Hiring cleaners
Letting strangers into your home or office takes trust. This guide explains how to choose a cleaning company in Kenya, with twelve questions to ask, the warning signs to watch for and what a good written quote looks like.
Quick answer
Look for a written quote with team size, hours, checklist and products. Ask how cleaners are recruited, trained and supervised, what happens if something is missed or damaged and how payment works. Avoid companies that will not put prices in writing, ask for full payment upfront or cannot tell you who is coming.
Kenya has thousands of cleaning companies, from one-person outfits found on WhatsApp to large firms with hundreds of staff. Some are excellent, while others disappear after the first payment. When you choose a cleaning company, you are trusting people with your home, your belongings and sometimes your children or pets. Therefore it is worth spending a few minutes asking the right questions before you book.
This guide comes from the other side of the table. As a cleaning company ourselves, we hear what clients worry about and what went wrong with previous cleaners. Below are the questions we think every client should ask, including when they ask us.
Common problems
Before you choose a cleaning company, be clear about the job. For example, do you need a weekly clean, a one-off deep clean, a move-out clean, office cleaning or a specialist service such as carpets or fumigation? Some companies only do homes, others only offices. Likewise, some have the machines for carpets and sofas, while others do not. Knowing what you need lets you compare like with like.
Questions
A good company puts the price in writing, with the team size, the hours, the checklist and any extras. A verbal price over the phone often grows on the day.
Ask whether they price from photos, a video call or a visit. Companies that quote without seeing anything often underestimate, then either rush or ask for more.
This is the clearest way to compare quotes. Two cleaners for six hours is a very different job from one cleaner for three.
Ask for the checklist, room by room. For instance, is inside the oven included? Inside cupboards? Windows? Balconies?
Most companies bring everything, but some individual cleaners expect you to buy products. Also ask which products they use on stone, wood and stainless steel.
Ask whether cleaners are employed or casual, whether references and identification are checked and how long staff usually stay.
Good companies train cleaners on products, safety and checklists, and they have team leaders or supervisors who check the work.
For regular cleaning, consistency matters. Ask whether you get the same team and what happens when someone is on leave.
A good company fixes missed items, ideally during a walk-through before the team leaves.
Accidents happen. So ask how the company handles damage, and get the answer in writing.
Ask about M-Pesa, bank transfer, receipts and invoices. Be careful of companies that want full payment before any work.
You should have a named coordinator or manager, not just a cleaner’s personal number.
Cleaning
Watch out for these red flags:
One warning sign is not always a reason to walk away. However, two or three together usually mean trouble.
A professional quote is short but complete. It names the service and the address, lists the team size and the expected hours, includes the checklist or a summary of tasks, states that products and equipment are included, lists extras with prices, gives the total and explains payment terms. In addition, it should say what happens if plans change.
Reviews are one of the easiest ways to choose a cleaning company, but read them carefully. For example, look for detailed reviews that mention specific jobs, rather than many short five-star comments posted on the same day. For offices and estates, ask for a reference you can call. Similarly, ask friends and neighbours who they use and why. A company that has cleaned your neighbour’s home for two years is often a safer choice than a new one with perfect reviews.
Security is the biggest worry for most families. Therefore ask how the company checks identification, whether cleaners wear uniforms and carry ID, and whether a team leader stays on site. For regular cleaning, ask whether you will get the same cleaners. For the first visit, be at home if you can, show the team around and point out anything fragile. After that, many clients feel comfortable leaving a key or gate code.
The right products protect your surfaces and your health. Ask whether the company uses colour-coded cloths, which stop germs moving from toilets to kitchens. Also ask whether they offer fragrance-free or plant-based products for allergies, and how they store products safely around children. For fumigation, check that the company uses products registered with the Pest Control Products Board and works with licensed operators.
Businesses have extra questions. For instance, ask whether the company is registered, whether it has insurance, how it handles security clearance and keys, and how it reports on work done. In addition, ask for a sample cleaning schedule and a supervisor visit plan. For contracts, agree a notice period and a way to raise issues. Our office cleaning page shows the kind of schedule a good contract includes.
Many people wonder whether to choose a cleaning company at all. However, if they fall ill or travel, you have no cover. They may also lack products, machines and training for deep cleaning or fabrics. A cleaning company, on the other hand, provides trained cleaners, supervision, cover, equipment and someone to call if something goes wrong. Many families use both: an individual for daily help and a company for deep cleans and specialist jobs.
A cleaning company collects your name, phone number and address, and sometimes gate codes. In Kenya, the Data Protection Act sets rules on how personal data must be handled. A good company uses your data only for your booking and keeps it secure. You can read more on the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner website.
The safest way to choose a cleaning company is to test it. Before you sign up for a long plan, book a single clean. Watch how the company communicates, whether the team arrives on time, how thorough the work is and how they handle feedback at the walk-through. If the first clean goes well, a regular plan is the natural next step. If not, you have lost very little.
Questions
We believe clients should ask every question on this list, including when they ask us. We give written quotes, send uniformed and supervised teams, bring all products and machines, follow a checklist for every room and walk through the work with you before leaving. Moreover, a coordinator follows up after every job. If you want to see how we compare, request a cleaning quote and ask us anything.
How it works
If you can tick all five, you are ready to choose a cleaning company with confidence. For more help planning, read our house cleaning checklist.
Even the best cleaning company needs feedback to get things exactly right for your home. So at the first walk-through, point out anything you want done differently, such as a product you prefer or a room to skip. After that, send a short message to the coordinator if something is missed. Good companies welcome feedback and update the checklist for your next visit. As a result, each clean gets a little closer to how you like your home, and the team learns your preferences quickly.
Sometimes a company is not the right fit, even after feedback. For example, if the team keeps arriving late, the same tasks are missed after you raise them or nobody answers when you call, it is time to look elsewhere. Before you switch, give clear notice and settle any invoices. Then use the questions in this guide again, so the next company matches your needs from the first visit.
Get started
Tell us what needs cleaning and where, and our cleaning coordinator will call you back within one working day with a free written quote and a time.
Prefer to talk? Call +254 184 379 590
Ask for a written quote with team size, hours and checklist, check how cleaners are recruited and supervised, and confirm products, payment and what happens if something is missed.
A company usually offers trained, supervised cleaners, products, machines and cover. An individual may be cheaper but has no backup.
Yes. A single clean lets you check timekeeping, quality and communication before committing.
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