FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer deep cleaning or end of tenancy cleans?

Housekeep offers one-off deep cleaning for homes and offices. Deep cleaning includes a thorough clean of all surfaces, including oven cleaning and inside window cleaning. Carpet and upholstery cleaning is available as an optional extra. You can find out more about our deep cleaning service here. You can get a quote and book online here.

Housekeep also offers end of tenancy cleaning. End of tenancy cleaning includes everything that's in a deep clean, plus cleaning hard to reach places and the inside of appliances and furniture. You can find out more about our end of tenancy cleaning service here.

You can see how all of our one-off cleaning services compare here.

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Do you clean offices and commercial properties?

You can book commercial cleaning on a regular (weekly, fortnightly, daily etc.) or one-off basis. We clean all types of commercial property, including:

• Offices
• Shops & retail spaces
• Residential blocks
• Bars and restaurants
• Schools
• Hospitals & medical facilities
• Factories & industrial units
• Warehouses
• Gyms
• Care homes
• Hotels & Airbnb's
• Commercial kitchens
• Data centres & server rooms
• Events

You can get a quote for your commercial property here.

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Can my Housekeeper clean whilst I'm out?

All cleaners on the Housekeep platform go through an 8-step background checking process, so you can trust them to clean your home whilst you are out. If you book in for a regular visit, you can take advantage of our key pick up & tracking service, and give them a spare key on your next cleaning visit. Once they have your keys they can clean while you're out. Alternatively you can leave your keys somewhere safe, with a concierge or in a key safe. Just let us know where the keys will be when you book. If you book in for a single visit, you will need to be home to let your Housekeeper in, but you can ask them to shut the door behind them when they leave, or lock the door and post the keys back through your letterbox if needed.

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What time will my Housekeeper arrive?

We cannot guarantee arrival at a specific time, as our local Housekeepers travel on foot or by public transport and we need to allow for public transport delays. We will however, be able to provide a time window in which your Housekeeper will arrive. This allows for travel time between jobs and any transport delays that may occur (it is London!)

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Will my Housekeeper wash up dishes?

Your Housekeeper will clean up any dishes left over from breakfast and wash them or load the dishwasher for you. They will also put any clean dishes away for you. 

Large amounts of washing up can eat into your Housekeepers cleaning time. If you would prefer your Housekeeper prioritise the washing up over other cleaning tasks, please add this as a cleaning instruction via your members account. Please note this may mean your Housekeeper cannot clean all the rooms in your house, so you can increase your visit time to account for this, if available.

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What services can my Housekeeper not provide?

If you've booked a normal 'one-off' or 'recurring' clean, your Housekeeper cannot provide a vacuum, mop or bucket. You must provide these. 

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Is my Housekeeper okay with pets?

All Housekeepers are asked upon joining the platform if they are comfortable working with pets. As long as you let us know that you have a pet, we can ensure you're assigned a Housekeeper who is happy to work around animals.

You are also able to add instructions for your Housekeeper via your online account regarding your pets. These might include making sure all windows and doors are kept closed, or letting your Housekeeper know that your dog is scared of the hoover.

Please note: Your Housekeeper cannot feed, clean, walk or care for your pet.

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How does Housekeep work?

Housekeep is the award-winning online booking platform for experienced home cleaners. Each cleaner is interviewed in-person, background-checked, and English speaking - so you get a 5* clean every time, backed up by a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

We have a dedicated online member login area for all Housekeep customers, so you can easily book new visits, reschedule existing visits, edit your cleaning preferences, and add extras like cleaning products, oven cleaning, indoor window cleaning or even flowers with the simple click of a button. We also provide online booking and payment, key pick up & tracking, and you are now able to select a cover Housekeeper on days when your regular Housekeeper is unavailable.

With Housekeep, finding your perfect, regular cleaner just got easier! 

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Can I book in ad-hoc?

We understand that sticking to a strict schedule does not work for everyone, that's why we make it as easy as possible for you to book in single visits as and when you please. After your initial one-off clean, all you need to do is log in to your members account, select "Book New Cleans", then select "One-off". It's as simple as that.

