20 Questions to Ask a Cleaner Before You Hire Them
Published 29 October 2026 · 5 min read
Short answer
Ask about the price and what it includes, who will actually come, insurance and employment status, how keys are handled, and what happens if a visit is missed or something gets damaged. The answers tell you more than any badge on a website.
Ask what the price includes, who will actually come to your home, what insurance they hold, how they handle keys, and what happens if a visit is missed or something is damaged. These 20 questions are grouped so you can pick the ones that fit your situation.
Send them in one message, or use our cleaning brief builder to describe your home first and add your questions at the end. Asking every cleaner on your shortlist the same questions makes the answers easy to compare.
Price and booking
1. Do you charge by the hour or by the job? Regular cleaning is usually hourly. Deep cleans and end of tenancy cleans are often priced per job by bedroom count. Know which you are being quoted so you can compare like with like. Our price guide shows advertised prices we checked in October 2026.
2. Is there a minimum booking? Minimums are common. One provider's October 2026 market estimate mentions a usual two-hour minimum, while another company advertises a two-to-three-hour minimum.
3. Does the price include VAT, products and travel? VAT-registered businesses charge the 13.5% reduced rate on cleaning private homes. Smaller cleaners may not be registered at all, since a services business generally only has to register once turnover passes €42,500 a year. Also ask whether there is a travel charge.
4. How many cleaners will come, and for how long? Two cleaners for three hours is six cleaner-hours of work. A quote for "three hours" means very different things depending on the answer.
5. How and when do I pay? Cash, bank transfer, card or app? After each visit, weekly or monthly? Will you get a receipt or invoice?
What is included
6. What does a standard visit cover in a home like mine? Ask them to describe it room by room. See what a regular house clean includes for a typical list.
7. What counts as an extra? Ovens, inside the fridge, inside windows, inside presses, ironing and changing beds are often extras. Get them named so there are no surprises.
8. Do you bring your own products and equipment? Some cleaners bring everything; others expect you to provide them. One Dublin provider's 2026 guide says customers supply products and equipment unless they pay for an add-on. If you have allergies or pets, ask what they use.
9. What can you realistically get done in the time? A good cleaner will tell you what to prioritise rather than promising everything. Our guide to how long a house clean takes helps you set expectations.
Who is coming and trust
10. Will it be the same person every visit? Consistency matters for quality and for trust. Ask what happens when your regular cleaner is off sick or on holidays, and whether you will be told in advance if someone else is coming.
11. Can you give me two recent references? Then contact them yourself. Ask about reliability and how problems were handled, not just whether the cleaning was good.
12. You mention Garda vetting. What does that cover? A private householder cannot request Garda vetting for a cleaner. Vetting is tied to roles involving children or vulnerable people, so a "Garda vetted" claim may relate to a different job. Ask which role, which organisation and what date. Our Garda vetting guide explains more.
13. How long have you been cleaning homes in this area? This also confirms that they actually cover your town, not just your county. Browse cleaners by county to see who serves your area.
Insurance and employment status
14. Do you have public liability insurance, and can I see evidence of it? Public liability covers injury or damage to third parties, such as your property. If they employ staff, ask about employers' liability too. A broker notes that cleaning contracts commonly ask for €6.5 million public liability and €13 million employers' liability, though these are contract requirements, not legal minimums. See our cleaner insurance guide.
15. Are you self-employed, or employed by a company? This decides whether you are a customer or an employer. If you hire someone directly under a contract of employment, Revenue treats you as an employer, whatever the arrangement is called. Read employing a cleaner: tax in Ireland if this applies to you.
16. Do you work for other clients too? A self-employed cleaner usually works for several households and runs their own diary. Someone who works only for you, on hours and methods you set, looks more like an employee. Revenue's employment status guidance looks at factors such as personal service, control and whether someone operates their own business.
Access, cancellations and problems
17. How do you handle keys and alarm codes? Ask where keys are kept, whether they are labelled with your address (they should not be) and what happens if one is lost. Our guide to giving your cleaner a key has a checklist.
18. How much notice do you need to cancel or reschedule, and is there a charge? And the other way round: how much notice will they give you if they cannot come?
19. What happens if something gets broken or damaged? You want a clear answer: they tell you straight away, and it goes through their insurance or is otherwise put right. With a business, you are entitled to a service carried out with reasonable care and skill. See what to do if your cleaner broke something.
20. If I am not happy with a clean, what do you do about it? The CCPC's guidance on remedies says you should normally give a business the chance to fix a problem free of charge. Ask whether they will come back to redo missed areas, and how quickly.
A quick scorecard for comparing answers
| What you are checking | Reassuring answer | Worth a follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Clear rate, minimum, VAT and extras in writing | "Depends" with no range at all |
| Who comes | Named cleaner, plan for cover | "Whoever is free" |
| Insurance | Policy type and evidence offered | "Fully insured" with no detail |
| Vetting | Explains what was vetted and by whom | A badge with no explanation |
| Problems | Clear process for damage and redos | No answer, or blame on the customer |
Once you have your answers, choose your cleaner step by step and prepare for the first visit.
Questions people ask
Should I ask these questions by phone or in writing?
Either works, but get the answers that matter in writing: the price, the task list, the cancellation terms and anything about insurance. A short email or text you both keep is enough.
What if a cleaner will not answer some of these questions?
A small independent cleaner may not have a written policy on everything, and that is fine if they can explain what they would do. Vague answers about insurance, who will come to your home or what the price includes are worth taking seriously.
Do I need to ask all 20 questions?
No. Pick the ones that matter for your home. If you have pets, keys to hand over or an elderly relative in the house, those questions matter more than they would for someone who will be home for every visit.
