Domestic and oven cleaning insurance: what you need

Why domestic and oven cleaning needs specific cover

Every round trade needs public liability cover (see insurance for round trades). In domestic and oven cleaning, the risks and the small print are particular to the work: cleaning a home for an agreed number of hours.

What to ask your insurer about

• Cover for damage to the customer's property and belongings
• Key-holding or loss-of-keys cover, if you hold customers' keys
• Cover for oven cleaning and any chemical use

The risks behind most claims

• Skin, eye and breathing irritation from cleaning products: never mix products
• Slips on wet floors
• Back and shoulder strain from the same movements for hours
• Working alone in a stranger's home: tell someone where you'll be

Rules to check

• COSHH rules apply to the chemicals you use. HSE's guide explains the assessments you should make
• You'll hold customers' names, addresses and key details. Check whether you need to pay the data protection fee to the ICO

Tell the insurer exactly what you do

Cover for one service doesn't always cover the next. If you do more than one thing, such as window cleaning or lawn care and garden maintenance, say so, and ask for it in writing. A claim refused because a job wasn't on the policy is the most expensive mistake in the trade.

If you take on help

The moment someone works for you, even part-time, you may need employers' liability cover. HSE explains who counts as an employee. Ask your insurer how they treat subcontractors.