What questions to ask potential cleaner...

[jennimoo]

I've had someone clean 2h every other week for a couple of years now. It was through a local company and she was totally amazing. Unfortunately she has left (and is no longer doing cleaner work...) and the replacements who've been sent have been very variable...

So I'm thinking of finding an individual locally and found one advertising in the newsagents. However I'm not sure what questions to ask / what to expect...

Should I expect her to have insurance?
She has offered references, what's the best way to check these?
How should I lay out what I would want her to do? I have a 'job sheet' done by previous people, is that too picky?
Is suggesting an informal chat / 'trial clean' weird?

I've found having a cleaner come fantastic but do really hate having someone in my house so am really keen to make sure it's someone I'm comfortable with...

You are paying them so ask them whatever you want!
Be picky & demand what you want.Call up the references for sure.Invite them into your home for an informal interview & show them around.Try & be chatty & see if you are comfortable with them.I would say that I wanted them to carry out a trial too.
Good luck :)

Thanks for your thoughts. It's the technical side of it eg insurance I'm not sure about. Do cleaners usually have the appropriate liability insurances?
I put an ad on gumtree and so far they aren't even all registered self employed, and noone has said they have any kind of insurance...

You aren't going to get anybody on gumtree with liability insurance. If you want stuff like that you are going to have to go for an agency and pay a premium. What do you want insurance for? If they break something? How expensive is stuff in your house? If my cleaner breaks a vase it's not the end of the world. She works with a Hoover, mop and cloth and spray and can't do that much damage in the house if her "tools" malfunction.

This is why I'm asking what I should expect someone to have. I'm a little nervous to have someone without anything in my house alone, and having keys too...

And apart from electrical stuff, no, nothing worth anything here, but surely if I've given someone access to my house and they flood it / break something big / walk off with something my insurance is going to cover me...