What Pilgrim Payne does

Pilgrim Payne & Co. Ltd is a UK private limited company founded in 1850 by Mr Pilgrim and Mr Payne, originally as a dry-cleaning business, and now operating as a specialist soft furnishing care provider for residential and commercial clients across London, South East England, and the M40/M3/M4 corridors. Headquartered in Hayes with operational sites in Wembley and Alperton, the company employs 11-50 staff and holds two Royal Warrants as official supplier to HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales, alongside NCCA membership and BIID Industry Partner status.

The company's core technology centres on dedicated plant-based cleaning facilities and a portfolio of five distinct carpet cleaning systems tailored to fabric type and soiling condition, combined with wet-side and dry-side cleaning processes for rugs and a non-shrinkage guarantee for curtain cleaning. All technicians are required to have a minimum of 15 years of industry experience, with some exceeding 40 years, and the company uses no public APIs, SDKs, or digital platforms beyond an SEO- and content-driven website.

Pilgrim Payne operates a direct-to-consumer and direct-to-enterprise business model with job-based pricing determined by free on-site written estimates rather than standardised rates. Revenue streams include professional cleaning of curtains, carpets, upholstery, and rugs; bespoke curtain making, alterations, and reupholstery; and general and post-builder cleaning for London-based clients. The customer base spans residential homeowners, luxury hotels (Dorchester, Claridges, Goring), embassies (American, German, Brazilian), cultural and heritage institutions (Royal Academy of Arts, Christie's, Sotheby's, livery companies), private clubs, and interior designers (Colefax & Fowler, Joanna Wood, Designers Guild). Marketing is primarily content-led via a blog and local SEO landing pages, supported by Royal Warrant endorsements and customer testimonials rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Pilgrim Payne

Legal name

Pilgrim Payne & Co. Ltd

Website

https://pilgrimpayne.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pilgrim Payne & Co. Ltd is a UK private specialist cleaning and restoration company founded in 1850, providing curtain, carpet, upholstery, and rug cleaning services to residential and commercial clients across London and South East England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soft Furnishing Cleaning & Restoration Services

NAICS

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services (56174), Reupholstery and Furniture Repair (81142)

akta.pro primary industry

Upholstery Cleaning (Sofas, Chairs, Cushions) (HSAJAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Curtain & Drapery Cleaning (On-/Off-Site) (HSAJAJAD), Upholstery & Drapery Stain Removal / Restoration (HSAJAKAI), Green Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning (Low-tox/Plant-based) (HSAEAGAH), Curtain & Drapery Pressing/Steaming (HSAJALAG)

Keywords

• Soft furnishing cleaning
• Carpet cleaning services
• Curtain cleaning services
• Upholstery cleaning
• Rug cleaning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wembley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Cleaning Services: Core revenue stream from professional cleaning of soft furnishings including curtains, carpets, upholstery, and rugs. Services are priced job-by-job based on site assessments rather than standardized pricing.
2. Curtain Making and Alterations: Custom curtain manufacturing and alteration services including curtain making, reupholstery, and furniture making. These services combine with cleaning to offer comprehensive soft furnishing care.
3. General and Spring Cleaning: General cleaning services for London-based clients, including post-builder cleans and periodic deep cleaning maintenance contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pilgrim Payne is a specialist cleaner of soft furnishings offering professional cleaning of curtains, carpets, upholstery, and rugs, complemented by manufacturing services such as curtain making, reupholstery, and curtain alterations/repairs. Services utilise plant-based immersion cleaning and five differentiated carpet cleaning systems, with non-shrinkage guarantees on curtains and full take-down/clean/re-installation handling. Residential and commercial clients across London and the South East of England receive free on-site written estimates.

Product overview

Pilgrim Payne is a specialist cleaning and soft furnishings company offering a comprehensive suite of services for residential and commercial clients across London and the South East of England. The company operates as both a service provider and manufacturer, combining core cleaning services (curtain cleaning, carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning) with manufacturing capabilities (curtain making, reupholstery, furniture making). The service portfolio is unified by the company's focus on soft furnishing care, with cleaning services utilizing plant-based facilities for immersion cleaning versus on-site cleaning, and manufacturing services enabling the company to understand full product lifecycle requirements. All services are delivered with the company's 170+ year heritage positioning and emphasis on quality craftsmanship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curtain Cleaning Professional curtain cleaning services including specialist curtain dry cleaning with removal, immersion cleaning, and re-installation. Includes non-shrinkage guarantees and handling of delicate fabrics such as voiles, sheers, and designer curtains. Aimed at residential and commercial clients with valuable curtains.
• Carpet Cleaning Professional carpet cleaning for domestic and commercial clients using five different cleaning systems selected per carpet type and staining. Service includes vacuuming, pre-treatment, stain removal, and sour rinse finishing for both standard and fine carpets.
• Fine Carpet Cleaning Specialist cleaning for fine carpets, tapestries, and valuable rugs including Oriental and Persian rugs, using plant-based cleaning facilities and specialist techniques suitable for delicate and valuable textiles.
• Upholstery Cleaning Professional upholstery cleaning with cleaning approach tailored to each fabric type, including on-site examination of upholstery and selection of appropriate cleaning materials to preserve fabric beauty.
• Rug Cleaning Professional rug cleaning using both wet-side and dry-side cleaning processes with dedicated plant cleaning facilities for thorough restoration of wool, Persian, and Oriental rugs.
• Curtain Making Bespoke curtain manufacturing service including curtain alterations and repairs, with curtains made to customer specifications and professionally installed.
• Reupholstery Furniture re-upholstery service to restore or update furniture with new fabric coverings, combined with furniture making capabilities.
• General & Spring Cleaning General and spring cleaning services for London-based clients, including post-builder cleans and household cleaning maintenance.
• Curtain Alterations and Repairs Professional curtain alteration services including curtain re-lining and repairs to pelmets, tassels, and other curtain components.

