Testing The Waters Before Starting A Home Cleaning Business

Before taking the plunge and starting your home cleaning service, I would suggest checking your local job ads, bulletin boards, and anywhere else people post JOBS WANTED ads to see if people are looking for home cleaning services. Doing this will accomplish two things: one is you will get an idea of what the demand is for this kind of service; and secondly, it will (hopefully) give you some names and numbers to call.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that the local jobs wanted ads is not a great indicator of the demand there is for house cleaning services. You will find a lot of the ads are for one-time cleanings. What you want are clients who want weekly or biweekly cleanings. This is not to say the people who post these ads won’t be potential clients because some could be!

For your purpose, the real reason for checking the jobs wanted ads is to get some names and numbers of people looking for these services so you can contact them regarding the job. Like I mentioned already, some people may just be looking for one-time cleanings, and some are actually looking for more regular cleanings.

Whatever the case may be, try to land, at least, two cleaning appointments. When you do make these appointments, be sure to ask them if they will be providing their own supplies or if you have to. If they expect you to, then negotiate the price so that you are not losing out on any money.

Before your first appointment, you will want to make sure you have the following supplies (unless the person you are cleaning for is providing them to you):

• Mop and bucket
• Vacuum cleaner (one with a power head but do not go out to buy one if you don’t have this type already.)
• Rubber Maid Gloves
• 1 – 2 microfiber clothes (to clean televisions and for dusting)
• At least 20 bar mops (these are large white towels which you can find at some grocery and department stores. They will be used for everything else other than dusting)
• Cleaning solutions for mirrors, bathrooms, kitchens, and floors (refer to page 21 for a list of what we use and for what)

Along with these supplies, I would suggest you do some research online regarding how to professionally clean a house. No need to worry about memorizing different techniques and such. This is more or less to give you an idea of what to expect and how to proceed cleaning someone’s house. For example, you should always dust everything in a room before vacuuming.

When you show up to clean someone’s house, be sure to dress in some old, comfortable clothing (I would recommend a t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes- all of which are not dirty or stained), and be a professional about everything.

After arriving, be sure the home owner explains to you what they expect. If there are any questions you may have, do not hesitate to ask! Unless it has already been discussed, talk to them about the length of time it will take to do what they are expecting. A good rule of thumb is one hour per room but this is dependent on what they want you to do. This is why they need to be clear about what it is they expect to be done so that you don’t do any work which you are not paid for.

Once the job is completed, be sure to keep the person’s name, phone number, and any other related information pertaining to them for future reference. They will be the first people you call if you decide to officially start a home cleaning service! This is why you have to make a great first impression on them.

If after doing a couple of houses you find this line of work just isn’t for you, then at least you found out sooner whether than later. But if this is not the case, then you are ready to take the next step towards launching your home cleaning service!