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Are you looking for ways to earn extra income? Or maybe you’re ready for something new, and exciting where you can be your own boss? If so, a cleaning service might be perfect for you: it offers flexible hours, low overhead costs, and high-profit margins. In addition, a cleaning business is often recession-proof. Today we’ll look at 10 niche cleaning business ideas you can start today.
If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, the cleaning industry can offer a comfortable living by owning your own cleaning business. However, do yourself a favor and start with a niche cleaning service so that you won’t be spreading yourself out too thin.
Must read before starting a business:
Table of Contents
Finding the Perfect Cleaning Niche for Your Community
Don’t end up being a small fish in a big pond (or rather the ocean). Instead, take these steps to figure out which niches will work best in your community.
Assess your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences as a business owner
To have a successful cleaning business, you need to remember that when you’re cleaning someone else’s house or business, it’s not the same as cleaning your own. You will require certain materials and tools for different jobs. You may even need a special skill set for something like window cleaning high-rise buildings. Look at what you’re good at and where you can be a leader.
Research your competition and the market in your area
Look online (on websites like craigslist in your area, your local community paper, and the yellow pages to see which cleaning businesses are open in your area.
Look for niches and compare those niches to your skill sets and preferences. Think of it this way: the more niche your market, the less demand.
However, if you can specialize, you can ask for higher prices.
Consider a franchise or a business partner
Going at it alone is hard. You’ll have to acquire all of that equipment by yourself and those specialized cleaners can be expensive.
Calculate startup costs
It’s easy to get excited and forget the basics. Before you decide which of these cleaning niches you want to get involved in, make sure to calculate the cost of starting that business: some (like the commercial types of cleaning businesses) will require much more investment up front, while others, (the housekeeping/residential cleaning business) will need a lot less investment, to begin with.
10 Booming Cleaning Business Ideas
Let’s go over some niches. As you read them, pay special attention to your neighborhood. Do you live in a city with a lot of tall buildings? Do you live in a small town? How big are the residential areas in your town and what shape are they in? How far are you willing to travel?
1. House cleaning business
Residential cleaning is probably the easiest to start: it only takes a limited amount of supplies (some customers might have their own supplies that they particularly like), you can get flexible hours, and you can start small by asking family and friends if they need help cleaning their house.
I promise you, not many people are excited about deep cleaning, and they’ll gladly pay someone else to get it done.
Did you know that there are many different types of house cleaners? Some specialize in doing laundry, others do dishes, and still, others focus on vacuuming and dusting.
You will need to have a thorough knowledge of how to clean various surfaces in order to provide a quality service.
2. Carpet cleaning business
Carpet cleaning is a service that many people need at least once in their lives. It’s a relatively simple process but requires a lot of equipment and training. Like any other type of business, if done correctly, it will provide a good income. But, like any other business, it does have risks involved.
While carpet cleaning is done for general cleaning, most people need this service to remove stains. Learn how to remove stains from carpets without damaging them, and you’ll be very successful.
3. Ceiling and wall cleaning business
Ceilings and walls are often neglected but they do capture a lot of dirt, odors, oil, grease, dust mites, and other unsanitary things that people just don’t want to think about.
Kitchens need these services too, so think about restaurants and catering agencies in your area.
4. Moving cleaning business
A moving cleaning business is a great way to make money. In some cases, you don’t have to own any equipment or even know how to clean. All you need is a truck, a few boxes, and some cleaning supplies. There are many moving companies who will take care of all the details. You just need to decide which company you want to work for.
This one is mostly for residential areas but it can also apply to businesses that are moving as well. People and businesses that are moving into a building can ask for it to be cleaned inside and out.
This includes basic landscaping as well. When it comes to landscaping, talk with the new home/business owners to see if they want you to set up a specific area for them.
5. Upholstery cleaning business
Upholstery cleaning is a relatively new industry in the United States. It was first introduced by professional cleaners who were trained to clean furniture and fabrics.
