Letting someone into your home to clean it is a bigger decision than it first looks. You’re trusting a person with your space, your belongings and, if you have children or pets, your family’s safety. So it makes sense to ask the right questions before you say yes.
I spend a lot of my time on the other side of this conversation. As the founder of Dartford Clean, I’m the one interviewing cleaners and deciding who I’d trust in a customer’s home. I’m also a Dartford dad with a young son, so I think about it the same way you do: would I be happy with this person in my house?
Here are the questions I’d ask, why each one matters, and what a good answer sounds like.
Start with the questions I ask cleaners myself
Before any cleaner works with Dartford Clean, we sit down for a chat. Two questions do most of the work.
“What do you love about cleaning?” This is always my first question. I’m looking for people who love what they do and take pride in it. When someone answers with real passion, talking about the satisfaction of leaving a home sparkling, that’s exactly the kind of person I want. Someone who takes pride in their work will notice the details without being told.
“Tell me about your last paid cleaning job.” This tells me about their real experience. I want cleaners with at least one year of paid cleaning experience, and ideally a lot more.
The answers that make me say no:
- Only cleaning for free. Helping out at church or tidying for family is kind, but it isn’t the same as cleaning to a professional standard for paying customers.
- Less than a year of paid experience. There’s a lot to learn, and I’d rather they learn it somewhere else first.
- Doing it just for the sake of it. If there’s no pride or interest behind it, it usually shows in the work.
You can ask these questions too. If you’re hiring an independent cleaner, ask them directly. If you’re hiring a company, ask how they choose their cleaners and how much experience they require.
“Do you have a DBS certificate?”
This is the first question I’d want any homeowner to ask. A basic DBS check shows whether someone has a criminal record, so you know you’re not bringing a person with a criminal past into your home. Ideally the certificate should be from within the last year.
Don’t just take a “yes” at face value. Ask to see the certificate. It shouldn’t be difficult for a cleaner to share it. A genuine professional will be happy to show you, and check the date while you’re at it. If someone hesitates or makes excuses, treat that as your answer.
As a dad, this is the one question I’d never skip. Keeping my family safe comes first.
“Are you insured?”
Specifically, ask whether they have public liability insurance. If something gets damaged in your home, insurance means it can be put right properly, instead of you going back and forth with the cleaner trying to work out who pays for what.
So what does “normal” look like? In my experience, a cleaner’s public liability cover should be up to around £1 million, and it costs them no more than about £10 a month.
That’s why I see it as a test of professionalism. It’s not an expensive thing to have. A cleaner who happily pays for it shows they understand what’s important. A cleaner who doesn’t have it is telling you something too. Again, ask to see the policy document.
At Dartford Clean, the company has its own insurance. Our cleaners are self-employed rather than employees, so each one also carries their own insurance, including public liability cover.
“Do you charge by the hour or by the job?”
Different companies do it differently, so it’s worth asking. My opinion is that by the job is better for you as a homeowner.
Hourly pricing quietly rewards slowness. If a cleaner earns more the longer they take, there’s no reason to work efficiently. A truly professional cleaner can get the job done quickly and well, and with by-the-job pricing they’re paid for the full job when they do. You get a clear price upfront and no clock-watching.
The fair challenge to that is: what if someone rushes, does a poor job and still expects full pay? That’s why the follow-up question matters just as much: “What happens if the clean isn’t right?”
Ours is simple. If anything isn’t right, let us know within 24 hours of your clean, and we’ll come back within 7 days to fix it. If it still isn’t right, you get your money back. That’s what keeps by-the-job pricing honest.
While you’re on the subject of money, also ask about cancellation fees, so there are no surprises. Ours is £100 for cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice.
“How will you get into my home?”
Lots of regular cleans happen while you’re at work, which means keys, lockboxes or a neighbour holding a spare. The answer here comes down to three things: communication, communication, communication.
At Dartford Clean, once a booking is made, we get in touch to confirm how the cleaner will get in if you won’t be home. You tell us exactly where the key will be and how to access the property, and we make sure your cleaner knows.
A good sign is a company that asks you, rather than assumes. If nobody brings up access until the morning of the clean, that’s a communication problem waiting to happen.
“Do you bring your own equipment and products?”
A good cleaner should turn up with everything they need to leave your home sparkling. You shouldn’t have to provide anything. At Dartford Clean, that’s our standard: our cleaners bring all their own equipment. They know their kit and how to use it properly, which helps them clean your home to the right standard.
But there’s room for flexibility. If you prefer particular products, or you’re conscious about allergies from equipment that’s been used in other people’s homes, our cleaners can use your equipment instead. Just tell us when you book.
So ask two things: “Do you bring everything?” and “Can you use my products if I’d prefer?” The best answer to both is yes.
“Will I get the same cleaner each time?”
Consistency is what makes a regular cleaning arrangement work. The same cleaner learns your home, your preferences and the little things you care about.
One question most people never think to ask a cleaning company is: “What’s your cleaner turnover like?” A company that’s always losing cleaners can’t promise you consistency, however good its intentions.
There’s also something you can do yourself. Book consistently: the same day, at the same time, over a regular period. That makes it much easier for the same cleaner to stay assigned to you. It matters even more if your home has a few complexities, like pets, children at home, or someone working from home while the clean happens.
“What do your reviews say, and how do you handle mistakes?”
Reviews, reputation and word-of-mouth recommendations all matter. If a friend or neighbour can vouch for a cleaner, that’s worth a lot.
But I’ll be honest: as a newer company, Dartford Clean doesn’t have years of reviews behind it yet. Plenty of good cleaners and companies are in the same position. So when reviews are thin, there’s a better question to ask: “What’s your policy when something goes wrong?”
Every cleaning relationship hits the odd bump. What you want is someone who will fix a problem quickly when it happens. A clear, written guarantee tells you far more than a handful of five-star reviews.
My own shortlist, as a Dartford dad
If I were hiring a cleaner for my own home tomorrow, these are the questions I’d ask:
- Do you love what you do? I want someone who takes pride in their work.
- Tell me about your last paid cleaning job. I want real, paid experience.
- Can I see your DBS certificate? Because nothing matters more than my family’s safety.
Your quick checklist
Before you hire anyone, make sure you’ve asked:
- Do you have a basic DBS certificate from the last year, and can I see it?
- Do you have public liability insurance, and how much cover?
- Do you charge by the hour or by the job, and what’s included?
- What happens if the clean isn’t right?
- What are your cancellation fees?
- How will you get into my home when I’m out?
- Do you bring your own equipment, and can you use mine if I prefer?
- Will I get the same cleaner each time, and what’s your cleaner turnover like?
- How much paid cleaning experience do your cleaners have?
Watch how they answer
Here’s the one piece of advice I’d leave you with. The questions matter, but the way a company answers them tells you even more.
Pay attention to the whole experience. How easy is it to book? How quickly and clearly do they communicate? Are they happy to answer all your questions, even the awkward ones? And above all, how do they respond when something goes wrong?
If a company gets those things right before you’ve even booked, there’s a good chance they’ll get your clean right too.
If you’re in Dartford, Bexley, Wilmington, Greenhithe or Stone, ask us any of the questions above. Call or text 07596 066461, email [email protected], or get a price for your home in about 60 seconds at DartfordClean.co.uk.