End of Tenancy Cleaning in Mayfair

We had the first and second floors of a Georgian townhouse on one of the streets behind Mount Street — the kind of building where the front door is 12ft high, the fanlight above it is original, and the staircase has an iron balustrade that an 18th-century craftsman bent by hand. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a double reception, a separate dining room, and a kitchen. A Middle Eastern diplomat — family of four, posted for 3 years at £14,000/month. Wetherell managing from their Mount Street office.

Parking in the mews behind the house — the garage was part of the let. Three of us. Full day.

The double reception was where you understood what Mayfair means. About 35ft by 18ft across two interconnected rooms with ceilings at 3.5 metres. The cornicing was the most elaborate we'd seen — a deep, multi-layered moulding with dentil detail and egg-and-dart running below. Two ceiling roses, both with acanthus-leaf plasterwork radiating outward. We spent 40 minutes on cornicing and roses alone.

Two marble fireplaces — matching Georgian surrounds with fluted columns and carved swag detail. pH-neutral on every carved surface. One had a slight soot mark from occasional use — cleaned with specialist product, came right off.

The timber floor was wide-board oak, dark-stained, waxed. Specialist product. Three oil paintings on the walls — listed on the inventory, valued at more than most London flats. Cleaned around. Noted in position.

Kitchen. About 16ft by 12ft. Gaggenau built-in oven and combination steam oven. Both doors off, glass out, sprayed. The Gaggenau needs specialist stainless-steel product on the front panel — you can't use standard oven cleaner on the exterior. Sub-Zero fridge-freezer — glass shelves removed, interior wiped, exterior specialist stainless-steel. Wolf gas hob — six burners, caps off, soaked. Marble worktop and backsplash: pH-neutral. 75 minutes for the kitchen.

Three bathrooms. The master en-suite had a freestanding stone bath, a walk-in rainfall shower with two glass panels, marble walls, marble floor, double vanity in marble. The marble was Calacatta — white with gold veining, more dramatic than Carrara. pH-neutral on everything. Descaler on the glass and chrome only, cloth protecting every marble edge. 45 minutes for this one bathroom.

The second bathroom: similar spec, slightly smaller. The third: a guest bathroom on the ground-floor level, marble throughout. Total bathroom time: about 100 minutes.

Three bedrooms. All with timber floors, all with fitted dressing rooms. The master dressing room had bespoke cabinetry — every shelf, drawer, rail wiped. Walk-in, about 8ft by 6ft.

Dining room. Separate room, about 14ft by 14ft. Timber floor, marble fireplace (third one), ceiling cornicing. Table and chairs were part of the furnished let — wiped but not moved.

Mews garage — part of the let. Swept.

8 hours. Three people. The biggest job this month.

Wetherell came the next morning. Their Mount Street director — he's been handling these townhouses for decades and knows every floorboard. Double reception: cornicing checked section by section, roses inspected, fireplace swag detail finger-tested, soot mark gone. Paintings: noted in position per inventory. Kitchen: Gaggenau both ovens opened, stainless-steel finish inspected for streaks (none), Sub-Zero interior torched, Wolf hob checked per burner, marble backsplash inspected. Master bathroom: Calacatta marble walls checked for etch (none — we were careful), stone bath inspected behind, shower panels angled. Dressing room: every drawer opened. 35 minutes for the whole property. Passed.

Deposit processed via the embassy's relocation company. Full return in 14 days.

Mayfair is the ceiling of what we do. The surfaces are the most expensive. The appliances are the most specialised. The agents are the most exacting. But the process is the same: clean every surface with the right product, document everything, and let the checkout confirm it. Our guide on deposit dispute evidence covers super-prime furnished lets and artwork documentation.