You can then select from any of your previous Housekeepers, or let us select the best available Housekeeper for you by selecting 'Other'. If you want the same Housekeeper for every visit, we recommend booking a regular visit, as your local Housekeepers’ schedule will often fill with weekly and fortnightly customers.

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What are your customer service hours?

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 7.00pm and on a Saturday and Sunday, 09.00am to 5.00pm.  Simply get in touch via the Contact page or your online account.

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How do I book?

If you are a new customer booking a standard clean, all you need to do is complete our online booking form where you can customise your clean and choose a time and day that suits you! You can book a one-off clean or a regular weekly/fortnightly visit with the same Housekeeper. 

If you are booking a specialist deep clean or end of tenancy clean, you can do that here. If you are booking a clean for a commercial property, you can do that here.

If you are an existing Housekeep customer, you can book new visits as and when you need to via your online members account. From your online account you can also arrange a cover Housekeeper if your regular Housekeeper is unavailable.

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How do I use a coupon code?

If you have a coupon code, you can add it during the 'quote' step when booking a regular cleaning service here. Enter your code in the 'gift card' field and click the '+' button to check it's valid & apply it. 

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What is included in a standard clean?

To see what is included in a Housekeep clean, please check out our services page.

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How do I customise my clean?

Every home is different, so we capture your specific cleaning requirements during booking. Your requirements are then saved in your Housekeeper's mobile app, so you can rest assured your Housekeeper knows exactly how you want your home cleaned. You can add/edit/delete this information at any time via your members account. Please make any changes by 18:00 the day before your next visit, so your Housekeeper has a chance to read them!

If you visit your member account here, you will be able to see all your upcoming visits and saved cleaning preferences.

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Can Housekeepers provide vacuums or mops?

Unfortunately, not. Housekeepers usually travel by public transport, so they don’t carry any heavy equipment (imagine carrying a vacuum during tube rush hour!). You can request standard cleaning sprays and cloths as part of your clean though.

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How does pricing work?

It's simple - you pay a flat hourly rate which includes your cleaner's charge and our charges.

We'll estimate the number of hours you need per clean, based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms that you have. But you can select as many hours as you want (minimum 2).

You can also add extra time for things like laundry and ironing. These are charged at the same hourly rate.

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Can I pay my Housekeeper the London Living Wage?

If you would like to pay your Housekeeper the London Living Wage, which is currently £11.05 per hour, please get in touch via your online account. We will then increase the hourly rate you pay, and your Housekeeper will receive the London Living Wage as per your request. Just email us if you have any questions.

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Which areas do you cover?

We cover all London postcodes (E, W, N, NW, S, SE, SW, IG, CR, HA, TW), and various other London areas. If we do not currently serve your postcode yet, all you need to do is enter your postcode & your email here >> www.housekeep.com/housekeepbooking

You will then receive a notification & special offer when we open in your area. We're growing fast, and opening new areas each week, so make sure you keep an eye out for that email!

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Is my Housekeeper well looked after?

Yes, we are a company that cares a lot about cleaner happiness. We understand they work hard to provide top quality house cleaning and in turn we help them to build up their own local business. Our aim is to help cleaners to find lots of local customers and to reduce their admin time, so they can focus on what they're good at - top quality home cleaning! 

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How does insurance work?

In the unlikely event that your Housekeeper causes any damage/breakage in your home, you need to inform us within 72 hours of your Housekeeper's visit for us to be able to help.

Please provide proof of damage, including photos & full details of the damage/breakage. We will then liaise with your Housekeeper and this will open a damage case our side.

Please note that your Housekeeper would not cover the cost of general wear and tear caused by normal cleaning. 

Full terms of our damage policy can be found here.

Although we do have an insurance policy, this exists to cover extreme cases such as fire or serious injury, and does not cover damage. Please note you will be required to pay a minimum excess of £250 for claims on this policy. For full details please see our terms and conditions. 

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How do I submit a complaint?

