The Ivory Method™
The Professional Standard For Private Housekeeping & Estate Stewardship.
The Ivory Method™ is our proprietary methodology for considered private housekeeping and estate stewardship. It brings together professional presence, household knowledge, surface-specific care, presentation and discretion so every home is approached with purpose rather than personal preference.
It is written, taught and refined as the business develops: a consistent way to understand the home, choose the appropriate method and leave every room beautifully presented.
What We Train Against
Six Standards, Applied To Every Home.
Professional Presence
Arriving prepared, presentable and respectful of the home we are entering.
Household Stewardship
Treating a home as something to be cared for, not simply processed.
Surface Intelligence
The right method and product for each material, every time.
Luxury Presentation
Finishing the room so it reads beautifully, not merely clean.
Discretion
Quiet, considered conduct and complete confidentiality.
Estate Standards
The detail expected of private estates, applied to family homes.
- DBS Checked
- COSHH Trained
- Fully Insured
- Professionally Trained
- Trained To Ivory & Co. Written Standards
Ethical Housekeeping
Exceptional Standards, Thoughtfully Delivered.
Our approach considers not only how effectively something is cleaned, but what is being used, how much is genuinely required and whether a gentler, more responsible option can achieve the same professional result.
Use the right product, in the right quantity, for the right surface, for the right reason.
Responsible Product Selection
Products are selected for the task, surface and household rather than used indiscriminately, with client preferences recorded at consultation.
Reduced Chemical Use
We avoid unnecessary chemical intensity and use only the quantity required to achieve the agreed professional result.
Lower-Waste Housekeeping
Reusable materials, measured product use and thoughtful stock management help reduce avoidable product and packaging waste wherever practical.
Considered Care
People, pets, delicate fabrics, household surfaces and laundering requirements are considered within the written household brief.
The Ivory Academy™
The Ivory Academy™School Of Private Housekeeping & Estate Care
The Ivory Academy™ is the internal training environment through which our methodology is taught, practised and maintained. We do not simply expect someone to clean; we develop professionals who understand the home, the client experience and the responsibility that comes with private household service.
The Academy is Ivory & Co.'s internal development framework. It is not presented as an external accreditation or public training qualification.
Enquire About Our CareersProfessional Development
- Professional Presence
- Luxury Housekeeping
- Fine Fabric Care
- Estate Care
- Client Psychology
- Laundry & Linen Care
- Inventory & Presentation
- Seasonal Care & Guest Readiness
- Risk Awareness
- Professional Conduct
- Ethical Housekeeping
The Ivory Professional™
A Professional Pathway, Built Around The Home.
An Ivory Professional™ is developed to combine technical housekeeping skill with judgement, presence and discretion. Progress is grounded in demonstrated consistency: understanding a household brief, choosing methods responsibly, caring for materials, presenting rooms beautifully and communicating with quiet professionalism.
- Works consistently to the written Ivory Method™.
- Understands when a surface, fabric or request needs a different approach.
- Treats confidentiality, boundaries and professional conduct as part of the service.
- Continues developing across private housekeeping, estate care and ethical practice.
Professional Principles
Standards People Can Live With.
Respect For The People Doing The Work
We treat housekeeping as skilled work: clear expectations, proper preparation and time to do the job well. Training and development are part of how we intend to build Ivory & Co. for the long term.
Considered Product Use
We use what the surface requires and no more, reducing unnecessary chemical use wherever practical. Particular products, fragrance-free options or your own preferred supplies can be agreed at consultation and recorded in your household brief.
Respect For The Home
Belongings are returned to where they were found, rooms you would rather we left alone are left alone, and nothing about your household is discussed outside the team attending you.
Honest Boundaries
If something falls outside what we can safely or properly do, we say so and explain why rather than attempting it. What is included, and what is not, is set out in writing before we begin.
“Use the right product, in the right quantity, for the right surface, for the right reason.”
The Ivory Method™
Animal-Aware Household Care
Homes With Animals Are Simply Homes.
Dogs, cats and other household animals are part of how a home runs, and our team is briefed to work around them calmly rather than treating them as an obstacle. Doors that must stay closed, a nervous dog who prefers one room, a cat who slips out if the utility door is opened — these go into your household brief and are followed without you needing to repeat them.
- Your animals' routine, temperament and any no-go rooms recorded in your brief.
- Doors, gates and access points handled as you have asked, every visit.
- Products and methods discussed with you where animals share the space.
- Anything unusual — an unwell-looking animal, a damaged gate — mentioned to you directly.
We are a housekeeping team, not a pet-care service: we do not feed, walk, medicate or supervise animals.
Attentive Household Care
Noticing Things Early Costs Nothing. Missing Them Rarely Does.
Because the same small team attends your home on a regular routine, they come to know how it normally looks. A slow-filling sink, a patch of damp behind a cupboard, a seal beginning to fail, a window that no longer closes properly — these are the sorts of things that are easy to miss in your own home and obvious to someone who sees the same rooms week after week.
A Written Household Brief
Your preferences, priorities, access arrangements and anything to be left undisturbed are recorded once and followed thereafter.
Mentioned, Not Managed
Where we notice something that looks like it needs your attention, we tell you directly. We do not arrange repairs or make decisions about your property.
Discretion As Standard
We do not photograph client homes, discuss them publicly or privately, or share anything about your household beyond the team attending you.
This is ordinary attentiveness during a scheduled visit, not a survey, inspection or monitoring service, and it is never a substitute for a qualified trades or professional inspection.
Second Homes & Periods Of Absence
A House That Is Empty Still Needs Looking After.
For households who travel, keep a second property in Cheshire, or are away for long stretches, we can keep a property aired, presented and ready to be walked back into — and prepared again before guests or family arrive. Scope, frequency and access arrangements are agreed in writing at consultation, and this support is offered to selected households alongside a regular housekeeping routine.
- Property opened, aired and presented before your return or arrival of guests.
- Closed down and left secure and orderly at the end of a stay.
- Linen, beds and bathrooms prepared for arrival.
- Anything that looks amiss on the visit reported to you directly.
A Defined Service Portfolio
What We Don't Currently Provide.
Ivory & Co. maintains a deliberately considered service portfolio. Where a requirement falls outside the services we currently provide, we will always be transparent about this and, where possible, offer appropriate direction towards trusted specialists or services better suited to the work required.
Specialist Services
Where a property requires specialist work outside our current service model, we may be able to point you towards an appropriate specialist provider. This could include specialist trades, specialist restoration, specialist maintenance or other highly technical property services.
Specialist External Services
Where work requires specialist external contractors or technical expertise beyond our current provision, we will be transparent about the distinction between housekeeping and estate care and specialist contracting.
Direction, Where Appropriate
If we cannot provide a service ourselves, that does not necessarily mean we cannot help you find the right direction. Where appropriate, we can recommend or point clients towards suitable specialist services.
Work at height beyond step height, hoarding, biohazard and pest-related work, childcare, pet care and general errands also sit outside our current provision. Saying so early is part of the standard.
Currently serving Nantwich and surrounding areas within approximately 10 miles of the town. Enquiries outside our current service area are considered individually. Commercial, contract and construction requirements are handled separately through our Commercial & Contract Services division, which follows the same methodology.