Cancellations. A no-show on a weekly slot means the cleaner’s lost a day’s pay. Most ask for 24 hours notice to cancel without charge. Fair.
• Payment if you’re on holiday. Some solo cleaners expect to be paid through your holiday so they hold the slot. Some don’t. Ask in advance.

Find one near you

The cleaners directory on WotsItCalled covers solo cleaners, agencies, and specialist outfits. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool – pick your city, ring a few, and do a two-visit trial before committing.

The first month – getting it right

Most cleaner-client relationships that go wrong, go wrong in the first month because neither side had the awkward conversations. Things worth doing:

• Walk through the house on day one. Show them where things are, what you care about, what to leave alone. Ten minutes saves a month of guesswork.
• Write a simple checklist. Not prescriptive, just clear. “Kitchen, downstairs bathroom, floors, dust, hoover bedrooms”. Both of you refer to it.
• Give feedback early. If the kitchen’s not how you’d like it, say so on visit two, not visit six. Good cleaners welcome it.
• Don’t move the goalposts without raising the price. If you’ve added an extra room or asked for ironing on top of the cleaning, that’s more work – pay for it.

The short version

• Pick solo or agency based on whether you value consistency or reliability more.
• Agree the scope in writing before they start. Cleaning disputes almost always come from a missing conversation.
• Fixed-per-visit is often fairer than hourly once you know the job.
• Ask about keys, insurance, and cancellation policy up front.
• Trial them for a couple of visits before committing to anything monthly.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Find the place everyone’s on about, or browse the full cleaners directory.