Choosing a commercial cleaning company for your London office is a more consequential decision than it might appear. Your cleaners have unsupervised access to your premises, handle sensitive waste, interact with your building's security and maintenance systems, and directly affect the experience of your staff and clients every working day. A poor choice means inconsistent cleaning, unreliable attendance, and a protracted process of either trying to fix the relationship or finding a replacement mid-contract.
This guide sets out seven questions to ask any commercial cleaning company before you sign a contract, with explanations of why each question matters and what a good answer looks like.
1. Are All Staff DBS Checked?
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks are the standard background check for individuals working in environments where they may have unsupervised access to buildings, sensitive information or vulnerable people. For office cleaning, DBS checks are not legally required, but any reputable company should carry them as standard practice. An unchecked operative with unrestricted access to your premises and the personal items of your staff represents an unmanaged risk.
Ask to see the company's DBS policy, not just a verbal assurance. A credible cleaning company will have a written procedure for obtaining checks before employment commences and for refreshing them periodically.
2. What Accreditations and Insurance Do They Hold?
Professional accreditations matter in the cleaning industry. BICSc (British Institute of Cleaning Science) membership indicates staff trained to a defined professional standard. ISO 9001 certification indicates a quality management system has been independently audited. CHAS or Constructionline registration indicates compliance with health and safety legislation. While accreditations alone do not guarantee good service, their absence is a flag worth noting.
Insurance is non-negotiable. A commercial cleaning company must hold public liability insurance (minimum £1 million, typically £2 to 5 million for commercial work) and employers liability insurance as required by law. Ask for a copy of their insurance certificate before agreeing terms.
3. How Do They Confirm Consistent Quality?
Consistency is the hardest thing to deliver in contract cleaning, and it is the area where most contractors fail. The right answer to this question involves at least two elements: dedicated team assignment (the same people cleaning your building each visit) and a quality management system with documented checks carried out by a supervisor.
Cleaning companies that rotate staff across multiple sites have no incentive to build knowledge of your building, your preferences or your standards. A company that assigns a consistent team and holds that team accountable through regular supervisor checks is structurally better placed to maintain quality over time.
4. What Products Do They Use?
The cleaning products a company uses affect the safety of your staff, the condition of your building's surfaces and your own sustainability commitments. COSHH-compliant products with full data sheets available on request is the minimum standard. Biodegradable, fragrance-free products are preferable in occupied workplaces for staff health and hygiene reasons.
Ask whether the company uses colour-coded cleaning systems (a BICSc standard that prevents cross-contamination between washrooms, kitchens and general areas). Companies that have thought carefully about their products and methods are generally more professional in other areas too.
5. How Transparent Is Their Pricing?
Contract cleaning pricing should be clear, itemised and stable. A credible quotation breaks down the labour hours, frequency, product costs and management charges so you can understand what you are paying for. Vague pricing, significant discounts offered to close the deal quickly, or contracts with broad rights to increase prices without notice are warning signs.
6. Can They Provide References From Similar Contracts?
References from current clients in similar offices are the most reliable indicator of what your experience will be. Ask for two or three references from contracts of similar size and type to yours. Call them. Ask specifically about consistency of quality, attendance reliability, responsiveness to issues, and whether the company they would renew.
7. What Is the Contract Exit Procedure?
The exit procedure reveals a great deal about a cleaning company's confidence in its own service. A reasonable notice period (one to three months for most commercial contracts) and clear, fair exit terms indicate a company that is confident clients will stay because they are happy, not because they are contractually trapped.
Making the Right Choice
The commercial cleaning market in London is large and competitive, with companies ranging from sole traders to national contractors. The size of the company is less important than its approach to quality, transparency and accountability. A mid-size contractor with a dedicated account manager, trained staff and a documented quality system will outperform a large national contractor that rotates staff and offers no supervisory structure.
Office Cleaning London is happy to answer all seven of the questions above in detail. Call 020 3900 0000 or request a free site survey and we will walk you through our approach, our credentials and our pricing.