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This article will identify how to find the best cleaning company, this will ensure that you get the best possible service for your hard-earned money when you are looking for any form of professional cleaning.
Contents
- Domestic Cleaning
- Deep Cleaning
- End of Tenancy Cleaning
- Carpet Cleaning
- Oven Cleaning
- How to Find the Best Cleaning Company – Key Questions
- Conclusion
Introduction
This article will identify how to find the best cleaning company, this will ensure that you get the best possible service for your hard-earned money when you are looking for any form of professional cleaning.
There has been a huge expansion in the number of professional cleaning companies, all of whom offer different types of cleaning services. If you need to know how to find the best cleaning company then it is vitally important that you compare each individual company with a relevant competitor. A domestic cleaning company that just offers regular house cleaning can not be realistically compared against a large franchised company that coves every type of cleaning under the sun.
And the comparison should not necessarily all be from a financial perspective. Sometimes the knowledge that the person who is going to have access to your entire house, sometimes totally alone, is known to you and well trusted cannot be measured by cost alone.
Conversely if you are looking for a complete end of tenancy or deep clean then this may be beyond the smaller domestic cleaning companies that only have 1 or 2 employees and no existing relationships with landlord sand letting agents
There will also always be somebody that offers carpet cleaning for example, but are not a carpet cleaning company. You may be surprised to find they turn up at your property with a hired carpet cleaner that you could have just as easily hired yourself, whilst charging only slightly less than a company who has invested heavily in their own carpet cleaning equipment.
For the purposes of comparison we will look at the some of the various types of clean that cleaning companies offer and look at what they consist of and the things to look out for when trying to decide how to find the best cleaning company.
Domestic Cleaning
This service is most commonly provided by smaller local companies and it can really pay to have a personal recommendation from friends or family.
Domestic cleaning is any cleaning that takes place in your home. This typically involves cleaning all of the rooms in the house on a regular basis, vacuuming, dusting, and wiping surfaces.
For many of us we have seen a transformation of our home from a place of relaxation that we spend just over 50 % of the day into a combined working and home environment where we are spending the vast majority of our days. Generally, people are now spending a significantly larger amount of time in their homes and obviously this has the unfortunate side effect of creating more dust and dirt.
Many people now have a regular domestic cleaner that visits their home to help them clean. A domestic cleaner is a great option for those who may work long hours, or simply do not wish to tackle their home cleaning on their own.
Having a regular domestic cleaner can help remove some of the stress from everyday life. They help to take care of your property, keeping your house clean and tidy, how we would all like it to be! Whether you wish to only have certain areas cleaned, or whether you need your entire house cleaning, your regular domestic cleaner is ready to help. Most domestic cleaning companies will tailor their services in order to leave you with a safe, clean, and sparkling home.
The average cost for a domestic cleaner is £12 per hour but can range from £10 to £15 dependent on location.
It goes without saying that your domestic cleaner should be able to perform all of the light cleaning that you require but the key element when thinking about how to find the best cleaning company is undoubtedly trust. You will be giving the cleaner full access to all of your house, sometimes alone, and they will also have spare keys and alarm codes. You wouldn’t give this to a complete stranger so make sure you research your domestic cleaners thoroughly and do not just choose the cheapest option. You cannot put a price on your peace of mind nor the value of your property and possessions.
Deep Cleaning
Deep Cleaning is a service that is offered by the majority of cleaning services companies.
When conducting a deep clean, the goal is to make sure that every single surface, appliance, and object in the property is thoroughly cleaned to the point of where they look practically brand new. This ensures that the whole property is sparkling clean, ready to be sold, ready to be moved into by new residents, or ready for a new year of wear and tear.
The main difference between a deep clean and a regular clean is that a deep clean is conducted less regularly (hence the term ‘regular clean’). This is because a deep clean is not just about maintaining a tidy home, but about making sure that every corner and crevice is reached. It is more than just a quick wipe around and vacuum.
Many if the areas around the home tend to get neglected during a regular clean. Deep cleaning makes sure that your entire property is cleaned from top to bottom, targeting any areas that may have been forgotten, and are in need of a good clean.
Deep cleaning is extensive, and can take a lot of time to complete. Appliances and furniture must be pulled out, and some cleaning products must be allowed to sit for a recommended amount of time. For this reason, deep cleaning is not something that takes place very frequently.
A deep clean can cost between £100 and £200 dependent on the size of the house and the amount of bedroom and bathrooms. A reputable cleaning company should be more than willing to perform an inspection and offer a no obligation quotation.
If you are considering having a deep clean performed and you already have a trusted regular domestic cleaner, then perhaps you should consider asking them to perform a deep clean.
