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About the Cleaning Insurance Cover
GLEAMING INSURANCE are specialist insurance brokers to the cleaning industry in the UK and are able to offer a comprehensive policy exclusively written in partnership with Hiscox Insurance that provides much wider cover that most insurers are willing to provide to cleaning businesses.
 
We can provide the following covers under one policy, which if required can be paid by monthly direct debit, interest free.
 
  • Public Liability Insurance for cleaning businesses
  • Employers Liability Insurance of cleaning businesses
  • Tools, equipment and machinery insurance for cleaning businesses
  • Legal Expenses Insurance for cleaning businesses
Public Liability Insurance for Cleaners

Whatever you clean, your biggest risk is causing damage whilst you are cleaning.  This could be damage to a carpet, window or an expensive piece of furniture or electrical equipment.  

Would you be covered for such damage by your current insurer?  

Probably not, as this is usually excluded within most public liability insurance policies. 

We are able to provide a comprehensive policy that includes such cover and many other additional covers that other policies don't provide.   

We can include cover for:

Damage to Property Worked On

 

This covers you if you are accused of damaging whatever you are cleaning. Without this extension to your cover, you would be left to deal with the matter yourselves. 

Treatment Risks

 

If you use solutions or chemicals during the cleaning process (including bleach) then you probably know it is common for damage to be caused by such products.  Such damage is covered under the Treatment Risks extension.  Many insurers exclude treatment risk, but we can include it for you.

Loss of Customers' Keys

If you are responsible for holding keys for your customers then you will need to ensure you have cover should you lose them.  Our policy provides key holding cover as standard.

Failure to Secure a Customer's Premises

When you leave the premises you have cleaned you may be responsible for locking up and setting alarms and if you fail to do this you could be liable should anyone break into the premises. Our policy covers you for such occurrences.

 

Losses from Dishonesty

You will have undoubtedly made checks on all your staff or self-employed cleaners but you could still be exposed to potential claims should one of them decide to steal from your customers.  The insurer will pay for the sums you have to pay as compensation to your client following fraud and dishonesty.  However, they will not make any payments for your clients' losses;

  • where you do not have a suitable reference for the employee covering the period of at least 2 years immediately prior to commencement of employment with you; 

  • unless you notify us of such losses during the period of insurance or within 30 days of the expiry of the period of insurance; 

Types of cleaning covered

We offer a comprehensive policy that will include cover for you to undertake the following activities as standard;

  • Internal and external cleaning of commercial properties including shops, offices, restaurants, pubs and other properties occupied by businesses

  • Internal and external cleaning of domestic properties

  • End of tenancy and holiday home cleaning including caravans (interior and exterior)

  • Conservatory and solar panel cleaning

  • Carpet, upholstery, hard floors, soft furnishing and curtain cleaning

  • Gutter, soffit, fascia, signage and frame cleaning

  • Kitchen and oven cleaning (domestic and catering only) excluding industrial ovens

  • White goods cleaning including fridges and washing machines

  • Pressure washing to 248 bar (3,600 psi)

  • Contract cleaning

  • A height limit of 25 metres or more is available

 

Who needs Public Liability Insurance?

Whilst there is no legal requirement to arrange public liability insurance it would be prudent for any cleaning business owner to protect their business with cleaners public liability insurance.  

 

This will protect your livelihood and reputation if you were found to have been legally liable for damage or injury you caused during your business activities.   

We see many claims where cleaners have accidentally damaged a carpet, sofa, oven, etc and the cost of the damage is well in excess of £2,000.   Do you have a spare £2,000 to pay a customer their compensation, plus legal fees?  Not many people do, hence the need to take out public liability insurance.  

Please note that when you arrange a public liability policy with us it will only cover the person named who must be the proprietor of the business or the named partners if there is more than one business owner.   

If you have others helping you then you will have a legal requirement to arrange cover for Employers Liability Insurance.   Please see our guide to choosing the right insurance cover for your cleaning business.

Documents for you to read:

Please have a read of the following Policy Summary document which provides a summary of the cover and exclusions. We hope you will find useful in understanding the cover. 

Employers Liability Insurance for Cleaners

When you run a cleaning business you may need to use self employed cleaners to help you or maybe employ people on a PAYE basis. 

 

How they get paid doesn't matter, the fact that they work for you means they legally have to be covered by an Employers Liability Insurance policy.  Whether you have one person working for you for a few hours a week or a team of self employed cleaners working 16+ hours a week you still have the same legal obligation.  Anyone working for you has to be covered by law in accordance with the Employers Liability (Compulsory) Insurance Act 1969  

There are a few exemptions for family businesses that only employ close members of their family.   Please read the Act for more details of these exemptions. 

Tools, equipment and machinery insurance

Whatever type of cleaning you do the chances are you use some kind of equipment to carry out your work.   We can provide cover for damage to or theft of your equipment.

 

We automatically include cover for £1,000 under all our policies, which you can increase for an additional premium. 

We would strongly advise you to read the insurer's policy wording below so you are familiar with where the cover is provided. 

About the Cover

Gleaming Insurance
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