1. What Is Domestic Cleaning?

House or domestic cleaning is the act of tidying your home. Simple as that. It can consist of various tasks and take different amounts of time. Depending on the situation, you can either do it by yourself or hire a professional to help you.

2. What Is Included in Domestic Cleaning?

House cleaning can involve many different activities like:

  • Mopping
  • Dusting
  • Vacuuming
  • Window cleaning
  • Etc.

It can be organised room by room or can be divided into separate daily tasks.
When you hire a company to do it for you, they will represent you with a list of all the things the service includes. Depending on your agreement, you can add or retract different chores.

3. How to Choose a Cleaning Company?

Here are some significant characteristics reputable agencies must have to be classified as good and trustworthy.

  • Is it a real company?

This sounds strange, but it is a very popular scam to create fake companies to steal valuables or money from unsuspected customers. Search for the address and site of the cleaners. Check the company’s registration number and speak with their agent on the phone. Always sign a cleaning contract or protocol and be sure to ask for an invoice.

  • Reference

Make a little investigation of your own and read through all the comments for the services provided by each company. Ask directly the managers or cleaning agents for references from their previous clients. There will always be that one bad review from an unhappy client but the reasoning behind it could be irrelevant to the actual services. Search for the companies with a history in the cleaning business. If they are more than ten years old, they are a stable and reliable partner.

  • Cleaner’s CV

All employees hired by the company must have clean criminal records and good CVs. The agency should be able to provide you with information about the technicians and their work experience. At the end of the day, you are about to let a couple of strangers on your property and have to feel safe and good about it. Developing a relationship based on mutual trust is very important when selecting a cleaning company.

  • Insurance policy

Accidents happen even to the best of us, so make sure the company is insured. Ask for certificates and discuss the different policies with the cleaning agent. You need to pick the safest option.

  • Good customer service

Communication is important, and you have to be at ease when speaking to your cleaning consultant. It is crucial feeling your company understands your needs and will do everything to fulfil your expectations.

  • Price range

Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean bad quality, and pricey does not always stand for good service. Make your decision based on reputation, available personnel and company trust. At the end of the day, you receive what you paid for. Make the smart choice and select a reasonably priced cleaning company with excellent references and staff, happy to assist you.

4. What Are the Advantages of Hiring Professional Home Cleaners?

True to their title, professional house cleaners will reduce your workload and also keep your home tidy. But what are the actual benefits you might expect?

  • Free time – the average British person spends around 7 hours a week in cleaning. Now imagine having this time for yourself. It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
  • Clean home – No more dust, black spots and dirty carpets. Your house will be spotless, and you don’t have to do anything to achieve it.
  • Health benefits – Research shows that when your living space is well-organised, you are more concentrated, less prone to migraines and generally more energised. Not to mention people with allergies and asthma will avoid triggering a lot of nasty symptoms.
  • Saving money – You don’t have to buy expensive detergents, cleaning tools or worry about dry cleaning. The professionals will deal with every spot and smell. Not to mention your carpeting and upholstery will last longer.

5. When to Call a Professional Cleaning Company?

Some special circumstances require the intervention of a third party. There is nothing wrong in depending on professionals to do the job you don’t have the time to or don’t have the necessary education.

5.1 Post-hospitalisation House Cleaning

There comes a time in every person’s life when they get admitted to a hospital. Something we usually don’t think about is how our body reacts to the sterile environment in these medical facilities.

  • After an operation or an invasive procedure of any kind, our immune system is weakened, and we have to take better care of ourselves. Once you are discharged from the hospital, you enter your home and into potential danger.
  • Your body could experience an initial shock in the form of a fever or an intense headache. To minimise the possibility of developing a post-operational allergy or immune deficiency, you must thoroughly clean your room and your home.

