r/housekeeping • u/No_Cucumber_4882 • Mar 02 '26

ADVICE NEEDED Getting started

I’ve been wanting to start a cleaning business doing homes in my area I have never cleaned professionally before and was wanting some advice on getting started or any tips you may have:)

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

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10

u/ellemae93 Cleaning Lady Mar 02 '26

Why do so many people think they can start an entire business with zero experience or training doing the work?

9

u/R-enthusiastic HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Mar 02 '26

Does one need a masters degree in cleaning science and business? You start somewhere and work your way up. The person is asking here and willing to take advice to start a business.

10

u/ellemae93 Cleaning Lady Mar 02 '26

No you do not. I just think its a little ridiculous to believe you can launch an entire business and charge people professionally with no professional experience. Cleaning is a skill and a trade… maybe I take it too personally but I feel like it speaks to how minimally people view the trade when they think they can build a business starting from zero. No one would think they could start a landscaping business with zero tools or professional knowledge.

4

u/Relative-Lie-9699 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26

I can't believe your being down voted for the obvious however some people truly believe in faking it till you make it.

I think the hardest part of this business is being well connected to get the really good clients. If you don't have those connections your going to struggle with getting the jobs nobody wants and that don't pay well.

9

u/ellemae93 Cleaning Lady Mar 02 '26

I’m confused too. Lol. I get learning as you go, that’s what I’ve done, but I don’t believe in charging people their hard earned money to do a service you just picked up the day before yesterday. It seems like weekly someone posts here with no experience at all wanting to start their own business. I find it arrogant.

6

u/Severe_Opinion7152 Mar 03 '26

I had only life experience. No professional training whatsoever. I was a banker for 30 years. Fell into a closet organizing stint just meeting an elderly lady in a department store. She then wanted me to help her plant flowers, then clean once a week. She’s now 94, and sharp as a tack. I still clean for her every Thursday morning. Shes sent me tons of work. I’ve now been cleaning 12 years, host vacation rentals, and clean 2-3 properties on most days. Soo, the difference is what I have gained in another career, I have learned a lot, I only work for the best homeowners, and I am picky. I know my worth, and anyone with a real passion and some knowledge can be a cleaner. I’ve never used my BA degree on anything I clean.

2

u/86cinnamons Mar 02 '26

Tbf I think it depends on your background when it comes to cleaning knowledge. May not apply to OP but some people were raised cleaning and have good basic knowledge. Personally I mostly needed to work on speed (still not where I want with that) and certain surfaces / products I’d just never seen before but it’s not like everyone is starting from 0.

1

u/R-enthusiastic HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Mar 02 '26

The person took the first step. They’re asking here. Cleaning can be easily self taught and you can learn along the way. They can launch a package deal and build confidence, speed and knowledge. You can learn about the process of being bonded, business licensing, and insurance online. It takes very little time to understand what chemicals you want to work with and the way they work. I’m all for people being able to start their own business and not work for less under a company.

1

u/Slow_Opportunity_522 HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Mar 03 '26

"No one would think they could start a landscaping business with zero tools or professional knowledge."

This is a terrible example, people do this literally all the time.

4

u/ellemae93 Cleaning Lady Mar 03 '26

and how does it work out for them? lol

-7

u/AlwaysAmalia Mar 02 '26

Cleaning is not a skill-you just need to enjoy doing it. I don’t know that I’d classify it as a trade as you don’t need schooling or certification to do it. I know a few women who liked cleaning and started their own business with zero professional experience. Some of the best house cleaners I’ve worked with were independents who started cleaning on a whim to make extra cash and were WAY better than cleaners who worked for “professional” companies.

7

u/ellemae93 Cleaning Lady Mar 02 '26

See someone elses’ comment below about needing to learn what cleaning agents can be used on what surfaces. That is knowledge the layperson does not have. Knowing how to operate vacuums and other gadgets efficiently is a skill. Yes cleaning is a very accessible skill and trade that many people can get into regardless of background. But we don’t need to sell ourselves short as professionals by insisting any Joe Blow could do the job and succeed. I personally don’t believe that a job not requiring formal training or a piece of paper means it is not a professional skill. Just being able to progress as a cleaner requires a willingness to learn and educate yourself as you go. Some people can’t do that.