On two occasions I have employed companies who clean houses and businesses. One was British, the other a trio from Brazil. Do not use these types of cleaning companies. I only employed them when my helper was on holiday.
If you live alone, they outnumber you.
The first I had over two days giving the kitchen a deep clean. It wasn't cleaned. They sorted through the cupboards and threw things away without asking me. They wanted paying up front, which was a big mistake, I never made again. They were almost local - five miles away. I took ''after photos'' which showed the same dirt and grease as were before they started. When I complained, there was ground glass on my drive the next day.
The second was a company headed by a Brazilian woman and the other two did not speak English. I left them to it. When they arrived, they had a new Henry and a bag of stuff with cleaning sprays sticking out of it. I assumed they brought their own to use, because that is what the ad said, and wondered why the bag was full. They had no difficulty carrying it. When they left that day I discovered they had used my vacuum cleaner and my cleaning stuff, and wish I had looked more closely at what was in the bags when they went, but I was not sure if I had the power to search.
On the first day they came I went into the kitchen and there was a carrier bag with some of my utensils in it. When I looked at it, the lad told me I had two of some things and did I want them. I said I did and made them put them back.
When they went, to return the next day I found that they had moved every piece of furniture and put it in another place in the same room. The furniture wasn't polished, and the cobwebs were still there. I am disabled. I think they were searching for money or valuables, because there is no other reason for that. When they came back the next day I had them moving all the furniture - sofas and chairs - back where they were. I don't always use the wheelchair indoors, but gave that as a reason why furniture had to stay. After they finished putting it back, I told them to go, and that I wasn't paying them for the day before either. The two days was £300.
They didn't receive a penny of it. They were not pleased. I think that because they were not UK nationals (I found out later) they accepted it. I didn't have glass on the drive that time.
It was a few years ago, before the lock down. My new carer came in 2019 and stayed with me until May, after the inoperable cancer diagnosis.
I will NEVER employ any of these companies again. They were the first and last.