After your Housekeep visit you will receive a rating email, where you can give your housekeeper a star rating out of 5. If you rate 3* or less, we will ask you to leave some comments on what went wrong. Please take some pictures and attach these to your rating, as this will help us to assess the clean. Our support team will be in touch once they've reviewed your comments & images, and may be able to apply some credit towards another regular clean.

If you would like a different Housekeeper on your next visit, you can let our support team know when they get in contact.

You can also rate your clean via your online account - just click on 'Past cleans'.

Please note that all complaints must be submitted within 72 hours of the clean being completed, and that we are not able to offer credit without a photographic record of the clean.

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How do I become a Housekeeper?

We’re always looking for new Housekeeper, so if you’re experienced in home cleaning and you’re looking for flexible home cleaning work that's close to home, please fill out our online application form.

If you're wondering why Housekeep is the best place for you to meet customers, you can find out here.

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Can I reschedule or cancel my clean?

Yes! Your cleans are fully flexible until 18:00 the day before the clean - you can reschedule, skip or cancel any clean in your online account before this time without incurring any charge.

If you need to cancel or reschedule a clean after this cut-off time, or if your Housekeeper arrives and is unable to gain entry or start the clean, you will be charged the full price of the clean.

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How do you background-check Housekeepers?

All Housekeepers are background checked. This covers a right to work check, and a basic criminal record check. Each Housekeeper is also interviewed in person and must maintain consistently high ratings to remain on the Housekeep platform.

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What extra services will my Housekeeper provide?

As well as a regular home cleaning service, your Housekeeper will also be able to provide the following services:

• Ironing
• Laundry
• Indoor Window Cleaning
• Oven Cleaning
• Fridge Cleaning

You can either add these services on to all visits, for example you might want ironing every visit, or you can add them on as a one off to any individual visit, for example, you might just want an oven clean every now and then. These extra services are all charged at the standard hourly rate.

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How does key pick up & tracking work?

If you'd like your Housekeeper to look after your spare keys, you can organise for them to pick up your spare keys during a cleaning visit. You can let us know when you book online or you can organise this yourself at any point in your online account. Our systems will then let your Housekeeper know to pick up the spare keys via their phone app. This service is only available for regular customers.

Once your Housekeeper picks up your keys, we send them a unique code to tag to your spare keys and ensure any other identification about you or your property is removed. We then log on our system that your Housekeeper holds the key.

If you need your keys returned, you can request that they are dropped off during a clean, through the Access and spare keys page of your online account. Alternatively, you can book a separate visit just for your Housekeeper to return the keys. Please note there is a one hour charge for your Housekeeper to make a special journey to drop your keys off to you, to ensure their travel costs are covered.

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What happens to my spare keys when my Housekeeper goes on holiday?

Your spare keys will stay with your regular Housekeeper, so they can resume your cleans as soon as they return from holiday.

If you would like a cover Housekeeper while they're away, you need to provide access for the cover Housekeeper.

If you would prefer to get your spare keys returned to you before your Housekeeper goes on holiday, you can ask your Housekeeper to return the keys on their next visit. You can add this as a cleaning instruction in your account, or send your Housekeeper a message via chat.

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Can I give my Housekeeper cleaning instructions?

You are welcome to pass on up to 5 instructions to your Housekeeper via your members account. These instructions are limited to a maximum of 140 characters per instruction, as these will be transferred directly onto your Housekeeper's app. This way, your Housekeeper can access your cleaning instructions before and during your cleaning visit.

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How does payment work?

To make payment as simple as possible, we bill the card you provided during booking on the evening of your clean. We then pay your Housekeeper on your behalf, including any tips that you've added while rating your clean.

We currently accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express payment cards, however we are unable to process any pre-paid cards.

All payments are processed via our secure payment system, Stripe, where your card details are encrypted for security purposes. You'll be able to update your payment details at any time via the Payment card page your online account.

When you initially register your details, or update your payment details, you may notice a £30 authorisation charge on your bank statement. We authorise your payment card for £30 to ensure there are sufficient funds for us to pay your Housekeeper. This will have the reference HK_Auth, and the charge will immediately be returned to your account. Depending on your bank this may take a few hours, or possibly days, to disappear from your statement.

