What happens when you damage a client’s expensive garment, and the insurance and policies every UK ironing business needs before that happens.
Quick answer: UK ironing businesses need public liability insurance and, ideally, treatment risk cover for damaged garments. A clear written damage policy, agreed with clients before you take their items, protects you from disputes and protects clients from unclear expectations.
The risk most ironing guides skip entirely
Most ironing business guides cover pricing, equipment, and marketing in detail, then barely mention what happens when something goes wrong. A scorched shirt or a shrunk silk blouse is not a rare event in this trade, and how you handle it can make or break a business built on word of mouth.
Why standard public liability is not enough
Public liability insurance covers injury or property damage to third parties, which includes some scenarios involving client belongings, but many general policies exclude damage to items you are actively working on, known as “treatment risk” or “care, custody and control” of goods.
Check this specifically with your insurer. A policy that covers a client tripping over your ironing board is not automatically the same policy that covers you scorching their favourite dress.
Treatment risk cover explained
Treatment risk cover specifically protects items while they are in your possession for cleaning, pressing, or ironing. This is the cover that actually matters day to day in an ironing business, since garment damage is a far more likely claim than a third-party injury.
Ask any insurer offering ironing or laundry business policies whether treatment risk is included as standard or needs adding, since this varies significantly between providers.
Setting a clear damage policy before you start
Write a simple, plain-English damage policy and share it with every client before their first booking, not after an incident occurs. Cover what happens if an item is damaged, how compensation is calculated, and any items you will not accept.
State clearly that certain fabrics and finishes carry higher risk, such as silk, delicate embellishments, and vintage items, and consider declining these or requiring written acknowledgement of the risk before ironing them.
Identifying high-risk items before you iron them
Check care labels on every item before ironing, particularly for temperature-sensitive fabrics, and flag anything unusual to the client before you start rather than after damage occurs.
Keep a simple intake process, even a quick note or photo of any pre-existing marks, stains, or damage on items when you receive them, so a dispute about pre-existing condition does not fall entirely on your word against theirs.
What to do if damage happens
Tell the client immediately rather than hoping they will not notice, since being upfront preserves trust even when the news is unwelcome, and delay almost always makes a dispute worse.
Assess whether the item can be repaired, and if not, agree fair compensation based on the item’s actual value, not its original retail price, since most garments depreciate with age and wear.
Document the incident and your resolution in writing, even over text or email, so there is a clear record if the situation escalates.
Compensation: what is reasonable
For genuinely valuable or irreplaceable items, such as wedding attire or vintage pieces, consider requiring clients to declare value upfront and adjusting your acceptance policy or pricing accordingly, since a standard ironing rate rarely reflects the real risk of such items.
Most disputes are resolved fairly with a policy that pays out based on the item’s current depreciated value, agreed in advance rather than argued after the fact.
Frequently asked questions
Am I covered if I damage a client’s clothes while ironing?
Only if your insurance specifically includes treatment risk or care, custody and control cover for goods. Standard public liability insurance alone often excludes damage to items you are actively working on.
Should I refuse to iron delicate or expensive items?
Not necessarily, but flag the risk to the client beforehand, get written acknowledgement for high-value items, and consider whether your insurance and pricing genuinely reflect that risk.
How much compensation should I offer for a damaged item?
Base compensation on the item’s current depreciated value rather than its original price, and agree this principle with clients in your written policy before any damage occurs.
What should an ironing business damage policy include?
How damage is assessed, how compensation is calculated, which items carry higher risk, and what happens if a client disputes the outcome, all shared with clients before their first booking.