Choosing a commercial cleaning company in Luton usually starts with price and ends with regret when the regular cleaner is off sick and nobody turns up. Most problems with cleaning contracts are predictable, and most can be avoided by asking the right questions before signing. If you are arranging commercial cleaning in Luton, these are the eight we would ask if we were in your seat.
1. What exactly is included, in writing?
Ask for a written specification that lists each area, each task and how often it happens. “Full office clean, five evenings a week” can mean anything. A specification is also the only thing you can point to if standards slip. Our commercial cleaning checklist is a good starting point for building one.
2. What happens when the regular cleaner is absent?
This is the question that separates a company from a sole trader with a van. Ask how quickly cover arrives, whether the replacement is briefed on your site, and whether you are charged for a missed visit.
3. How are staff vetted?
Cleaners often work alone, out of hours, with keys and alarm codes. Right to work checks are a legal requirement for the employer, and you should expect references and, where the setting justifies it, a DBS check at the right level. Our guide to DBS check levels explains which applies where.
4. What insurance do you hold?
Ask for a copy of the public liability certificate and check the cover level and expiry date. If the company employs staff, it must also hold employers’ liability insurance, which is a legal requirement explained on GOV.UK.
5. How do you handle chemicals and equipment?
A professional provider supplies its own products and equipment, stores them safely on your site and holds COSHH assessments for what it uses. Colour coded cloths and mops for washrooms, kitchens and general areas are a quick visual test of whether a team works properly.
6. How is quality checked?
Ask who inspects the work, how often, and how you raise a problem. A named contact who answers the phone is worth more than a glossy brochure. Regular site checks by a supervisor catch small issues before they become complaints.
7. How is the price made up?
Ask how many hours per visit the price is based on and how many cleaners attend. Two quotes for the same monthly figure can be buying very different amounts of cleaning. We explain the maths in our guide to how much commercial cleaning costs.
8. What are the contract terms?
Check the minimum term, notice period and how price reviews work. A provider confident in its service should not need to lock you in for years on a first contract.
Red flags when arranging commercial cleaning in Luton
- A firm price given without seeing the site
- No written specification
- Reluctance to show insurance certificates
- No answer to the absence question
- Long minimum terms on a first contract
Frequently asked questions
Should a cleaning company visit before quoting?
For regular contracts, yes. Layout, washrooms, flooring and access all change the time needed, and none of that shows up on a floor plan.
Is a local company better than a national one?
Not automatically, but a local provider can usually send cover faster and visit the site more often.
How soon can a new contract start?
Often within a week or two of agreeing the specification, depending on the staffing and any access arrangements.
Commercial cleaning from ST HECS
ST HECS provides commercial cleaning in Luton, Dunstable and across Bedfordshire, with vetted staff, a written specification, public liability cover and absence cover built in. Contact our Luton team to book a site visit.
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