Domestic cleaning Peteborough FAQ!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What background checks are made on your housekeepers?
1. Every housekeeper comes with references from former employers, which we check. We also accumulate additional references from their existing Home Fresh clients once they have been with us a while. Some housekeepers also have Criminal record Bureau certificates (also known as a CRB certificate) from previous employment. All housekeepers have acknowledged that they are more than happy for clients to carry out a police check should they so wish to.
2. We check proof of identity by requiring a passport, birth certificate or some other form of ID, so that we know they are who they say they are.
3. We also require proof of address, such as a gas or telephone bill, so we know they do live at the address we are interviewing them at.
Q: How soon can I have a housekeeper start?
1. We will supply you with a housekeeper ASAP, sometimes immediately. We are in a demand economy, and some months demand out-stretches our resources. Therefore your patience is appreciated whilst we are working on matching you up with a housekeeper.
Q: Do I still have to pay the agency fee if my housekeeper is on holiday or off sick?
1. If you miss any cleaning, say due to changeovers periods when you or your housekeeper is on holiday, or on account of your housekeeper being ill, you can claim a No Charge Period for the time missed.
2. We provide you with Worker Earnings Receipts to record the hours worked and money paid to your housekeeper. If there are gaps, please send us the receipts and we'll adjust your account to reflect any time missed.
Q: What do I do if the housekeeper is not up to my standard or our personalities clash?
1. Please tell us at once and we will offer re-training or allocate a replacement housekeeper if you are not comfortable with each other.
1. Yes, as a contingency only, we have two million pounds cover for accidental damage caused by our housekeepers. This policy is for major accidental damage with a £100 excess. It does not cover for minor breakages.
3. To avoid any unnecessary claims, housekeepers are not allowed to use bleach. Our insurance policy will not cover for accidents involving bleach
Q: How do I terminate my agreement with you?
1. Your initial agreement with us is for three months, thereafter our agreement will be on a rolling month to month basis.
2. If you wish to cancel your agreement with us you can do so at any time but you must do so in writing, giving us one months notice, you must cancel your mandate direct with your own bank.
Q: What training do you give your housekeepers?
1. All housekeepers attend a basic training course stressing the importance of honesty, and reliability
2. Housekeepers are trained in colour coding & hygiene; which involves the use of different colour cloths to differentiate between toilet areas, kitchen areas and food preparation zones. More importantly though, we guide them on the use of solvent, caustic and other extremely hazardous household chemicals, avoiding mixing chemicals so they avoid breathing in dangerous fumes, and/or contaminating your indoor environment.
3. If you haven’t yet considered “Going Green” or “Eco Friendly”, then maybe now is a time to think about the many benefits of using safe and environmentally friendly cleaning products which are readily available in the marketplace. Please ask us for more information. (Free booklets are available if you require from us.)
4. When your housekeeper starts work for you, you will need to train them in the use of your own equipment (e.g. emptying vacuum cleaner) and make sure they are familiar with your particular requirements.
1. You direct them in what you would like to have cleaned each week. (For example, maybe the kitchen cupboards need emptying and cleaning one week and the following week all the skirting boards need cleaning). However we also provide you with client task sheets (see enclosed) you tick the jobs that you require undertaking in the time allocated and the housekeeper works with your list and ticks off each task as they are completed. These task sheets are downloadable from our member’s only section of our website.
Q: Can I specify the day my housekeeper comes?
Yes, you can, but almost everyone wants a clean on a Friday ready for the weekend. If you are only prepared to accept a Friday, it may take us longer to find someone suitable. The more flexible you are, the quicker we should be able to allocate you a housekeeper.
Q: Who is Home Fresh?
1. Home Fresh is a domestic services company and has been trading from
Q: Who supplies the cleaning products?
1. We find most of our clients prefer to use their own cleaning products and vacuum cleaners. From a cleaning point of view it is much more hygienic than our housekeepers using cloths, products and vacuums in other people’s houses and cross-contaminating germs with them in your home!
2. We can however provide a cleaning kit just for your home if you require, at a further cost.
Q: Can I meet a housekeeper before they actually start cleaning in my home?
1. Yes, in fact we insist on this, it is of paramount importance that you feel comfortable with whom ever it is that will be coming into your home on a weekly basis.
2. A quick meeting prior to agreeing to any cleaning schedule will give you and the housekeeper an opportunity to make sure you are both happy with the arrangements you plan to set in place.
4. We will also call you after the first agreed housekeeping day to make sure everything went to plan.
Q. How many hours will I need?
The average time booked is 3 hours, this seems to be sufficient for many people. It may be wise to trial the time allocated and if it isn’t sufficient then opt for another hour or two after your first month.
Q: How can I contact you to get started?
Please call us on our free-phone number 0800 183 02 02
