Choosing a Cleaner in Sussex: Define the Standard Before You Compare the Price

If you are choosing cleaners in Sussex, define what “clean” means for this job before you compare hourly rates or fixed prices.

Regular domestic cleaning, a one-off deep clean and an end-of-tenancy clean can all involve the same rooms but very different levels of detail.

Start with the service type

Decide whether you need:

• regular maintenance;
• one-off deep clean;
• end-of-tenancy;
• pre-sale/pre-let;
• post-building clean;
• communal-area cleaning;
• managed-property changeover.

Do not ask several cleaners for “a house clean” and expect the quotes to mean the same thing.

Make a room-by-room checklist

For each room, decide what matters.

Kitchen

Possibilities include:

• worktops;
• cupboard fronts;
• sink;
• hob;
• extractor exterior;
• appliance exteriors;
• inside oven;
• inside fridge;
• inside cupboards;
• floor;
• bins.

Inside appliances/cupboards are often extra.

Bathroom

Clarify:

• sanitaryware;
• screens;
• limescale;
• tiles;
• grout;
• mirrors;
• floor;
• extractor covers.

Living/bedrooms

Clarify:

• dusting;
• vacuuming;
• hard floors;
• skirting;
• internal glass;
• furniture moving;
• beds/linen.

A written checklist prevents disappointment on both sides.

Regular cleaning is about repeatability

For a weekly or fortnightly service, ask what happens when the usual cleaner is unavailable.

Also discuss:

• same cleaner where possible;
• holiday cover;
• minimum visit;
• priority tasks if time is short;
• communication;
• cancellation notice.

If the budget buys three hours but the checklist needs five, choose priorities rather than assuming everything will somehow be completed.

Deep cleaning needs a finish point

A deep clean can expand indefinitely.

Agree what is included and excluded.

For example:

• oven?
• fridge?
• inside cupboards?
• windows?
• blinds?
• carpet extraction?
• upholstery?
• mould?
• heavy builders' dust?

Specialist carpet, upholstery, mould remediation or hazardous cleaning may require separate services.

End-of-tenancy cleaning needs evidence

Landlords and letting agents should align the clean with the property's actual check-in/check-out standard.

Before work:

• take photos;
• identify damage separately from dirt;
• remove abandoned items;
• confirm appliance scope;
• flag limescale/grease;
• arrange access.

Afterwards, inspect before the property is reoccupied.

A cleaner cannot repair damaged sealant, stained grout or worn carpets simply by cleaning harder.

Products and surfaces matter

Tell the cleaner about:

• natural stone;
• specialist timber;
• delicate metal finishes;
• induction hobs;
• polished surfaces;
• allergies/sensitivities;
• pets.

Ask whether products are supplied and whether there are surfaces they will not treat.

The strongest chemical is not necessarily the right product.

Keys and alarm codes need a simple process

If the cleaner works while the property is empty, agree:

• key collection;
• key storage;
• alarm procedure;
• lockbox;
• key return;
• who has authority to enter.

Do not label keys with a complete property address if a safer identification method is available.

For managed portfolios, record which supplier has which access method.

Quality checks should be practical

For a one-off clean, inspect before the team leaves where possible.

For regular work, use a short issue process:

• photograph;
• identify room/task;
• report promptly;
• agree correction.

Avoid vague complaints such as “not clean enough” when the task was never in the scope.

Likewise, a cleaner should flag areas they could not access.

Compare fixed price and hourly work differently

Hourly cleaning gives flexibility but requires priorities.

Fixed-price cleaning should define the outcome more tightly.

Ask whether the quote includes:

• labour;
• products;
• equipment;
• parking;
• travel;
• VAT;
• waste removal;
• return visit for missed items.

For larger managed cleans, a site visit can reduce pricing surprises.

Decide how consumables and equipment are handled

Regular cleaning can become awkward when nobody knows who supplies the basics.

Agree whether the cleaner brings:

• vacuum;
• mop;
• cloths;
• specialist products;
• bin liners;
• descaler;
• disposable gloves.

If the property supplies products, make sure replacements are available before each visit.

For managed properties, standardising the approved products can also prevent the wrong chemical being used on delicate surfaces.

Changeover cleans need timing discipline

For holiday lets, student lets or rapid tenancy changeovers, cleaning is often part of a wider handover.

Coordinate:

• checkout;
• key return;
• maintenance;
• linen;
• inventory;
• meter readings;
• new occupant arrival.

A cleaner cannot deliver a proper result if contractors are still drilling, decorators are touching up walls or furniture is being moved through finished rooms.

Sequence the clean as close as practical to the final handover.

Landlords: separate cleaning from maintenance

A cleaner may discover:

• leaking tap;
• mould;
• broken extractor;
• loose toilet seat;
• damaged sealant;
• pest evidence.

Create a way for them to report maintenance issues.

Do not ask them to carry out repairs or hazardous treatment outside the agreed service.

This turns regular cleaning into useful property observation without blurring roles.

Using TradeKind

You can browse cleaners across Sussex or post the job.

A useful brief might say:

“Two-bed unfurnished flat in Bognor Regis, end-of-tenancy clean. Include oven, fridge, inside kitchen cupboards, bathroom limescale and internal windows. Carpets need vacuum only. Keys via agent office.”

That makes quotes genuinely comparable.

Before choosing

Confirm:

• service type;
• room checklist;
• priority tasks;
• products;
• specialist surfaces;
• access;
• keys/alarm;
• timing;
• quality check;
• price basis;
• exclusions.

A cleaning service works best when the standard is defined before anyone opens the cupboard.