The place where you are going to spend the majority of your time immediately after you leave the hospital must be disinfected and cleaned from:

  • dust;
  • mould;
  • mildew;
  • pet hairs;
  • flower pollen, etc.;

The best and most quick way to deal with all that is to contact a specialised local company. It is important to inform them of your condition if you have an intolerance to some cleaning substances and further medical requirements.

5.2 Having a New Member of the Family

Everybody loves babies. There is nothing more adorable than having the little bundle of joy in your arms and feel like you can conquer the world for them. But let us start with something more simple, win the battle in your own home.

  • When you first bring your baby to its new house, the place has to be sparkling clean, especially the nursing room.
  • You can not use any strong cleaning products, bleach, and anything containing chlorine or ammonia is out of the question.
  • In the first few months, babies are prone to develop allergies or intolerance to different substances, so you have to be extremely careful around them.

Steam cleaning is the answer to all your prayers. This is an eco-friendly method that does not require the use of any chemicals, despite being the most effective way to disinfect your household. Almost every professional company has a steam cleaning service. They can cleanse different surfaces, fabrics and even the air in your home.
This type of service is also recommended if you or someone in your family is pregnant. Doctors advise pregnant women to avoid using cleaning supplies and solutions with a high concentration of chemicals. Strong smells and vapours also have a negative effect on expecting mothers.

If you want to know more about the benefits of this type of cleansing, our experts have created a separate steam cleaning guide. Check it out.

5.3 Black Spots in the Home

Imagine going to take a shower and seeing black residue between the tiles or the corners. You go to the kitchen and find the same black spots in the cupboards and under the sink. Congratulations you have mould! And you most likely have it:

  • under the carpet;
  • in the living room;
  • in the base of your windows;
  • hidden in your ventilation system;
  • in the corners of your child’s room;

Mould and mildew can be caused by many factors but mainly:

  • recent floodings;
  • pipe leakage;
  • very humid climate;

Mould is a resilient fungus that can cause health problems in small children, elderly people, and in general, everybody with allergies or a weak immune system.

If you live in a rainy country like the UK, you most definitely have a mould problem. In almost every home in London, there is a black spot in some corner and orange residue on the tiles in the bathroom.

5.4 Having Animals in the House

If you have a pet, in particular, a cat or a dog, you know the struggle of keeping your house hair-free. Most dogs change their winter fur during the spring, and that is the moment when you have to constantly clean. Unfortunately, cat hairs are even more annoying as they tend to stick to everything including the inside of the dishwasher and the laundry machine.

The majority of dog breeds cannot be groomed, or it is not recommended as it is not good for your pet’s skin. You must never bring your cat to the pet salon, as they are not meant to be without fur.

The end of spring is a great time to call a cleaning company to vacuum and disinfect the whole house. You must inform them how many pets you have and their breed. Typically, the cleaners will know what supplies to use and what type of cleaning will be best to “defurrafy” your home.

6. How Much Does It Cost to Clean a House in the UK?

The price depends on what you want as some are rated hourly, and others are based on the type of cleaning. For example, the regular domestic service can cost anywhere from £12 to £20 per hour. But the price of curtain steam cleaning is based on the length of your drapes with no regards to time whatsoever.
Thankfully, most reputable cleaners have different deals and subscription options. If you are looking for a long term commitment, you usually provide the agency with your requirements. Based on them and the standard rates of the company, you will receive an offer.

7. How Many Cleaners Should You Hire and How Long Will They Clean?

When you are working with a cleaning company, you don’t have to worry about the number of technicians. Agencies have different teams depending on how big your property is and what type of services you have booked. Bear in mind initial cleanups take longer than usual because the technicians need to thoroughly cleanse the premises. After that, every visit is for basically maintaining your home’s state. However, it is good to know how many people to expect, so here is an estimate for regular domestic cleaning in London:

Type of home Number of cleaners Cleaning time (max)
A studio flat 1 1 h 30 min
1 bedroom home 1-2 2 h
2 bedroom home 2 2h 30 min
3 bedroom home 2 3h
4 bedroom home 2-3 4h
5 bedroom home 4 4h 30min
5+ bedroom home 4+ 5h +

 

Disclaimer: The cleaning time also depends on the number of bathrooms the home has as these rooms usually take longer to be properly sanitised. For example, if you own a 2 bedroom home with only one bathroom, the cleaning time will be less than 2 hrs.

