We caught up with Sally Fenton, Managing Director of Excel Office Cleaning Services, a company known for its premium, detail-focused approach to cleaning both offices and homes.

Tell us a bit about yourself and Excel. How has the business evolved since those early days?

Excel is, at its core, a family story. My dad started the business in the 1960s after noticing something simple but important: there was a real lack of connection between the cleaning teams and the managers. He believed that people work better when they feel seen and supported and he built Excel around that idea long before it became standard practice. I grew up watching him build genuine, lasting connections, the kind that earned him the respect of both his cleaning teams and the managing directors he worked alongside. His ability to bridge those worlds with integrity and professionalism shaped the foundation of how we operate today. When I took over in 2004, my aim wasn’t to change the heart of Excel but to carry it forward. The UK cleaning and facilities sector is now huge, essential and fast moving — worth over £55 billion and employing more than 1.6 million people, it was important to me to move forward with the times but keep our core values.

Our customer service is important to us and valuing our clients and partnerships means we build long-term and trusted relationships along the way.

What services do you offer?

• Corporate offices — from everyday workplaces to large head offices where brand image and consistency are essential

• High profile headquarters — environments that require immaculate standards, quiet professionalism, and trusted long term teams

• Luxury wedding venues — pristine presentation, discreet service, and flawless finishing touches for high end events

• Premium rental accommodation — boutique stays, serviced apartments, and high value properties prepared to hotel grade standards

• Hygiene cleaning — veterinary surgeries and specialist environments requiring strict hygiene, compliance, and controlled processes

• Event spaces — before, during, and after events, ensuring the venue looks impeccable and guest ready

• Luxury homes — discreet, refined cleaning for busy households, frequent travellers, and high net worth clients

• Builders’ and sparkle cleans — post construction and pre handover cleaning that delivers a flawless, showroom ready finish on tight timelines.

• Film Studios — discreet, high standard cleaning for production spaces, sets, and talent areas.

For busy households, what are the biggest benefits of using a premium cleaning services like Excel?

For busy households the biggest benefit is peace of mind. Life moves quickly and having a trusted premium cleaning team means one major part of the home feels beautifully taken care of without you needing to think about it.

How do you tailor your services to suit the needs of luxury homes and lifestyle properties?

Every clean is fully managed. How we oversee each specific project puts us above most other companies, every task communicated to our teams and documented to ensure everything is done with the utmost care and consideration.

Many members value privacy – how do we ensure discretion and trust when working in clients’ homes?

Discretion is one of the most important parts of our service. Every clean is fully managed by a senior member of our team, and all of our teams are permanently employed, referenced and DBS, most of whom have been with us a long time. Each is trained in our standards and our service delivery and we operate a strict no phones policy during cleans.

If clients do require an electronic audit of the premises after cleaning our Manager can prepare and send this but photos will only be taken on a strict client pre-approved basis. Already working in high profile, high security office premises we are very much all our teams are trained to ensure to shut the doors of premises when cleaning, not allow anyone in, ensure all windows and doors are shut and alarms set if required.

What does a typical deep clean involve and how often would you recommend it for maintain a pristine home?

A Deep Clean is a bespoke service and can vary dependent on the lifestyle of the particular client, but for homes with regular maintenance cleaning — a deep clean every 3–6 months keeps the home immaculate, especially for;

• Families with demanding schedules — where daily life makes it hard to maintain a pristine standard

• Homes with regular hosting — dinner parties, guests, events, or entertaining

• Members who travel frequently — a deep clean ensures the home feels perfect on return

• Households with pets — managing hair and odours

• Clients who prefer a luxury finish — symmetry, polish, and refined presentation

• Seasonal resets — spring refresh, post holiday tidy, pre winter preparation

Our deep luxury clean is a full home reset, designed to restore balance, clarity, and refinement throughout your space.

Examples of the level of care we provide include kitchen refinement with polished appliance fronts, exteriors, hard to reach places, interior to refrigerators and microwaves, bathroom restoration with descaling and grout cleaning, Multi level dusting — high shelves, frames, lampshades, ledges, under and behind furniture care sofas, beds and hidden areas, premium floor care — vacuuming, mopping, edging, and streak free finishes, machine scrubbing where required.

Your pool and spa cleaning sounds very specialised – what difference does a professional service make in those areas?

Hygiene control in these areas often gets neglected from a daily cleaning routine causing build up from body oils, hair, sweat, product residue and moisture that breeds bacteria so a deep, thorough regular clean of these areas is especially important.

Our professional poolside cleaning service ensures that all surrounding floors, tiles, and high touch surfaces are kept hygienic and consistently presentable. Wet leisure areas require specialist care, and our trained team uses the correct non film forming products and safe cleaning methods designed specifically for high moisture environments. We focus on preventing grime build up, managing slip risks, protecting grout, and maintaining a clean, welcoming space for all users and a scheduled cleaning supported by COSHH compliant processes will help improve hygiene standards, and maintain a premium facility that our clients feel confident using.

What small details or finishing touches do you focus on that clients might not expect – but really notice?

Your clean certainly won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Using an established company that specialises in bespoke cleaning services means our cleaning teams are carefully selected, well-presented and are permanently employed, highly trained team members - we don’t use any agency workers.

We aim to provide a personal service which means you will have a sense of calm, professionalism, care, reliabilibity and luxury which can be lacking in other service providers.

Are there any trends you see in the cleaning industry?

Yes, indeed there are massive changes within the industry with many smaller, specialist cleaning companies being absorbed by national providers, making true bespoke services increasingly rare. We’ve chosen to remain independent so we can preserve the craftsmanship, discretion, and attention to detail that luxury clients value.

Digital Auditing Platforms; Available to our clients who may travel frequently or spend time abroad, our digital platform provides complete peace of mind.

Upon request, our service visit is documented through a discreet electronic audit, including time stamped notes and high quality photographs, so you can see exactly how your property has been cared for — wherever you are in the world. The platform offers a calm, intuitive experience: clear visual updates, before and after detailing, and a record of every finishing touch. It’s a modern extension of our luxury service, giving you effortless oversight without ever needing to be on site.

Sustainability is woven quietly and intentionally into the way we work. We use carefully selected products, controlled dose systems, and low impact methods that protect both your environment and the wider world. Our approach is subtle — no harsh fragrances, no unnecessary chemicals, no wasteful practices — just thoughtful, responsible cleaning that supports a healthier home and a lighter footprint. For clients who value refinement and conscious living, it’s a natural extension of our luxury service: considered, gentle, and impeccably executed.

How can our members contact you to discuss their needs?

Most of our clients prefer my email: sally@excelofficecleaning.com It’s the simplest way to begin a personalised conversation about your home or lifestyle requirements.

For those who prefer speaking directly our office our telephone number is; 01483-362045 and our team is available by phone during dedicated hours 8am – 5pm. This option is ideal for clients who want immediate clarity or wish to discuss more detailed arrangements.

Members can also connect through our website, where a short enquiry form allows us to understand your needs and respond back to you.

Excel Office Cleaning Services is a Wentworth Lifestyle Partner