Frequently Asked Questions About Our Home Cleaning Services
On this page we have tried to answer any questions you might have about our cleaning service. We hope you find it helpful, but if you have any other queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
How many hours do I need?
A useful rule of thumb for the base service is that the number of bedrooms often equals the number of hours per week – but every home and client is different. This can be affected by your cleaning preferences, as well as the number of occupants and/or children, cats, dogs, and any other residents in the household.
We are happy to provide the number of hours you request, but if we feel it’s not enough or, indeed too many, we will advise you and review it together to reach a mutually satisfactory arrangement.
Our watchwords are “quality, quality, quality” and we cannot compromise the 5* service we provide. Our minimum visit is 3 hours per week (£89 minimum weekly charge). Our hourly rate is £25–£30 depending on location and volume. Excellent cleaning takes time, and you can be sure we will provide a premium service in whatever amount of time you request.
What time will my cleaner arrive?
We cannot guarantee an exact time of arrival, as our cleaners often travel in a shared vehicle and during rush hours. We are happy to suggest an approximate ETA and to try and work within an “AM/PM” promise, but we cannot run a precise appointment service.
Our working day starts around 08:00. We tend not to be able to start jobs around 09:30. If you do not want us to start 08:00–08:30, then it is likely that the earliest arrival will be around 10:30am–12:00 noon. We plan to be finished by 17:30 for most clients except by agreement.
Do I get the same cleaner each week?
Yes – once we have an agreed weekly routine in place we will try to maintain regular days, times and teams.
Why do your rates vary?
Our pricing is affected by a number of factors. Chiefly, these are day of the week, frequency of service, location, volume of work, and flexibility of timing and/or resourcing. There are no hard and fast rules, but Thursday and Friday tend to be slightly more expensive, as do out-of-town or village locations, as they incur additional travel time and costs.
If you can be flexible on the time of day and the occasional change of day, and you’re happy to accept a two-person cleaning team, that is extremely helpful to us and often allows us to provide the service at the lower end of our rate range (£25–£30 per hour, depending on location and volume).
Why are you more expensive than the competition?
We understand the question – and we’re happy to explain it transparently.
Our hourly rate is £25–£30 (depending on location and volume), with a minimum booking of 3 hours weekly (£89 minimum weekly charge). This reflects what it genuinely costs to deliver a reliable, consistent, long-term service while employing staff legally and fairly.
Like any responsible provider, our pricing needs to cover more than the cleaner’s take-home pay. It includes employer costs such as employer National Insurance, paid holiday entitlement, and workplace pension contributions, along with recruitment, training, supervision, insurance, equipment, and travel time (especially for out-of-town/village locations).
It’s also worth noting that businesses above the VAT registration threshold must register for VAT, which affects pricing structures across the market.
We are not aiming for “supernormal” profits – we’re aiming for a sustainable service that clients can depend on week after week, delivered by properly supported staff.
Do you work weekends?
Typically we do not plan regular jobs at the weekend. Our cleaners are very busy Monday to Friday and generally need a rest.
Do you do Spring cleaning?
No, sorry – we do not offer one-off cleans.
What services can my cleaner not provide (for insurance and/or safety reasons)?
Lifting heavy items
Cleaning exterior areas (e.g. windows)
Cleaning up after pet mess
Mould/damp damage (we will do our best but cannot promise)
Can my cleaner provide a vacuum or mop etc?
We appreciate it sometimes seems easy for us to supply or cover a broken/absent piece of equipment, but our cleaners have a busy schedule and often travel from client to client by bus, so I’m afraid this isn’t usually practical.
What areas do you cover?
We are based locally in Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield and cover the surrounding area from St Albans to Stevenage, across to Hertford and south to Potters Bar (including Welwyn, Knebworth, Codicote, Panshanger, Hatfield, Harpenden, Elstree, Borehamwood and Radlett, and villages such as Essendon and Wheathampstead).
What is my commitment?
We keep things simple. We have a straightforward agreement with clear terms and conditions.
Cancellations: We ask for 7 days’ notice to cancel a visit without payment, and we usually set a limit on the total number of free cancellations per year.
Trial period: There is an initial trial of the first 3 cleaning visits, on both sides. We understand clients can feel nervous about committing before they know us, so we will work hard to ensure the service meets expectations, can provide references where needed, and will adapt the service based on your feedback.
Long-term service: We’re looking for relationships that may last 3, 5 or even 10 years — in that context, three visits is a short period. Setting up a new client with a long-term perspective also requires a commitment from us (we may need to adjust routings and other clients’ timings to accommodate you effectively).
Ending the service after the trial: After the trial period, to terminate the service permanently we require 4 weeks’ notice from either side.
What happens when I go on holiday?
We ask for as much notice as possible, and at least a week for a no-charge cancellation. And we hope you have a lovely break. Equally, there may be times when our cleaners’ holiday or other personal commitments mean it is not possible for us to provide a substitute and we hope you will understand. We will always try to send an alternative cleaner when your regular cleaner is unavailable if you want us to.
What happens if my cleaning day falls on a Public Holiday?
If your clean falls on a Public Holiday we will consider that visit cancelled. We will of course attempt to provide cover on another day in the same week or as close as possible — should you require this. However, please note that this is by mutual arrangement and capacity can be limited, especially at Christmas/New Year.
My children’s bedrooms are usually a mess – is that a problem?
We take little (as well as big) people’s clutter in our stride and are perfectly happy to tidy up. But we do ask you to consider whether you want to pay us to tidy or to clean. As always, it’s entirely up to you – but time spent tidying/clearing up is then not available for cleaning.
Do you have to come to my home before you start cleaning for me?
Generally, no. We are very happy to take bookings by phone (07960 360 574) or by email (doneanddusteddomestic@gmail.com). We always say the first 3 cleaning visits are a trial on both sides and it is always your decision if you want to continue with it. We can do a survey visit if you feel it is necessary in order to assess the service you need.
Do I need to be in my home for you to clean?
We would prefer to hold a key as this ensures we will always be able to gain access in case you are busy or absent. For regular cleaning you can also either leave keys in a key safe or another safe location for collection.
Do your cleaners wash the dishes?
Our cleaners will clean up any leftover dishes from the morning if required. This can include hand washing or loading the dishwasher. If you do not wish for our cleaners to do this then please let us know.
Please also be aware that time spent cleaning/tidying dishes will reduce the total cleaning time available.
Are your cleaners okay with pets?
Please tell us if you have a pet so we can ensure we provide cleaners who are happy to work around pets. Most of our cleaners are fine with all pets.
Can I give specific instructions?
You are welcome to provide specific instructions weekly or occasionally if you want certain areas focused on. We ask that you make a reasonable consideration to timings and priorities to avoid confusion or disappointment. For example, adding an extra hour of ironing needs to be compensated with more than “leaving the spare room this week”. Please be aware that time spent on other jobs will mean less time for overall cleaning.
We would prefer that all important instructions are emailed to us for confirmation and to avoid any misunderstanding.
What do I need to provide the cleaner with?
Mop and bucket
Vacuum cleaner (preferably electric, not battery)
Cleaning products (e.g. bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, glass cleaner)
Rubber gloves
Sponges and cloths
Toilet cleaner/bleach and brush
Washing up liquid (if dishes need washing)
Are you insured?
Very much so. You may see our insurance certificate here.
What payment methods do you take?
We prefer online Standing Order payment. We send you our bank details and ask you to set up a regular payment date. You retain total control at all times and can stop a payment or cancel whenever you wish. If you prefer not to pay electronically, we ask for cash.