End of Tenancy Cleaning
Most cleaning companies will offer end of tenancy cleaning companies but there are some that specialise solely in this.
Tenants are usually required to do an end of tenancy cleaning when they move out as part of the letting agreement. The cleanliness (or lack of) of the property at the end of the tenancy is responsible for more than half of the deposit disputes. If the property has not been cleaned to an acceptable standard, then the landlords have the right to deduct the cost of hiring a cleaning company from the deposit. If this happens then the landlords or agents will not be as conscientious about spending somebody else’s money and will just use their referred agency, no matter the cost, and deduct this from your deposit. Moving between locations can be stressful and expensive enough, without having to incur extra charges hat can be easily avoided if the right cleaning company are used.
Many tenants will choose to hire a professional cleaning service to handle their end of tenancy cleaning to ensure they get their deposit back, although a few will try and clean the property themselves. There is nothing wrong with doing this but there is usually more than enough to do when moving to a new house so finding the time for a thorough cleaning of the entire property, to the required standards can be difficult. The key issue here, once you have decided to employ the professionals, is how to find the best cleaning company if you are looking for an end of tenancy cleaning.
End of tenancy cleaning should include a deep clean of the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. Plus, all surfaces throughout the property: floors, tiles, carpets, walls, and windows. Dust and dirt will need to be removed and cobwebs cleared out of hard to reach places. All the appliances which are included in the tenancy such as dishwashers, cookers and washing machines will also need to be cleaned out to a high standard.
When it comes to end of tenancy cleaning, there are often specific requirements that either your landlord or estate agents require, and a local agency is usually best placed to be aware of these however. They may not always be the best option; this is why you need to need to know how to find the best cleaning company.
So you now know what an end of tenancy cleaning involves it is time to get down to the most important question, how to find the best cleaning company for an end of tenancy clean?
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this as there are so many factors that could affect this.
Will the company offer carpet cleaning or garden clearance, is oven cleaning also available, will they offer a deposit back guarantee, and will they provide a key pickup and drop off service? This and many other questions are vitally important, but these are obviously dependent on your individual needs.
Pricing is obviously a very important variable, the old adage that you get what you pay for is usually true however this needs to be balanced against the average costs for the location and property size.
There are some more generic questions further on in this article that will help you know how to find the best cleaning company for you. So as ever, personal referrals or recommendations should hold the most value, followed by online reviews (from an independent 3rd party website rather than on their own pages) and then compare the various packages that each company offers.
Builders Cleaning
This is another service that is usually offered by the general cleaning services companies although there are some specialist companies that purely deal with this type of cleaning.
You have had the builders in, they have done a great job, but there is just one big task remaining – the final clean-up! Thankfully there are many cleaning companies that offer expert teams of cleaners to take care of the leftover mess.
Cleaning after building works is often a task that we overlook or underestimate. If you have had to deal with cleaning up the mess that builders leave before, you will understand that even after multiple vacuums and wipes, you will still find remnants of building works around the house. Builders cleans are not for the faint hearted so consider letting the professionals take care of the hard work, and get your house feeling like a home again.
Cleaning after building works helps to restore your home and lets whatever building work you have had done shine. From cleaning up those tiny little paint splatters to mopping the well-used floors, an experienced after builders cleaning team will be able to deal with every aspect of the job.
Whether you have had a brand-new extension or just minor refurbishments and repairs, cleaning the mess leftover can be a huge task in itself! There is always an abundance of dust, debris, smudge marks, and many other unwanted leftovers. Not to mention the frustrating lingering paint, varnish, and plaster splashes that harden quickly, feeling like a new permanent addition in your home. All of this mess requires the help of a professional after building cleaning team. These people can help turn your property from a building-site, back into a home again.
Most cleaning company employees are experts when it comes to cleaning after building works and have and offer a quick, effective, and thorough clean-up that will leave your property sparkling and ready for living in again.
Please be aware that there is usually a minimum spending requirement with most builders cleaning companies. This is quite usual within the industry and this is because it is not economically viable for a builders cleaning company to travel to your location and set up all of their equipment to just clean one small room. So although the minimum cost for a room may be as little as £20 the majority of builders cleaning companies will have a minimum charge based on five hours labour for one cleaner or three hours for two cleaners.
Expect hourly rates to be between £17 and £25 per hour per cleaner, additional charges may occur if specialist equipment is required.
When deciding how to find the best cleaning company for a builders clean then consider asking the builders themselves if they have any companies that they would particularly recommend. It will obviously be in their best interests to have a company that show off their hard work to its best.
