Cleaning Business Insurance

Whether you’re a residential or commercial cleaner, a lot can go wrong in your line of work. You’re dealing with chemical substances, electrical equipment, slippery surfaces and a range of other hazards.

From suffering an injury yourself or causing harm to a client or member of the public to damaging someone’s home or business premises, you have to be prepared for the worst. This means it’s essential to have suitable financial protection in place.

At Markel Direct, we offer insurance that can be tailored to suit your specific needs as a cleaner. We’re here to safeguard your business and allow you to concentrate on the task at hand.

What is cleaners’ insurance?

Cleaning insurance is a range of cover options available to self-employed cleaners and cleaning businesses. The  policy typically public liability insurance as well as tools insurance, employers’ liability cover, professional indemnity insurance, occupational accident insurance, and more.

Though many of the risks facing cleaners are universal, the nature of your cleaning business will likely have an impact on the types and level of cover you choose to include in your policy.

Commercial cleaning insurance

Commercial cleaning insurance is for businesses that clean workplaces such as office buildings, shops, and restaurants. These companies tend to have a large team of cleaners who, as well as daily cleaning, will often undertake tasks that use specialist tools, such as deep cleaning, carpet cleaning, and hard floor care. Contracts may require the cleaners to meet strict health and safety standards.

Domestic cleaning insurance

Businesses that do the general cleaning of people’s homes are often smaller in scale than commercial cleaning companies and they may even be sole traders working alone. They will usually have a smaller range of tasks to complete and will use less specialised equipment and industrial cleaning chemicals. Domestic cleaning insurance will be tailored to meet the lower risk of house cleaning businesses.

Window cleaning insurance

Individuals and businesses who clean windows and other glass surfaces on buildings can be covered by window cleaning insurance. Whether you specialise in commercial to residential properties, being a window cleaner comes with certain risks.

Do cleaners need insurance?

As a professional cleaner, you no doubt take great pride and care in the work you do. However, you can’t think of everything, and problems may arise. Possessions could get broken, and people may be injured. Unless you would be prepared to cover the costs associated with these accidents yourself, you should seriously consider taking out public liability insurance. You may also find that some clients insist you have public liability cover before they will do business with you.

You might want to take out insurance to cover your tools as well. As a cleaner, you rely on specialist equipment to get the job done, and some of this doesn’t come cheap. If your equipment was to be stolen or damaged, you might face a large bill to replace or repair it. Having tools cover in place as part of your cleaners’ insurance policy will ensure you’re not left counting the cost.

If you have anyone working for you, even if this is on a temporary or a part-time basis, it’s important to be aware that you’re required by law to take out employers’ liability insurance too.

Do I need drain cleaning insurance?

Self-employed cleaner insurance

Self-employed cleaners face the same day-to-day risks as any other professional cleaner, however as a sole trader, you are personally liable for any losses your business makes. Meaning that if a client or member of the public were to make a claim against you, you would have to pay to defend the claim and any damages awarded, out of your own pocket. Self-employed cleaner insurance can protect your personal finances should something go wrong.

What insurance does a cleaner need?

Our insurance for cleaners’ policy can include various types of cover. When you get a quote online, we will ask you a few simple questions about your cleaning business and offer you the relevant covers. You can choose to purchase all or some of the cover options, selecting those that best meet your business needs.

How much does insurance cost for a cleaning business?

The cost of business insurance for a cleaning business or self-employed cleaner depends on a number of factors. For example, the size of your business will have an impact, as will the types of cover you choose and the level of protection you go for.

With prices starting from  £7 a month*, purchasing cleaners’ insurance from us couldn’t be easier. Simply fill in our online quote form and we’ll give you a personalised quote. It’s up to you which covers you want to include in your policy, so you never pay for anything you don’t need.

And when you arrange cover with Markel, you’ll benefit from a range of free legal services for your cleaning business, including:

• 24-hour legal advice helpline staffed by experienced solicitors
• Markel Business Hub access for legal templates and resources
• Discounted IR35 contract reviews
• Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

We have more than 25 years’ experience providing insurance to tradespeople. To see what our customers think of us, check out our impressive ratings on Feefo.com.

*Price based on a cleaner requiring £1 million of public liability insurance.

Whether you’re dusting precious ornaments in a client’s living room, cleaning windows on a ground floor building, or mixing toxic cleaning chemicals, you face many risks as a professional cleaner. You can be careful and follow every safety procedure, but sometimes things just go wrong. And when they do, you’ll want to know that your business is protected by specialist cleaning business insurance from Markel.