There are several different types of upholstery cleaning, including spot removal, stain removal, fabric repair, and deodorizing. If you decide to go into this business, you need to have specialized knowledge of fabrics and chemicals to make sure you don’t damage your client’s furniture.
Also, make sure you have good insurance, as things can happen even if you’re very careful.
6. Office cleaning business
Businesses need to maintain a clean office, and here’s where you come in. your services can range from basic janitorial work to window cleaning, deep cleaning, and even restocking supplies.
Some offices have carpets and if you get one of them, you might need to outsource that to a carpet cleaning company. But most offices have vinyl or laminated floors.
As offices are working during the day, this type of cleaning business requires evening and weekend hours, so make sure that is something you (and your family members) want to do.
7. Commercial window cleaning business
Businesses are always looking for window cleaners, so commercial window cleaning is a great way to make extra money throughout the year. You’ll just need to get a few tools and supplies, and then you’re ready to go!
Make sure you get the insurance that will protect you against liability, as you never know what can happen. This way you can concentrate on growing your business rather than worrying.
Commercial buildings have different types of windows: some are double-hung, while others have casement windows. Familiarize yourself with cleaning each type of window, so you don’t waste precious time and give the right impression when prospecting for a new contract.
8. Pressure washing business
Pressure washing is a versatile business: residential and commercial, walkways and parking lots, warehouse floors, doors, decks, and other surfaces, outdoors or indoors, etc. You’ll have to get your own, reliable pressure washer but that’s a modest investment in comparison to other things.
There are many different types of pressure washers available, including high-pressure cleaners, low-pressure cleaners, and even handheld units.
If you decide to start a pressure washing business, you will need to have the proper equipment and supplies in order to do so. You may need to invest in new equipment, such as a truck or trailer to transport your pressure washer.
You will also need supplies, such as soap, water, rags, and brushes. You can find these items at any local store.
9. Restroom cleaning business
If you’ve seen the state of various public restrooms in your hometown, you probably know just how dire your neighborhood is for some decent restroom cleaning businesses. It’s bigger than just retail stores also.
Think bigger: arenas, stadiums, schools, company offices, etc. This would go great with a janitorial service too.
It’s not the most glamorous business, but one that will pay the bills.
10. Crime scene cleanup business
This one’s not for the faint of heart. It also requires that you get some specialized training, equipment, and materials. You also have to get special vaccinations, get OSHA approves, and know all of the EPA regulations in regards to the disposal of hazardous waste.
Crime scene cleanup is an industry that is growing rapidly in the United States. It is estimated that the number of crimes involving blood will increase by about 50 percent over the next decade. This means that demand for crime scene cleanup services will continue to grow.
Crime scene cleanup involves cleaning up blood, bodily fluids, and other materials left behind after a violent or suspicious event. This includes things like murder scenes, suicides, accidents, and drug deals.
It is not uncommon for people who have been involved in such events to need help cleaning up afterward.
Bonus: Other specialty cleaning services
The 10 cleaning business ideas are just a few of the many possibilities. If none of them interest you, look deeper into these other specialized cleaning businesses:
- pool cleaning
- dry cleaning business
- gutter cleaning
- kitchen cleaning
- boat cleaning business
- green cleaning business (this is a big trend and could be a huge success for you)
- air duct cleaning business
- chimney clenaing
- closet cleaning and organizing
I hope this list will inspire you to find your own cleaning niche that will help you and your family prosper.
Cleaning has picked up in many areas. My sister-in-law does this for businesses and residential areas too. She said she figured it would be best to put her “Mom skills” to the test and make money doing it. The job might not be fun but it does pay the bills.
Pressure washing is really starting to become a big thing in our area. Some of the people that try to sell this in our area are kind of sketchy but there are also some businesses that are really starting to break out of the ‘sketchy door to door salesman” type.
This is one of the industries that ever needs and no one wants to do it. I would rather pay to have my house cleaned instead of doing it myself. Very few people are getting into this though, is it still in the early start of the boom?
There are a few of these in our area too but I am not sure how the pay works. I would think you need to collect your own clients and then the company gets a percentage of what you want.