Carpet Cleaning
As with other types of cleaning most cleaning companies will offer carpet cleaning. Generally, you will be better to employ a specialist carpet cleaning company as they are far more likely to have the most up to date specialist equipment rather than just arranging to hire one from the local provider.
When it comes to carpets there is only so much that your vacuum cleaner can cope with. Unless you are in possession of a powerful machine that will suck deep into the pile of your carpet, dirt, grime and dust will inevitably build up over time. Add children and pets into the equation and there are invariably going to be spillages and accidents that stain the carpet. The unfortunate truth is that your standard vacuum cleaner will not be able to cope with the accumulations of dirt and dust that have built up over the years. You may not notice it but over the years your carpets will have absorbed many different odours and matter and a good deep clean will make a huge difference. Even the cleanest looking houses will have dirt and debris below the surface. You will be amazed at the colour of the liquid that is vacuumed up from your carpet after the shampoo and agitating cleaning heads have done their work.
Professional carpet cleaning can not only keep the carpets looking as good as new but will also improve the overall aesthetics of the room.
Additionally, employing a dedicated carpet cleaning company means that they have probably encountered nearly every stain imaginable and our experience will be invaluable in resolving these issues.
Generally, prices are quoted on a room by room basis but there will be some additional charges if you have particularly stubborn stains or are looking for added stain protection as part of the clean. A good carpet cleaning company should explain all of this in advance of providing your quotation.
- Small bedroom – typically around £20 for a basic clean, adding fabric protection would add another £6
- Large bedroom – between £27 and £40, fabric protection would cost an additional £11
- Stairs and landing – usual prices are from £30, plus around £11 for fabric protection treatment
- Large living room – from £35 to £50 dependent on size and approximately £20 for the application of fabric protection.
Ensure that the carpet cleaning company that you choose have adequate specialist equipment as well as an excellent reputation in your area, your carpet is the largest soft furnishing in your house so make sure you know how to find the best cleaning company to entrust its care to.
Oven Cleaning
This is another discipline that is usually recommended to be undertaken by a specialist oven cleaning company. They will not only have all of the experience and awareness of the different requirements of each type of oven but should also have the specialist equipment required. Some oven cleaning companies now have specialist vehicles containing heated cleaning dips which will enable the cleaners to do the majority of the dirty work outside as well as to a high standard.
Standard charges will vary but a brief outline is below so you know what the averages charges will be Obviously there will be geographical differences but this should help you understand what to expect when comparing prices of various companies.
- Standard single oven clean – from £50
- Standard double oven clean – from £70
- Range oven clean – between £80 and £1200 dependent on size
- Ceramic/Glass hob – from £20
How to Find the Best Cleaning Company – Key Questions
The following key questions should apply to all cleaning companies no matter what service you are looking at. Whether looking for a domestic clean, an oven clean, a carpet cleaning, an end of tenancy clean or any other service. All of these questions will help you identify how to find the best cleaning company.
Are Specialist Cleaning Products Used, and Included in the Cost?
Are the Company Experienced in the Chosen Cleaning Service?
Additionally, ensure that you are dealing with a professional cleaning company that excel in the chosen field. It is not a good idea to use normal house cleaners who specialise in light domestic cleaning for a carpet clean or an oven cleaning company for a light domestic clean. There is no question that they may offer an excellent service in their chosen field, but they often lack the expertise, chemicals and equipment to undertake a full professional clean if it is not in their specialist field.
In conclusion, do your homework and try and take the time to talk to the company you are going to use. Some people may not have time to do this but even a short five minute conversation about how they will carry out the cleaning and their experience will often highlight things that may cause you problems further down the line.
What Does the Clean Include?
A reputable cleaning company should undertake a brief site survey, usually about 10 minutes, to enable them to come up with an accurate, bespoke quotation. You should be especially wary of companies that will only provide an estimate as opposed to a quotation as the price of an estimation can soon increase rapidly whereas a quotation is a fixed, contractual cost.
Are the Company and its Cleaners Fully Insured?
Are the Company and its Cleaners Fully Vetted?
Do the Cleaning Prices Include VAT?
Conclusion
If you have got this far then you should know a bit more about the services that cleaning companies offer but more importantly be a little more aware of how to find the best end of tenancy cleaning company.
Although we have mentioned quite a few negatives and pitfalls associated with using professional cleaners the vast majority are hard working and conscientious and excellent at what they do. If you have any on personal recommendation then that is as good as you can get however please ensure that you research unknown companies thoroughly. Do not be afraid of making your own informed decisions about who you will use to let into your house. If it doesn’t feel right then trust your instincts, we have them for a reason.
