Lucy Barrett
Writer

Lucy Barrett

Lucy is a writer and editor for Top Rated House Cleaners, covering home and end-of-tenancy cleaning. When she's not writing guides, she collects vinyl records.

Articles by Lucy Barrett

Illustration of a desk with a clipboard, folder and calculator
Hiring Tips

Is Your Cleaner Self Employed or Are You Their Employer?

Is your cleaner self employed or are you the employer? GOV.UK explains when hiring someone to work in your home makes you an employer, what the duties are, and where to check your own case.

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Illustration of a freshly cleaned lounge with a vacuum cleaner and a bucket
Cost Guides

One Off Cleaning Services and What a Single Clean Costs

What does a one off clean cost in 2026? Typical ranges by area, how a single visit differs from a regular clean and a deep clean, and what to ask so the quote matches the job.

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Illustration of a vase on a side table beside a vacuum cleaner and an insurance document
Hiring Tips

What Insurance Should a Domestic Cleaner Have?

What insurance a domestic cleaner should have, the difference between public liability and employers' liability, what typical cover costs and what to do if something is damaged.

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Illustration of a wall clock over a kitchen with a mop, bucket and a notepad
Cost Guides

How Many Hours a Week Does a Cleaner Need for Your Home?

How many hours a cleaner needs for a studio up to a five bedroom home, how bathrooms change the time, what it costs at 2026 hourly rates and how to avoid paying for hours you do not use.

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Illustration of a stone kitchen floor with a freshly cleaned strip
Cost Guides

Hard Floor Cleaning Prices for Tile, Stone and Vinyl

What professional hard floor cleaning costs for tile, grout, stone, slate and vinyl floors in 2026, when sealing is worth adding and how to avoid damaging stone.

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Illustration of a rental carpet cleaning machine beside a professional extraction unit
Hiring Tips

Should You Hire a Carpet Cleaning Machine or a Professional?

Hiring a carpet cleaning machine or paying a professional. What each really costs, the results to expect, drying time and when renting makes sense.

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Illustration of a dog bed and cat basket on a clean carpet beside a sofa
Cleaning Tips

Carpet and Sofa Cleaning for Homes With Pets

How pet hair, accidents and odours change carpet and sofa cleaning, what the treatments cost, how to keep pets safe on the day and what helps between cleans.

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Illustration of a tidy living room corner
Cost Guides

House Cleaning Prices in the UK and What You Should Pay

What house cleaning costs in the UK, from hourly rates for a regular cleaner to one off visits, and what makes a quote higher or lower.

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