8. What Is Speed Cleaning?

To put it simply, it is like a regular tidying up but faster. You don’t scrub and scrape your home for hours, rather do a couple of well-planned chores spread throughout several days. Speed cleaning is perfect when you feel lazy or have too much on your hands to spend the whole day mopping and vacuuming. It is a popular practice during the Holidays, especially when you are waiting for family and friends to stop by.

8.1 How to Speed Clean?

  • Listen to music – The rhythm will help you concentrate and switch off your brain. This way, you will both relax and train your body to get used to the fast sweeping or wiping motions. The next time you book house cleaners, notice how most of them also listen to music while working.
  • Put on a timer – A pro tip for the newbies at speed cleaning: to develop the habit of properly organising your time, you need to learn to work on the clock. You will soon notice how you spend less and less precious minutes and move faster.
  • Use a cleaning apron – Experienced London professionals say this is the best way to execute perfect cleaning services. The apron has multiple pockets where you can keep your tools and spray bottles. Thus, you don’t have to run around the house searching for different things.
  • Do not repeat the same chore each day – The idea is to do short but intensive cleaning seances. It is pointless to repeat the same task, for example, vacuuming the floors.
  • Don’t overdo it – Nobody is expecting miracles. It is called speed cleaning for a reason. Yes, your windows may be dirty, and you will still have dust on top of your wardrobes, but realistically speaking nobody will notice it.

Weekly Speed Cleaning Checklist9. How to Clean Your House?

The best way to maintain a tidy home is to have a weekly cleaning schedule. This way, you don’t need to do everything all at once, and you will have more free time.
Here’s how to make it work:

9.1 Use a Checklist to Keep Track of Cleaning Chores

To not lose track of your progress, it’s best to have your weekly cleaning schedule written down and printed in the form of a simple checklist. We swear by this, and ticking off those boxes will be one of your most satisfactory daily achievements.

9.2 Don’t Go Overboard

The first rule of the weekly schedule is to have 30 minutes long cleaning sessions. The goal is to do what you can for that amount of time and continue with your normal day-to-day activities. After all, you’ll do the same chore next week or even sooner, if you have it in your daily list.

9.3 Have Your Cleaning Kit Prepared

For this schedule to work, you need to properly prepare first. You can save some precious minutes by having all your supplies neatly organised in a handy cleaning kit. If it takes you 5 minutes to gather your stuff, you’re already failing with the task. A cheap cleaning caddy can be your best friend. Get one, pack it with everything and always put it in the same place after using it.

9.4 Group Your House Chores

The thing that’ll save you most time is knowing what to do once you pick up your cleaning caddy. Group tasks of similar kind and tackle them at once. It’ll take you twice as much time and effort to deal with different types of chores like, say, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom in one day.

Download checklist here: Ultimate speed cleaning checklist

10. What Is the Difference Between Regular and Deep Cleaning?

The regular domestic service includes one or two technicians that visit your home periodically to maintain it clean and organised. Basically, you have maids that take care of the day to day needs of your home.

The deep house cleanup also is known as one-off domestic cleaning (not to be mistaken with spring cleaning) is a one-time service. It consists of a crew arriving at your place and scrubbing it top to bottom. Usually, the tasks they perform are not included in the regular domestic. We are talking about washing carpets, steam cleaning curtains, etc. The one-off service should be performed once or twice a year apart from the other regular activities.

11. In What Order Do You Deep Clean Your House?

When you begin tidying up your home, you always start from the least used room and make your way to the places with the most foot traffic. The idea is not to spread dirt and dust on the already vacuumed floors.

