The people behind Handpicked

We are a local introduction agency for Winchester and the surrounding villages.

We find and vet self-employed cleaners and match one to your home. After that we handle scheduling and cover, and put things right when a clean misses the mark.

We keep a small network of cleaners. We interview and check them, and everyone does a paid trial clean before they reach your home.

Because they are self-employed, you pay them directly for the cleaning and us a separate fee for everything around it. It is what lets them earn £20 an hour, with nothing deducted.

We started Handpicked because we know from experience how hard it is to find a reliable cleaner with room to take you on. We also want it to be a good place for cleaners to work, as well as for the households they clean.

Carolina and RobKings Worthy, Winchester

A bright, immaculate hallway in a Winchester period home

A Winchester family, running a local agency

Handpicked is independently owned and run by the two of us. We live just outside Winchester, in the same postcodes as the homes we look after. As a family with young children, we know how much it helps to have a cleaner who turns up on time every week and does great work, and how important it is to feel you're welcoming the right person into your home.

Carolina

Co-founder

I worked as a cleaner myself for a couple of years, cleaning for the same clients every week. Over the months I earned enough trust with one of them to become their housekeeper. It taught me what a good clean looks like, and just how much trust someone hands over with their front door key.

The rest of my working life has been design, as a UX/UI designer and then an E-commerce Merchandising and Content Lead. At Handpicked I meet the cleaners, visit the homes and look after the day to day. Away from work I love training and running, making pottery, and cooking.

Rob

Co-founder

I’ve spent 15 years in technology and change management, fast-moving and high-pressure work where diplomacy matters. The biggest thing it taught me is that trust and good relationships are how anything gets done, and that is how we run Handpicked. We build trusted relationships, and we do what we say we will.

I also look after the parts that sit in the background but keep everything running, from the checks and assurances behind every cleaner to the systems the business runs on. Away from work I’m training, running or watching the rugby. I played all through my childhood and I’m still a massive fan today.

5 checks before anyone reaches your door

Every cleaner goes through all five before their first clean, and we check their insurance again every year.

What's included as standard

Your checklist is yours to set. As a starting point, a regular clean covers the essentials in every room. Anything you can see gets attention where it needs it.

Kitchen surfaces, hob and appliance exteriors
Bathrooms, showers, sinks and toilets
Floors vacuumed and mopped throughout
Dusting of surfaces, sills, skirtings and architraves, where they need it
Light switches, door handles and cupboard fronts wiped
Sofa cushions lifted, and under raised furniture where the vacuum reaches
Mirrors and glass polished
Beds made and rooms tidied, on request
Bins emptied and liners replaced
Cloths, wipes, dusters and sprays brought by your cleaner, or yours if you prefer

We're local

Winchester and the country around it. South through Otterbourne to Chandler’s Ford, west to Romsey and along the Test to Stockbridge, north to Whitchurch, north-east toward Basingstoke and Oakley, and east to Alresford. We live locally, so we meet every cleaner and visit every area ourselves. It also means we can put things right quickly.

In Winchester itself we cover every neighbourhood, from Badger Farm and Olivers Battery to Stanmore, Harestock and the centre. If you're not sure we reach you yet, ask. If we're not in your area this week, we'll say so and let you know the moment we are.