What’s the Difference Between One-off Cleaning and Regular Domestic Cleaning Services in London?

We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the difference between one-off and regular domestic cleaning services. In the interest of setting up proper expectations, we’ll address these differences in detail.

The descriptions and definitions are based on our understanding as a cleaning company in London. Other parts of the country might have different views. With this little caveat out of the way, let’s begin.

What does one-off cleaning include?

One-off cleaning is a one-time service, as the name suggests. You have a particular cleaning need, you call us in and we deal with it. It’s not a regular arrangement. Accordingly, the essence of the service is cleaning your home as opposed to maintaining it.

Most clients use this service for one of two reasons. Either they want to start working with us on a regular basis (in which case they book one-off cleaning to start with a clean slate, so to speak); or they book the service when they’re overwhelmed and need a hand around the house.

What do you do when you get swamped at work and don’t have time for chores? You skip cooking by ordering takeout and you skip cleaning by booking a one-off cleaning service.

Types of one-off cleaning

You can book one-off cleaning as a timed service or at a fixed price. If you choose the former, then you book a certain amount of hours and the cleaning professional will clean until the time is up. This is a great option if you have a few particular tasks in mind.

The latter option is great if your home needs more general cleaning. It’s a fixed-price service where you don’t pay for time. Instead, you pay for a result (a clean home). It’s a bit more expensive, but this way you can be sure all areas will get the attention they require.

What does the service include?

The standard one-off cleaning service in London includes:

• Cleaning all surfaces;
• Cleaning exterior of cupboards;
• Cleaning the exterior of appliances;
• Cleaning inside windows and frames;
• Vacuuming and mopping floors;
• Removing limescale;
• Descaling the toilet;
• And cleaning grout.

All this should give your home a nice, clean look. Now, if you want us to get deeper, we can do that. We offer some extras you might be interested in but you’ll have to book more time.

The extras include:

• Cleaning inside the cupboards (30-60 minutes more);
• Cleaning on top of the cupboards (30 minutes more);
• Cleaning inside of appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, etc.) (30 minutes more);
• Cleaning inside fridge/freezer (30 minutes more);
• Cleaning external areas (balcony, terrace, etc.) (15-30 minutes more).

You can choose the fixed-price one-off cleaning option if you want to ensure time won’t run out and everything will get cleaned.

One-off cleaning requires more time and is deeper than regular domestic cleaning. However, bear in mind, it’s still not at the level of depth of end of tenancy cleaning.

What does regular domestic cleaning include?

Regular domestic cleaning is a timed service that we perform on a regular basis. Basically, you book the service once and can forget about cleaning while using our company. The essence of this service is maintaining a level of cleanliness in your home.

The service is flexible enough to fit your needs. Maybe you have pets and live in a big flat, so you want help a few times a week? Not a problem. We have clients with regular visits three times a week.

Or maybe you need help every once in a while to prevent you from getting overwhelmed. We have clients who only need our services on a fortnightly basis, as well. With our help, you can figure out the best way to optimise your schedule and keep your home in tip-top shape without sacrificing your leisure in the process.

What does the service include?

Our regular domestic cleaning services in London are charged by the hour. The frequency of the visits also factors into the price. Fortnightly visits are a bit more expensive than weekly visits. Don’t worry, though – we don’t add any hidden charges. With Samyx Cleaning, you know exactly what you pay for.

The service includes:

• Cleaning all surfaces;
• Cleaning the exterior of the cupboards;
• Cleaning the exterior of appliances;
• Tidying up;
• Washing dishes;
• Vacuuming and mopping floors;
• Removing limescale;
• Descaling the toilet;
• And cleaning grout.

This is everything a standard visit includes. As you can see, it’s mostly things you need to do, anyway. However, instead of investing your own time, you hire us to do it. There are also extras you can order but you’ll have to book more time.

These extras include:

• Cleaning inside the cupboards (30-60 minutes more);
• Cleaning inside of appliances (dishwasher, washing machine etc.) (30 minutes more);
• Ironing (30-60 minutes more);
• Cleaning inside windows and frames (30 minutes more);
• Cleaning inside fridge/freezer (30 minutes more);
• Cleaning external areas (balcony, terrace, etc.) (15-30 minutes more).

So if your standard weekly visit is 2 hours (which is our minimum), you’d get the extras if you book 5 hours, instead. You’ll spend a bit more money, but you’ll also get a better result. You’ll have a cleaner home and more time for yourself.

Note: It’s standard practice to begin with a one-off cleaning and then move on to a regular cleaning schedule.

There are also a few factors to point out:

• It usually takes a few visits to “get the ball rolling”. Your home won’t be spotless from the visit. This is normal considering the cleaner doesn’t know you, your preferences, or your home, yet. It takes a couple of visits for the service to truly shine.
• Sometimes it may turn out the time you’ve booked is insufficient for the best result. If this is the case, we’ll notify you and help you to figure out how to proceed in the future. 
• We also need to talk about the use of proper cleaning products. Your health is our first priority so we need to know if certain cleaning solutions are not to be used. 

Conclusion

In short, one-off and regular domestic cleaning are somewhat close but there are a few important distinctions. One-off cleaning is deeper than regular domestic cleaning and it takes more time. One-off is about cleaning. Regular is about maintaining cleanliness. 

Once a one-off cleaning session has been performed, it’s a lot easier to maintain your home in a good condition through regular cleaning. If you want the best result, get both services. Don’t hesitate to contact us or use our booking form.

Author: Atanas Dzhingarov

Hi, I’m Atanas - brand consultant and writer. I’m helping Samyx Cleaning create the best cleaning company blog on the Internet. Join us on our journey and learn how to live a cleaner, healthier, happier life in the process.