How a two-hour cleaning visit can be used effectively

Two hours is long enough to do the kitchen and one or two bathrooms properly, or to vacuum and mop the main living areas and dust what you can reach, or to combine a lighter clean with a modest pile of ironing. It is not long enough to do all of those things well.

That is why we ask you to choose. Add-ons such as an inside oven or extra bathroom are priced separately because they take a bite out of the clock — or they need extra time booking.

If the house needs more, book more hours. There is no prize for squeezing a four-bed family home into the minimum and then feeling let down.