In conclusion, commercial cleaning businesses make the most money, followed by specialty cleaning businesses and carpet cleaning businesses.
Liang Zhao Zhang worked as a janitor for the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) rail network in San Francisco, USA. His steady pay? Just $57.000 a year, on top of his $45.000 base salary plus $12.000 in company benefits. So far, so good.
It is important to note that a residential cleaning service likely won't make you rich. Your business can be profitable but most small cleaning businesses will make anywhere between $20,000 and $50,000 per year. Here are a few common services that residential house cleaners offer.
Starting a business can be challenging, time-consuming, and very demanding. While many people believe that only the lucky few are blessed with the capabilities to become millionaires, the truth is that anyone can build a successful cleaning business and become a millionaire.
Registering Your Cleaning Business
Sole Proprietorship: $0-100 (business license fees) Doing Business As (DBA): $65-100. General Partnership: $70-$150 filing fee. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): $70 filing fee; $800 annual tax fee.
As a cleaner, you can earn higher than the average hourly rate, especially if you own your own business and complete more than one job per day. Let's say you're cleaning homes by yourself. If you charge $250 per cleaning and book four cleaning jobs per week, that's $1,000/week, $4,000/month, or $48,000/year.
Finance, law, real estate, health care, and software development are among the most profitable industries in the US. If you're looking to make as much money as possible, consider starting a legal services business, a brokerage, a health care company, or a software-based venture like a virtual assistant business.
Generally, commercial cleaning businesses are more profitable than residential ones, especially when you add on services like floor waxing, window washing, and deep disinfecting. With that, several additional factors can impact the profitability of a commercial cleaning business.
Hourly: $30 to $50 per hour, per cleaner on-site. Flat fee: $400 to $800 depending on the size of the job. Per room: $125 to $175 for an average single-family home. Per square foot: $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot.
Deep Carpet Cleaning
Carpets are some of the most challenging surfaces to clean. They are prone to dirt, spills, stains, and dust. Deep carpet cleaning requires advanced cleaning equipment that goes beyond regular vacuuming.
Disinfecting: The third tier of cleaning, known as disinfecting, is the highest level of cleaning aimed at killing or inactivating a wide range of germs, including viruses and bacteria.
As of Jan 31, 2025, the average hourly pay for a Cleaner in the United States is $15.13 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $21.15 and as low as $8.89, the majority of Cleaner wages currently range between $13.46 (25th percentile) to $16.35 (75th percentile) across the United States.
Acid cleaners are the most powerful type of cleaning agent and should be used with care. If they are not diluted correctly, acid cleaners can be corrosive and very poisonous.
Cleaning Business Start-up Cost
When starting a cleaning business, the total cost can vary depending on several factors, including the scale of your business, the services you offer, and your location. On average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 in initial startup costs.
Generally, commercial cleaning businesses are more profitable than residential ones, especially when you add on services like floor waxing, window washing, and deep disinfecting. With that, several additional factors can impact the profitability of a commercial cleaning business.
California. To get your cleaning business started in California, you must apply through CalGold and the California Franchise Tax Board. Start by registering your business with the county and city.
It's going to be hard work (for a long time)
Running a successful cleaning business requires a lot of really hard work. Sure, this might seem obvious, but you need to know that it's more than hard work at the start to get things going. It requires really hard work for many, many years.
Most cleaning businesses pay by the hour, set a fixed salary, or offer workers a commission for each job.