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Will Housekeep cover last minute absence?

If your Housekeeper notifies Housekeep on the day of your visit that they are unable to clean your home, we will skip that visit for you. If you would like to reschedule that visit or arrange a cover Housekeeper, you can do so via your member account here. 

Housekeep will only send a new Housekeeper to you if your regular Housekeeper moves out of your area or leaves the platform.

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Will I always have the same cleaner?

When you book in for a regular weekly or fortnightly clean, we will match you with a cleaner who can come to you on a recurring basis. You will keep the same cleaner for every visit, unless your cleaner changes the area they work in or leaves the platform. We can send a replacement cleaner to you if your cleaner is away on holiday, however we cannot guarantee cover for last minute absence.

If you book in for a one-off visit, we cannot guarantee that the same cleaner will be available for your next clean. Furthermore, if you suspend your account or skip your visits for a period of 4 weeks or more, we cannot guarantee the same cleaner upon your return to the service.

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Can my Housekeeper clean the outside windows?

Housekeepers are generally not able to clean the outside of windows. There are some specific circumstances where they can help: when the windows are easily, safely accessible on the ground floor or are on a wide balcony/terrace with barriers, with firm, even flooring. Obviously, this is weather-permitting and you’d need to provide appropriate sponges! Please note, your Housekeeper is never able to work at height, so cannot use a ladder or step ladder.

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Can you provide commercial cleaners?

In addition to homes, we can provide office, shop and commercial cleaners. You can choose daily office cleaning in the morning, afternoon and evening. Weekly VAT invoicing is also available on request. You can find more information about our commerical cleaning service here.

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Can my Housekeeper do my ironing?

Housekeepers can generally iron 8-10 shirts per hour. If you need more than 3 hours of ironing, we recommend a specialist laundry service.

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Can I book a regular monthly clean with the same cleaner?

No. You can schedule a regular visit with the same Housekeeper every fortnight, week, or more than weekly. If you would like to schedule a monthly visit, you can do this by booking a one-off visit every month. You can request the same Housekeeper for every visit, but we cannot guarantee their availability. If you would like the same Housekeeper for every visit, you should book a weekly or fortnightly visit. 

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What cleaning products do I need to provide for my Housekeeper?

All customers need to provide a mop & bucket, toilet brush and vacuum cleaner (plus an iron & board if ironing is required).

You can pay for your Housekeeper to provide all other cleaning products when booking. If you prefer to supply your own products, please ensure you have the following:

• A household disinfectant spray (look for something that 'kills 99.9%' of bacteria/viruses)
• Bathroom cleaner
• Bin bags
• Duster
• Floor cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Kitchen cleaner
• Laundry detergent
• Limescale remover
• Microfiber cloths (washed inbetween visits)
• Rubber gloves
• Sponges
• Toilet cleaner
• Vacuum bags (if required)
• Washing-up liquid

Here's a handy list of the products our Housekeepers recommend: https://housekeep.com/blog/2017/03/08/15-person-pet-and-planet-friendly-cleaning-products-you-need/

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Can I tip my Housekeeper?

Tipping your Housekeeper isn’t necessary, but we know customers sometimes want to say an extra thank you - so we've built that functionality for you.

Every time you rate your clean 5-stars, you'll see an option to add a tip. If you choose to tip, you can select £5, £10, £15, or enter an amount of your choosing.

The tipping option is available until 11pm on the day of your visit, and anything you leave will be automatically added to your bill.

Your Housekeeper will receive the full amount and a notification of your tip.

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Do you clean Airbnb properties?

