Search for a cleaner in London and you will be offered three quite different things under one word: an individual who works for themselves, an agency that introduces you to one, and a company or app that sends whoever is free. They differ in price, in who turns up, in what happens when that person is ill, and in who carries the risk if something is broken. This guide sets the differences out so you can choose on purpose rather than by accident.
The three models
Independent, self-employed cleaner
Works for themselves, usually with several regular clients across a few neighbourhoods. You agree everything with them directly and pay them directly. They may be a sole trader or a very small company with one or two people. Most of the cleaners listed on KleanTouch are in this group.
Agency-introduced cleaner
The agency recruits cleaners, who are usually self-employed, matches one to you and charges for the introduction and ongoing management, either as a separate fee or as part of a combined hourly charge. When your cleaner is away, the agency finds a replacement. The person in your home is still self-employed, which matters for insurance and for who you complain to.
Managed company or app
The company employs or contracts its cleaners and sells the service under its own name. You book with the company, pay the company, and it decides who comes. Larger firms bring uniforms, supervision and cover as standard. On-demand booking apps are a variation of this model with online scheduling and a rotating pool of cleaners.
Side by side
| Independent cleaner | Agency-introduced | Managed company or app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who you pay | The cleaner | The agency, or agency plus cleaner separately | The company |
| Who keeps the money | The cleaner, all of it | Split between agency and cleaner | The company; the cleaner is paid a wage or a rate |
| Same person each visit | Yes, that is the point | Usually, with agency replacements | Not guaranteed; varies by firm |
| Cover for holidays and sickness | Usually none; you wait or find someone | Arranged by the agency | Arranged by the company |
| Insurance | Ask the cleaner; it varies | Ask both; an agency policy may not cover the cleaner's own work | Company policy normally covers its staff; confirm |
| Who you complain to | The cleaner | The agency | The company |
| Flexibility on tasks and timing | High, agreed person to person | Medium | Lower; standard scope and slots |
| Products and equipment | Agree it; many bring their own | Varies | Usually supplied |
| Admin for you | Agree terms yourself, pay per visit | Agency contract | Online account and invoices |
Price and who keeps what
With an independent cleaner, what you pay is what they earn. There is no intermediary. Rates vary by area and experience; as an indicative range only, independent domestic cleaners in London commonly quote roughly £15 to £25 per hour with a minimum visit length. Cleaners on KleanTouch set and publish their own rates, and those live figures are the ones to compare. Our guide to how cleaners price their work in London goes into minimum hours, products and what changes the rate.
With an agency, part of your money pays for recruitment, whatever vetting the agency does, matching and replacement cover. Whether that is worth paying for depends on how much you value not doing those things yourself.
With a managed company, the price covers wages, employer costs, insurance, supervision, marketing and margin. It is often, though not always, the highest hourly figure of the three, and in return you get the most process.
None of this makes one model automatically cheaper. Compare the total cost per visit for the same scope, not the headline hourly rate. A company that sends two people for ninety minutes and an independent who works alone for three hours may cost about the same and clean about the same.
Consistency versus cover
This is the real trade-off, and the one to decide on first.
The same person every week learns your home: which tap drips, where the spare bin liners are, that the dog goes in the garden, which surfaces mark. Quality settles at a consistent level, communication is direct and small changes are a message away. That is the strength of the independent model. Its weakness is that when the person is ill, on holiday or moves on, you have a gap and nobody to fill it.
Companies and agencies fill gaps. The cost is that the replacement does not know your home, so standards can wobble, and with some firms a different person every visit is the norm rather than the exception. If you would rather have a slightly variable clean than a missed one, that is the model for you.
There is a middle ground. Some independent cleaners work in pairs or have a trusted colleague who covers for them, and small firms of two or three people often offer the same person by default with cover available. Ask; it is a normal question.
Insurance and responsibility
An independent cleaner may or may not hold public liability insurance. Ask to see the certificate. If there is none, accidental damage is settled between you on goodwill, and you should decide whether you accept that.
With an agency, check carefully who is insured for what. The agency's policy often covers its own business, not the work done by a self-employed cleaner it introduced. Ask both the agency and the cleaner.
A managed company will normally have a policy that covers its staff while they work in your home. Ask for written confirmation, and ask what the excess is and how a claim is handled.
Whatever the model, your agreement is with the business you pay. KleanTouch does not check insurance for any listed cleaner and is not part of the agreement between you, so this check is yours in every case.
Flexibility
An independent arrangement bends easily. Swap Tuesday for Thursday, add ironing this week, skip the week you are away, extend by an hour before guests arrive: all of that is a message. Independents are also the most likely to hold a key and to fit around your routine.
A company runs on standard slots, standard scope and a cancellation policy. That is less flexible, but it is also clearer: you know in advance exactly what a late change costs and you are not asking a favour of one person.
When each makes sense
An independent cleaner suits you if:
- you want a regular weekly or fortnightly clean and value the same person each time;
- you are happy to agree terms yourself and manage the relationship directly;
- you can cope with an occasional missed week;
- you want your money to go to the person doing the work.
An agency suits you if:
- you want the same person but would rather someone else found and replaced them;
- you are willing to pay a fee for that service.
A managed company or app suits you if:
- a missed visit is a real problem, for instance across several properties or a house share;
- you need a one-off or short-notice clean;
- you want a company invoice, a formal complaints process and insurance handled for you;
- you would rather not manage an individual at all.
How KleanTouch fits
KleanTouch is a directory of independent cleaners and small cleaning firms in London, organised by the neighbourhoods they actually cover. It exists because most independent London cleaners are not on the big booking apps and do not advertise, so customers cannot find them and cleaners rely on word of mouth. You can read more about that on our about page.
You search by area and service, read the profiles, and contact the cleaner directly. KleanTouch takes no bookings, payments or commission. A profile marked "Contact verified" means we confirmed the contact details reach that business before listing it; we do not check insurance, qualifications or work quality. Once you have chosen a model, our guide on what to check before hiring a cleaner in London walks through the practical checks, the questions to ask and a trial clean.
Browse cleaners who cover your area
If the independent model is right for you, start on the London cleaners page: search by postcode or area, compare profiles and published rates, and message the cleaners you like directly. There is no fee and no booking system. Dedicated pages for the pilot areas are coming; until then the London hub lists everyone.