When you are dusting, you need to start from the top shelf or the highest place and go down. This way you won’t be messing up the already cleaned surfaces.
Leave the bathroom for last as during the cleanup you might need to visit it a couple of times to get water or cleaning supplies. Plus it is easy to wash it.

Complete House Cleaning Checklist12. What Is a Professional House Cleaning Checklist?

This is a list containing all the tasks you need to finish to properly clean your home. Most companies have a standard template that can be altered according to the type of home they are working in and the customer’s wishes. You can download ours for free from here: Ultimate cleaning checklist

13. How Do You Remove Stains?

There are a couple of rules you need to follow when cleaning stains regardless of the substance which caused them:

  • Do not let the dirty spot dry out. Once the stains are embedded in the fabric, it gets harder to remove it.
  • Never rub. This will cause a serious mess as the spot will only get bigger and bigger. You want to contain the stain and remove it, not spread the dirt all over the place.
  • Always read the labels on your cleaning solutions. Some chemicals are not meant to be used on particular fabrics and surfaces, as they can seriously damage them.
  • Avoid bleach. There are far safer options on the market plus this solvent is quite overrated.
  • Use enzyme cleaners for natural stains. Like the ones caused by foods, bodily fluids, pet oopsies, etc.

13.1 Can All Stains Be Cleaned?

No, some stains are permanent and can’t be removed regardless of the solvents and tools you use. The older a spot is, the harder it gets to clean it, and in some cases it is impossible. The most important thing when dealing with stains is to know what caused them. We have created a detailed guide dedicated to identifying and cleaning spots. There you can also find how to handle the top 20 most frequent stains you may encounter.

14. What Safety Precautions You Need to Take When Cleaning?

Cleaning can be a dangerous process if you are not careful. There are many things you need to think about, especially when dealing with strong chemicals. Here is a list of all the precautions you have to take when tidying your home:

  • Open windows – When using chemicals to wash your bathroom or cleaning mould from the walls, you need to make sure there is constant fresh airflow in the home. Most solvents emit fumes that can be dangerous if you inhale them for a long period.
  • Wear rubber gloves – Human skin is very absorbent, and detergents can easily irritate or dry it off.
  • Consider a facemask – To avoid inhaling fumes or triggering your asthma, cover your mouth and nose when cleaning with strong solutions.
  • Put on safety goggles – Especially when you deal with your drains, as some solvents may have a chemical reaction and start fussing and bubbling sending droplets all over the place.
  • Read the labels – The first thing you do after purchasing a new detergent is to check the instructions and health hazards written on the back of the bottle.
  • Avoid using strong chemicals in the home – If you can, do not use ammonia or chlorine. These solvents are highly dangerous for your health.
  • If you suspect a mould infestation, call professional help – Some fungi can be toxic others can trigger an allergic reaction. When you have to deal with more than just a couple of spots in the bathroom, seek an expert.

15. How Do You Organize Cleaning Supplies?

Having a neat home is easy if you have the right cleaning supplies. We are not only talking about buckets and mops, but you also need to have a lot more.

15.1 What are the Common Cleaning Tools?

It may sound trivial, but we will start by listing the most important cleaning tools used:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Scrub brush
  • Wash brush
  • Microfibre cloths
  • Old toothbrushes
  • A pair of rubber gloves
  • A squeegee
  • A mop and a bucket.
  • A dustpan and an indoor broom
  • Some soft sponges
  • A couple of spray bottles

Regardless of the cleaning methods, you use, at some point, you will need all of these tools. Our professional advice is to keep everything organised and in one place. This way, you will be able to clean faster and not waste time searching for different things around the property. We will take a deeper look into two of the most widespread cleaning utensils.

15.2 How to Pick the Right Cleaning Brush?

You will notice we have mentioned a couple of different types of cleaning brushes so far. According to the type of bristles they have, you can use these tools for completing various cleaning chores.

