Insurance for cleaners

What insurance do I need for my cleaning business?

Cleaning can be a hazardous business. Physical work that relies on equipment + chemical-heavy sprays and liquids = a potential recipe for disaster.

Maybe a client trips over supplies you leave on the other side of a doorway and is injured. Or spilt bleach ruins an expensive carpet. Both could leave you facing a hefty claim for compensation.

There are a hundred different cleaning accidents waiting to happen but public liability insurance for cleaners has you covered for any accidental damage to other people and their things. It pays for a lawyer to fight your corner and covers any compensation too.

If you’ve spent big on the tools of your trade, and especially if you’re a cleaning contractor with a lot of kit, then you’ll need portable tools and equipment insurance. It pays to repair or replace equipment as new if it’s lost, damaged or stolen, and keeps your company cleaning.

Cleaning business insurance should include employers’ liability too if you have other people working for you, even if they’re only part-time or temporary. You need it by law except when your employees are close family members. Without it, the Health & Safety Executive can fine you big time.

Finally, there’s personal accident insurance, which provides back-up should you have the kind of accident while working that puts you out of action long-term. It’s especially useful if you’re a self-employed cleaner and pays out a lump sum in compensation.

What types of cleaning do you cover?

Our cleaning insurance takes a broad-brush approach. That means we cover all sorts of cleaners, from self-employed domestic cleaners to commercial cleaning companies. Among the people we cover are:

• Domestic cleaners
• Self-employed cleaners
• Office and commercial cleaners
• Contract cleaners
• Cleaning agencies
• School cleaners
• Window cleaners
• Curtain cleaners
• Carpet and upholstery cleaners
• Stone cleaners and restorers
• Wheelie bin cleaners
• Drain cleaners
• Floor cleaners
• Pressure cleaners
• And more…

Do self-employed cleaners need their own insurance?

In a word, yes. Because you are your business. And if something goes wrong, the finger of blame will point in your direction.

Say you do a weekly clean for a family but while dusting their home office you knock a MacBook Pro off the desk, smashing it. Or you clean a shop, but you leave a puddle of water on the floor and when the doors open a customer slips over, breaking a hip.

Both are unfortunate accidents, sure. But they’re also the kind of everyday events that can cost you dear if there’s a claim against you and you have to find the money to cover it out of your own pocket. Especially if the claim is for £tens of thousands.

How self-employed cleaner insurance helps is by covering all the costs of a claim, including legal costs and compensation, leaving your finances intact. It’s the kind of cover that means you can work worry-free.

Also, it gives you that professional, polished edge. Show clients evidence of your public liability insurance for cleaners and it may well swing a job in your favour. Clients need peace of mind too, after all.

Do I need insurance for my employees?

Yes, you do. And it’s not just us saying that - it’s the law.

If you’re a cleaning company, contractor, or agency with staff on your books, then you’re legally obliged to have employers’ liability as part of your cleaning business insurance.

It doesn’t matter if they’re full-time, part-time, or temporary either. It’s mandatory in case an employee is injured or made ill by working for you. If that happens, your policy pays all your legal costs and any compensation owing.

Neither is an ‘employee’ defined as simply being on the payroll. As long as you’re directing someone’s work, you’ll need employers’ liability. That means your workers can be self-employed and paid direct by the client, but you’ll still have to cover them.

If you don’t have employers’ liability insurance when you should, and the Health & Safety Executive comes calling, they can fine you up to £2,500 for each day you were meant to have it but didn’t.

The only exception is when your employees are close family members.

How much does cleaners’ insurance cost?

Cleaners' insurance should be at the top of your list when it comes to protecting your business. It’s the same whether you’re looking for self-employed cleaner insurance or cleaning contractors’ insurance.

So, how much is insurance for cleaners? Well, it depends on a few things:

• What kind of work you do, and if you do any work other than cleaning
• How long you’ve been around
• Whether you ever work outside the UK
• How many employees you have
• Your annual turnover
• The history of your principals, directors, or partners
• The level of cover you need.

All these things, and more, will change how much your insurance costs. One business is never the same as the next. So getting a quote is the best way of finding out exactly how much you’ll pay to protect your business.

Why should I buy my cover through you?

Because we specialise in professional insurance, we’re in the very best place to get you a policy that’s right for you and your business.

Our simple online journey means you can get cover in a few clicks, with documents sent straight to your inbox. Or you can talk to one of our experts if you prefer.

We speak in plain English rather than jargon and we don’t use a call centre or phone menus. That means you get through to a real human quickly if you call us with a question or to claim.

We’ll also hold your hand right through the process of making a claim, which can be a tricky business, and fight your corner with the insurer if needs be.

Oh, and we never charge you additional ‘admin’ fees. Plus, you get £20 every time you recommend us to someone else who buys our insurance.

Need any more convincing? Then check out our platinum-rated customer feedback on Feefo. We think it speaks for itself.