Complete List of Things Needed to Start Cleaning Business
The information contained in this article is provided for information purposes only, not intended as legal and/or financial advice.
With the potential to make a lot of money and become rich via a cleaning business, you may have decided to start one. Getting the right cleaning supplies and equipment is important for cleaning business success.
This article lists out the complete list of things needed to start a cleaning business. Everything you will need to make sure you can complete every cleaning job efficiently and make your clients happy.
This is an affiliate link. We earn a commission at NO cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!
If this is your first time starting a cleaning business, we recommend the House Cleaning University course where they teach not only how to earn $2,000 per week but also show you what the best cleaning products are to use and where you can find them at a massive discount.
Things Needed to Start a Cleaning Business
The things needed to start a cleaning business come in lots of different forms. We’ve put together the following checklists divided into three sections: cleaning equipment, cleaning products, and marketing/office supplies. Everything has been listed in alphabetical order to make it easy for you.
1. Cleaning equipment
- Branded company uniform
- Broom and dustpan
- Bucket or container to carry supplies
- Carpet steam cleaner (if you offer that service)
- Cleaning brushes (use disposable toilet brushes or ask the customer to provide one)
- Comfortable shoes
- Company vehicle (transporting equipment to and from jobs)
- Disinfectant wipes (perfect for bathroom and kitchen surfaces)
- Duster (both long and short)
- Dustpan and broom
- Feather duster (both long and short)
- Floor machine (waxing and buffing for larger spaces)
- Floor scrubbing brush
- Glass cleaning cloths
- Handheld vacuum (for fast and easy tasks)
- Indoor window washing kit
- Industrial vacuum cleaner (hardwood and carpet attachments)
- Knee pads
- Laundry bag (for linen service)
- Laundry bag (for old rags)
- Microfiber cloths (separate and color-coded for kitchens and bathrooms)
- Microfibre cloths (have separate, color-coded ones for the kitchen and bathroom)
- Mop and bucket
- Mop and bucket (use the bucket to carry supplies, too!)
- Paper towels
- Protective rubber gloves
- Respirator (if you’re working with heavy-duty chemicals)
- Rubber gloves
- Shoe covers (to keep floors clean)
- Spray bottle (to store homemade products and all-purpose cleaners you need to mix with water)
- Spray bottles (for cleaning solutions that don’t come in one)
- Squeegee
- Supply cart (if your supplies don’t all fit in the bucket)
- Trash bags
- Vacuum cleaner, with attachments for hardwood and carpet
- Work apron (to protect your clothes)
2. Cleaning products
- Air freshener
- Carpet cleaner
- Carpet cleaning solution (if you offer that service)
- Degreaser (kitchens)
- Descaling agent or chemical descaler (removes limescale in kettles)
- Dish soap (kitchens)
- Dishwashing liquid (use to clean plates, stovetops, refrigerators and more)
- Disinfectant (necessary for bathroom and kitchen surfaces)
- Disinfecting wipes
- Disposable shoe covers
- Disposable toilet brushes
- Furniture polish
- Garbage bags
- Glass and window cleaner (commonly a spray-and-wipe solution used for mirrors, glass, perspex, and windows)
- Glass cleaner
- Hand soap (bathrooms and kitchens)
- Heavy-duty detergent or degreaser
- Laundry detergent
- Laundry detergent (if you offer linen service)
- Magic erasers (great for spot-washing walls)
- Multi-purpose cleaner (for walls, counters, desks, and floors)
- Multi-purpose cleaner (look for bottles that explicitly say they are suitable for appliances and different hard surfaces like walls, counters, desks, and floors)
- Oven cleaner
- Oven cleaner
- Sponges
- Stain remover
- Stainless steel cleaner (for stainless steel kitchen appliances)
- Stainless steel cleaner (kitchen appliances)
- Steel wool (for stubborn stains—use with care!)
- Toilet and shower cleaner (buy as a separate or all-in-one solution to remove mold, mildew, and grime)
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Toilet paper and paper towels (bathrooms and kitchens)
- Vinegar (all-purpose cleaner and descaler)
- Wood and leather furniture cleaner
- Wood cleaner (you can make your own wood cleaning solution using one part Murphy Oil to eight parts water)
3. Marketing and office supplies
- Business cards
- Cleaning business insurance
- Cleaning business software
- Laptop or PC
- Phone line
- Printer
Should you supply the cleaning products?
There are cleaning businesses out there that expect their clients to supply their own cleaning products. However, we would not recommend doing this because it can cause inconvenience to your customers. Most customers prefer do not want to deal with the hassle of sourcing cleaning products.
In general, you should always supply the cleaning products yourself. Not only is it more convenient for your customers, but it will help you look more professional and organized.
You can also clean faster when using cleaning products you know how to use while charging more because customers are paying you for the convenience (freeing up their time) in addition to cleaning their homes.
However, before you start a project with a client, always ask them if they have preferred cleaning products. If your client insists you use their cleaning products, just ensure that they provide a list of their supplies so you can determine if they have everything you need to do a proper cleaning job.
Beyond cleaning business supplies and equipment
The complete list of things needed to start a cleaning business is crucial for success, but so is the knowledge on how to use each tool. It’s useless to have all the tools in the tool box but not knowing how to use them.
This is an affiliate link. We earn a commission at NO cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!
If this is your first time starting a cleaning business, we recommend the House Cleaning University course where they teach not only how to earn $2,000 per week but also show you what the best cleaning products are to use and where you can find them at a massive discount.
As you might imagine, cleaning professionally is not like cleaning your own home. There are special trade secrets you need to learn so you can clean quickly without compromising the quality of your cleaning service.
Gain exclusive access to all the house cleaning training videos that the founder uses to train her employees. These methods are what the pros use to clean quickly without compromising the quality of cleaning. This course will reveal you how to clean like a true professional in these videos.
Remember, speed and technique go hand in hand. And the faster you clean without compromising the quality of the cleaning, the more homes you can clean in a day, and the more money you can make.
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