How to Start a Cleaning Business
Although you might disagree, most people find cleaning their homes to be stressful and even painful. By starting a cleaning business, you are tapping into an enormous market with plenty of clientele. There will always be a demand for cleaning services, which keeps you in business and keeps every client’s home spotless. Below is a complete guide on how to start a cleaning business from the ground up.
Do the Initial Cleaning Jobs Yourself
When you consider how to start a house cleaning business or how to start a maid service, you might feel tempted to begin with staffing, but one of the best ways to start is actually by doing most of the work yourself. After all, you need to learn the business before you can successfully run it from afar. One way to land your first few clients is by asking friends and family either for references or to clean their houses.
Committing to sourcing and working for your first few clients on your own will ensure you keep your costs low as well. Instead of investing money in hiring workers, you can pay yourself a reasonable wage while you work out any kinks in your business model and determine best practices for your company.
Set a Reasonable Cleaning Business Budget
Some questions that many potential cleaning business owners ask are – Can I start a cleaning company with no money? How can I keep my costs down? Is starting this type of business expensive? The answer is it will take some money, but it can be a lot less expensive than you might think!
Performing most of your cleaning jobs solo will help keep more money in your pocket, but budgeting is about more than how many hours you work. After all, you will need to invest in some supplies for your business to succeed, as well as track and cover vehicle maintenance and fuel costs.

A guide on how to find the best commercial cleaning company
But how do you find the best commercial cleaning company for your specific job?
Trying to find a reputable commercial cleaning company can feel like an overwhelming task when you don’t know where to look. Commercial and industrial workplaces are all different, made up of various surfaces, nooks, and crannies. And, if you’ve ever attempted to clean one, you know how difficult a job it can be. That’s where a commercial or industrial cleaning company comes in.
Why?
Because they will be reliable, efficient and responsible for the cleanliness of your business. This professional presentation of your premises is tied in with your brand image, business reputation, customer experience, and plenty more.
Start with a list of your requirements
Is it speciality treatments like moss and mould removal? Is it general cleaning, or cleaning of a large scale food manufacturing plant? Whatever it is, have a clear-cut idea of what you want and what you need. It will make your job of finding the right commercial cleaning company easier when you know exactly what you want and what you need.
A good commercial cleaning company has accredited qualifications
You know you have found the start of something good when the commercial cleaning company has all the right qualifications. Working at heights to clean requires speciality training and knowledge of all the correct safety equipment and tools to use.
Check reviews and references
Reviews and references are always worth checking as they can help you to understand the quality of a cleaning company and get a feel of what their customers say and how they found the experience. Look for reviews on Google My Business. If there are very few bad reviews you know this company will be worth a phone call!
How to Clean an Office
Vacuum cleaners that capture a minimum of 99% of 0.3 micron particles and make sure vacuums are operating properly a bags dumped when they are half full (they loose their efficiency as the bags become fuller).
Floor machines equipped with vacuum attachments.
No feather dusters; use damp cloths or micro-fiber cloths.
Miscellaneous Product Selection:
Paper products and plastic trash can liners that meet EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for recycled content.
Be diligent in the removal and prevention of mold growth by keeping a regular cleaning and maintenance program.
Tools and Materials Needed
Clean cloths
Vacuum cleaner
Trigger sprayer
Wet mop
Liners
Products
Dust mop/dust cloth treatment
Furniture polish
Glass cleaner
Material Safety Data Sheet for chemicals used
Personal protective equipment as called for in MSDS
Daily procedures for cleaning an office
Use personal protective equipment
Start with the top of the room and dust hard surfaces with a clean cloth treated with dust mop/dust cloth treatment. Polish as needed.
Damp sanitize telephone, doorknobs and file cabinets.
Spot clean windows and sills with glass cleaner.
Empty and wipe ashtrays. Empty wastebasket and replace liner.
Dust mop floor or vacuum if carpeted.
Vacuum cloth furniture weekly.
Monthly procedures
Damp dust all high, hard surfaces with a cleaner disinfectant and a clean cloth.
Wash windows and mirrors.
Commercial Cleaning Licensing and Bonding
The following is our Commercial Cleaning Licensing and Bonding Guide for businesses that offer janitorial services, a business license needs to be acquired before the business is legally allowed to serve clients. Before starting any kind of business, certain legal obligations such as being bonded and insured are enforced.
Some types of cleaning companies include house cleaners, carpet cleaners, janitorial workers, window cleaners, etc. Examples of locations for janitorial services could be for houses, schools, hospitals, banks, small and large companies, stores, etc.
There are many questions one may have such as:
1) Why do I need a surety bond in order to get my business license?
2) What are the steps to start a commercial cleaning business?
3) How much is a commercial surety bond and how long does it last?
Starting up and running a business can be stressful since there is a lot of information to keep in mind. Fortunately, this guide will cover information about a janitorial business license, bonding and insurance, and other facts regarding licensing and insurance for this type of business.
Determine the number of employees that will work for the business.
Will the business be kept small with only a few employees or will it be larger with numerous employees? Knowing how many employees will be working for the business is an important decision to be made first since it impacts the size and the number of buildings that will be serviced.
Choose what type of buildings the business will clean.
The size and the type of building that will be cleaned needs to be decided. For example, the type of building could be a large skyscraper, or it could be for a small mom and pop convenience store. It’s normal to start small with only a few employees working on small-scale buildings such as day cares or gyms. After the business has been in operation for some time, the amount and size of buildings, as well as the number of employees, can be increased.
MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES
Medical facilities have a responsibility, more so than any other business, to stay clean and sanitary at all times. If you manage a facility like a doctor’s office, testing facility, dialysis center, dental practice or veterinary clinic, you need a professional, hospital-grade commercial cleaning service you can count on.
MEDICAL CLEANING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
With heightened awareness about the spreading of germs and transmission of viruses, your employees and patients are paying close attention to cleanliness. From the moment someone steps into your waiting room, they form an impression of your practice. They may ask questions about cleaning regimens in your practice, so you should be able to provide informed answers. You’re an essential business, so people are counting on you.
A CLEAN HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT DIRECTLY CORRELATES TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
Reducing germs, including those that cause contagious illness, makes a difference for everyone who enters your medical facility. When employees get sick, productivity suffers, and you are unable to serve the public that needs you. COVID-19 provided an extreme example of how an illness can halt activity, and it also showed that asymptomatic people can spread a contagious illness.
CLEANING AND DISINFECTING ARE ONLY EFFECTIVE IF DONE CORRECTLY
Professional commercial cleaners should use the correct tools and protocols to ensure that they remove bacteria and viruses, rather than simply spreading them around. When you talk with a cleaning company, ask whether they follow guidelines set forth by the CDC and AORN.
UNDERSTAND THE TYPES OF COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES AVAILABLE TO MEDICAL FACILITIES
A commercial cleaning service can provide your medical office with regular, recurring cleaning tasks, like mopping, trash removal, dusting, and bathroom cleaning. However, you may also require services like added attention to high-touch surfaces, deep cleaning, upholstery and floor cleaning, or window cleaning. A preventative maintenance plan can keep your furniture, floors and other assets looking newer, longer.