We have lots of Airbnb landlords who use Housekeep to book one-off cleans between rentals or regular cleans for long-term guests. Housekeep is suitable for Airbnb properties if you can facilitate access to the property and have some flexibility on the time/day your property is cleaned:

1. You may need to book days/weeks in advance to get a clean at the time and day you want
2. We are unable to cover any last-minute absence of Housekeepers (for things such as sickness) - so we're not suitable for same-day check-out/check-in of the next guest
3. We need somebody to provide access to the property, or a key safe/concierge/neighbour that can hold your keys - your Housekeeper cannot hold your keys unless you book a regular visit. If you use KeyNest, get in touch and we can allow that access type on your account
4. You can leave special instructions for your Housekeeper via your online account, but we wouldn't recommend going beyond standard cleaning tasks - please don't ask your Housekeeper to top-up supplies, act as a host or provide damage or inventory reports - they do not offer these services

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What is the latest booking time for urgent cleans?

Housekeep can certainly help out with last minute or urgent cleans - you can book a Housekeeper for the next day until 18:00 the day before. For example, if you want a clean on Saturday, you can book until 18:00 on Friday.

When you go to book, you'll see the real-time, live availability of your local Housekeepers so will be able to book a date and time slot to suit you! 

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Can my Housekeeper clean my granite/marble/hardwood surfaces?

If you have any surfaces that require specific cleaning products or techniques such as marble, granite or hardwood, we recommend that you leave detailed instructions for cleaning these surfaces and provide any required products. Housekeepers do not provide specialist cleaning products for these surfaces (see here for a full list of products your Housekeeper can provide if requested), and Housekeep is not responsible for any damage caused through the use of incorrect products or cleaning techniques. The instructions can be left in your online account, which will be displayed to your Housekeeper in their mobile app.

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How can I contact Housekeep?

If you're an existing customer, the best way to contact our customer support team is via your online account, here. You can also email us directly at hello@housekeep.com. If you're a prospective customer, you can get in touch via the contact page of our website. 

You can also contact us using our online chat facility, which can be found throughout our website by clicking on the Support button in the bottom right of our site. Online chat is available Monday-Friday, 08:00-17:00 during business hours. 

Please note that our online chat facility may be unavailable during busy periods. 

For sensitive topics that need to be discussed by phone, please contact us via email and a member of the customer support team will arrange a time to call. Please note, we do generally resolve quality complaints by email as we rely upon your written account and photographic evidence.

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Can I get a receipt for my clean?

You are able to send individual receipts to the email address you have registered with for your 5 most recent visits via your members account. If you would like an email receipt sent to you after every clean, you can select this option via the My details page of your online account.

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Can I contact my Housekeeper?

To protect your privacy, we never give out your contact details to your Housekeeper, or vice versa. 

If you need to contact your Housekeeper, you can chat to them via the Contact page of your online account up to three days before your clean. You can also generate a disguised number to call your Housekeeper on the day of your clean. 

To pass non-urgent messages to your Housekeeper, you can leave notes for your Housekeeper on the Cleaning preferences page through your online account.  Please note, these forms should not be used to reschedule or cancel any cleans, and this can be done via the Future cleans page of your account.

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How much time do I need for my clean?

We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes per room as a guide, though you can amend the time based on preference and the size of your property. When creating your new booking, you'll receive a instant quote suggesting the number of hours you'll need for your clean. 

We can adjust the number of hours before you're billed if you'd like to increase the time, or if not all of the time is required. Please note that your Housekeeper may not be able to increase the time on the day, if they've other scheduled cleans.

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Can I have more than one regular clean per week?

If you're looking for a Housekeeper to visit you more than once per week then this is certainly something that we can help with!

When you sign up, we'll ask you how frequently you'd like cleans. To request more than one clean per week, simply select the 'More than weekly' option, and you'll be prompted for a little more info about the arrangement you're looking to set up.

Our support team will then look into the options for you and be back in touch via your registered contact details.

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How can I contact my Housekeeper once they’re assigned?

If you need to let your Housekeeper know about your cleaning preferences, you can leave detailed instructions via the Cleaning instructions page of your online account, right up until 18:00 the day before the clean.

If you need to contact your Housekeeper on the day of a clean - to check their ETA or otherwise - you’re able to call them through a disguised number, or send them a live chat. To get in touch with your Housekeeper, simply head to the Contact page of your online account, and follow the instructions there to call or chat with your Housekeeper.

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