How to start a cleaning business from scratch

Step-by-step

1

Decide what type of cleaning business

Three main paths, each with different economics. Residential cleaning (recurring weekly or fortnightly visits to homes) — predictable income, easy to find clients, lower hourly rate. Commercial cleaning (offices, retail, gyms) — higher contracts, more competitive to win, less weekend work. End-of-tenancy and deep cleans (one-off jobs from estate agents and landlords) — higher per-job rates, less reliable schedule. Most successful solo cleaners start with residential because the demand is constant and you can build a route. Pick one to focus on for the first 6 months; diversifying too early kills focus.

2

Register the business and get insurance

In the UK: register as a sole trader with HMRC online (free, takes 10 minutes). In the US: register an LLC in your state ($50–$200). Get public liability insurance (£60–£150/year in the UK; $30–$60/month in the US) — this is non-negotiable; cleaning involves working in someone else's home with the risk of accidental damage. Open a separate business bank account to keep finances clean from day one. Total: about £100–£250 to be fully legitimate within a few hours.

3

Set your prices and packages

Research your local market — Google '[your city] house cleaner prices' to see what local competitors charge. Typical residential cleaning is £15–£25/hour in the UK and $30–$50/hour in the US, depending on city. Two pricing models: hourly (simpler, but caps your earning at hours worked) or flat-rate per visit (better — clients prefer predictability and you earn more as you get faster). Start with 3 simple packages: weekly clean, fortnightly clean, deep clean / move-out. Don't undercharge to win clients — undercharged clients are usually the worst clients.

4

Buy minimum equipment

You don't need much. A vacuum (£80–£200), a mop and bucket (£20), microfibre cloths in bulk (£30), a starter set of cleaning products (£40), a caddy or bag to carry it all (£20). Total: £200–£300. Don't buy professional kit until you have 5+ regular clients — most solo cleaners use what's available at clients' houses initially, then upgrade once income is consistent. Reliable transport matters more than fancy equipment.

5

Get your first 5 clients (the hard part)

Your first clients come from one of four places, in this order. One: people who already know you — message every friend, family member, and acquaintance with a clear offer ('I'm starting a cleaning service — £X for a 3-hour weekly clean, and I'd love a few first customers to build my reviews. Anyone interested?'). Two: local community groups — Nextdoor, Facebook local groups, your neighbourhood WhatsApp groups. Three: Google Business Profile and a simple website — these compound over months. Four: cleaner-specific platforms like Helpling, Tidy, or local equivalents. The first three are free; rely on them for your first 90 days.

6

Build credibility fast with reviews

Your first 5 clients are also your future marketing. After every clean, send a polite text asking for a Google review and offering a small thank-you for the first one (free hour next clean, or similar). Aim to have 10 Google reviews within your first 90 days — once you're at 10+ reviews, you start ranking in Google Maps locally and enquiries come in automatically. A simple website with a contact form, your service areas, prices, and your reviews compounds — Adviita can generate this in under a minute, free to start.

7

Scale strategically (or stay solo, intentionally)

After you're at capacity solo (typically 25–35 hours of cleaning work per week), you have a fork. Stay solo and raise prices — every existing client gets a 10% raise once a year, and new clients pay 20% more than your earliest ones. Hire helpers and run a small team — your role shifts from cleaner to scheduler/manager, with more income potential but more headaches. Either is valid. Many solo cleaners earn £30–£40k a year working 4 days a week and prefer that to running a 5-person business.

Common questions