Quantifiable outcome

• Curtains should be professionally cleaned every 2-3 years in polluted city environments like London
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull membership in the NCCA, the leading trade organization for carpet cleaners in the UK. Members must adhere to a strict Code of Practice and ethical standards. NCCA-trained technicians provide peace of mind for customers seeking quality cleaning services.
• British Institute of Interior Design (BIID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry Partner status with the BIID, the professional body for interior designers in the UK. This partnership indicates Pilgrim Payne as the trusted choice recommended by interior design professionals for soft furnishing care.
• RomominorOthersTop fabric manufacturer whose products Pilgrim Payne has experience caring for and cleaning according to manufacturer specifications.
• Colefax & FowlerminorOthersPrestigious fabric manufacturer whose products Pilgrim Payne has expertise in caring for and maintaining.
• SandersonminorOthersEstablished British fabric manufacturer whose products Pilgrim Payne has experience cleaning and caring for.
• Osborne & LittleminorOthersLeading fabric and wallpaper designer whose products Pilgrim Payne has expertise in cleaning and caring for.
• Designers GuildminorOthersLuxury homeware and fabric brand whose products Pilgrim Payne has experience caring for.
• HarlequinminorOthersPremium fabric and wallpaper manufacturer whose products Pilgrim Payne has expertise in caring for.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stanley Steemer: One of the largest US carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning companies, offering residential and commercial deep-cleaning services. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on service categories (carpet, upholstery, rug cleaning) but with a national franchise footprint and broader mid-market positioning.
• COIT Cleaning & Restoration Services: Established North American cleaning and restoration franchise covering carpet, upholstery, drapery, and tile cleaning. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on the multi-surface soft furnishing cleaning portfolio, particularly drapery/curtain cleaning, but operating across a broader service menu and at much larger scale.
• ServiceMaster Clean: Large commercial and residential cleaning franchise with carpet and upholstery cleaning as part of a broader janitorial portfolio. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on commercial contract cleaning for offices, hotels, and institutions, but with a much wider service scope and franchise-based delivery model.
• Chem-Dry: Global franchise network providing carpet and upholstery cleaning services with a proprietary low-moisture cleaning process. Directly comparable to Pilgrim Payne's carpet and upholstery cleaning offering, but operating at much larger scale through franchising across multiple geographies versus Pilgrim Payne's regional specialist positioning.
• Rainbow International: Restoration and cleaning franchise network providing carpet, upholstery, and drapery cleaning alongside water and fire damage restoration. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on soft furnishing cleaning services, with overlap in the commercial and insurance-driven restoration customer base.

Direct peers

• Sears Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning: National residential and commercial carpet and upholstery cleaning service with deep-cleaning and stain-removal offerings. Directly comparable to Pilgrim Payne on carpet and upholstery cleaning, though positioned more as a mid-market, on-site service rather than a heritage-driven specialist.
• Zerorez: Carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning franchise using a proprietary water-based, soap-free cleaning process. Closely comparable to Pilgrim Payne's plant-based cleaning differentiation, with a similar emphasis on residue-free technology as a quality differentiator.
• Heaven's Best Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning: Franchise carpet and upholstery cleaning network using a low-moisture process designed for quick drying. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on residential carpet and upholstery cleaning with a process-led differentiation, though at a lower price point and with broader geographic distribution.

Regional players

• Safeclean: UK-based carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning service with national coverage through regional operators. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on UK residential and commercial soft furnishing cleaning, though positioned as a broader-volume provider rather than a heritage specialist.
• Countrywide Carpet Cleaning: UK carpet cleaning company offering domestic and commercial carpet and upholstery cleaning across multiple regions. Comparable to Pilgrim Payne on the core carpet and upholstery cleaning service, though without the heritage branding, Royal Warrants, or specialist fine carpet immersion capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pilgrimpayneco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pilgrim Payne