If you have ever booked a cleaner and then spotted extra costs creeping in at the end, you will know the feeling: a quote looks tidy, the appointment goes ahead, and then suddenly there is a charge for access, parking, stain treatment, "heavy soiling," or something else that was never clearly explained.

When something spills, breaks, leaks, or just goes properly wrong at home or work, waiting until tomorrow can feel like a luxury you do not have.

If you have been trying to work out what carpet cleaning should actually cost in Battersea, you are not alone.