  • Soft bristle brushes – Usually, professionals use them for washing delicate materials like textile upholstery or marble worktops. You won’t get much of a scrub out of them, but you will avoid damaging or scratching the surfaces in your property.
  • Medium bristle brushes – Most toothbrushes fell in this category. These types of brushes are great if you want to clean your tiles or sink. They are hard enough to remove the limescale and soap residue but are still gentle enough to not damage the area you are using them on.
  • Hard bristle brushes – You need to be very careful with those types of brushes. They are usually used to clean the outside of your property. Great for scrubbing your porch and patio. Avoid using them in your home.

15.3 What Do You Need to Know About Your Vacuum Cleaner

This is one of the most important cleaning tools in your home, and you need to pick it very carefully. Before making the big purchase, you have to decide on the following:

  • Bag or container – Nowadays a lot of models don’t have a vacuum bag, but a container. Some are even equipped with water filters. To be fair the latter is one of the best machines on the market, but if you are on a budget, they might not be the right choice for you.
  • Vacuum cleaner’s attachments – Usually overlooked, your hoover’s accessories are quite important. Make sure to buy a machine with all 4 basic attachments – upholstery brush, dusting brush, crevice tool and extension wand.
  • HEPA filters – Make sure your new vacuum machine is equipped with it. In general HEPA filters collect small particles and clean the air while you hoover your property.

15.4 Mistakes When Shopping for Cleaning Supplies

When you go on a shopping spree, you need to pay attention to a couple of things:

  • Don’t overstock. Avoid cluttering your home with cleaning products and tools. Unless they are on sale and it is a really good bargain, purchase only the things you actually need.
  • Don’t trust the ads on TV. Always read the labels of both your detergents and the items you are going to use them on. Do not believe everything you see or hear, or you might seriously damage your belongings. You have no idea how many professional cleaners in London are booked after such bad choices.
  • Sometimes it is better to rent than buy. The shiny steam cleaning machine might look tempting but let be real for a second. You will use it at most 2 times a year. It’s better to book these kinds of cleaning services than to wonder where to place all of the unnecessary tools and supplies.
  • Not all utensils are good for your property. Keep in mind that some tools are specifically designed to clean particular surfaces. Spend some time researching what are your best options and avoid uninformed buying.

Shop smart and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from your local London professional cleaning company.

16. What Are the Most Common Cleaning Mistakes?

We’re so used to cleaning and tend to do it mechanically, not taking into account the small details that can ruin even our best efforts. A number of mistakes can be made while tidying up your house:

  • Using the wrong tools;
  • Not taking into consideration the weather outside;
  • Overlooking the mess, our pets sometimes make;
  • Letting stains to dry off and forgetting to remove them on time;

Are you interested to know what more can go wrong during a house clean up? We have a related guide on the most common cleaning mistakes people make, just for you.

17. How to Clean Depending on the Season?

Each season has its cleaning demands. Specific tasks need to be done at the right time for the maximum effect and health benefit. For example:

  • Spring is the best time to wash your windows, as it is cloudy outside and you will see all the smudges.
  • Carpet washing needs to be performed during the Summer. The sun is stronger, and you will be able to dry off your rugs faster. If you live in a house and have space, you can even take your carpets out and let them breathe a little.
  • Autumn is an important cleaning season as this is the time to prep your home for the cold months. A lot needs to be done: cleaning the AC, inspecting the vents, removing cobwebs and dusting, just to name a few.
  • Winter is a lazy time. You really don’t have the energy to clean, but it’s the holidays, and you just have to have a presentable home.

If you want to learn more about what exactly, you need to do depending on each season, go and check out our seasonal cleaning guide. It will give you some great ideas on how to have a tidy home and actually save some time and money.


Stephanie Cooper

Stephanie is a content marketing specialist for Top Cleaners for the past several years. She has extensive experience working with cleaning companies and knows her audience. Stephanie creates engaging and useful content helping the customers of Top Cleaners with their struggles and providing them with the most accurate insight.